Trophy vs. Meat

[.308 Norma]

Paying to get a deer processed will change a meat hunter to a trophy hunter.

Not necessarily. I'd probably been deer hunting for 25 years before I started processing my own. Like I said earlier, I've been deer hunting for 57 years now, and I'm still a meat hunter - unless the opportunity to kill a trophy deer presents itself. Even then, I'm not about to pay someone to mount a trophy deer for me.
We probably have a half dozen trophy sized mule deer racks in the basement. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to mounting them - if I can figure out where to display them.

 

[Telum Pisces]

Want to see or watch a bunch of grown men act like little school girls, try to get them to agree on a hunting philosophy!

 

[Random 8]

Haven't read the all the comments, hopefully I'm not stepping on a landmine or 2. Thankful to be out of the house working OT in these times.

I'm replying and concurring with the OP. I did used to chase trophy deer when I had more time. I lived for awhile in Central WI in Stevens Point, and had access to thousands of acres of lightly hunted river flowage and backwater. I spent the evenings after class canoeing and/or wading deep into the swamps in search of swamp bucks and ducks, often on the same outing. During my 3 years there, I managed to bag a low-end P&Y 15 point non-typical. Sadly it was lost in a taxidermy shop "accident" (pretty sure the rack was sold when the business dissolved and the shop burned down). I really enjoyed seeing all the deer while waiting for a truly large buck to show. I still had rifle season to fall back on for freezer meat, so I could take my time with the bow. Fast forward 20 years, and the OT, along with the rest of life just seems to get in the way. I have limited time to hunt, and limited access to potential trophy areas. I bagged my "lifer" when I was 22, and doubt I could ever top that mark without an expensive property/lease or a lot of luck. If a trophy comes along, I'll take it, but I don't spend a lot (any) time pursuing that goal. I'm more than happy to take does as seasons allow, and would prefer a large doe and/or female fawn to a "starter buck" with potential to grow large.

That being said, our state game managers have taken a conservative approach to deer management in my area the last few years. Antlerless tags have been hard to come by. You can't eat the antlers, but you can eat what they're attached to. Given limited opportunities, and my desire to put a deer in the freezer, ANY legal animal in front of my rifle has been fair game the last 3 years. This has included a healthy 1.5 yr 6 point with good potential to grow big...he was delicious, a 2 1/2 year spike without a legal 3" point that must have had really weird genes, and a doe (drew lucky that year). I make no apologies, and ask no forgiveness. My tag, my choice, my freezer.

QDM is a valid strategy for large blocks of land. If you and/or neighbors want to manage for trophies, knock yourselves out. In areas with small parcels intermingled with public, it's a different game.

 

[T.R.]

It's hard for me to pass up a legal buck which makes me a meat hunter. But I've taken my share of mature bucks, too. Mostly by the grace of God, I guess.

A huge trophy bull elk may look impressive on the wall but a young bull or cow makes far better table fair. Years ago, when I hunted in Wyoming I always applied for a cow tag because the meat is so desirable.

TR

 

[Whizzbang]

I’ve had this conversation before. The other guy didn’t put me down directly he just quickly announced “We’re not cow eaters around here!” That’s fine. Everyone has an opinion but mine goes like this. We’re all trophy hunters. Some people measure spreads and points. The rest of us measure how high the freezer stacks.

 

[.38 Special]

Thanks to all for the replies. I have a better understanding now - and I'm glad to learn that I'm not some sort of monster!

 

[buck460XVR]

My tag, my choice

Exactly, and one should not fell they have to justify that choice to others.

QDM is a valid strategy for large blocks of land. If you and/or neighbors want to manage for trophies, knock yourselves out. In areas with small parcels intermingled with public, it's a different game.

