Contrary to what some say or believe, IMO, there really isn’t some type of bad feelings between these two types of hunters.

While they are ideologically different in what they each want in an animal. A meat hunter would almost certainly dump a 190 buck or 360 bull in a heart beat, if given the chance. The ‘chance’ is where our Meat Hunter tires hitting the road are different than a Head Hunters tires.

As Meat Hunters, we usually don’t give ourselves much of a chance, we’ll typically shoot the first legal animal we see, to a degree.

Head Hunters, at least for the largest part of the season are holding out for a predetermined size they want to kill ~ Anything under that size, get’s a pass. All bets are off the last day or two of their hunt. Some might take something smaller, some might not.

What is different between these two types of hunters, that I have seen, is the amount of preparation, self education, and time in the field during the off season Head Hunters spend to identify, study, and follow animals they have targeted to hunt.

They are constantly looking, consumed by maps, overlays of food/water sources, terrain, elevation, and accessible public land…It’s like they have a terminal illness. I think a more accurate description is an addiction. An addiction in pursuit of something special, and the reward in the end for the effort put into hunting the animal.

I for one, admire them for it. Especially, the Head Hunter who’s doing it on public land. (I’m not slamming a hunter who owns bookoo acreage that holds and produces animals with massive head gear) I may hate your ass, but that’s coming from a case of deep jealousy. Many of you actually hunt hard for those bigger animals.

For the many, as Meat Hunters, we don’t spend as much time preparing a hunt as a Head Hunter does, and we shouldn’t feel lesser for taking a legal animal for it’s food over it’s rack size. I can’t believe the amount of excuses we’ll make (I already made one) for shooting a forked horn (Western Antler Math being used) or a spike bull. Like a fork or a spike doesn’t rate as a worthwhile critter.

Here’s my feelings on the matter, as a Meat Hunter. If you can consistently get yourself, family or friends on legal animals each year to shoot. You’re a Rock-Star!

I have no idea what the percentage is for successful hunters versus unsuccessful hunters. But, I imagine the higher percentage would be for hunters unsuccessfully filing a tag. If you’re making meat or hanging horns on a wall, consistently. You are way ahead in the game of hunting.

In closing, to me, Head Hunters, you are the A team in desire and effort. It’s exciting and enjoyable to read about your hunts, knowing the hard work that you put into getting it done.

Meat Hunters, that continue to fill freezers for yourselves and family, hold your heads high, and shoot them Forky’s and Spikes with extreme prejudice.


Elk season starts for me Nov. 12th. As of this moment, we have a date with a nice spike bull. But I’d rather shoot a 7x7.

Good hunting to all!

🦫

Mark, this day and age, there is no such thing as a “meat hunter”. Not even close. A meat hunter nowadays would have a open sighted 22, wouldn’t buy a license, and would drive a $500 truck. Now….. most folks still love the hunt, and enjoy the meat, but, there is no such thing as a “meat hunter”, especially one that posts on the www. 👊🏻

I think you mean ‘Poacher’, JM.


This one looked pretty ‘meat needy’ to me last week.

Lol

🦫

Exactly

Could be a poacher, but there’s a hellava lot more horn poachers than there are meat poachers.

Face it, if a guy hunted for meat, especially you and I, we could eat ribeyes 3 times a day.

I hunt cause I love it, I love new country, the animals, the kill, the meat, the chase, the experience. Always love, and it’s usually the guys that don’t kill shiit, the love the experience of being with Pards, campin cookin etc. hey, I do that shiit the rest of the year. I go huntin, I wholeheartedly expect to kill something.

Ymmv

As far as “poacher”, is it? Says who? Folks have fed their families since the beginning of time with meat.guess it depends how you were raised and where. As for me, if a guy killed a critter and ate it, I’d never turn him in or call him a poacher. 👍

+1

I think you’re going back in time to the days of getting camp meat, or finding an animal to help feed a hungry family during lean years.

I’m not talking about that, or those times. Some of us will shoot a meat dink knowing it will eat good. Some won’t shoot anything under a predetermined score.

One hunts the meat, size don’t matter, while the other is hunting bone height, width, and mass because it means something more than just the table fare.

🦫

Most buck meat I’ll give to guys at work with larger families or make pepperoni/sausage out of. If a guy likes buck meat, shoot whatcha want. 👊🏻

I shot four does last season. I sure as hell didn't shoot them for their antlers. I fill my shed with firewood and my freezers with game meat every year. One saves me money on heating fuel and the other saves me money on groceries. Been doing it all my life.

I’m in the meat department with you anymore Mark but the problem with letting the Granddaughter do the killing is I end up sending the meat home with her. She really enjoys it as well as the family but this year with her on her own tag they got hers and I got mine and am looking forward to eating it.

I bet your ‘GD’ is gonna get herself some of yours, no matter what. Lol

We’ll hook up next week in Tillamook. I got to get you set up to post pictures of your granddaughter hunting.

That kid is a straight up animal murderer.

🦫

My goal is typically to take a mature animal. I don't necessarily care to take the biggest rack and won't spend countless hours in search of a specific animal. I shoot the first mature animal I see. Usually, mature animals will have a larger rack AND they will provide more meat. Myself, I don't have a problem with what others do so long as it isn't creating a problem for somebody else.

She was taught to kill the damn things them eat them and is good at both. I’m sure she’ll eat as much of mine as she can especially the jerky. 😂 see ya next week.

I uh.......uh........go both ways.

If my freezer's empty, I have zero issue shooting a spike or whatever I see that is legal. Other times, especially when flights are involved and dealing with the meat is a total PIA, I head hunt. I do and like both and factor a lot of bird hunting into the equation.

It ain't no sh:t that for what I spend in fuel and tags, I could eat steak and lobster every day at a hell of a nice resturant. Instead, I eat like crap and sleep under a tree a lot. I drink cheap beer by choice though, `cause I ain't no hi-fallutin, proper and refined redneck.

Heading out in the morning to set more wolverine traps and kill more ptarmigan. If I eat at all, it'll be a gas station burrito, `cause I am classy like that.

I generally head hunt similarly...ie, I look for a "good" animal but don't give a damn about inches (of antler at least). The issue here is that lots of strict head hunters do feel you're creating a problem for somebody else by shooting small bucks and definitions of "too small" vary widely. Conversely, by only shooting trophies some feel that makes anti hunters hate the sport more, so again you're creating a problem for somebody else by head hunting. Everyone seems to have a different thought process concerning how critters should or should not be managed. I see arguments about it all the time and am fascinated by so many points of view.

That’s cause your like most of us. I bet mine cost a $100 a pound this year and I’m fine with it the memories are worth a $1000 a pound.

Besides classy, you’re a sexy mofo too ~ when you’re wearing lace panties.


Ribeye for elk camp.











