Trophy vs. Meat
05-07-2003, 05:33 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cedar Valley Utah
Posts: 977
Trophy vs. Meat
Do you consider yourself a meat or trophy hunter and why? What are the criteria you use when taking animals? Inches? Number of points?
If I had to pick one I' d say I' m a meat hunter. I always love a big rack but I personally think its wrong to kill an animal for that alone. I usually shoot a cow elk every year to fill up a freezer. If the only shot I had was on a spike I' d take it. Got lots of friends that wouldn' t shoot a spike for nothing and even go as far as saying they don' t even like the meat. That can' t be good for the image of hunting.
If I had to pick one I' d say I' m a meat hunter. I always love a big rack but I personally think its wrong to kill an animal for that alone. I usually shoot a cow elk every year to fill up a freezer. If the only shot I had was on a spike I' d take it. Got lots of friends that wouldn' t shoot a spike for nothing and even go as far as saying they don' t even like the meat. That can' t be good for the image of hunting.
05-07-2003, 06:00 AM
#2
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
If I shot a record book Bull/Stag/Buck..etc and I was faced with a situation where I only had one choice on carrying out the choice cuts or carrying out the trophy. The trophy would win every time. (Nice if you can do both.)
In my situation there' s always plenty of opportunity to take another animal for meat, as we don' t have limits/tags/seasons etc.
I like to keep my freezer stocked.
We' re encouraged to take female animals as a means of controlling numbers, and improving trophy quality, by letting males grow out a bit more.
Have been involved in commercial hunting where you make your money from the meat, and the antlers got left in the bush.
I' ve noticed down this way, where hunting big game is more or less unrestricted, that hunters go through a type of evolution. At the start you shoot the first animal you see. As you progress on you become more discerning and selective on what animal you shoot. And then later on you choose not to shoot most animals and even take up photography instead, or get more of a buzz through take others out hunting. So to answer your question I guess it depends on where you' re at.
In my situation there' s always plenty of opportunity to take another animal for meat, as we don' t have limits/tags/seasons etc.
I like to keep my freezer stocked.
We' re encouraged to take female animals as a means of controlling numbers, and improving trophy quality, by letting males grow out a bit more.
Have been involved in commercial hunting where you make your money from the meat, and the antlers got left in the bush.
I' ve noticed down this way, where hunting big game is more or less unrestricted, that hunters go through a type of evolution. At the start you shoot the first animal you see. As you progress on you become more discerning and selective on what animal you shoot. And then later on you choose not to shoot most animals and even take up photography instead, or get more of a buzz through take others out hunting. So to answer your question I guess it depends on where you' re at.
05-07-2003, 06:03 AM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Mooretown Ont Canada
Posts: 334
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
I take what ever comes my way with my BOW. So I guess you could consider me as a meat hunter.
When do you you decide that this is going to be your only shot?
Your only chance could be at the beginning of the week or near the end!
Set your own standards and stay with them, you don' t know what' s going to happen.
JM .02
AL
When do you you decide that this is going to be your only shot?
Your only chance could be at the beginning of the week or near the end!
Set your own standards and stay with them, you don' t know what' s going to happen.
JM .02
AL
05-07-2003, 06:24 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Manitoba,Canada
Posts: 277
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
It depends on what I' m hunting and the situation. Moose...any legal animal because I really want the meat and prefer moose to deer. However, if I was on a week long moose hunt where I could shot a bull or a calf I might wait a few days before shooting a calf. Just because I wouldn' t want to end my hunt on the first day with a calf. By mid-week, I' d take a calf. However, I' d plunk a little bull on day one. That' s a lot more meat than a calf!
For deer I usually try to take a meat deer with my muzzleloader if I don' t have moose. But I wait a few days as well. I like to hunt and can generally hunt quite often so there is no rush. I usually end up taking a medium sized or smaller buck for the freezer. During rifle season I pretty much am only out there in search of trophy sized animals. Unless for some reason I haven' t gotten any meat yet. By this time I usually have enough meat in the freezer and just want to hunt. No reason to shoot just any animal but if I do shoot something the meat can always be used.
For deer I usually try to take a meat deer with my muzzleloader if I don' t have moose. But I wait a few days as well. I like to hunt and can generally hunt quite often so there is no rush. I usually end up taking a medium sized or smaller buck for the freezer. During rifle season I pretty much am only out there in search of trophy sized animals. Unless for some reason I haven' t gotten any meat yet. By this time I usually have enough meat in the freezer and just want to hunt. No reason to shoot just any animal but if I do shoot something the meat can always be used.
05-07-2003, 06:50 AM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Posts: 1,964
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
Meat first, trophy second -- except....