Far too many folks use the "QDM" argument to justify not shooting does and small bucks. Things is, the mission of QDM is a quality deer herd, not just big bucks with a ton of does running around with them. Their philosophy of a balanced buck to doe ratio and to manage deer numbers to the holding capacity of the land means one needs to shoot does ans small bucks. Still most folks with pockets deep enough to own their own hunting land also have the pockets to supplement feed so the holding capacity is higher than what occurs naturally. Many also feel that seeing a ton of does means a healthy herd and like to be able to tell others they saw 75 deer before 10:00 o' clock. Or they just claim they don't enjoy shooting does because they don't like to eat venison....yet they won't let someone who would enjoy shooting a deer, any deer and would love the opportunity to have meat in the freezer, do so for them. Some of us that remember the days when deer herds were so small and impacted heavily by severe winters, grew up with the understanding that does could not be shot if we were to have a season next year. One also shot the first deer with horn they saw because it probably would be the only buck you saw that gun season.That definitely is not the the scenario in most areas anymore. Once deer acclimated to Ag type land and learned the humans meant food, only those very large parcels of heavy forest or swamp have any issues with winter kill around here. Deer flock to the corn cribs and eat corn right out of the crib once left overs in the field are gone. Hard to find any area where deer hunting is popular without a over winter food plot, even tho regular food plots and Ag crops mean deer go into the winter so fat and healthy that winter starvation is of little threat, regardless of the severity. Kinda why we have CWD nowadays. Deer hunting has changed over the years and many of us have had to change our way of thinking of what is a shooter. Some folks hunt in areas where herd size, pressure and feed make so if they waited for a trophy buck, they'd never shot a deer. Spme folks have never shot a deer, so getting a deer, any deer is a huge thrill. Don't be the Debbie Downer and chastise them. Shoot what makes you happy, and don't worry what others say.

 

[caribou]

Well, I am a Subsistence Hunter, as the state of Alaska would call me, hunting and trapping for meat and skins, and I do bump into many so called Sport Hunters, I do not begrudge them at all.
In Ak, it’s required that , except for Brown Bears, you MUST salvage all edible meats.

Fine, shoot a big guy and take his antlers/horns and skin, have souvenirs for your hunt, why not? I have little competition as I hunt as I do and trap too, and we’re all hunting anyways.

Git yer hunt on!

 

[Rubone]

I have always been a meat hunter. I could care less about trophies (in any part of my life), but enjoy game meat. I am getting ready for an antelope hunt as we speak (Mature Buck) so it could end up about anywhere from just legal to trophy, but I won't pass on one in hopes of the other. I also have a Deer hunt (Mature Buck) and an Elk hunt (cow) this year. First time in many years I have drawn so many hunts. I will enjoy them and be happy with whatever comes my way.
Typical cow keeps me in meat for a couple years...

 

[marksman13]

I trophy hunted last year with no luck, mostly because I didn’t hunt much due to a project at work. This season, I’ve got a little boy due in October, so I plan to every adult deer that walks in front of me when I do have opportunities to hunt. I’m not going another year without putting meat in the freezer. If people take exception to that, well, that’s their problem.

 

[AK Hunter]

Paying to get a deer processed will change a meat hunter to a trophy hunter.

That's totally wrong. The deer processors around here charge way over $100 per deer then charge extra to cape out your buck head & do a terrible job taking it off. I hunt deer for the meat buck or doe doesn't matter to me. After seeing how bad of a job they do for processing I started doing it myself. I hunt public land & if I get the chance to take a buck I will but mostly all that makes it the public land is does. The local farmers that lease to hunters have most of the good deer living on the farms so they can charge more for the leases. Nothing eats better than a 1 to 2yr old doe, if it is a buck with antlers it's just a bonus.
I have only had the chance to take one buck in the whole time I have been hunting & I did the euro mount on it myself.
If you are seeing deer dead on the side of the road is bad herd management & means you need to take more deer of both sexes. Too many deer in one area leads to diseases like CWD or EHD.

 

[marksman13]

That's totally wrong. The deer processors around here charge way over $100 per deer then charge extra to cape out your buck head & do a terrible job taking it off. I hunt deer for the meat buck or doe doesn't matter to me. After seeing how bad of a job they do for processing I started doing it myself. I hunt public land & if I get the chance to take a buck I will but mostly all that makes it the public land is does. The local farmers that lease to hunters have most of the good deer living on the farms so they can charge more for the leases. Nothing eats better than a 1 to 2yr old doe, if it is a buck with antlers it's just a bonus.
I have only had the chance to take one buck in the whole time I have been hunting & I did the euro mount on it myself.
If you are seeing deer dead on the side of the road is bad herd management & means you need to take more deer of both sexes. Too many deer in one area leads to diseases like CWD or EHD.

Dead deer on the side of the road doesn’t necessarily mean that herd management is poor. Populations are just more dense in some areas than others. Factor in larger human populations and you have a greater chance for species interaction. That doesn’t mean the herd has maxed out it resources.

