Meat or antlers?

How do you hunt……?

….. I like to target the deer with longest tail in the area

Meat

My walls are already full I'm out to fill the freezer and hopefully a few canning jars.

I hunt for any shred of success I can get.

Antlers. I get no thrill or excitement shooting a small buck or doe and I don't really NEED the meat.

… I like to go after deer with a trophy set of gonads … the large circumference ones can be very elusive

I aim for the cutest little bambi I can find. Nice & tender.

Spots are for pots!

Early season does for that sweet meat. Stinky rut bucks to support my ego. Preferably all with a bow.

A good mature buck, the youngest does

I’m out for the experience more than any. That could mean a doe or small buck with my pistol. Or just the perfect day in the woods.

We are blessed with a fair amount of deer that allows me to be somewhat picky. There are very few days where I don’t get an opportunity at a legal deer. Our area was put in the CWD zone last year and they removed the point restriction on bucks that had been in place for several years. It was the first year in over 40 that I didn’t tag a buck. Had multiple chances, but choose to eat my buck tag.

For meat. If it’s brown, it’s down.

This one meant the most to me. First archery deer. Passed away quickly after sprinting 50 yards and excellent tasting meat. Not everyone has the opportunity or land to hunt big trophy bucks and I really don’t know if I want one anyways.

First legal animal to offer me an ethical shot.

Deer don't excite me much anymore unless it's a biggun.....a good beef steak taste better anyway

No elk gets passed up if I have a tag .....especially with my bow

Except where you don’t have it……

Don’t care much for carrying handles. I am happy for the folks that worry about it.

Small deer are easier to pack out or get in the side by side.

I shoot the first legal deer I see. Don’t much matter to me. First legal deer that I have a tag for gets an arrow or bullet to the vitals. Same with the next few I see.

I hunt a few crop damage farms, so that goes into it a lot, has to be antlerless for me to shoot mostly.

Landowner wants them gone, so I do my part.

Both. If I holdout for antlers, it usually results in more meat.

Just gotta shoot a couple more small ones. It all evens out. Lol

I will say, sometimes I’m a butt head, I like shooting button bucks to make the antler hunters mad.

Not often, but sometimes.

meat for me.

I think hunting for antlers is something most mature hunters grow out of. As a kid and teenager, hunting for antlers was important, once you reach adulthood, it isn't.

If you are going to quote me, at least quote me correctly. Otherwise you just look like Richard Cranium.

Became a meat hunter about 18-20 years ago after my house was broken into.
They stole 20 years of antlers,tree stands, a couple old bows and empty gun boxes among a lot of other stuff.
I quit hunting antlers after that. Now my trophy deer are does. Much better table fare IMHO.

Best to shoot basket rack bucks, cause it irritates the trophy hunters. You get a good amount of jerky and less trimming than does.

have not shot one of either in several years. I just enjoy hunting with the kids. They shoot several doe a year and also like antlers. wanting something as big or bigger than the last one.

They also let a lot of each pass each year.

When I start shooting them again if I do it will likely be for meat. I don't shoot small bucks they get a pass and heck 2 years back so did a buck as big or a little bigger than my largest got to walk. He didn't excight me and I had 2 bucks in the barn to get processed the boys shot the day before and didn't want a 3rd. but when time location and conditions right doe will be shot when I decide to start taking them again.

Moose….meat.
Deer……..antlers.

You proved my point, 160. Youll knock another hunter for something that they like to do (keep track of the number of deer they have harvested over the years), but openly admit that your just in it for the antlers. To each their own, but if either one of those activities is immature, its not tracking numbers....carry on.

Wow ,,,, chill pill double uped,,,,

This is about what you hunt,,,,,, We all know 160 is after the big ones with fur……

That daggum 160 Looser always blowin some skirts up every time I see him on here!

& LMBO @ Vinke- that was funny.

Antlers first. Meat is a bonus.

The village called and they want their idiot back. I only hunt my own property. I actively manage my deer here and by opening day I know the one deer I am hunting. I am targeting one specific animal, very similar to management practices in Europe. This is my chunk of dirt, I pay a butt load in taxes each year to have it and the state of MN says I can take one deer a year off it. I get to choose which one. I farm deer. I admit that. I get no pride from bragging about what an accomplished killer of fawns and yearlings I am. If others find joy in that, more power to them.

Both, fortunately we have the opportunity to hunt for mature bucks or bulls and then cow elk for meat.
Although even animals with big antlers can be good eating.
For pronghorn, our numbers are down so if we draw tags bucks it is and why shoot an immature one?

And, usually aren't the more mature animals with large antlers bigger body size with more meat for consumption?


160, sounds like a great set up.

I take whatever comes first.

I take the biggest bucks/does I can. If I'm dragging something out of the woods, I want it to be worth the effort via how full the freezer is. Do all my own processing for myself and family deer. Got a 1 HP grinder so when i pull that thing out, I dont want a 10 minute job.