With an either sex tag and a herd of elk in front of me, I will go for the largest bull (lots of meat there, just more burger and jerky, plus racks ARE fun). Not very often it works out that you have that much choice, on the other hand.....
If I come across a nice cow in the first hour of the opening morning, then it' s that is just fine by me and its over.
More important to me than what I get, is positioning my camp mates on stands in areas where as many as possible can take an elk and then watching THEIR excitement. I enjoy the 2-3 days of field dressing, packing out, and butchering as much as the kill and the hours leading up to it.
Never Go Undergunned, Use A Pack Horse
EKM
With an either sex tag and a herd of elk in front of me, I will go for the largest bull (lots of meat there, just more burger and jerky, plus racks ARE fun). Not very often it works out that you have that much choice, on the other hand.....
If I come across a nice cow in the first hour of the opening morning, then it' s that is just fine by me and its over.
More important to me than what I get, is positioning my camp mates on stands in areas where as many as possible can take an elk and then watching THEIR excitement. I enjoy the 2-3 days of field dressing, packing out, and butchering as much as the kill and the hours leading up to it.
Never Go Undergunned, Use A Pack Horse
EKM
05-07-2003, 06:52 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: North Yarmouth Maine
Posts: 167
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
I guess a little of trophy hunter but mostly meat hunter. I much prefer to take the meat and antlers but I' m not really into record book animals and could never leave meat behind for the trophy even if it was a world record animal. It' s kind of a spritual thing with me. I believe I would dishonor the animals sprit if I wasted the meat. I don' t judge anyone else by my standards though, they are free to make thier own chioces, althougth I think it looks a lot better for hunting if everyone takes and uses the meat. I also have very little respect for people who hunt just for the antlers and leave the meat to rot in the woods, at least donate it to a food bank. That being said if I can get a great animal I' m more than happy to! As far as spikes vs. does/cows I would take a cow/dow every time before I take a spike but if a spike was my only shot I have gotten late in the hunt/season it' s down. 
05-07-2003, 06:59 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hamilton Square NJ USA
Posts: 557
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
Both. It never made sense to me why one would choose. A big trophy animal has the most meat anyway, and anyone with a clue about caring for the meat and butchering will have no problem with the meat from a big old buck anyway.
Could never understand why someone would voluntarily limit themselves to half the benefits of hutning, when you can always shoot for both.
I guess you could sa I' m a meat hunter in the fact that I' d leave the rack behind and take the meat if I had to choose.
However, I' m after a trophy with a bunch of tasty meat attached, every time. Couldn' t ever see shooting a calf or baby of any animal, cept varmints.
Could never understand why someone would voluntarily limit themselves to half the benefits of hutning, when you can always shoot for both.
I guess you could sa I' m a meat hunter in the fact that I' d leave the rack behind and take the meat if I had to choose.
However, I' m after a trophy with a bunch of tasty meat attached, every time. Couldn' t ever see shooting a calf or baby of any animal, cept varmints.
05-07-2003, 09:12 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Manitoba,Canada
Posts: 277
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
I also have very little respect for people who hunt just for the antlers and leave the meat to rot in the woods, at least donate it to a food bank.
Killing an animal for the antlers and leaving the meat to rot is not hunting, it' s poaching! But I do agree with you.
05-07-2003, 12:07 PM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,679
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
I' d say that I' m a meat primarily. I usually get a cow tag for the rifle season. Now, if I have a cow, a 4x4 raghorn and a big 6x6 all standing there guess which one is getting the arrow.
You can legally do that in New Zeland? That' s poaching here and is jail time. We always get the meat out no matter what.
If I shot a record book Bull/Stag/Buck..etc and I was faced with a situation where I only had one choice on carrying out the choice cuts or carrying out the trophy. The trophy would win every time. (Nice if you can do both.)
In my situation there' s always plenty of opportunity to take another animal for meat, as we don' t have limits/tags/seasons etc.
In my situation there' s always plenty of opportunity to take another animal for meat, as we don' t have limits/tags/seasons etc.
05-07-2003, 01:05 PM
#10
Matriarch Doe!
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Waterloo, Oregon
Posts: 16,449
RE: Trophy vs. Meat
If I shot a record book Bull/Stag/Buck..etc and I was faced with a situation where I only had one choice on carrying out the choice cuts or carrying out the trophy. The trophy would win every time. (Nice if you can do both.)
In my situation there' s always plenty of opportunity to take another animal for meat, as we don' t have limits/tags/seasons etc.
In my situation there' s always plenty of opportunity to take another animal for meat, as we don' t have limits/tags/seasons etc.
I hunt mainly for the meat. If that meat happens to be attatched to a nice rack, all the better!