antlers vs meat??

[Birdman]

ok maybe I'm a little slow but I have never really figured out the fasination of getting the "biggest rack".Now don't get me wrong I truely enjoy looking at a full grown mature buck in all his glory. I have read so many times on this and other sites that guys say "I'd go out if they let ya shoot a buck" or "why can't ya just choose for yourself iffen ya want to shoot a doe or buck.--Isn't deer hunting or really any hunting supposed to be about getting the meat? Now you can use most every part of an animal or bird for something other then food but isn't the gathering of meat the ultimete goal.I sort of get confused here in Pa listening to guys grouse about the does only early season, you can fry, sautee, slow cook, bar-b que those antlers all ya want n they still taste like manure so isn't the meat the real reward? Isn't the time spent in the woods really what we are supposed to be enjoying. Maybe its a contest sort of thing" I got the biggest horns""bragging rights I guess, I compete with myself n never really worried about what others think and the flavor of the meat is what I'm after not the antlers. All this most likely doesn't make sense to most guys but GET OVER THE ANTLERS THING!!!! enjoy the time ya get in the woods n quit complaining , be glad yer able to even hunt, think of all the other places in the world where ya got to jump through hoops to even be allowed to shoot much less hunt. It's the time in the woods either byyourself or with friends that counts not how big a set the buck had--if it was up to me you would have one long season limited only by the predetermined need to cull the herd. if ya got to many does then the permits for buck would go down if ya got to many bucks then the buck permits would go up n I wouldn't give a rats patoot what ya used to kill them, that would be your choice.If your a decent "hunter" you would score sometime during the season Ya like bows then use them, ya like bp then thats your choice,highpowered rifle(within reason n safty)go for it,no more of this "well I like to use this weapon so I need a special season" get out in the wooods n enjoy!!! hope this makes sense --- just some humble thoughts

 

[PreglerD]

Hello from Germany,

for me hunting is similar with getting meat. I don't care about antlers at all. My motto: Every deer is a trophy!

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[rabjr]

ok maybe I'm a little slow but I have never really figured out the fasination of getting the "biggest rack".Now don't get me wrong I truely enjoy looking at a full grown mature buck in all his glory. I have read so many times on this and other sites that guys say "I'd go out if they let ya shoot a buck" or "why can't ya just choose for yourself iffen ya want to shoot a doe or buck.--Isn't deer hunting or really any hunting supposed to be about getting the meat? Now you can use most every part of an animal or bird for something other then food but isn't the gathering of meat the ultimete goal.I sort of get confused here in Pa listening to guys grouse about the does only early season, you can fry, sautee, slow cook, bar-b que those antlers all ya want n they still taste like manure so isn't the meat the real reward? Isn't the time spent in the woods really what we are supposed to be enjoying. Maybe its a contest sort of thing" I got the biggest horns""bragging rights I guess, I compete with myself n never really worried about what others think and the flavor of the meat is what I'm after not the antlers. All this most likely doesn't make sense to most guys but GET OVER THE ANTLERS THING!!!! enjoy the time ya get in the woods n quit complaining , be glad yer able to even hunt, think of all the other places in the world where ya got to jump through hoops to even be allowed to shoot much less hunt. It's the time in the woods either byyourself or with friends that counts not how big a set the buck had--if it was up to me you would have one long season limited only by the predetermined need to cull the herd. if ya got to many does then the permits for buck would go down if ya got to many bucks then the buck permits would go up n I wouldn't give a rats patoot what ya used to kill them, that would be your choice.If your a decent "hunter" you would score sometime during the season Ya like bows then use them, ya like bp then thats your choice,highpowered rifle(within reason n safty)go for it,no more of this "well I like to use this weapon so I need a special season" get out in the wooods n enjoy!!! hope this makes sense --- just some humble thoughts

I'm sure Dr Phil would say it was a penis thing....

I generally hunt bucks, I do so because I can shoot a Doe pretty much whenever I want. Now having said that, I do not care whether it's a lowly Spike horn or the King of the woods or anything in between. Long it has antlers.

