Most Deer Hunters Are Now Meat Hunters

Is this true are we all out for the meat?
According to this survey we are.

http://wildharvesttable.com/files/2...y-Motivated-by-the-Meat_html-2j9lj44.pdf

I have to admit I like the meat too!

i think with the price of beef nowadays you will see more meat hunters. i have hunted all season meat hunting so far. i havent even considered a trophy buck or rack hunting. i actually have offered to strictly doe hunt on others properties. to me its cheaper and better quality.

I hunt for the meat.My Dad told me you cant eat the antlers.

I know MY goals are changing...

With the food stamp programs being cut back, you will see more of a meat hunter mentality and you also will see more poaching I'm afraid.... I feel both are detrimental to the deer herd .... I utilize the deer I kill for food, but that isnt the main reason I hunt....I hunt cause that is who I am and what I do....If I want meat, I'll kill a Doe and I will always hold out for a decent buck, and IF I get him, fine, if not, fine....

I love to eat what I kill, but also take pride in killing the oldest buck I can. Killing a dumb 3 pointer smelling the tree stand is no longer appealing to me.

My family loves the venison. I was raised on it.
I raised my son on it and finally after 2 of 15 yrs of marriage my wife loves it more than beef. So I have a job every year now. I will take couple does and a yearling doe proudly. My wife hates it if I come home fired up that I seen a BB she knows what that means. Maps study hours and if I succeed on ol guy she don't like old deer taste it is a lil gamey and I do a fair job on prep for gameyness. So yea some still shoot to eat, not that it's a necessity these days. Other than the one you donate to feed the hungry! Call us ol fashion or whatever we like our deer, crappie, wild turkey, and some morels. Maybe a dose of rabbit n squirrel gravy! There is also a good feeling watching your family and friends enjoy something you have taken and prepared. Eat up but save a few!

4 point, 8 point, 16 point or doe...they all taste the same to me once they're sausage.

I try to kill meat deer at the special hunts and leave the doe on my property alone. I mainly trophy hunt on my property but have been known to spend my buck tag on a cull. h.h.

hh you bring up a point that i have been putting alot of thought into lately. is there a need to not shoot does in a effort to manageyour deer population? i mean it makes since you dont killdoes thats more producing. but could you really kill out a doe population? im not being ignorant these are things ive been thinking about

If you are trying to manage isn't the goal 1:1 or as close as you can get. So the giants come out more often fighting for there right? Not that it matters or ever happens not even on high fence? Otherwise they can stay nocturnal. I'm not an expert just the info I've read. But have seen some fact by shooting the does. Enjoy! To each their own

I wanted to increase the deer population on my property so we quit shooting older doe which have multiple fawns. In three years I went from seeing 2-3 deer a sit to last year seeing 10-15 a sit. Ive got a piebald doe who is 6 years old and might shoot her this year rather than her dieing and the yotes get her. h.h.

hh thats a good increase in population. how many acres do you have? where i hunt its not big enough to keep the deer from roaming to other properties it makes perfect since to be selectivewith does also. i just havent put much thought into it till this year. that being said im not a kill ever doe i see either. i havekilled on deer since i started hunting and it was a buck.

Ive got 127 acres and its all dedicated to wildlife. Its the deer magnet of the area. The bunch bordering to the northwest of me went from 4 hunters killing everything that jumped the fence to 1 hunter and hes into trophy hunting. That in itself saved a lot of doe.

High pressure areas can turn around if you leave the older doe alone for a few years and then be selective in how many doe you kill. Bad thing is everyone wants to kill the big old mature doe and those are the ones who can increase your herd quick. Plus, I see just as many bucks as I did before and hunting is a lot more fun when you see several deer on a sit.

Bottom line is manage your property however you feel is the best for you, I did. h.h.

Cost of gun...350.00
Tree stand(s) 250.00
Shells..30.00
Camp.. 250.00
Tags... depends
Gas.?
Processing?
Related gear?
The list goes on and on..

You can buy a lot of meat for that!

I hunt because I love to hunt but not because I have to.

And dats all I got to say about DAT..

all you HAVE to buy is a tag and a bullet/arrow. I never felt the need for the latest gadgets to kill a deer. And it saves us a ton on groceries, even IF i pay to get it processed. 60 lbs of meat for $24 if I do it myself

The bows and guns I would have even if I didnt hunt.

Yes you can buy a lot of meat for that much money, but ask yourself what is the quality of that meat? How much do you trust the cleanliness of the meat you buy at the butcher? Do you know how much steroids, growth hormone, or disease is in your bought meat.
For the price I would rather hunt for my meat, it is a lot of fun too.

I really think most, the overall average, guys have simply to say to others that they killed a deer. When I talk to a lot of guys who deer hunt, it seems like they throw away a lot more of the meat then they eat. Generally, I don't think the average American citizen is overly worried about what's in their store bought food. I just think a lot of guys just like to shoot a deer because it provides some sense of accomplishment or "fun" and hasn't got anything to do with the value of the meat, helping an over population problem or anything such.