🦫

In theory that sounds reasonable. But theres a big problem with that i cant overlook. Theres folks out here that dont buy deer tags but shoot deer every year on their property, claiming poverty and the need to put food on the table. And yes theyre poor people. The problem with that though, is these poor people who apparently cant afford the deer tag, and therefore also dont worry about seasons, somehow always have a cigarette hanging out of their mouths and a bottle of whiskey close at hand. The amount of money they spend on smokes and booze, they could choke their family on beef. So [bleep] them. If i see them, catch them in the act, bet your ass ill squeal.

And that's exactly why I said in the beginning, NO-ONE, hunts for meat nowadays, especially me or beaver10. Again, if a guy eats it, ill never biitch, especially when, especially in our state, bear, cougar, wolves and every other predator goes unchecked. 👍 bet your ass, ill never squeal.

Where's all that fresh buck backstrap??? Its soooooo good, sure you got elk meat?


Haha god damn

GPS coordinates requested for elk ⛺️

Mostly here on the Oregon Coast, the Blacktail do all right. There’s more bucks that are never seen by anyone. Frick’n nocturnal demons, or as they’re called ‘ghosts’.

Doe hunting is what stirs up emotions for some people. Shoot a doe, you just killed a potential fawn producer.

I imagine in places where animal density is lower, hunters would have stronger feelings about shooting a fork or doe.

🦫

Wifey, and I already ate half of one strap. It was awesome!

We’ll do up a full strap in marinade and BBQ it for the hunting crew.

9 days of meals means more than just eating deer meat. Gotta have a selection.

I’m outta elk steak ~ ate all of it. Have some summer sausage still, but not much.

Why do you love deer hunting so much, if you can’t stand to eat it? You eat the elk or bear you kill?

#Killar

Lol

🦫

I’m easy to find.

😬🦫

Wait, what?

Oh…Okay, I see what you meant.

Yeah, I don’t have to hunt meat to survive. But we do like the Blacktail, elk, and antelope I’ve shot.

Being honest…Is deer or elk straps better than a Grade Prime ribeye?

Um, Fûck No!

But we do eat what I shoot, including ducks, and upland birds.

🦫

Jud,

Try this on Blacktail. It simple.



I’m not a fan of Mule Deer, unless the pig has been eating grain and alfalfa all year. Sage brush eaters ~ I’ll pass.

🦫

I hunt because I love hunting. The whole experience. The preseason preparation, scouting, building stands, placing and checking trail cams, hanging out at deer camp, ect. I was taught as a kid to shoot the first legal deer that I saw. I Started hunting with my grandfather. He lived on a farm, we ate everything we hunted. Deer, rabbit, squirrel, game birds, nothing went to waste. When we killed a deer the first thing we ate was the liver and heart, my grandfather even scrambled up the brains with eggs. That was over 50 years ago. For many years I hunted like I was taught. So I guess you could consider that meat hunting. As years past, I started letting deer walk and chasing Bucks with big headgear. So I guess I became a headhunter. After putting some pretty nice ones on the wall, I'm done chasing trophies. Sure, I still like to see a big Buck. But now I usually Shoot the first legal mature Doe I see early in the season. Put one in the freezer. Then I'm happy to get a shot at anything that's a big six point or better. So I guess I have been both, a meat hunter and a head hunter. Now I'm just a Hunter and still love it.

We switched to being elk meat hunters 10 years ago. Bull tags are hard to get while we can hunt cows every year. I'd rather hunt every year than wait for that elusive bull tag just to shoot a pointy head.

My tags, my hunt, I’ll shoot or not and don’t need to defend my decisions.

I don’t care what others choose to shoot either, or why.

As long as it’s legal and ethical, do your thing and hunt/shoot what you want.

If I see a cow elk here in a little bit I’ll shoot my second elk for the year in wyoming. Going to have to be close, wind is honking up to 60 mph.

Both for me, I like to eat them and have never thrown a horn away.

I got to disagree with part of the OP's definition. I put just as much planning, scouting,preparation hunting for cows. I have some pretty nice heads hanging on the wall, but I never passed up a legal elk, cow or bull.It took me 21 years to draw a tag in a coveted 25 tag unit in Colorado but I killed bulls or cows every one of these 21years.

If you don't do all these in Colorado there is good chance you will go home empty handed. "They are constantly looking, consumed by maps, overlays of food/water sources, terrain, elevation, and accessible public land…It’s like they have a terminal illness. I think a more accurate description is an addiction. An addiction in pursuit of something special, and the reward in the end for the effort put into hunting the animal". .

I use to tell people I was trophy hunting when I went home with an unpunched tag.

If you took whatever walked by on the last day of the hunt, you are meat hunter no matter how many animals you passed up in the preceding days.

I like buck huntin for the hunt, as you say, the little nocturnal demons. Elk are easy to kill by comparison, mature western wa or nw Oregon, if a guy can kill one yearly, you’re doin something right. As I said earlier, I hunt I like huntin bucks for the hunt, not the meat. Buck I killed last week, pard got backstraps, guy at work got the tenderloin. Rest is pepperoni/sausage fodder in the freezer. Deer killed next in Montana will more than likely be left with my pard I stay with over there for his family. I really do wish deer were solid angus ribeyes though!!! 😆


#killar

I like that👊🏻

🤮 haha

#killar

“Bad Feelings” between the two different types of hunters! 🫢

My wife’s a meat hunter and I’ve stopped her numerous times from taking the first legal animal seen hoping for a trophy animal, several times she failed to fill her tag…..and she’s not a “happy camper” about that! And I am very aware that she is “not” a happy camper! memtb

Around here we can kill unlimited does. We have antler restrictions for bucks and we only get 2 buck tags with the regular license plus a bonus buck tag for $10. So we're only allowed 3 bucks and 2 of them have to be with different weapons. To fill the freezer, just go out and kill a bunch of does and wait for the big bucks. I passed up a small 7 point last night because next year he'll be much better. I told my son that and he gave me crap because we're still trying to fill our freezers at this point. His wife is pushing him for meat. There's plenty of time to fill the freezers with doe meat if need be. We both have killed 2 does so far this season. There's a couple of big boys hanging around, so I'll save my buck tags for now because the rut is coming.

Interesting topic Beaver. Thanks for getting the conversation started.

Venison is our primary source of red meat. Mule deer whitetail, sage flats or crop land or big timber all fine with me and mine.

I might “hold out for a big one” once the freezer is full. But the meat comes first.

Despite being a “meat hunter” I have read and studied extensively on ungulate biology and behaviour and spend many hours with maps and satellite images (in the old days air photos) every season.

I hope y’all have a good and enjoyable weekend.