 

[Captcurt]

I have a buddy that passes does even though some of the places that we hunt is overrun with them. He will hold out for horns and they may be on a 18 month old spike. I, on the other hand, will pass on young bucks and thin does. We had a 3 point rule in our zone in Arkansas ( must have 3 points on one side) before CWD hit home. I passed 4 legal bucks in one day. Two of them had 15-16 spreads but no mass. They were young bucks that would be nice in a couple of years. I didn't kill a buck last year, but the freezer is full of doe meat.

 

[Robbins290]

I shoot the first legal animal. I go for meat. Sure, if 2 deer come walking, and they are the same size. One has horns and the other does not. Im shooting the doe. You can not eat the horns and the does always taste better. I have shot as small as 48 LBS deer. I never pass up a legal deer.

 

[.308 Norma]

I never pass up a legal deer.

I did once. Early one morning a decent 2-point mule deer stepped out when I hadn't gotten more than a hundred yards from the truck. I let him go. I hunted hard for the rest of the day, saw about a dozen does, but didn't see another legal deer.
I won't do that again. 2-point venison tastes just as good, in fact it usually tastes better than 4-point venison anyway.

 

[rdnktrkr]

We have had a land management/ forestry come out a few yrs back and they suggested strongly that at least 8 deer needed to be removed between us and our neighbors, a number we have never met, every year he basically tells us the same thing. We shoot for the freezer, one neighbor bow hunts only and the other doesn't hunt, the only "trophy" we've ever hunted was a piebald and a pick-up got it.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I never pass up a legal deer.

I'm not disparaging you, there is certainly nothing wrong with that approach if that's what makes you happy.

But I do have a question.
How plentiful are deer where you hunt? If they are scarce, I can certainly understand that.
I'm lucky. Where I'm at I wouldn't shoot a yearling because I know if I'm patient, a bigger deer will walk out. They're everywhere.
I realize that not everyone has that luxury where they hunt. If I didn't know I would see another deer for days on end, I may shoot it too.

 

[buck460XVR]

If I didn't know I would see another deer for days on end, I may shoot it too.

....and there lies the conundrum.

As deer hunters, we are not just the killers of deer, we are managers. I doubt very much if the guy in the head office making the decisions as to how many antlerless deer to take, knows your hunting area, and the number of deer within it, as well as you do. He probably doesn't know the area surrounding the immediate area you hunt and what the true deer numbers there really are. He also probably doesnt know how much hunting pressure is imposed on that immediate area or what the success rate of the hunters there are. He only knows general numbers for the large overall area.....minimal size is probably county. He can't predict the harshness of the winter to come or the mast production in the area. His job is to make farmers happy, car insurance companies happy and deer hunters happy. Most of the time, this results in plentiful antlerless opportunities. We as hunters need to be stewards and hunt responsibly. Far too many times I've heard folks say " I hunted all season and saw one deer....and I shot that one!". Does that make sense? Do we take one of the few deer left in the area because the DNR says we can, or do we use discretion and only take what should be taken? While many of us enjoy eating venison, I doubt very much if many of us need the venison to survive. The meat is mostly a bonus to the recreation of hunting. If we shoot two button bucks this year because they are legal, can we really whine next year when we see no bucks? If we shoot the only deer we see this year, can we really expect to see any deer next year? Deer don't come from the deer fairy......they come from other deer. Depending on the area and the herd numbers surrounding it, dispersion may not be the quickest way it is repopulated.

Again, I have no problem with anyone's priorities, as long as they are responsible and are looking past just this season and towards the future. I hope folks are more worried about what the deer herd looks like at the end of the season and not just that they have something, anything, in the back of their truck. A successful hunt does not always mean a dead animal. Having the opportunity does.

 

[Robbins290]

rdnktrkr

yep. I did the same thing when i first started hunting years ago. Did that once, will never do it again.

arkansas-paul

deer are very plentiful, the state determines who gets a doe tag or not. Based on deer herd in areas. Its plentiful where i live that i can not remember the last time i didnt get a doe tag. Im lucky like you, but as state in the past few comments. I wont pass any up incase i never see one again that season. As been tagging deer for the past 12–13 years, ranging all over the place in years. The 1 1/2 year olds are the best tasting and very tender. I eat the meat, so i go for better meat.

 

[Duster340]

In Door County WI, hunters have been given 1 buck and 5 antleress tags for the last 3 years now. They're practically begging hunters to take antleress deer. You can hardly find a sapling oak, maple or Birch anywhere on our parcel due to nonstop foraging. I will continue kill and eat bucks, does and button bucks until it is l no longer necessary. I've always hunted to put meat in the freezer, and will shoot a "trophy" if the shot presents itself. But that has never been a priority for me. We just really like to eat venison in my household. That said, I respect appreciate the effort folks that hunt for big bucks put into their hunts.