Dude is right.... Any wild meat (per pound) is very expensive and most people don't even realize it.... Even if you own the land, weapons, gear, process your own deer, you still have to pay taxes on your land and there are other cost that you don't even think about...

Wild game will still cost you more than a pound of meat you buy at the store....

I can "kill" a "deer" on almost any given day.. I'm not saying the meat isn't good and I'm not saying that folks hunt because they love the taste.. but if you say you hunt to feed the wife and kids well... that's a lie.... I get beef all the time that isn't full of toxins...

You just have to look for it..

You all hunt for the same reason I do.. because you love to hunt..

Just be honest about it.. unless you are trying to explain it to your wife..

Grandfather willed gun Remington 870 Wingmaster ...0$
Build a lot of ground blinds... Lil back work 0$
Shells agree
Private land 90%. 5-8 miles from home
Tags agree
Gas look at miles
Processing cut own loins rest all ground 50$ usually
Gear got lil extra from savings but prob use more SF soap
Spend what U want but we both agree we hunt because we love it!
Just adding another perspective

don't forget the price of the lease. =)

I saw 2 guys lease 40 acres next to 6K public acres and pay $1500/yr. for it. No joke.

What!! Out of staters? I assume. Money maker to owners now. Get ur 300 incher here!

I have 3 deer in the freezer, 140# of boneless so far this year.

I have spent $66 on gas, $14 on youth tags, and $2 on ammo. I have a lifetime license so we'll say pro-rated $40 a year cost so far. I did buy a $100 stand but it will last 10 years so we'll cost it out at $10 this year. The guns are going to hold their value. My bow was no cost as I traded for it. My brother's bow was $20 on Craigslist and is more valuable now than when I bought it. Arrows and broadheads are still useable but we'll pro-rate them out at $2 each. One of the deer was killed by my brother so no cost to me but you can throw his $24 in there too if you want. I do all my own processing.

Total cost this year = $160

My venison has cost me $1.14 per pound so far this year.

Recreation is only one reason I hunt.

Meat is the biggest.

Sustainability is another.

Like everyone, I hunt because I really enjoy the time in the woods. I do also have a goal to get enough meat to last me to next season and to provide meat for many friends and family members that benefit from it. I target does to get the meat I want. I enjoy the fact that the meat is not enhanced and filled with hormones. I can't remember the last time I bought meat in the grocery store. I haven't figured out the costs but I know my mind is a lot better when I get some good time in the woods.

I think that we are meat focused, and trophy at heart. Meaning, we are not stomping through the woods looking for a piece of wall-art but rather a token for the time we spend in search of the great White Tailed deer that provides quality food for our family.

they had indiana plates...

I hunt because I love it, but my family truly appreciates and enjoys the meat. We would simply rather have deer over anything else as a standard. That doesn't mean we only eat deer, but if we have enough we eat deer far more than anything else. From chili to tacos to black beans and rice it is well liked in everything. My kids have eaten it since they were little and love it. When hunting I feel some pressure from the family to bring home the meat. However, I shoot does for meat and not young bucks.

Yup.. and if you don't shoot one the family doesn't go hungry... and that was my point

My father owns 20 acres bordering public. Granted I killed my biggest many yrs ago studying and using compass before GPS there. Had to foot several mile. But the amount of hunters (not to stereotype) the amount of gun hunters that walk our property is outrageous then they find out its private granted 20acres but they ask to hunt our stands. You really have to think umm do I lease a boarder next to public? Wow wish I had there money guess they will find out in week n half when the pumpkin patch opens up. That one is something! (By the way dad bought the ground close to 30 yrs ago at next to nothing so we would have a place with gazillions of acres near) I just need to find money or job southern IN. Costs to much in gas now so it's only couple times a year. Good luck to em!

You all hunt because you love to hunt... so do I!!!!

Just don't tell me your family goes hungry if if you don't bag one..

Hunt on!

I think we're killing too many does. Nothing against anyone who kills the(I do too)... but just because it's legal too kill 4 or whatever, doesn't mean we should. Regardless of what the experts say, I believe if you have does around you will have bucks around. I want as many does around me as I can in november. I've been hunting hard all week and haven't seen a single doe. Hence I've only seen a few bucks. We're killing too many does.
Food for thought

I am not sure the harvest data supports this idea.

~50% of licensed hunters fail to get ONE deer, after 1 deer the percentage killing more than 1 drops off a cliff (I know this data has been posted here before)

We all like to see 20-30 deer a day, but the habitat just can't sustainably support this...not to mention what the insurance lobby has to say.

I'm with ya strut...hunted everyday since Friday and haven't see one doe until this morning. I say repeal the OBR and back off the does.