Antlers. The challenge of targeting a specific mature buck.

The meat is secondary.

I used to be about the antler's but not for many years, now its about the meat,

First 2 days, small ones get a pass.
From then on i'm hunting to fill the freezer.

I have been hunting and reloading a long long time. Deer rifle and loading tools dont owe me a thing. Saves me grocery money.

Meat. I also shoot plenty of big antlered deer / bodied deer while doing so

Whatever comes by first is good enough for me.

Both, I know when I am deer hunting I say many prayers of thanks.

If hunting on a trip out of state I hunt for antlers , when hunting in VT I hunt for a buck over 130 lbs. I don’ t see enough deer to shoot a doe. We have a terrible state biologist here and he is (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) that hunters don’t shoot the amount of doe in my area. But you can’t shoot what’s not there! I don’t think they are using the correct data to determine the actual deer population in VT.

Both.Meat first.Then antlers

First one that shows up gets it, rinse and repeat till you're out of tags.... Not discriminatory at all, lol

I don't have time to play with my food.....

I enjoy they challenge of hunting mature specimens being 4.5 plus and probably 5.5 plus, but I tell everyone else shoot what you feel your happy with being doe, fawn, 2x2 or a mature buck with archery. God gave us a real gift with the whitetail deer, something that can hide in your back yard and still be a challenge to harvest.
Anyone that kills anything to make a fellow hunter angry has some real problems. Same as the guy that doesn't care for the harvested beast.

Why is this always a question, lol? I target both. If I have a buck I’m after I’ll chase him and still shoot a pile of does for meat. I don’t know of anyone that just targets antlers. As a hunter, management should always play into your hunting. Just shooting willy nilly does no good for anyone.

If i hunted for meat my hunting season would be very short. Not any challenge to kill a doe here even with a bow.

Get er done
It will give you more time for sidewalk caulk art…..

I wonder how many who claim to be meat hunters would pass on an old tough B&C buck for a fat 1 1/2 doe if they where standing beside each other. I suspect some are meat hunters by default.

Question : Meat or antlers?
Answer : YUP !

This for me

If the first one is a big buck......

I kill as many does as I legally can as fast as I can, then I sit and wait for antlers.

hunting for antlers usually causes tag soup i hunt in this method with the bow i hunt for bucks the bigger the better but when it comes to gun hunting if its brown its down

Meat, but won't pass up a nice buck.

We always start our season with bear and moose hunting. If that goes well then I’m very picky about what deer I shoot since the freezer is already full. If the freezer is empty then I’m looking for the biggest bodied deer I can find. If that deer has large antlers then so much the better.

hard to pick what got more volume of meat. What's the target volume or quality of meat. Then there is what are you doing with it. Making a lot of jerkey and ground or wanting steaks for the grill.


It's not all cut and dry, either/or, or has a single thing to do with anyone else's opinions or standards. Amy kids think I'm nuts when I let deer they would have shot walk and say something like if I would have shot that buck he would be dead and would be no chance he would walk in front of you tomorrow. Another rack on the wall is not exciting or going ro do anything for me. But will really get them excited so why would I want to shoot it.

Horns for me , im not the ruff gruff mt man that can eat it seven ways to Sunday i had to do that growing up , i appreciate the pioneer's that fought so hard to get the good stuff here to eat . evidently they were sick of it to.

Depends on my mood

I take what ever shows up buck or doe does not matter try to never fire more than two shots Never learned how to cook antler have never shot that monster buck crown is down it goes good with taters and gravy Take and hunt what you want as long as it is not wasted, if you kill it use it or find someone that will .

With a trophy buck and doe in the same place at the same time I'm shooting that trophy buck and letting the doe go. Especially if that buck just bred that doe.

Can always kill that bred doe on next hunt day

Have actually had that happen a few times.I let the buck breed the doe then shot the buck.I would then not go back to that area the rest of the year hunting other areas instead.

In the big picture of whitetail deer management, you are not accomplishing much other than making yourself feel good about letting the bred doe walk.

WA give you a 10 day to hunt early session with a modern firearm for a buck,,,,one deer.

Almost 30 days in most GMUs for any deer using bow or ML..one deer

Heck, I’m just glad y’all are able to get out hunting when you can. That’s what it’s all about.

Heck, in the next couple years, it won’t be up to me, as I’ll likely have one of my kids with me and they will be the one picking what they want to shoot.

If we're going to let bred does walk. You .ight as well stop hunting does after Halloween because theres no way to tell that she's not unless you can get a pregnancy test on it or you see one actively chased by a buck or making come hither sounds

This^^^ absolutely.

And how about those hunters that won't shoot does because they don't want to see the fawn fetuses when they field dress the doe. SMH

I measure all fetuses on a fetus scale and record conception and paturition dates.

This. I went through a picky stage. Not so picky anymore. I love shooting deer, bow or gun.

