What are you: Trophy or Meat Hunter?

DennisCA · September 28, 2012, 02:51 PM

(BTW - I saw this discussion on another forum and decided to ask the question here)

So as the title says: Are you a meat or trophy hunter and why?
I know in some states (like the southern states) you get several tags, so you can do both. In other states you only get one, which makes "hunting for horns" more difficult. I guess the question also needs to be asked, "What is your def of trophy?

Please respect everyone's opinion!

And remember: "Let's be careful out there"

bswiv · September 28, 2012, 02:56 PM

Meat..............time spent enjoying the woods is the same..........and if a big one shows up it's a bonus.

Beyond that hogs eat better than deer so they get more attention too.

Wyoredman · September 28, 2012, 03:00 PM

I'm a "trophy meat hunter"!

I shoot trophies, but I also eat the meat they supply!

jwrowland77 · September 28, 2012, 03:02 PM

I'm a meat hunter. My saying is...it doesn't matter how long you boil the antlers of a big buck, you still can't eat them.

If its a mature deer whether its doe or buck, it's going to get dropped and put in my freezer.

**Brian Pfleuger** · September 28, 2012, 04:04 PM

Both.

Depends on my mood and oppurtunity.

I've let many meat bags walk that I could have easily killed but I can't imagine ever letting a trophy walk, so I guess I lean toward being a "trophy" hunter.

On the other hand, of the dozens of deer I've killed, only one comes even remotely close to trophy size and it's a 100 inch 8-point. Trophy size in this area because it wouldn't be unusual for folks in these parts to hunt their entire lives without getting a bigger one. "True" trophies (in size) in this area are like winning the lottery.

So, from that perspective, I'm a meat hunter.

Doyle · September 28, 2012, 04:09 PM

As long as I'm here in FL - it is strictly meat. There really isn't such a thing as a trophy deer down here. Even the biggest rack on a FL deer would get laughed at up north.

Rembrandt · September 28, 2012, 04:31 PM

Trophy hunter.....nothing more challenging or rewarding than matching wits with an experienced wise old buck. Shooting the unwitting inexperienced younger animals before they're mature seems......immoral.

Don't start filling tags for meat until the last day or so of the season, and then it's only doe's.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · September 28, 2012, 04:59 PM

When others are hunting on my property. I prefer they take home the trophy's. I spend very little time hunting for me. And usually take my deer a day or so before Season ending. small Spike, 2yr. old doe is all I need. I guess "Um, a meat hunter. "_

ZeroJunk · September 28, 2012, 05:17 PM

I'm a trophy hunter. if I just want to kill a deer to eat there is not much hunting to it. I can do that out the back window of my house.

Backwoodsboy · September 28, 2012, 05:56 PM

Meat hunter here, I have a family of five and all of us love our venison. Thats not to say I would not drop a trophy given the chance, just never been one to pass up a good meal in hopes the big one is coming. gotta put meat in the freezer

AllenJ · September 28, 2012, 06:25 PM

Mostly a meat hunter but I'll pass on really small bucks here in CA. If you ever saw a decent sized blacktail buck, you'd probably laugh at me though as they are really small anyway

Ambishot · September 28, 2012, 06:33 PM

I live in an area where it's hard to draw Male licenses for trophy bucks/bulls/etc. so for now...mostly a meat hunter.

Baylorattorney · September 28, 2012, 06:43 PM

I'm a trophy hunter that has to put food on the table too.

pbrktrt · September 28, 2012, 07:44 PM

I have never seen a difference between does and bucks in my freezers. I guess it's meat for me.

jimbob86 · September 28, 2012, 07:47 PM

Not much sense in shooting them if you are not going to eat them.

Not much sense in shooting an old tough one if you intend to eat it.

1 1/2 year olds are the best compromise between body size and toughness, IME ...

BIG P · September 28, 2012, 07:59 PM

I consider all my deer a trophy,And the chance to take a dozen deer a year a blessing.Guess it depends on what you call a trophy. Horns are pretty but meat is filling.