Again, I'm no expert... But I've been hunting deer in Indiana since the mid 80's. Back then you had to be drawn for an "antlerless permit." What this did was keep things in check per county. The "key" here is you had to be "DRAWN." Now, you can kill a deer and just drive home with a homemade tag. Check it in if you WANT TO. I believe people are killing a ton of does and not checking them in. What you're reading is the results of those who checked them in. Before the use of homemade tags you "burned" your tag the minute you tore it off.
The state obviously doesn't care. I guess that's fine?
Here's my point:
I always see guys posting on here saying they aren't seeing deer. Well, lets start managing the herd ourselves.
A few years ago I had to go to Iowa to restore power during an ice storm and it happened to be in deer season. I was really torn up over being there instead of being here hunting, so I interacted with as many people/deer hunters as I could to kinda get my fix. What I found was they(ALL OF THEM) had a total different perspective on what they were shooting compared to us. Kids, teenagers, would pass a 130" deer all day long. It's not like they were killing 150" deer every year either. It's just that they knew that the only way to get to 150 was to not shoot them when they were 130. Does? they weren't killing them like rabbits. They have "antlerless only" seasons and STILL have deer everywhere.
I just think we need to change our mindset as hunters towards managing what we see in our neck of the woods instead of killing what were ALLOWED to kill. We're getting better on bucks. I was staunchly against the OBR but admit now it was a good thing. I just think we're slaughtering our does.

I slaughter all the deer I kill

I still see plenty of does. I hunt Morgan, Jackson, Washington, and Parke Counties.

Good post HS...

John, come up here to Porter Co..... you wont see one deer in a bean or corn field...are there deer, sure, but way way way less....I saw more deer scouting the Dunes Park(I hunt the first session) today than I have the whole season up to now hunting private....and I hear it from guys thru our county ....where'd the deer go .....

I don't know what you are talking about, I have put two down already & it is still bow season! That is not off private land or a high dollar lease it is off public land the same land that you or anyone else can hunt. In fact it is DNR property over 7000 acres now & another 1000 acres in two property's to open for gun/muzzleloader season. There are plenty of deer & more than enough public acres to hunt for everyone if you got the want, ability, & patients to hunt it.
Patients & putting in the scouting time is the trick, I have spent every spare hour of the last two months in the woods. Not because I like bow hunting it was because I know I needed the scouting time to pick the right spot for gun season. On public land you need the knowledge of many spots in case someone took your good spot.

In 2 days of hunting on heavily hunted public land, I saw 20+ deer and had 6 in bow range. Only 2 were bucks. I killed a doe

It's hard to manage deer on anecdotes. Harvest stats are more objective. From a brief look at the last 4 years of harvest stats, looks like Porter County has had a healthy and consistent harvest of both bucks and does. Somewhere between 1200 and 1600 deer. The mix of antlered:antlerless seems consistent with state averages.

Glad to hear a few guys are doing well on public land. All I hunt is public land. I kill deer every year on public land. I see at least one nice buck every year on public land.
With that said, I've been sitting way too many hours in the stand on public land to see the small numbers I'm seeing in bow season. I walk an amazingly long way off the road... Fact is, I'd challenge anyone to come hunt with me and call me lazy. ANYONE. Last year my son and I went down a draw that was unspeakably steep to hunt because we knew nobody else would. Killed 2 and had a nightmare of a drag(liked to killed my brother). Again, I love to eat them myself. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with shooting some does.

In gun season, I "hunt the hunters"... works every year. Always will. In bow season though, I should see more deer sign than I'm seeing. I've wore out some boots and just finding very little sign this year especially. Been to several different places too. Probably put 600 miles on my truck and none of these places are more than 30 miles from me.

Maybe I'm just in a rut? But even though harvest data is all the state has to go on... I still think it's incredibly inaccurate. I think we hunters can manage much better than the state can. After all, how many people who lease or own land ask the DNR how they should manage it?

The harvest numbers they feed us yearly are a flat out joke and a lie! They aren't foolin anyone who talks to hunters on a daily basis!

I am sure there is a handful of knowledgeable deer hunters that could objectively put some management scheme on the parcels they hunt. But to believe that the masses could is unrealistic.

I agree that the scheme in place, with the exception of limits on antlered deer, has become essentially a self regulating one. The only limits on does are the size of your freezer or your desire to kill another one. Hardly anyone shoots more than 2 does per year. And the few who do are likely limited by access to property that can sustain damaging doe harvest. In other words, they will run out of does in their local area but, they only have a local effect.

Conspiracy theories about harvest stats are just that. Most people check in their deer. There are anecdotal exceptions, but I would wager they are insignificant.

Until the harvest numbers drop a lot, like 25%, expect the scheme to stay the same. Every year, these same arguments rage. And every year the harvest is a record, or a near record. We live in the golden age of whitetail hunting. Personally, I'm loving it.