Food. Antlers are cool, not saying they aren’t. But meat is the primary goal

I can understand that. If Kansas was that restrictive, I'd be as selective as you. I bought my land (70 acres) around 3 years ago, primarily for deer hunting. I spend a lot of $ on it every year, but it gets me out of the house and exercising, and I have fun with it.

In Kansas the first tag is either-sex. Then we can get either 4 or 5 more antlerless only tags (I forget the limit). From my perspective that's 1 buck and as many does as I want. I start the season with 3 tags so I can shoot 2 anterless in one day if given the opportunity. I hold back back the buck tag until I either get a chance for a nice buck or its late season. On my property nice bucks are somewhat rare. I've never seen anything up to "Kansas trophy buck" standards, but I've gotten a nice 8 point in 2 out of 3 years. Last year I didn't get a buck, but I got 4 nice does. The last 2 does I shot in one day, I was alone at the property and got them broken down into bags of meat before heading home, where my wife helped with the rest of the processing getting everything vacuum sealed. Doing it myself, I don't think I want to shoot more than 2 does in one day. And I'd only shoot one if its an evening hunt.

So I let small bucks pass until late season, and beyond that I'll shoot any big enough to be worth the trouble. If its getting late season and I want more meat, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot the 8 month olds. My reason for hesitating on them early season is its equal work to process a small one, but a lot less meat.

If Kansas adopted an "earn a buck" policy, I'd loosen my standards on early season bucks.

Maybe where you live with alot of deer, but up here in northern Maine with fewer deer we need more does in the big woods.That bred doe is going to have 1 to 2 little ones if she survives the winter.Chances of her being shot are very slim as they only give out around 10 total doe tags here in zone 11 last I knew.Alot of years there are no doe tags given out here.

button bucks

Ding Ding Ding... we have a winner! It's what we all know, thanks for saying it

So what about the guy that let's bucks larger than his best ever walk? Some of us outgrow antlers and can care less about them. I'm sure for those that still highly value them you understand that as well as a strait man trying to understand how any man can be gay. It just does not compute in you heads as being possible. The big steroid guys at the gym were the same way when I said I have no interest in bench pressing 500 lb. They just took it as I said that because I couldn't not because to me that's not in shape and a good way to get injured.

People tend to think everyone else values what they value and that's not the case.

Some of us don’t care about antlers. If I have a tag for him and he walks out first I guess I would. And if he is there with her I guess I’d shoot the bigger one.

Really, I wouldn’t care. I shoot the first deer I see. I need about 100 or so pounds of deer, I hunt till I get that, past that I donate it.

I will say, I hunt some crop damage properties so, I’m restricted to antlerless only.

I am invited to hunt those properties for antlered deer, but usually by then, I’m on to ducks, geese, rabbits and trapping.

Which leads to the most important game animal, the wild turkey.

I really need to hunt more of them in the fall.

Turkeys are the best.

In my opinion that is…


Anyway, hunt what you want, how you want and with the method of take you want. As long as it’s legal knock your socks off and be safe while doing it.

If it's a 1200# black Angus, corn fed steer, I'm it's worst nightmare!

Deer antlers. Elk and moose meat. They actually fill the freezer

It’s the same story here in Saskatchewan. Yes, we have some enormous bucks but, lots of deer we do not. Winter devastates the herd some years. I love antlers so will hold out until the bitter end of necessary before I kill something. I’ll enjoy the jerky I make from any deer, but I’ll enjoy it even more if I can occasionally admire its antlers in my basement. The good cuts come from moose in our house anyway.
To each their own though.

…. Back when I was stationed in Saskatchewan huntin renegade Eskimos I saw plenty of deer

.. y’all can take that for what it’s worth but a killed a few just by winkin at em

Sure it wasn’t you breathe?

… breath is the word you were looking for

… but yes, I’m absolutely certain

.. tell us a story Vinke

I am so sorry,,,,,,,,, I thought you were French……

…. Savell is a surname of French origin… how astute of you

We we….

…. You bilingual son of gun ! …. Congratulations!

… we are of the French stock that came to kill fur and injuns back in the day … not the sissy ones that stayed home

Got a good snail recipe?

Not off the top of my head

That’s because the cap you wore as a child ,,,,,,,sitting with your nose against the wall ,,,,,,filled in…..

So what about the guy that let's bucks larger than his best ever walk? Some of us outgrow antlers and can care less about them. I'm sure for those that still highly value them you understand that as well as a strait man trying to understand how any man can be gay. It just does not compute in you heads as being possible. The big steroid guys at the gym were the same way when I said I have no interest in bench pressing 500 lb. They just took it as I said that because I couldn't not because to me that's not in shape and a good way to get injured.

People tend to think everyone else values what they value and that's not the case. [/quote]

My youngest son (15) let a buck walk a couple times that would have been his largest. The deer was only three years old. When you care about antlers you need to make decisions based on age, not size. The deer has potential to be a giant. Most adults would not have been able to do that.

Did you just wet yourself again?

Bang......So long as its not your neighbors cattle...lol