Why.....

[Huntinfool]

Leadball said, Quote:
"In fact, if I saw a 10 pointer and a doe on a trail 30-40 yards away from my blind, I would pass up the buck and take the doe" That's hard to believe my friend.

Now I am a meat hunter but given the opportunity I'll take the 10 point over the doe every time if the buck is mature and not a yearling. I can get meat every day but I don't get to see a beautiful pair of knife handles walking around in the woods very often. Got to strike while the iron is hot!

I think most hunters would take the buck also. A lot say they would take the doe but when faced with that scenario most will take the antlers. It takes real will power to not shoot a little buck so he can grow some. I would much rather take an old long nosed doe as an immature buck. I'd like to give him a chance to be the big daddy that we all love so much!

Hey, the antis would have you believe there's something wrong with sport hunting if it's not for the meat solely. Well to my way of thinking it goes as far back as mankind. We have always been enamored with the headgear of various animals we eat! Paintings on cave walls show this to be true.

I gave up on eatin' everything I kill years ago. I've heard people say they don't kill anything unless they are going to eat it. Some more of the anti-hunters using the old divide and conquer routine tryin' to make ya feel guilty for killin' some critter.

Well I used to say that but it cut in on my varmint huntin'. If somethin' needs killin' then I kill it no remorse. It needed killin' or I wouldn't have done it!

I busted a lot of caps at the dump when I was younger. So much for being like the Native American's and eatin' everything I killed. I couldn't find any recipes for Norway Rat!

I tried possum once... :curse:... never again!

"The Chuckster" ::

PS I took 5 legal deer in WV last year 1 was a 8 point buck!

 

[jtmattison]

When I'm in the woods I am looking for steaks not antlers.
You can't eat the antlers, unless you make soup
A nice fat doe tastes a whole lot better than a stringy old buck any day.
Not to say I won't drop a buck if one comes along, I just prefer the taste of a healthy doe.

Huntin

 

I wont shoot a buck again. I have shot a few big bucks in my younger days. Now its a doe for the freezer. Even a young buck is not as good eating as a doe.

 

[roundball]

I've Deer hunted seriously since the 60's and it's my favorite thing to do...I think about it, plan for it, and scout out locations all year round. And like anything else you do constantly, I've gradually gotten better and better at it over all those years to the point where I'm usually lucky enough to fill all my tags, but I never eat a one...give them all away.

Years and years ago I dressed, skinned, and butchered plenty of Deer because that's just what you did, then I'd give away coolers of backstraps, steaks, roasts, etc...got tired of all the work, particularly when I don't even like venison, and began just giving away the whole Deer and let somebody else take care of the processing... there's a lot of families out in the country where I hunt that are thrilled to have somebody stop and offer them a deer...really helps with their grovery bill.

I get 4 Buck and 2 Doe tags every year and always try to be conservative during the rut, passing on the small stuff and yearlings, etc...but if I see a 2-3year old with a 6-8 point rack, I'll take him every time...I can shoot Does in December after the rut's over...give them away too.

The most rewarding Bucks I've ever taken were the ones these past couple of years with Flintlocks & patched round balls...the studying, learning, planning, practicing, scouting, taking them with fair chase, then giving them to someone who really needs/wants them is a win-win situation for everybody

 

[cayugad]

If a buck and a doe comes along and both are legal, I will shoot the buck. I will state I am a meat hunter. I eat venison all year long. We are allowed to shoot up to four deer a year (counting archery tags) and more if you want to buy extra tags. I find that three deer is all I need for the year. Last year using the .54 caliber I took three doe.

 

[gordy]

It seems many here are not interested in antler stew! I'll have to go along with the rest,rather eat doe meat than most bucks I've had.I don't get too excited about filling the tags,L like to hunt deer and the meat helps defray the expense of buying at the market.I would have to admit to being an avid small game hunter.Besides I kinda get tired, toten out something deer size.I too was brought up not to shoot anything i wouldn't eat,but! there were also exceptions,when a varmit caused trouble,it was history.As for those who like to trophy hunt I have no problems.When deer become trophy materil their generaly getting ready to be replaced in the scheme of nature.Deadeye! how come You went and shot that poor little varmit? With all those trophys and medals ,You should have been able to hit a bigger one! :bull: :: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Maynerd62411]

Illinois has a program called Hunters against Hunger. You have to preregister with the state and processing is donated by participating meat processors. The meat is distributed by various state agencies.
I consider myself an opprutunist. Any deer I can get a good shot at, I will take. I butcher, cut and package my own. I have my own grinder, so if I have an older buck, it's hamburger. I eat quite a bit of deer meat. Usually about 3 deer a year.

 

I can get meat any day of the week by simply by going to the market. When I plan a deer hunting trip my goal is the biggest buck I have ever shot, or I go home empty-handed. For me hunting is about setting a goal and making it happen.
It's not that I have shot a bunch of big animals because I haven't, but I have bettered the previous years buck for the last three years. In 2003 I was fortunate enough to put two animals into the Longhunters Record Book.

03'Antelope

03'Mule Deer

One final note, I take the very best care of all the game I kill. I process the meat myself and nothing goes to waste.

 

[Deadeye]

Why are the posts about twice as wide as my screen just on this one thread.
Fairchase, that's a dandy buck.
Gordy, I've got lots of horns bigger than that, my point was that there is lots of peer pressure here to get a big buck so much so that a lot of hunters that would like to shoot a small buck for meat won't. Once in a blue moon someone kills one 40" or more and those horns can be worth
$50,000 or even $60,000 and they make fiberglass cast of them that sell for $1500 or more. Evan a set like I pictured is worth $200 or more.

 

[roundball]

I'm having the same problem...the text extends way beyond the right margin of my PC...that's why I first thought there was no way to "reply" to the thread the other day because I couldn't see the "reply" choice any longer...then later I realized I had to scroll over to see it...this also happened a couple months ago then cleared up

 

[musketman]

Why are the posts about twice as wide as my screen just on this one thread.

The text screen will conform to the widest picture on the thread, all written text will follow in favor of the picture's width...

 

[jtmattison]

All hail musketman and his infinite wisdom :applause:

Huntin

 

[bob1961]

i hunt for the time in the woods to enjoy it and the meat also....four deer last year, one in muzzleloader season in oct, one in bow season in oct, one in n.y. deer season with the flinter in the rain in nov, and the last one in flintlock season in jan here in pa....still have meat in the freezer even tho it's only a couple of roasts and some stew.................................bob

 

[newt]

I hunt deer to eat them.
But I sure would like to shoot a wall hanger someday.
The doe I took last year was aged at 4.5 years old on public land 60 minutes North of Detroit.
The area is hunted hard the first few days of deer season too!
Tried to take a buck in the Later ML season but couldn't find one in the limited time I had to hunt.

 

[Ohio Joe]

My hunting season is the entire month of December so I look for good bucks until the last two weeks of the season and then try and take dry does, mullies preferred... I get two permits each year for muzzleloading. I guess I must fall in the 50/50 category...