Many older members may remember the half dozen or so nice bucks I filmed in the summer 2006? There were two, "Handsome" (my avatar) and a double beamed 9 point, both of which I let walk, I could have shot either during Muzzleloader season but refused to. I had the double beamed 9 point at 18 yards and never lifted my gun. He and I had history together, watched him grow up. So I couldn't shoot him.

 

[Birdman]

thank you Swampy, I hope guys don't get me wrong here, if a big bruiser walked by then sure I would think about takeing a shot but I just don't understand the complaining from guys about being not able to shoot a buck. Heck if it was up to some I think they would shoot every buck alive just because they had horns n then complain because they were all gone. I have to laugh at times because there are areas in Pa where the deer are getting scarce but when ya talk to guys that shoot in those areas they took every deer they legally could and now "complain" about the lack of deer.ahh excuse me fellas but who created the problem? go look in a mirror)Makes no sense to me. Their excuse is that they needed the meat(BS). If they needed the meat that bad then maybe they should have thought of another way to aquire food because they must not have a job or some such. 98 % of guys don't spend a nickles worth of time in the woods before season but are quick to complain if they don't have deer running past them in an endless stream.Sorry for the rant today but I'm in a bit of a bad mood n not feeling so well , just need to vent some I guess YMHS Birdman(who ain't gonna get to hunt this year!!!)

 

[rabjr]

I'm very protective of my little area I get to hunt. I know it's best to take a Doe or two each year and I generally do, depending on what I see for numbers. I'm not sure whats going to happen this year here as I've seen more coyotes than deer and unless proven otherwise, I'm sure theres no fawn crop this year.

My next hurtle is to see if I can even get on my CATV to get out back and scout/hunt this year.

 

[Walks with fire]

I am a meat hunter and much prefer a nice doe over a stinkin buck anytime. I know of people who hunt deer and are always talking about the buck they have shot and they don't eat deer meat. Usually they are little basket bucks they think are trophy's. These people just like to kill things for the most part and really miss the reason for actually hunting. PA has a bad case of it. There are those that hunt antlers and those that hunt meat; most of the meat hunters don't have camera's and all the bling bling or any big stories to tell.

 

[Extranero]

Its strictly about meat for me. We mostly live on game meat and butcher all our own meat. A good friend of mine actually refers to me as 'the fetus killer' because I generally pass up the big stinky ones with horns and only shoot the tender young things or does/cows. I've hunted elk for probably 15 years and have only shot one bull. He was still with his momma and weighed in at maybe 300-350lb on the hoof. Tasty little fellar. The rest of my elk have been cows. The last two antelope I've shot barely had horns longer than their ears even though I saw several bucks in the 16-18" range during those hunts. I appreciate big bull elk, huge mulies, and big antelope live and in the wild, but I don't see the point of shooting them. I won't get down on trophy hunters, but I personally believe that trophy hunting is changing hunting from a tradition into a business. It is the primary issue driving private land access into a pay to play or lease situation. Leases are frankly killing our sport and keeping young hunters from getting into it.

Sean

 

[Trench]

It makes me laugh when you watch the hunting shows and the guy always says, "Man, that's a nice 10-pointer buck, but he's not the one we're looking for."

Do you think these guys pass up shots so they can bag the biggest squirrel?

 

[Walks with fire]

Taking a monster buck can be quite a bit more difficult than taking a freezer doe and just about anyone would drop the hammer on a truely nice buck and never think twice about it. Some people do it year after year and are very good hunters and they do it because it is hard. I just want some good meat for the pan and I am happy. A big buck when out of rut is not an easy adventure. During the rut I don't really see it as much of a challenge. They are just down right stupid and have passed on many.

 

[rabjr]

I am a meat hunter and much prefer a nice doe over a stinkin buck anytime. I know of people who hunt deer and are always talking about the buck they have shot and they don't eat deer meat. Usually they are little basket bucks they think are trophy's. These people just like to kill things for the most part and really miss the reason for actually hunting. PA has a bad case of it. There are those that hunt antlers and those that hunt meat; most of the meat hunters don't have camera's and all the bling bling or any big stories to tell.