The above is just so much nonsense!! Poachers are thieves, no one in this day and age (needs) to poach wildlife to feed the family, no one. With the government giveaways and welfare I have watched welfare turds load their cart with 20 or 30 lbs of expensive beef steaks, then whip out the welfare so-called Credit card to pay for it. When I see that kind of thing I am so tempted to ask them if I am invited to dinner since I helped pay for their food! The feed the family excuse for being a thief and scumbag was worn out many decades ago!

Pretty much it

Well I’ll be a scumbag then, if I was in that position, I’d “steal” wildlife before I ever thought about welfare. Ymmv👍👊🏻

Interesting topic, classify me however you want.

But I am with Judman. Plain and simple, I am a hunter, and all that entails.

I still have two any deer tags, and three antlerless tags left this year. So I can be both a meat hunter and trophy hunter. Next weekend I am taking my 84yo Dad out deer hunting. Add guide and butcher to the list.

Fortunately I filled my cow elk tag this year. Freezer is full. So for the rest of the seasons, I will be a trophy hunter, but I do want to shoot one antlerless deer for sausage, brats, bacon.


So what am I? And why railroad me into one or the other. I hunt with traditional bows, rifles, muzzleloaders, shotguns, and 22 RF. I fish sometimes too....

If someone wants to focus all their energy into one pursuit, have at it.

I shoot does and leave the bucks for my grandkids. When elk hunting I'd rather shoot either a cow or a younger, legal bull.

My antlerless to antler ratio is probably 10:1, racks don't mean diddly jack squat to me. If it's legal deer in shooting range, it's getting popped, period. Antlers don't fill the crock pot 🤷‍♂️

Our firearm season is a whopping 7 days, MZ season is 3 days and this ain't primo deer country... if I pass on a shot, I'm likely eating tag soup. With the season being so short, a lot of it is just dependend upon the weather. There have been a few crappy weather years where I've sat all season and not seen a single deer.

When will you ever learn? Laffin

Good luck to you and your wife elk hunting.

🦫

Another meat hunter here.

When it comes to moose, 2 1/2-year old's makes for the best eating IMO, small unimpressive antlers. Shot a really old and big moose once, eating him was like eating shoe leather.

Last year I shot a small Mullie buck, loaded him in my truck went to a different lease road 3 minutes away and when I came around a bend and there stood a studhorse 200+ mullie with 6 does 50 yards away, man was I pissed. But that is the price you pay for being a meat hunter and taking the first buck up.

Killer bee, got 2 moose hunts lined up next year, 1 in BC, 1 in Alberta. You can bet your ass I’ll be bringing meat back if I kill 😂👊🏻

Done, CRS.

Your classification is a ‘BI’ Hunter.

😬🦫

Awesome man! What area in Alberta are you hunting, as you going with outfitters?

Why would I want to be a meat hunter when I raise prime angus beef? The only exceptions are: 1) I donate 2 doe to the DNR sponsored food pantry. 2) My wife and her mother can the meat of a doe and donate it to the church bazaar every year. After that it is big animals and horns, son.

Hell ya cuz!👊🏻

Thanks Beav’, But for us, it’s all over but the crying!

The ironic thing about the whole situation……..she’s the one with the trophies! 🤬 memtb

Meat hunter here.
Going to be going for my 1st hunt this year.
Plan is to find a young buck or doe.
Can't harvest a larger animal since most of the freezers all full of food

ROak

You were specifically in my mind when I wrote about acreage owners that smoke exceptional animals.

It’s like you and your family have it all - It never seems like a canned hunt situation. Real hunting on incredible land that gives up big, gnarly, bucks each year.

They say jealousy and hate are close kin. If true, then I’m your distant brother, and I want what you have.

🦫

PS

When do the pics start dropping of the bucks you and your family shoot?

I do what I want

Indeed. Plus, she swings a 338 Winchester. Always found that cool as hell!

🦫

PS

As a suggestion, you know, to keep your ass out of the Fire with wifey. Just stfu and let her dump what she wants. 😂

Just put three forks in the freezer and made the kids the requested jerky. 1 tag left and I’m hunting horns or won’t punch it. I enjoy the going and doing more than anything….have little under a month off from work to do it.

Liar! Lol

Post a few pictures of your handloads and rifle you use for moose hunting. Impressive stuff! This thread needs some pictures.

I’m contemplating what rifle I’m going to hunt with during elk. Since I’m primarily playing the role of ‘guide boy’ for Kingston and another buddy who’s been my faithful elk hauling pack mule the last several years. I’m considering going light on the rifle weight and just pretend to be a spotter for them.

I opened the safe a couple nights back, grabbed the 300 RUM with it’s NF NXS and lifted it - too heavy. Then I picked up my 300 Roy with another NXS and said the same thing. Then I grabbed a 7 WSM with yet another NF and went, meh, maybe.

After carry a Seekins Element in 6.5 PRC with a NF NXS for deer hunting. That rifle might get the nod weighing just 7lbs.

🦫

I would classify myself as an "experience" hunter more than anything, sometimes size is a factor in the quality of the experience, sometimes not. Even though I can appreciate a nice rack or large critter and sometimes target them, memories mean more to me than inches. Elk, antelope, and whitetail does are food. Mature (not necessarily monster) mulies are a treasure. Truth is, I spend more money and time chasing animals I have almost zero desire to kill than anything else. What I spend every year just on dog food, fuel, repairs, vet bills etc. just to go follow my hounds to an animal I won't personally tag would buy a lot of groceries. I may hang my tag on a nice lion someday but, so far, whenever I have had the chance, I let someone else take them because I figured it would mean more to them than me. I turned down a dandy a couple years ago because my kids or dad weren't there to be part of it.

Talking strictly about ‘Head Hunting’ for a second. I realize there is canyon of distance between hunters, their hunting grounds and the type of game they are chasing across the US. So, one size boot won’t fit everyone on strategy.

Speaking only about hunting Roosevelt, ‘herd’ bulls on the Coast. The rut for our elk is during the latter part of summer. Some of my buds, who only hunt archery during their rut, have sunk arrows into some giant 6x’s and 7x7’s. 100% herd bull down.

By first season rifle hunting, in November, which is 4 days. Any herd bull has long pulled off the harem of cows he owned and become solo-non grata.

He’s hidden himself away into some of the thickest, nastiest oldest cuts, or deep canyons where hunting him up would be really difficult.

I can count on one hand, then subtract 3 fingers the number of guys I’ve known who would try to target a herd bull during rifle season. And even they said that it’s been by sheer luck that while scouting they glassed one up, giving away his possible hangout.

I’ve shot some nice sized bulls over the years, even a couple of 6x6’s that I found accidentally. Like Jud said, elk aren’t that hard to hunt in our part of the country. Just find herds and typically, there’s gonna be a bull or more running with them ladies.

I guess my point, and my excuse is, that if I exclusively targeted the killing of a herd bull during rifle season. I’d eat my tag most years.