Pahoo · September 28, 2012, 07:59 PM

It really doesn't make any difference as long as you are hunting ethically and lawfully.

If you hunt for "That" trophy buck, you don't let the meat go to waste. ..

If you hunt for meat, you might get a trophy as a bonus. ....

Currently I have two trophy bucks on the wall and there is always room for one more. Meat is always in the freezer and heads go on the wall. ..

Be Safe !!!

Geezerbiker · September 28, 2012, 08:37 PM

I see so few deer in places that are OK to hunt them, I'd be dumb to pass up a deer that's legal to shoot...

Tony

45YearsShooting · September 28, 2012, 08:55 PM

To me, any elk is a trophy. I shot a big 7 x 6 bull last year. Toughest elk meat I ever ate, even the backstraps. Wish I had shot a calf or young cow instead.

FrankenMauser · September 28, 2012, 10:28 PM

I kill mammals to eat them.

But... if a large, heavy-horned 6x6 Elk was standing next to a tender, delicious spike; I'd probably shoot the tough ol' guy. The meat won't be very 'enjoyable' to eat, since it will be tough. But, I wouldn't mind having that skull plate and its accessories.

Panfisher · September 29, 2012, 12:14 AM

I guess I'll have to answer "neither". I hunt for enjoyment. some days that means I will take a deer, other days I may let them pass. Some of my best "Trophys" had little or no antlers, while a couple of pretty decent antlers had no truly memorable experience to go with it. My trophy's are all in my mind, sitting beside my wife and later my son when they shot their first deer, a long painful stock on a doe bedded down in a treetop, and finally being able to take the shot etc. etc. Trophys don't have to mean big antlers. But then again I've never been considered "main stream".

Regolith · September 29, 2012, 02:09 AM

Quote:

I live in an area where it's hard to draw Male licenses for trophy bucks/bulls/etc. so for now...mostly a meat hunter.

See, in my area it's the exact opposite. You can buy a buck tag over the counter, but very few units allow you to hunt does, and then usually only in controlled hunts.

Which is kind of annoying; if I could get an "either/or" tag, I would. While I'd like to bring down a trophy buck as much as the next guy, my main goal is meat.

ZeroJunk · September 29, 2012, 02:43 AM

I have to say I don't have much interest in a trophy elk. I would really rather have a good size rag horn. Elk meat is just fantastic.

On the other hand I don't care for deer roast or steak and have it gorund up and mixed with beef fat. Even the loins. So far I haven't been able to see that an old buck isn't about as good as a doe. And we use a lot of it not having bought any ground beef in years.

bswiv · September 29, 2012, 05:34 AM

This is about the best answer I have ever read to this sort of question. He nailed it! I don't even know him and I like him already.

""I guess I'll have to answer "neither". I hunt for enjoyment. some days that means I will take a deer, other days I may let them pass. Some of my best "Trophys" had little or no antlers, while a couple of pretty decent antlers had no truly memorable experience to go with it. My trophy's are all in my mind, sitting beside my wife and later my son when they shot their first deer, a long painful stock on a doe bedded down in a treetop, and finally being able to take the shot etc. etc. Trophys don't have to mean big antlers. But then again I've never been considered "main stream". ""

Kreyzhorse · September 29, 2012, 07:32 AM

Of course I like getting a nice buck but I also like meat in the freezer so I guess I'm really both, or neither. If forced to pick, I'd say I'm a meat hunter first and a trophy hunter second.