If I'm sitting out there in the cold for 3 or 4 hours and a small spike or yearling Doe happens to walk by and I decide to take it, it's a trophy, they all are and excuse me if I choose to carry a camera and capture the moment, you don't have to but I like to.

Trench first happy B-Day. I don't even bother watching those hunting channels anymore, they make me sick. :barf:

 

[JayDee Flohr]

Well, I'm an antler collector and restorer so I get to wrap my hands around a lot of big bone and big antlers are certainly nice......but.......
I've been down the antler/trophy hunting trail and got very tired of it.
I will shoot a big one if it comes past but I'm also just as apt to shoot a forkey. I guess the part that really soured me for the trophy hunting/ quality deer management crowd was when people started using the term "Cull Bucks" or "Inferior Bucks" For man to have the addasity to think that he can decide what deer needs thinned from the herd before it spreads it's genetics is ridiculous. Didn't Hitler try that? It's :bull:
Any deer, taken by fair chase is a trophy in my book.
Good hunting everyone :thumbsup:

 

[luieb45]

When there's a muzzleloader in my hands every animal is a trophy. When I go turkey hunting with my modern shotgun every gobbler is a trophy because I called it in. When I deer hunt with my modern shotgun or my compound bow my trophy system on deer is the older the better. Old does rank higher on my list than old bucks because does are always weary and are easy to spot things when something doesn't seem write. When we hunt bucks they're senses are normally dulled down by the rut. But with my muzzleloader I'll take whatever deer I can get.

 

[roundball]

I've hunted all my life and may not hunt more than another couple years...novelty is wearing off...Wife and I don't use venison and I always give away any deer I take...and the past few years I've even stopped shooting Does 'cause I'm tired of cleaning them just to take them to somebody else...so instead of working to fill 2 buck and 4 doe tags, I've sat and enjoyed nature, took one good buck each season...I hunt for horns and carry a camera in the truck for occasions like this.

 

[nw_hunter]

I think taking trophy horns is mainly a youth thing. (Some us age slower) :surrender:

The older i get, the more I meat hunt, and any deer is a gift.This year, with plenty of time left in the season (still going) I chose to take a young spike.Making a clean kill for me "NOW", is more important than bragging rights. Just being out in this beautiful land with a friend is enough, and taking game with a front loader is a plus

 

[rabjr]

The older i get, the more I meat hunt, and any deer is a gift.This year, with plenty of time left in the season (still going) I chose to take a young spike.Making a clean kill for me "NOW", is more important than bragging rights. Just being out in this beautiful land with a friend is enough, and taking game with a front loader is a plus

Couldn't have that better myself. :hatsoff:

 

[RickD]

I havent a clue how old you are but I totally agree with you..

 

[rabjr]

One thing that needs to be noted. Some places are buck only. Some places have restrictions on how many tines that buck has to have. Some places give out Doe permits sparingly. And if your non-resident a lot of things are much harder and costlier. Thankfully I do not live in one of these areas and they want the more deer taken the better.

 

[vern faulkner]

:hmm: Trying to eat those antlers always hurt my teeth, however they do sometimes come in handy when it's time to stir the stew. :shocked2: Vern

 

[rabjr]

:hmm: Trying to eat those antlers always hurt my teeth, however they do sometimes come in handy when it's time to stir the stew. :shocked2: Vern

Well, that part we normally don't eat up here but they are easier to drag out of the woods....

 

[larry wv]

I hunt on my farm and hunt big horns. If I wanted a doe season would be over daylight the first morning. Doe tastes better than buck but here their is no sport in doe killing. If I need to I will get a doe or spike the last few days with a bow before seasons are out at the end of the year. There are more coyotes and less deer this year. If the deer get hard to find I will gladly hunt doe. I just like the hunting to be challenging not like shooting fish in a barrel.Larry Wv