Every state and county is different so one size does not fit all.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I was told that deer do their own management also, good years a doe will have 2 or 3 fawns and during stressful years they will have 0 or 1 fawns, some people say it is also linked to acorn production. That is just some things I've heard from experienced hunters/farmers

 

[Robbins290]

That would make sense to my area. We are loaded with deer, and the acorns are everywhere. Last few years, most of the does in the spring had 2-3 fawns with them. northern Maine is the otherway around, barely any deer up there. No doe tags for anyone.

 

[pairof44sp]

No, it sure is not like that everywhere.

Exactly. Better than 60% of the state of Idaho is public land. There's plenty of places to hunt deer. But that's all that the majority of Idaho deer hunters do - they hunt deer. The majority of them don't actually kill deer. I'm not kidding - even during a good deer season in Idaho, only one in three Idaho deer hunters actually kill a deer.
And as far as it being an antlered deer or not, it darned well better have antlers unless the deer hunter is under 16. Only "youth" hunters are allowed to take antlerless deer in Idaho, and I for one think providing young hunters who are just starting out a better chance of success is a good idea.
But to get back to the question - I've been hunting deer since I was 15 - 57 years ago, and I've killed a quite a number of trophy bucks over the years. But I've never hunted trophy bucks, nor have I ever turned down a little forked-horn buck. I never turned down a doe either back when it was legal to kill one.
I don't have anything against trophy hunters though. As a matter of fact, I kinda appreciate the fact that they leave more venison for me and mine.
BTW, back in the '90s the company I worked for sent me back to Maryland for a week of training. My wife (also a big time deer hunter) went with me because it afforded us a chance to rent a car and tour that part of the country, including Washington D.C.. Neither of us could believe how darned many deer there were. It seemed like they were everywhere! However, there were people everywhere too, and I'll bet not one out of ten of them were deer hunters. I'll take my 30% chance of killing a deer on the wide open public land out here in Idaho over deer hunting in that part of the country anytime - even if the chances of killing a deer on private land back east are 10 times better.

Yeah, very easy to spot a deer here (N. Central Florida), but the trade-off is that the whole outdoor experience is humid, featureless scrub and pine plantations, along with encounter with “forest peoples” who wish to eliminate outsiders.

In Idaho, just being outdoors is success, deer or no deer.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I doubt very much if the guy in the head office making the decisions as to how many antlerless deer to take, knows your hunting area, and the number of deer within it, as well as you do. He probably doesn't know the area surrounding the immediate area you hunt and what the true deer numbers there really are.

I don't know about that.
A lot of research and resources go into finding out just those sorts of things. I agree with you that the immediate area you hunt may not be known, but generally speaking they have an idea. Arkansas is broken up into zones, and different zones have different bag limits, set based on their research.

While many of us enjoy eating venison, I doubt very much if many of us need the venison to survive.

100% true.
In fact, by the time you figure in lease dues, fuel costs, food and beer for weekends at camp, electricity for camp, deer feed from August - December, etc., I probably have $5k invested in deer season. For what I pay to eat 2-3 deer, I could buy a loooooooot of beef. I shudder to think what venison costs me per pound.
I hunt because I can't imagine not.

I hope folks are more worried about what the deer herd looks like at the end of the season and not just that they have something, anything, in the back of their truck.

Agreed. I'm fortunate that I don't have to decide. I realize some aren't.

A successful hunt does not always mean a dead animal.

Fred Bear said, "If you consider an unsuccessful hunt to be a waste of time, then the true meaning of the chase eludes you altogether."

 

[Rubone]

One of my favorite rifles was purchased from a local fellow who drew his first ever Elk tag, went out and bought a new rifle, put a scope on it, shot it a few times, went out on his hunt and came back empty handed... his wife berated him so much he offered up the rifle for sale. I contacted him, took a look, made a deal, and walked away happy. He said he was going to use the money for a side of beef. It is a really nice Ruger M77 in .300WM, before they started the Hawkeye name. The scope is just a standard 3-9x40 Weaver Classic, but it works fine and was brand new when I got it. It has taken Oryx and many Elk. It was also a great deal!! Some people don't belong in the field and don't understand the true reasons for the hunt. And there are no guarantees!!