How many deer
 

I wish I knew how to set up a poll on here because I want to find out what hunters think is their personal limit for deer.
There are some states that have very liberal bag limits. AL I believe has a 1 deer a day limit for the entire season. And I understand that bag limits are designed to regulate deer herd numbers.
But my question is: How many deer do you believe a hunter should shoot without his or her ego and greed getting in the way?
IMO two deer a year is plenty. With only one being a doe.

2 deer will feed me and my wife for the year. Or a deer and a pronghorn. That's my personal limit since I hunt to fill the freezer so I'm more than happy to tag does. If I know someone will utilize the meat I may take a 3rd for them if it is legal. I have no need for more than 2 and I see no reason to simply stack up a bunch of carcasses even if legal.

Yeah Bronko AL has one of the most liberal bag limits in the country, below are the regs for bag limits. I limt my self to two and only take two if I want to get some speciality products made such as dry beef(venison) hot dogs bologna etc. or if the land owner wants one, he has a bad heart and if he doesn't get one early he hands it up.


Bag Limit: Alabama

ANTLERED DEER: Statewide- one a day; (3)three during the season. One of the three must have at least 4 antler points 1" or longer on one antler (except Barbour County). A point is an antler projection of at least one inch in length from base to tip. Main beam tip shall be counted as a point regardless of length.

Barbour County Antler Restriction: bucks must have a minimum of three points on one side (except on the statewide special youth deer hunting data).

UNANTLERED DEER: (except spotted fawns) One per day in addition to one antlered buck per day. (exceptions may apply for selected areas with one deer per day limit on National Forest Service Lands).

In MD region B there are unlimited does. I used to take 5-6 a year but venison was the only red meat we would eat and we would eat a lot along with having family/close friends over for dinner a lot. We would make a lot of stuff like spaghetti sauce, chili, stew, etc. and then can it for the year. We would also vacuum seal ground meat, back strap and other whole pieces. We did give some of this stuff to family/close friends too.

Now that we raise goats, rabbits and pigs along with the turkeys, chickens and ducks we don't need as much venison so now it will be 2-3 with most of one of those deer being jerky.

This year im allowed 4 but im only planning on taking 2 for myself. If i decide to try and take a third it will go to the Hunters for the Hungry program.

Over the past decade I have averaged a deer and an elk or two deer a year. Between the game meat and ocean fish I catch we don't have to buy much meat or fish. I use the "bad cuts" as sausage and burger which we use in many meals. My own personal standards are that I eat what I kill. I have 3 grown daughters who are all married and have kids so they get plenty of fish and game from my freezer all year long.

As many as can be consumed without wasting any meat. For me, my family can eat about 2 average size deer a year. But there have been years where I had an elk or caribou and two to three deer. Didn't go to waste as many friends always ask for venison and I am happy to share my bounty with them.

The only time I eat red meat other than the game I take is if out at a restaurant. At home 99% of all meat and fish (other than yard bird) is what I and my family takes over the year. For me it's not about greed or ego, it's about what I like to eat, period. Breakfast Lunch and Dinner all 3 have meat or fish at my house so we go through a LOT of meat. I myself usually take 2, sometimes 3 whitetail, an elk (sometimes 2 if I decide to go after a Bull but usually just a cow) and a Moose (bull or cow whichever presents a good eating size) and of course a few hogs go in the freezer. And even with all that, my freezers are usually near, if not completely, empty by Christmas.

Freezer will hold 3.....I'm limited to 1. Supplement with Elk or pork.
Dan

I take as many as I need and sometimes more. For me it has nothing to do with greed or ego just we eat alot, I mean alot. Jerky, burgers, stews and many other things. We have had ten deer in the freezer 4 years ago and was all gone by mid summer. My grandfather doesn't get to hunt any more with his age so we provide at times for family out of our own stock. We also do tons of seafood over the season, just today and yesterday have cast netted about 30-40 pounds of shrimp and fileted out about 10 pounds of flounder. So yeah we just eat alot with family meals typical on the weekend that includes 12-18 people every time.