"Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

This is a run off one other posts. There was some talk about helping and hurting our sport.

Who out their practices land management? Planting food plots to help hold and grow healthy animals ect....


If you do please state whether you consider your self a "Meat" Or "Trophy" hunter!

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

Good question. I have two small plots. One is a half acre of Imperial Clover and the other (which I plan to expand next spring) was 1000 sq' of Imperial Powerplant. Next year I plan to expand the powerplant to about 5000sq'.

I will not classify my self as a meat or trophy hunter though. I practice QDM which means letting little bucks walk and shooting does. I enjoy hunting and I hope (my intensions are) that my actions help the herd be as healthy as it can be.

(Yes I like big bucks and yes I like to eat venison. I prefer my venison to be big buck or doe though).

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

I both meat hunt and look for a rack. I hunt the first 2 weeks or so for does in a area that I can take up to 4 . Then as the rut starts and I have taken a meat doe I look for a nice buck ,then its back to doe's after the rut or like most years after I take the 1 buck lets me take.

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

I am also both. I have no problems shooting a doe but if its a buck its gotta be as good one! I think too many consider that a ''Trophy Hunter".

I'm in MN we get one either sex tag. Unless you buy the $80 one. Then you can shoot both. If I have only one tag I'm waiting till the end of the season to use it unless he's big. If I go skunked Its not the end of the world. I will use it on a doe but only the last couple of days!

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

I shoot does for meat and hold out for the large rack before I release an arrow at a deer. I have planted clover on my property for the deer. They ignore it and eat my fruit trees which is NOT for them.

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

No food plots. I just hunt and shoot what is legal. Myself I choose not to shoot young animals.And I guess at this stage in my hunting life ,it is for meat

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

I hunt for the Meat, Doe or buck First day if i see a big doe i take it or a decent buck ill take its all about Meat my Whole family eats deer meat so it works out great!!!

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

the only thing is that big bucks dont taste nearly as good because of all the testosterone. shooting littler deer is better tasting and good practice for the big bucks.

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

I have anywhere from 100-200 acres of food plots out year around. Needless to say I consider myself a trophy hunter.

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

I do use food plots, have seven food plots on 250 acres, most are around and acre in size, I also have a sanctuary area set up for the deer to feel safe in, and we dotn enter the area unless we absolutely have to, and also work on the forest areas to help boost acorn production, and good cover for them to feel secure.

As far as meat or trophy,, I guess i could be called both. Me and my family love the meat and eat a lot of it each year, But we also like to take mature bucks, so any buck who isnt mature is let to grow to maturity. For meat we still manage to take a mature buck or two each year, and some does who are also mature. I think it makes a healthier herd to remove older animals past their prime and let the youger more verile animals go on to carry on their genetics.

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

I replant my landscape every fricking year. I just showed my wife tonight that her tree rose may be no more. The deer have eaten evey leaf off that sucker except of course the high ones on the shoots I need to trim back. My fruit trees got nailed this fall. Please some meat hunter come and kill my deer.

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

My point of this post was to point out the fact, that the guys that are putting the time, money and work into improving habitat for deer and other animals aren't going to shoot the first deer that walks by. By the sound of this forum some call that a "Trophy Hunter". And there where some comments that "trophy hunters" are hurting our sport. So how can the people that are improving wildlife habitat be hurting our sport. How many ''Meat Hunters'' are spending there time and money to improve habitat just to shoot the first deer that they see?

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

Where are all you anti "trophy hunters"?

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

just because i dont shoot the first deer i see dont make me a trophy hunter far from that,i do hunt for meat, i spend money and improve my hunting grounds which is public hunting.
i'm not anti trophy just pro meat.sometimes ,i do shoot younger bucks but every year i will shoot more does than bucks which improves my hunting ground.alot of does around here.
why do you have to call out the meat hunters they spend money,and i just dont believe the size of the headgear tells the health of the herd.

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

Excellent point!

RE: "Meat"/"Trophy" Hunters!
 

I just moved into our new home which includes 10 acres of woods bordered by 80 more , so I haven't had time to look it over much with an eye toward "improvements" .

I'm strictly a meat hunter , I hunt for meat and enjoyment , I have no interest in trophies . If I make any "improvements" it will probably be along the lines of thinning out the "trash" trees and replacing them with native mast producing varities , and perhaps increasing the natural browse . The only place where I'm considering planting something like clover will be in a large depression out front where Mama said her new feeder is going . She wants to be able to sit out on the patio with the grandkids and watch the deer and turkeys , the clover will be for them and the bunnies . Both the proximity to the house and our no baiting law ensures that they can eat there in peace .

So far I've considered chestnuts , persimmons , and other native trees . There are already a couple of persimmons there , and a lot of white oaks and hickory . I may also add beech for the squirrels . Food plots are legal here , but I prefer to just increase the natural mast .