Does anyone else consider themselves strictly a meat hunter?

Never been "strictly" a trophy hunter or a meat hunter. I've killed some nice bucks after having done "an honest day's work" in the effort, but they were quite yummy-tasty.

And, for many years in Texas, it was bucks-only. Then, at long last, permits for one doe to 50 acres. Not a problem for me, but a 40-acre fella had to make do with horns.

I'm with Art. I'm not strictly one or the other. Meat for the table is a huge part of it though. Considering the money spent on deer hunting I've got to bring something home to show for it or the wife would prolly kill me.

In Arkansas we're allowed six deer total, no more than two of which can be bucks. You can fill the tags as you please other than that (1 buck and 5 does, 2 bucks and 4 does or just 6 does).
Usually I'll kill a doe or two first, then I'll start letting them pass and wait on a buck. However, the bucks are eaten too, and they're just as tasty if you take care of the carcass correctly. Usually have more meat to take home too.

I go because I like to eat deer so yes I am a meat hunter

I'm pretty much that way. I'll go after a trophy on occasion, but I won't hardly hunt anything I won't eat other than varmints.

I may be one of the only hunters in Arkansas that won't duck hunt. I suppose I could give the meat away, but it's not really worth the trouble.

There's not a whole lot else I won't eat. I guess that's why I'm more interested in the meat than the trophy.

I identify with Jason. I love hunting and being in the woods but I enjoy eating the fruits of my pursuit even more. And I truly hate sitting in the woods waiting for that one deer in a thousand acres that might just happen to pass by me within 30 yds. When I go bow hunting for deer I usually leave my squirrel gun in the truck so when I get cold and tired of sitting I go back to the truck and get my rifle and walk the woods and HUNT!

I'm with Art, not strictly anything. I'll kill a meat deer without qualms when my freezer is empty. I'll take a big buck if he presents himself, but I ain't passing on a non-B&C buck. If I hunted only for B&C bucks, I'd never have killed a deer. I can't afford to be a trophy hunter. There aren't trophies around here and high fence hunting for high protein fed, genetically selected bred deer is expensive. Anyone can kill a trophy if he or she has 5-10 grand to do it with, at least in Texas. Small places where I own land, if you don't shoot it, the neighbor will. You need millions of dollars worth of land in this state to be picky and start your own management plan. Either that, or you can high fence 10 acres. No thanks.

I kill/trap hogs mostly for the meat, though it's enjoyable and I have fun doing it. I NEVER ground swat birds! It ain't a proper kill unless it's shot on the wing. Ain't like it's illegal, I'm just out there for other reasons than meat when I'm bird hunting. I don't hunt birds for the meat. Oh, I eat 'em, but I just love the challenge of wing shooting and ducks and geese are REALLY in my blood, have been for nearly 50 years. It's about the experience, not the meat. As the Harley guys say, "If I have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand." I love the whole experience of duck and goose hunting, especially duck hunting. Eating 'em is okay, I like 'em enough (prefer pork or venison), but the wife doesn't like ducks. She likes doves when I kabob 'em, though. I just make her something else when I grill my duck breasts.

Meat hunter here....I sometimes hope I don't see a trophy...because that adds the expense of a mount...plus the meat isn't as good as the young doe. We like to fill freezer and hook up a few of my friends that are always appreciative of the meat. To us...deer meat is a delicacy. In fact...we just ran the dehydrator last night...so I will come home to 2 gallon size ziplocks of some award winning jerky! Now I will just have to fend off the kids!

You need millions of dollars worth of land in this state to be picky and start your own management plan.

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I keep telling the guys at our deer lease this. We've got 12-1300 acres and they're trying to get us to let the 13"-14" bucks walk. Well, if we do, the next deer lease over is going to shoot them. We simply don't have enough to manage bucks. Can't tell them that though.

Meat mostly, although I will spend a day or two trying to chase down a good rack if I see one. The freezer gets empty, no one ever sees the antlers.

When it comes to deer I'm mostly interested in the meat. I love it, and only have a short window of time to get it.