🦫

Word. 👍🏼

🦫

Mark, I meant elk as a species are easier imo. Not so much our locale. I’ve been lucky enough to kill some damn nice Roosevelt bulls, the biggest came with musket, which is early October, they’re still pretty rutty. After rut, it gets quite a bit harder on the big bulls as they’re pretty solitary, raghorns not so much, as they’re hangin with cows still. Do like me some elk meat, but damn, those horns sure look good hung up and conjure up some great memories.👊🏻

I like hunting and nothing gets me more exciting than killing bucks in the old growth timber. Killing nice bucks is fun to show off but I'm equal opportunity.

MedRiver;
Good afternoon to you sir, I hope your part of Montana is getting weather you can live with and you and your fine family are well.

Before I inevitably wander into the rhubarb as I'm wont to, I'd like to thank you both for sharing your family hunts with us here as I believe they're important on a lot of levels.

Way, way back in the day there were a few of us who would do similar posts and while I can't speak for anyone else, while it was nice to share the successes afield our girls were having, I was hoping that it might inspire other fathers or mentors to do likewise.

For sure then sir, from a semi-geezer with now adult children, a sincere tip of the battered Bailey for making the time and taking the energy needed to get the next shift out hunting.

As to Beaver's question, I'd say it's changed for me over the years but I think that's likely not entirely uncommon as hunters age either.

I'll agree with MedRiver that mature mulies are a treasure.

We had a pretty decent buck frequenting our yard for two seasons and while I could have legally shot him during season last fall, I didn't for reasons that I find difficult to articulate other than to say it wouldn't have been right for me to do that. I hear he got shot illegally in someone's yard in town this season, so that's how that ended, which is too bad.

When Judman says none of us are strictly meat hunters anymore because we don't need to hunt for the meat and it's so costly to obtain, I personally think about the thankyou card I get every Christmas from the local fuel station.....

This year it'll be special as it's costing us north of $0.50/mile to run the diesel pickup just for fuel and that doesn't include the little $1700 misc. maintenance appointment last week either - but here's the thing, I spend that money knowing it is part of a means to an end that fills a need within me. Nothing else I've done in life has filled that need in the same way either and at this stage it appears nothing will.

Unlike Judman, I am less and less fond of actually killing the game animal, but am still feel joy or fulfillment when I've done so - there's a puzzle for some shrink out there, you know?

There was a time when I didn't feel that way, but so help me now it just feels like the mountain is a bit smaller with me having taken the animal off of it. That's the best explanation I can articulate at this time, but that doesn't stop me from wandering around in snow up to my knees like I was for 3 hours this morning either.

That all said, I actually prefer eating a lot of cuts of deer rather than beef. We were getting really nice beef off of a rancher buddy too - "remember that black and white steer you branded last spring Dwayne" - so again the beef was good but I do like to eat both local whitetails and mulies.

I'm not certain I've answered the question Beaver10 posed or not, but I can say I have very much enjoyed the back and forth of where some of the folks around the 'Fire are at on it.

Thanks all who've responded honestly, thanks again to MedRiver for taking the next generation out and good hunting to you all.

Dwayne

Thanks Dwayne. I appreciate it. My oldest is out of the house and doing her own thing down in Mexico for the next 1.5 years so my time with the next generation is going fast for me it seams

The monster whitetails you and your crew kill during rifle season completely befuddles me. In my experience the only way that happens is if you control a large contiguous tract of land, out here that'd be 1,500+ acres with a 50/50 mix of timber to crop land, and have almost no hunting pressure prior to the rifle season.

Don't get me wrong, I always look forward to your deer season tales, so whatever you're doing, keep up the great work!

Don't know if that is good or bad....
But I am what I am!

Well, ended up going OK today, found 3 herds of elk and the last group of 150 or so were in a good spot for me, bad spot for them.

With the wind blowing full insane today, I knew I had to get close. Glassed them and looked like I could be in business stalking up a draw. Got right on top of them, the closest ones were about 30 yards, but all bedded in a big knot, no way to not hit 2. One on the far edge finally stood up to stretch and that was a bad move. Shot was only 72 yards and I killed it with my late Grandfather's 300 Winchester. Last time I fired that rifle was checking zero for him in the summer of 1999. Since then, my Dad has shot 3 shiras moose with it, by brother killed a shiras with it and I wanted to, but killed a moose before they got down here to help me out.

Not sure how old this one is, but real old. I kept a tooth to have it aged by the GF.

I think this was the last whitetail my Grandfather shot with his rifle, November of 1999, he was 84.



The elk I shot with it today:





Old cow, kept a bottom tooth to send in for aging...I'm guessing crowding 20 years old:

You made it clear what you are!

Congratulations on your elk BuzzH.

Isn't it the best thing, taking an animal with a family heirloom? That's a beauty!

When I hunt with mine, I feel as though my father is with me during the hunt :o)

Cheers ~

For sure, I also killed an elk with my Dad's pre-64 30/06 some years back. My Dad, Grandpa, and I have all killed deer, elk, and pronghorn with that same rifle in Montana.



My Grandfather gave the pre-64 to my Dad and bought the 300 for himself.

I like to do both

This is one of the moose I have shot with mine, I actually shot 2 bulls that day, a double as I called them in together, they traveled as a team the other one was bigger.

Mine is a BSA Sporterized 1917 .30-06.

Don’t stroke out!! Remember to keep your lume subscription up to date, sally!! 😂

Hell ya. Grats

Never thought I’d say that to you, so 🖕🏿😆

Pretty darn sweet...I like it!

Gonna have to disagree. I am a meat hunter. For me it is about filling the freezer. I have not targeted a buck or bull in decades and go after does and cows for the most part. 2 plump does will feed me and the wife for a year and if you toss in a hog then I'm good for sausage and port roasts too. I can easily afford to buy meat but I prefer to hunt it. To say I am not a meat hunter is really overly simplistic on your end.

I wished you lived closer mac, I’d keep you in venison backstraps and tenderloin 👊🏻👍

MAC, try cutting your sausage with Beef Fat instead of Pig. Beef fat does not go rancid and change the flavor of the sausage after being in the freezer for a few months. I will guarantee you that you will be happy you did :o)

Cheers ~

I don't care what other people do as long as it doesn't have a negative impact on me. As a land owner in a State without a lot of public land, I heartily dislike trespasser and will press charges against them every chance I get. I cut down 4 tree stands that trespassers put up on our ground just last week. I cut 'em down, drag 'em out to the nearest county road, cut 'em up with a sawzall, and leave them in a pile for the scrappers to pick up. The guys putting up these stands know that they're trespassing and by their actions show that they just don't care.