September 28, 2012, 02:51 PM	#1
DennisCA Member Join Date: June 3, 2012 Location: Union City CA (a.k.a. Poople's Republik of CA) Posts: 93	What are you: Trophy or Meat Hunter? (BTW - I saw this discussion on another forum and decided to ask the question here) So as the title says: Are you a meat or trophy hunter and why? I know in some states (like the southern states) you get several tags, so you can do both. In other states you only get one, which makes "hunting for horns" more difficult. I guess the question also needs to be asked, "What is your def of trophy? Please respect everyone's opinion! And remember: "Let's be careful out there"

September 28, 2012, 03:00 PM	#3
Wyoredman Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,024	I'm a "trophy meat hunter"! I shoot trophies, but I also eat the meat they supply! __________________ Go Pokes! Go Rams!

September 28, 2012, 04:04 PM	#5
Brian Pfleuger Staff Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Central, Southern NY, USA Posts: 14,663	Both. Depends on my mood and oppurtunity. I've let many meat bags walk that I could have easily killed but I can't imagine ever letting a trophy walk, so I guess I lean toward being a "trophy" hunter. On the other hand, of the dozens of deer I've killed, only one comes even remotely close to trophy size and it's a 100 inch 8-point. Trophy size in this area because it wouldn't be unusual for folks in these parts to hunt their entire lives without getting a bigger one. "True" trophies (in size) in this area are like winning the lottery. So, from that perspective, I'm a meat hunter. __________________ Still happily answering to the call-sign Peetza. --- You do not HAVE a soul. You ARE a soul. You HAVE a body. ----- He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose. -Jim Eliott, paraphrasing Philip Henry.

September 28, 2012, 05:56 PM	#10
Backwoodsboy Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2012 Location: Western, Ny Posts: 105	Meat hunter here, I have a family of five and all of us love our venison. Thats not to say I would not drop a trophy given the chance, just never been one to pass up a good meal in hopes the big one is coming. gotta put meat in the freezer __________________ "Si vis pacem, para bellum". If you want peace, Prepare for war!!!!

September 28, 2012, 07:47 PM	#15
jimbob86 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 5,311	Not much sense in shooting them if you are not going to eat them. Not much sense in shooting an old tough one if you intend to eat it. 1 1/2 year olds are the best compromise between body size and toughness, IME ... __________________ TheGolden Rule of Tool Use: "If you don't know what you are doing, DON'T." http://nefirearm.com/

September 28, 2012, 02:56 PM	#2
bswiv Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Posts: 1,037	Meat..............time spent enjoying the woods is the same..........and if a big one shows up it's a bonus. Beyond that hogs eat better than deer so they get more attention too.

September 28, 2012, 03:02 PM	#4
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 546	I'm a meat hunter. My saying is...it doesn't matter how long you boil the antlers of a big buck, you still can't eat them. If its a mature deer whether its doe or buck, it's going to get dropped and put in my freezer.

September 28, 2012, 04:09 PM	#6
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Bradenton, Fl Posts: 4,159	As long as I'm here in FL - it is strictly meat. There really isn't such a thing as a trophy deer down here. Even the biggest rack on a FL deer would get laughed at up north.

September 28, 2012, 04:31 PM	#7
Rembrandt Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2002 Posts: 1,796	Trophy hunter.....nothing more challenging or rewarding than matching wits with an experienced wise old buck. Shooting the unwitting inexperienced younger animals before they're mature seems......immoral. Don't start filling tags for meat until the last day or so of the season, and then it's only doe's.

September 28, 2012, 04:59 PM	#8
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Hey I got Skype finally Posts: 1,008	When others are hunting on my property. I prefer they take home the trophy's. I spend very little time hunting for me. And usually take my deer a day or so before Season ending. small Spike, 2yr. old doe is all I need. I guess "Um, a meat hunter. "_

September 28, 2012, 05:17 PM	#9
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,383	I'm a trophy hunter. if I just want to kill a deer to eat there is not much hunting to it. I can do that out the back window of my house.

September 28, 2012, 06:25 PM	#11
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 705	Mostly a meat hunter but I'll pass on really small bucks here in CA. If you ever saw a decent sized blacktail buck, you'd probably laugh at me though as they are really small anyway

September 28, 2012, 06:33 PM	#12
Ambishot Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2011 Location: US Posts: 249	I live in an area where it's hard to draw Male licenses for trophy bucks/bulls/etc. so for now...mostly a meat hunter.