I can definitely understand trophy hunting though. I spend many hours and a lot of money to catch muskies, just to snap a picture and let them go. I do fish for many other species of fish so I can eat them though.

I think the difference with deer is the short season. I usually only have 2 or maybe 3 weekends a year to put venison in the freezer, and I take what I can get (within reason). I can musky fish 6+ months a year, and catch fish to eat 12 months a year. I'm planning to get into bow hunting and muzzleloading to extend my season though. Then I will probably spend some time chasing big bucks...or maybe just buy another freezer. We'll see.

If it is brown, it is down. I don't know what that makes me. It has to be legal, but I am not picky.

Meat hunter here. Antelope for jerky and elk for sausage, hamburger, jerky, roasts, steaks, etc. I got tired of venison.

The only trophies I am interested in are wrapped in white paper sitting quietly in my freezer.

Purely a meat hunter, can't eat horns!

This is the best antlered deer I've seen since I've been here. I doubt I'll get him, never seen him in daylight on the camera or otherwise. There's a decent 8 point, spread about to the ear tips running around. Seen that one on camera in daylight, even 2:30 in the afternoon on one shot.

Anyway, now that I have meat, I'm hoping I see this guy. If not, no biggy. Seen a couple of spike and a 7 point just showed up. Does are illegal in gun season in this county without a permit which you cannot apply for unless you have 50 acres or more.

Neatest thing is I can hunt here any time I'm home and not working. I'm not limited on stand time.

Its meat for me.I've shot 3 does for every buck and I shoot the first legal buck I see.They have to have 3 points on one side to be legal here.1 buck per year and multiple doe tags available.

I guess I'm a meat hunter, I have a hard time seeing any deer so if I see one it's going down. I bring a .22 pistol when I'm hunting deer so I can get squirrel if I can.

I won't shoot a small buck, and the definition of a "small buck" around here is, a buck with 4 total points or less... If i want meat, i shoot does,



I absolutely don't worry about "what class" an aminal is, and even though i've shot some decent bucks/bulls/bear over the years, i've never had one scored.

I have no use for that trap, of what an animal will "score", before i pull the trigger.

DM

Since both the wife and I were raised eating lot's of wild game I am a meat hunter.

I consider myself a meat hunter but i still do like to occasionaly bring home a nice set of antlers. But my first priority when in the field is to bring home some back straps.

Yeah, when I do hunt it is strictly for meat. I've often wondered if I do end up with that "buck of a lifetime" in my sights, what I'll do with it. I can't imagine paying for a mount and keeping part of the carcass on the wall in the house (though that's what I grew up with -- most hunters did that back when I was a kid), so I suppose if I felt I had to keep it I'd saw off the top of the skull and nail it up somewhere in the barn. Maybe.

I was always told that medium sized does were the best eating, so that problem hasn't come up so far.

Around here it's either putting food on the table or pest control. If you want horns go through the woods where deer bed when they shed the things and you can pick up as many as you desire.

I would rather make jerky out of bucks rather than to try process out certain undesirable traits. (mainly toughness) Does seem to produce a superior table meat.

So far I am.

Have tried to call in the few yotes we have but have not bagged one.

Last year, for the first half of the season, I tried to track a 10 point to his day time spot, then passed on several good deer in the evening, hoping they would lure him out early.
Had to put in considerable time to get a good one the last half.

This year I put a 5 point and a doe in the freezer the first week.

So this may be trophy year. If not I am at least having more fun hunting then ever!

I've gone through the cycle. I killed my first deer at age 26, a small spike. I graduated to strictly trophy over the years and then tapered back to putting them in the freezer.

I've killed far more does than bucks over the years though. Lately, it's all public land hunting with bucks only so does are now a rarity for me.

I consider myself to be primarily a meat hunter. I will usually pass on a buck in favor of a doe, but every now and again, I see a buck that inspires me to shoot it; usually because it looks like it will never be a trophy, and I like to pick out the weak ones from the herd. However, I have shot a few bucks solely because they had awesome racks. Anything I shoot is eaten.