I prefer to shoot bucks that have nice or unusual racks, so most young bucks are going to get a pass from me. I'll tag a deer that is showing signs of being wounded, just so it won't die a slow death or get torn apart by coyotes while it is still alive. I can buy 2 buck tags and about as many antlerless whitetail tags as I want, so the opportunity to fill a freezer with venison is pretty much a given. I actually give most of the deer that I shoot away, usually to Hunters Helping The Hungry.

100% of the members would agree with me that our success on nice size bucks has a lot to due with the deer drive. We drive private big timber and small woodlots, public river islands, public land. We drive places that many hunters would not hunt, for example open prairie restoration or CRP ground.

In addition, if towards the end of the season there are some small acreage standing corn fields, we will drive them. Our drives may consist of little as three hunters or as many as 20-25 hunters

Never really thought about it before, but I guess I'm a hybrid of some sort. I cull 20-25 whitetail does every year on a couple of friend's MLD ground. If I want some wild game for the freezer, I'll kill a couple of axis does every year to year and a half. Besides that I look for the biggest bucks I can find, both whitetail and mule deer, and if I don't find one big enough I'm not too worried about it.

We've had poaching problems on the plot I hunt the past several years, too. Put up some cameras, but the sneaky azzholes never have gotten themselves or vehicles clearly into frame. In a state where less than 2% of the total acreage is publicly huntable it's sort of inevitable, but still frustrating as hell. Even moreso because there aren't all that many deer around this area to begin with.

I know a couple years ago they had to have knocked off every deer out there before season. We found a pile of half butchered carcasses with the buck's heads chopped off about 250 yards from my stand in October. Pretty sure they were night shooting them from the nearest road from the way the car tracks looked. It's wide open enough they'd be seen out there during the daytime from the farmyard. Didn't see diddly that entire firearm or ML season.

I never worry about the other guy or
methods as long as he follows the rules
and regs. I do expect the same consideration
from others. I kill whatever I want with
whatever I want while following the rules
and regs.
I stay on my side of the fence and I expect
you to worry about what's on yours

I don't think about it. I hunt because it's so much of my DNA. Sometimes I wait for bigger stuff, sometimes I don't. I like everything about hunting, including skinning and butchering. I love eating wild, hoofed animals and I want venison in the freezer.

Does wanting venison in the freezer and eating it far more than beef make me a meat hunter?

Butchering your own game is the best isn't it Dave_Spn?

I have been butchering all of my animals for over 30 years, I love doing it, to me it's part of the hunt and I take pride in saying that every aspect of what is on our plate is Top Notch. I get to relive my hunts while I do it and I take special care of all of my meat, while I process and trim it myself.

I can't even imaging handing it over to a butcher to do it for me. The thought of my meat being mixed in with somebody else's poorly shot or handled incorrectly in the field animal makes me shudder! Not to mention the thousands of $$$$ I have saved by doing it myself, instead of hiring a butcher.

When I do a moose, I buy a 24 case of beer and watch the NFL while I process it with a friend, and it's all done perfectly that day to my exact standards and specifications for free.

It does not get better than that :o)

Cheers ~

Good post Beav.

When I'm meat hunting, and I know the odds, the first legal critter I see is in eminent danger. When I am hunting with the expectation of big antler, big horns, etc, I'll shoot the first critter that meets my expectations. I do both, and have always done both.

As I have become older I take a lot of pleasure in hunting old haunts and familiar territory, and the effort I put in to originally discovering those places pays dividends. I hunt both OTC licenses and limited licenses, and my approach can differ, but not a whole lot.

Full disclosure: I'm a 30 minute drive from one of the better elk units in Colorado, and my parents live in that unit at 9200ft for five+ months out of the year with public land on two sides. I can walk out the back door of the cabin and see big mature bulls on public land within a 15 minute walk--happened twice this late summer/early fall. It is also a limited deer unit and I saw the biggest buck I've seen in 5-6 years on one of the same hikes. But a guy has to draw a license first.........

That's the other way it gets done during rifle season. We used to do lots of drives in PA, but the demographics at deer camp changed (the older guys got older and we don't have enough free wheeling younger guys ready to replace them. LOL For some reason I assumed the topography of your driftless area wouldn't be conducive to drives, but now that I think about it, it's probably just the opposite. Thanks for the skinny and keep at it!

Beav, I don't know what camp it fits into but, I ain't pulling the trigger unless it's bigger than the one I shot last time or 20x closer to the truck.

😂

If I get the hog I make the sausage out of the hog and not venison.

That falls into the ‘Good Plan’ camp.

But, we’ll see…

🦫

Casey, I agree.

Age has had an impact on my hunting. Along with added responsibilities during the off season, which is a huge time suck for me.

But, that’s also just another excuse. There wasn’t too many things that could keep me out of the woods 20 years ago before hunting season.

Technology is helpful with OnX for me. No more driving aimlessly around looking for new logging roads, hoping they lead to good cuts.

Idk, I still usually find something to shoot. No real complaints, other than for some reason, these last several years, I do bitch and whine more about packing meat out. Laffin.

🦫

Do you all have a camp slut yet?
I am available, and cheap.

And sexy.

Kingston there was some guy that said everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. That’s what Rosie hunting feels like. 😉

So you a meat hunter.... lol

Or a special kinda fk trd

Do we have to pay you, or were you thinking about us doing some bartering?

😂🦫

[quote=Dave_Spn][/quote

LMAO

I’m both!

I spend my available archery hunting time looking to stick a decent buck, so I’m a head hunter. Then I hunt in NY for bucks only(no non res doe tags)and will only shoot a decent buck there. Head hunter again. Then I hunt here at home carrying a revolver with my daughter and try to get her a shot on a buck(or a doe if she chooses.) Then towards the end of season, I’ll lean towards a meat hunter and start toting a rifle and look to drop a freezer queen, especially if neither of us have scored yet. It’s not life or death if I don’t shoot one, and the pride and joy of my daughter scoring on a deer is what keeps me passing up on smaller bucks and doe. To each their own, I fault no hunter for their legally harvesting any size buck or doe. I know alot of hunters in the area I hunt in NY will shoot a spike buck with 4” long spikes(3” or longer is legal). I say congrats! I’ll let em walk by every single time. Don’t make me a hero, or them villians, just a matter of need or choice. Happy Hunting! 😎

Doc_Holidude

Not sure where you draw that conclusion from based off my post. I load my freezers up with bear meat before deer season starts. No desire to kill a buck unless its a very nice mature animal. Doubt ill shot a deer this year. Could shoot a young buck from my living room window with zero effort every year if i wanted, but im flush with bear meat.

Where I hunt whitetails seasons are long and deer are plentiful. I don't wear any sort of label or characterize myself other than being a deer hunter. The first part of the season I shoot mostly does but will shoot mature bucks if I see one. I target deer not mature bucks. Once I kill 3 deer then I start hunting mature bucks. A mature buck might be a wall hanger or a cull buck. I enjoy the activity and lifestyle of a hunter as well as the meat. I don't consider myself a subsistence hunter as I make my living in another manner. I spend money on hunting its not a living, not by a long shot.

I guess I’m a meat hunter that still likes heads…

Gotta disagree about the "No bad feelings" part.

Hear entirely too much "should have left it grow".

BS spoken by trophy hunters. (Or wannabe)

Too darn much TV.
Every deer video is on some private pay to hunt farm.
Some, are pen raised, many are "free range" but still "managed".

Guys think real life is like that.


So they shït on another guys trophy.
Pretty sure they have bad feeling toward "meat hunters".





The flip side is what has been done to our deer herd.
We used to be covered in deer.
PGC managed for numbers and opportunities.

Then, buck fever took hold. (Or money fever)

Kill off the does, antler restrictions....
Now it is opportunity to kill bigger bucks. And it has worked.
We see nicer bucks. For PA.

But, we used to have lots of deer. Knew I could find some by taking
a little walk. Very rarely hunted and didn't at least jump some.

People actually upset we didn't hunt with them.
It was social,
Little posted land.

Now?
Fewer deer.
Posted land.
Folks don't want anyone hunting on them.
Fewer places to hunt, even though there are almost 1/3 fewer hunters.

Driven by trophy hunting!

Last 2 bucks I killed were the 2 biggest ever.
But I used to see deer. Hunting was fun, killed a lot of deer, we pretty
much ate deer meat as our red meat.

Can legally get a bunch of tags now.
Can't, in good conscience, kill several does.
Feel guilty shooting one.

Great post Dillonbuck, I can relate!


OK, just noticed you are from Texas, insane hog hunting there. l I have watched some videos and I am jealous, unfortunately we do not have any to speak of where I am from. Sure wish we did though!

Cheers ~

One of the reasons I can’t take “meat hunters” seriously. They whine about shooting big old bucks as no good eating and then shoot skin heads that they have no idea how old they are. Pick the biggest one. She will have more meat. Good grief.

Was out yesterday. Literally could have shot 20 bucks. At least. That isn’t hunting. It’s grocery shopping. Which is fine if that’s what you want to do.

There is also nothing wrong with doing both.

I've been hunting the same big woods in PA for 36 years and, with the exception of doe hunting, the two biggest changes have been the addition of all the early seasons and posted land. I'm not sure the deer numbers are down as much as it feels like in PA. There's lots more pressure from all the early seasons and the deer are more dispersed. You don't see large groups of deer like we did when I was a kid. Deer also have lots more posted land to slip into when pressured.

Are we talking live or via Zoom?

There are plenty of middle aged and older fellows out west at least that aren’t the hunting show watching type that still think that way.

Something about mule deer really drives this mentality.

Then there are those who get pissy if you see a buck, regardless of age or size that needs culled and you don’t do it. 3x4s and such. One guy in Montana was gut shooting any forked horn mule deer or small 3x3, 3x4, etc. he saw because he didn’t want those deer in the gene pool. He thought that any deer should be a 4x4 by 2-3 years of age and were genetically inferior if they weren’t. This was all on public. He was caught 10-12 years ago, thankfully. I remember reading about it somewhere.

That is just [bleep] no matter where you're from in my book.

Depends on price.

They should have gut shot him. Hunt/shoot what makes you happy and tell everyone else to pound sand.

Agreed, that sorta stuff is just BS.

I can pick out a 2 yr old or yearling cow pretty easily. Hard to find a spike bull area in Colorado, but I will shoot one first if permitted.Shooting the lead cow is where you really get into trouble for tough meat, or if you debone before rigid has set in and relaxed

Rates Please? Hourly and daily with overnight stays. We provide the booze and food, and do you take Canadian funds?

KB

Not sure I agree with that.
Some of the better eating and tender critters I have had were way past their prime.

Younger=more tender is a myth in my opinion and doubly so if the meat is taken care of properly.

Do I look like a cheap slut? I lied earlier.

I am a high class man whore.

No, to Canadian funds.

Absolutely. The trophy hunting craze has ruined whitetail hunting across the country. Everywhere that becomes known for trophy bucks, the posted signs go up right along with the lease fees and it goes from being a fun and relaxing sport for the masses to another rich mans dick measuring contest. We've been fighting the push for statewide antler restrictions in NY for years.

So can I. This cow, from body size, was really similar in size to a 2 year old cow. I just don't think she was ever a very big animal her entire life. Feet were small, head/face was short, etc. I packed both hind quarters, bone in at the same time...wasn't that heavy and they fit in a mystery ranch Metcalf no problem.

In my experience, not matter how many pound of onions you cover them with, or how long you smother them, antlers never get tinder.

I have never actively hunting for "big bucks" until last year when I bought property next to a few friends who have been managing for big bucks for a number of years. That being said, my criteria over the years has changed from "any legal animal" to "mature animals". I am just as happy killing a mature doe as I am a mature buck. They both eat well as long as you practice proper field care and processing methods. While my hunting partners are obsessed with what a deer scores, I care about what he, or she, ages. We have a camp minimum on bucks, but most 4.5 year-old deer on our property meet that grade.

Last year's buck was only a 6-point (3X3 for you western guys), but he was 7.5 years old (verified by Matson's Lab). That is a heck of a trophy in my book.

Do you know how to serve coffee?

Just reviewed my lifetime hunting stats...verdict: 99.99% of the time I venture forth with high hopes and return with a dink.

Kingston brings up a few good points about the Pa deer situation.
There are more deer than rifle season would indicate.
Early seasons do take a toll, as big (I think) is trophy hunting inspired methods. We wouldn't have seen as many deer 30 years ago with
so few hunters.

Both numbers, and ass sitting, never move types.
People of little skill and others that do nothing more than walk to a stand.
Nobody hunts on their feet anymore.

The herd is still about 1/3 of the past.

Spend a few evenings spotlighting.
Used to see more deer in a single field than we now see in an 8 mile stretch.
And then see a bunch in mist other fields.

Laffin here, too.

😂🦫

...

LOL.

My son recently killed his 4th buck. Another forkhorn. He has a giant 3×3 that was not a young deer to his credit, his second deer.
After he got this latest deer, he told me he'd like a bigger buck next year. I explained that it's pretty simple: shooting a big deer just requires not shooting the first one you see, or any smaller bucks you see, and continuing to hunt hard until you find a big one.

I'm almost certain that his second buck showed up the day he killed his first one, but he just couldn't see it. It was a big 3×3 then, too, and was within 100 yards for at least a minute, but my son couldn't see it moving up the ridgeline in front of us. Eventually it headed into some timber, as I watched it for several minutes. My son didn't see it until just before it disappeared. Luckily, that buck pushed a forkhorn out of that patch of timber, which came running straight for us. A year later, nearly exactly the same antlers, but heavier. And the first buck he spotted that year.

LOL

Sometimes I shoot because of the antlers.
Sometimes I shoot for the freezer.
Sometimes I shoot because of the experience.
Sometimes I shoot because of location.
Sometimes I shoot just because.....

My tag do with as I please. Sometimes it is tag soup.

I can afford meat.
I want the biggest animals I can find.
If I can't find them I have zero problem eating the tag.
Zero shame.
Different strokes for different folks.
We need to quit beating each other up.

I have enough horns. I’ve been shooting for meat for the last ten years or so. I have a nice buck on my land I have been watching him grow for three years. I wouldn’t shoot him until he scores very well. Until he scores very well. So I’m not sure I fall in your categories.

Neither, I hunt for the sport.

Kill for the thrill leave em in a ditch.

Yep, It is your tag to do with what you please.

Well spoken I operate very similar to this as well.

Meat:



Luv'n it.....

I am a big fan of exercising "Dominion"

ya!

GWB

Both ....

Bigger rack, bigger body = more meat

I make specialized tools to kill efficiently.... and selectively

...

A really stupid comment. You do understand that anti-hunters often come to sites like this looking for idiotic comments like the one you just made to use against all hunters don't you? Dumb, really really DUMB!

"Kill for the thrill leave em in a ditch."
I thought he meant what to do with anti-hunters.

A comment obviously to everyone but you made as a joke.
The tards that visit this site looking for more reasons to hate us cannot be persuaded.
GFY

And you're too damn clueless to see the point I'm making. It isn't about the ones visiting this site Dummy it is about the ones they are trying to get on their side by using our own comments. It was a dumb post and you're an even bigger fool if you don't see why it was dumb.

If a person is to stupid to understand a joke they can eat schit and that includes you old man.

Filet mignon flavored tractor tire

I consider myself a meat hunter. I hunt for the freezer, not the wall. I do have a few heads on the wall. During the rut, I do hold out for a bigger dear. Like someone mentioned earlier, bigger deer = more meat. I don't hold grudges against rack hunters. I have had rack hunter buddies fill my freeze for me during bad years for which I am grateful. It does make me a little sad when I a rack hunter says they don't eat the meat. I love venison. I eat it 4 to 5 times a week. I rarely buy meat in the grocery store. I think hunters that don't eat their game have a psychological aversion to game meat or they ate some really poorly prepared and cooked venison. I have a brother who does not hunt that has a psychological aversion to all game meat. I think its because he was forced to eat squirrel as a child. I have to admit that the squirrel was gross but my mother did not know how to cook it. My mother grew up eating venison and hated it. Everytime I would come home empty handed, she would yell out "Praise the Lord!" at the top of her lungs. My guess is that the deer she ate probably sat too long with the guts in, wasn't hung at the proper temperature, wasn't butchered and cleaned properly, and last but certainly not least was cooked improperly. All this adding up to some of the grossest food imaginable and caused her to hate all venison. I can't imagine anyone who loves beef wouldn't like venison that was processed and prepared properly. Squirrel and waterfowl on the other hand, I can certainly understand. They can be made to taste good but it takes allot more work.

Raferman is a child and professional ass hole and is used to making stupid comments on a continual basis.

Go kick some brambles you fat kgunt.

I live to beat, and beat to live. I am a meat beater

LOL

Enjoyed reading this thread. Thanks for posting. Like seeing the viewpoints.
I would like someone to start a new topic on; Types of hunts. Fully guided hunts, semi guided and completely on your own. No right, no wrong. Just your reasons why you favor one method over the others. A lot of strong feelings on this one.

I'm with Darren (killer bee)- the whole experience, set up, hunts, butcher & enjoy the 'fruits" !

Did I mention we fish, too !

Guess I'm with Steelhead, too !!

Go you good neck roasts !

I used to be all about the horns but that's changed over the years and I hunt for the meat now especially since my wife has so many good ways to prepare it.

I try to get a nice fat yearling for steaks, chops etc. and then an older larger one for burger and sausage.

Dude, I've come around to hot pink and a little blood, but that is a couple minutes short of being ready to eat!

I shoot several deer a year for the meat. Not sure what silly category that places me in?

I’m a meat hunter that really likes a nice rack

We may be brothers.

Meat hunter for those i donate too, mostly head hunt for myself.

There I fixed it for you, you owe me...lol.mb

Headhunter,'s are better hunters. They pass on many and in the process learn more about the game they hunt.
Imo, they have better equipment, are more fit, and take their shooting skills more seriously.
This is a generalization, but true in our region.
Trophy hunter's are not always in this category, it might be semantics, but in my opinion an animal is not a Trophy.
A superior " rack o' horns" is a sentimental keepsake and usually involves a hard earned, drilled in, memory.Far from the beaten path .
Especially, when you get the meat out and non spoiled. My little old point of view, folks.

Good for you 'Gruff !

To each, there own, though !

BTW, you do know it's not blood, right ?

Read this Mate;

https://steakschool.com/learn/red-liquid-steak-plate-not-blood/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20liquid%20coming,in%20muscle%20tissue%20called%20myoglobin.

It might help your mind process, what you are seeing, thus allow your thought process to change.

Count me in !! I just ordered 2 of those sweatshirts for deer camp. love it

Hahaha

The thought of it being blood never bugged me, it's the cold wetness. ugh. Blood (or myoglobin ) is great as long as it's hot and salty

But I ate a piece of raw bacon the other day and damn it was good.

I passed a little 8 this morning after about a 1/2 mile track. Had him at 35-40 yards but man it is so much fun on snow it’s hard to wanna be done right away.



I did start a fire to warm up cause that new snow in trees must’ve all ended up in my collar!



I’m a head hunter today. Tomorrow might be different though

Great pics, Scotty!

That fire though - textbook!

What is all that white stuff all over the ground?

judman: I enjoy the meat I get from Hunting - do YOU think that is rare?
If so YOU are wrong!
Had Goose jerky at lunch today and Elk salami sandwiches for dinner (the main Cook, the VarmintWife is out of town) tonight.
Had some Antelope backstrap steaks yesterday.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I'll be both Saturday morning for the WI firearms opener. Because of where my property is, zone 2 farmland, I received 6 antlerless tags along with my purchased buck tag. And back in the cedars, where I'll be lurking, there just incredible amounts of deer sign everywhere. I'm all out of venison, so hoping for a least a nice big doe to put in the freezer. I have a wall full of antlers, so if I shoot a buck, he'll need to be a dandy!

Good luck Dean!

Can I be both?

Thank you beretzs, you too!

tzone, absolutely!

My take on it.

We are meat hunters on whitetails. Won't ever shoot a big buck again unless its drop tines.

So no we wouldn't shoot a 190 per say.

But from that take we are VERY picky about what we shoot.

We certainly are not brown downers. We manage our deer just like our cattle. Only makes sense. Shoot what needs to go to make the herd healthier. We NEVER shoot promising bucks, young ones, even if its our only chance we just take a pass and go home without.

Wished everyone viewed it that way. Not only would you see better antlers but larger healthier deer as a whole.

So yep, meat hunters on whitetails, and actually quite a few other animals. Killing a big one just isn't that important anymore. But not just bang the first legal one we see. Far from that actually. In fact I think we hunter as hard if not harder than when we were after a big one.

Meat.

One of the more enjoyable threads posted lately. I quess I would be considered a meat hunter. As I usually shoot the first legal, deer or elk I see. Lots of opinions here, I always seem to learm something on the fire.

I'm just a hunter, neither label fits me perfectly.

If the freezer is empty I'm going to fill it. If its full then I may hold out for something bigger just so I get to keep hunting.

As for moose anymore I shoot the first legal bull(any bull where I hunt) and hope its not a big one...

10/4


An "Opportunist' here..........

All were targets of opportunity!


From earlier this week.



6 pt., no brow tines cull.



a Dirty Bastid'



Javelina @ 65 paces with my Merkel 141 Double, 8 x 57R



Thermal trash panda!

ya!

GWB

Nobody is killing chit with more class and style than you GWB. Nice hardware as usual.

Whose killing the big horns??


Son!!

Stellar choice in your beer there geedubya! My favorite!

Had to resurrect this gem...

I was never fooled by RO’s threads of heroic hunting. I was just playing the long game to smoke him out.

Lol

🦫

King, like a few here had been suspect for years.

🦫

There's a psychiatric name for this kind of fantasy role playing and pathologic lying.

can you say.........




four-play!

Quien Sabe,

GWB

Do a lotta trading too. Got a lamb, homemade jam, 2yo goat cheddar, butter, and Italian bread. Pretty good trade👊🏻

I consider myself more meat hunter than horn. I love to deer hunt. I do pass deer. I like watching them. I wait for certan types of deer And don't shoot the first legal ones I see.. But I am more concerned with getting 4 or 5 in the freezer than a big rack. I do prefer to shoot bucks that are older. I shoot does that don't have little ones with them and after I have been on a stand a while. I haven't bought ground beef in 30 years. We eat ground deer. We can shoot 5 legally here. And my wife and children hunt as well.
I would be pleased if I killed one with a huge rack but I don't work toward that as a goal. I have one mounted and won't mount another.

Judman, I am a meat hunter. I raised 7 children by feeding them meat I hunted for and backyard gardening. I remember getting 7 deer one year and it was eaten up in 6 months. I made hamburger and steak from the tenderloins. Didn't worry about racks. We also have had squirrel, rabbit, quail, wild turkey and dove. I know a lot of people who meat hunt. Trophy animals are just icing on the cake. I still meat hunt. Have you priced beef lately?

This guy has it figured out. I run quite a few head of cattle and I'm all for the beef/agriculture industry, but man I don't think it gets any better than venison and quail. We don't exclusively hunt for meat but when you find a good buck, it's a bonus. I can't believe more people don't take advantage of fresh venison. Cost you the price of a primer, powder, and a bullet.

Well, there are also all those other costs associated with hunting besides a primer, powder, and a bullet. Licenses cost money. Gear costs money. Gas costs money. Lots of ancillaries that cost money. Unless you can walk out your back door to hunt and you process your own carcasses hunting is probably not all that cost effective a means by which to pay for protein.

Well I can walk out my back door or my front door and go hunting and I do. From my front porch I can point to spots on the hill across the road where I've killed a bunch of bucks. I spent about 200.00 total on license/tags, ammo and gas to put 6 deer in the freezer last season. Been wearing the same hunting clothes/ boots and using the same rifles/scopes for years too. Hunting doesn't have to cost a fortune and can fill the freezer with some pretty cheap meat. Been doing it my whole life.

Yeah I’ve had a lifetime license for 25 years, it’s long since paid for. And I can either stop on my way home from work or drive between 1 and 8 miles to places I can hunt deer. Have shot plenty of stuff still wearing my work clothes and boots. And we cut and wrap everything at home.

Sometimes people don’t have to spend a fortune to eat game all year.

There are fixed costs and variable costs, as well as variable benefits, for each hunting trip. The monetary benefit-cost ratio depends on how much meat and how many variable costs are involved for each trip. It's a lot more economical to shoot a moose than a deer on a given trip.

Yup, lifetime license I've had since I was a kid, hunt my own land unless I decide to go out of state, can shoot deer from my porch, don't really have to drive anywhere to get a deer if I don't want to. So if your in this kind of situation, then yeah, it's pretty darn convenient. Not boasting as I've worked pretty hard for the past 30 years to have my own farms to hunt. Fortunately they have alot of deer on them and I like to harvest them for my table. And I too have shot plenty of them in my work clothes thekid. Funny you mentioned that.

You fellas that shoot several deer to eat every year, do you not get tired of it? The taste of deer has caused me to implement my own personal APR. It tastes great for the first 20 pounds, then ok for 20 pounds, then I'm kinda good until next fall. I'd rather go to the steakhouse and let some pretty girl bring me a salad and a burger.

I do not, or haven’t yet anyway. It’s a lifestyle choice like people choosing to eat more chicken or only fish or salads or whatever. I enjoy lean red meat and vegetables as my preferred diet. I don’t care for white meat chicken, potatoes, or most bread goods. I could and likely will live happily ever after eating steak and broccoli or asparagus several times a week.

We eat a fair amount of venison. We also grow our own beef, catch our own fish and trade deer for lobster, shrimp, frog legs and oysters. I'd rather eat fresh seafood or a corn feed porterhouse steak aged 24 days than venison. And my wife makes a excellent chicken fried venison cube steak with a milk gravy.

Scotty,
Is that pump rifle chambered for the 7mm Super Mashburn?

It isn’t Rick, but it’d be pretty cool if it was!

If I was a smart fella like you, I’d have a Whelen and a 7 Mashburn Super and a lightweight 21-22” 270 and I’d be set.


I’m too far gone at this point

Makes me sick to see hunters divide themselves.

It's exactly what the liberal treehuggers want.
Unfortunately too many just don't get it.

Lots of heated talk and finger pointing in MI with the "let it go, let it grow" folks, and the any legal buck will do crowd.

I like to hunt. I don't feel the need to justify it one way or another to anyone. Some seem to look down their nose at people who kill young bucks (let it grow crowd) while others claim you are immoral for "trophy hunting" insinuating that all they care about is head gear.

I don't care. Your tag, your experience.

Be ethical about the kill and eat or share the meat. If it happens to have nice antlers or a great hide by all means display it with pride.

Well said, OGB