September 28, 2012, 06:43 PM	#13
Baylorattorney Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2011 Posts: 177	I'm a trophy hunter that has to put food on the table too.

September 28, 2012, 07:44 PM	#14
pbrktrt Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2008 Posts: 303	I have never seen a difference between does and bucks in my freezers. I guess it's meat for me.

September 28, 2012, 07:59 PM	#16
BIG P Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2010 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,469	I consider all my deer a trophy,And the chance to take a dozen deer a year a blessing.Guess it depends on what you call a trophy. Horns are pretty but meat is filling.

September 28, 2012, 07:59 PM	#17
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 4,502	Both, if I'm lucky It really doesn't make any difference as long as you are hunting ethically and lawfully. If you hunt for "That" trophy buck, you don't let the meat go to waste. .. If you hunt for meat, you might get a trophy as a bonus. .... Currently I have two trophy bucks on the wall and there is always room for one more. Meat is always in the freezer and heads go on the wall. .. Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

September 28, 2012, 08:37 PM	#18
Geezerbiker Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: Willamina, OR Posts: 394	I see so few deer in places that are OK to hunt them, I'd be dumb to pass up a deer that's legal to shoot... Tony

September 28, 2012, 08:55 PM	#19
45YearsShooting Member Join Date: September 9, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 94	To me, any elk is a trophy. I shot a big 7 x 6 bull last year. Toughest elk meat I ever ate, even the backstraps. Wish I had shot a calf or young cow instead.

September 28, 2012, 10:28 PM	#20
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2008 Location: 1B ID Posts: 5,415	I kill mammals to eat them. But... if a large, heavy-horned 6x6 Elk was standing next to a tender, delicious spike; I'd probably shoot the tough ol' guy. The meat won't be very 'enjoyable' to eat, since it will be tough. But, I wouldn't mind having that skull plate and its accessories. __________________ "Such is the strange way that man works -- first he virtually destroys a species and then does everything in his power to restore it."

September 29, 2012, 12:14 AM	#21
Panfisher Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 217	I guess I'll have to answer "neither". I hunt for enjoyment. some days that means I will take a deer, other days I may let them pass. Some of my best "Trophys" had little or no antlers, while a couple of pretty decent antlers had no truly memorable experience to go with it. My trophy's are all in my mind, sitting beside my wife and later my son when they shot their first deer, a long painful stock on a doe bedded down in a treetop, and finally being able to take the shot etc. etc. Trophys don't have to mean big antlers. But then again I've never been considered "main stream".

September 29, 2012, 02:43 AM	#23
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,383	I have to say I don't have much interest in a trophy elk. I would really rather have a good size rag horn. Elk meat is just fantastic. On the other hand I don't care for deer roast or steak and have it gorund up and mixed with beef fat. Even the loins. So far I haven't been able to see that an old buck isn't about as good as a doe. And we use a lot of it not having bought any ground beef in years.

September 29, 2012, 05:34 AM	#24
bswiv Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Posts: 1,037	This is about the best answer I have ever read to this sort of question. He nailed it! I don't even know him and I like him already. ""I guess I'll have to answer "neither". I hunt for enjoyment. some days that means I will take a deer, other days I may let them pass. Some of my best "Trophys" had little or no antlers, while a couple of pretty decent antlers had no truly memorable experience to go with it. My trophy's are all in my mind, sitting beside my wife and later my son when they shot their first deer, a long painful stock on a doe bedded down in a treetop, and finally being able to take the shot etc. etc. Trophys don't have to mean big antlers. But then again I've never been considered "main stream". ""

September 29, 2012, 07:32 AM	#25
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 10,856	Of course I like getting a nice buck but I also like meat in the freezer so I guess I'm really both, or neither. If forced to pick, I'd say I'm a meat hunter first and a trophy hunter second. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson