Meat or trophy hunter?

[Gregking]

So last weekend a buddy, his dad and myself go hunting on some private ground. We get there Friday around noon. By 5 deer are moving. Nobody shoots and we all gather back at the house and talk about what we saw. My buddy saw a nice wide 4x4. He didn't shoot it, said " it's Friday and I want something bigger. Greg would have shot it though, lol". I said "darn right, nice food for the freezer".

Got me thinking about all my friends that are trophy hunters and give the deer away. I guess I see it as food. My buddy does keep his deer. I do know he still gets excited about stuff, I could care less, just bored with certain sports in my life I suppose. Maybe I don't want to be in the spot light anymore and I want my kids to feel it. Idk, my buddy doesn't have any kids yet which might explain it

[Phil T]

In ND, I often picked antlered as my first choice, antler-less as my second. Murphy's Law gave me more big buck opportunities when I had the antler-less tag. I shot a few respectable bucks, but nothing worthy of being called a trophy. However, our local custom meat shop made the best sausage I've ever eaten if they were provided with good venison.

[Gregking]

where in ND do you get your meat done? I end up having my done in Heckla SD, close to aberdeen.

[Phil T]

Hazen Custom Meats. Those Germans really know how to make sausage! Summer sausage made with quality (the carcass smells like beef, not gamey) venison is 70% venison and 30%lean beef and spices. No pork, no fat. You'll not like Cervalot ever again.
The beef sticks are spiced hotter, but have the same meat in them.

[last chance]

any more I just hunt muzzleloader season here in Indiana. and im totally a meat hunter. you can take any deer in our season. now if I had a choise between a trophy buck or a doe I would take the buck. but if I had the choice between an average buck or a nice doe I will take the doe every time. I usually shoot the 1st deer I see unless it is a very small yearling. I have passed on some small deer only to end up with license stew.

[Dan Versed]

Both and neither I guess. My goal is to manage for big bucks. First year on my lease I didn't kill anything. Not for a lack of opportunity but nothing big came by. Last season I took 3 doe and let a buddy take a doe. Again for management purposes. All 4 deer were kept and consumed by me. This year I killed a nice buck and I'm done hunting as I have no plans to take any doe.

I guess I enjoy the process. I don't need to take a deer but I enjoy the meat and the challenge of taking a mature buck. At other points in my life I would have taken any deer I had the opportunity to take. I will continue to hunt this way until I don't enjoy it or am unable to do so.

[Gregking]

I should be clear, if I had one tag and a adult buck or doe are standing there the buck is going down.
When I look through that scope I see food in the freezer, I do not see a mount on the wall. Maybe that's why I don't get big buck shooting syndrome. I just don't care.

[Walleye507]

Meat.

[8210t]

I apply for a doe tag each year for muzzleloader , so I can go thru slug hunting and muzzle and try for a nice buck, but that never happens so toward the end of muzzle I settle for a decent doe. im not a wildlife biologist but I do know that if you kill a small buck they quit growing antlers

[Dan Versed]

Originally Posted by Gregking

I should be clear, if I had one tag and a adult buck or doe are standing there the buck is going down.
When I look through that scope I see food in the freezer, I do not see a mount on the wall. Maybe that's why I don't get big buck shooting syndrome. I just don't care.

Taxidermy is not even part of the equation for me. I have long since learned its a waste of money for me. I have a couple fish and ducks in closets. No way I'm spending $500 on a shoulder mount thats gonna sit in the basement. When I'm dead they will put it out on the curb on trash day. No thanks I'll keep the $500. Pictures, memories, and personal satisfaction are all I need.