Meat vs horns
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Cazador
17-Dec-24
What is more important to you? We see guys traveling multiple states "racking" up numbers. I believe for many, the horns are the priority, and the meat is secondary, almost like "what do I do with the meat" now if I can't donate it. What is your priority?
The second part of this is what if your area was infested with CWD? Would you continue to hunt it knowing that there is a very high percentage that the deer will be carrying CWD? At this point, it really becomes a "horn" hunt. Would you continue to hunt it?
From: Beendare
17-Dec-24
I shoot Elk, Hogs and whitetails for the meat.
I like antlers as much as the next guy....but these days it's less of a priority.
From: sawtooth
17-Dec-24
I hunt with a stickbow and my priority is simply adult animals. I do not score, or care. I do not know of a CWD area where a very high percentage of the deer are known to be carriers, but it may exist.
From: wytex
17-Dec-24
Not going unless I'm bringing home meat when successful.
We live and hunt a very endemic cwd area in SE Wyoming, actually tight across the fence from the Sybille research unit where it came from. We will hunt here as long as we can. We don't get every animal tested either. Pretty positive we have eaten positive animals but none in the throws of "wasters" disease. We don't shoot or eat sickly animals and yes we have seen cwd animals about to die, it is not pretty. Took a decent mule deer buck this year and did not get him tested, he tasted great too. They say our area has very high cwd prevalence especially in mature bucks and we have few bucks over 4 yrs. Still waiting on the age of my buck from WG&F lab. We do get every buck tooth aged by WG&F just to show them yes we still have mature bucks in this area. We strive to take only bucks 4+ yrs of age off of the property.
From: t-roy
17-Dec-24
Antlers first for me. Putting meat in the freezer doesn’t give me anywhere near the same excitement as trying to match wits with trying to put myself in the right position to kill a big, mature animal. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily an “ego” thing, either. More like a challenge and a sense of self satisfaction at accomplishing a goal that I set for myself. I definitely salvage and utilize all the meat, plus I do very much enjoy hunting and shooting does, as well as eating venison, but hunting just for the sake of filling my freezer is not at the top of my list, and probably barely makes it onto page 2.
As far as CWD is concerned, I doubt I would get any deer tested, unless it was apparent that there was something wrong with them. I would still eat the meat from seemingly “normal” animals. CWD has been around for a long time.
From: SD
17-Dec-24
Excitement of the hunt is #1 for me. I like the meat and very much enjoy doing all my own processing and cooking, but it's not why I hunt. I get excited when I get a shot at a big buck (way more so than a doe), I get excited at a covey flush, I get excited when a pair of doves comes zooming by, I love when a flock of ducks sets their wings, etc... These are the reasons I hunt. The meat is a nice benefit. With that said I've seen plenty of instances where the meat was wasted and the antlers revered. Truly sad.
From: FORESTBOWS
17-Dec-24
We grew up eating elk meat as a staple. I much prefer a midwest whitetail deer now. With the guys i take and my self we put up about 8-10 deer a year. We also eat alot of game meat in our hunting camps. Last elk season i feed 60 men for 6 days.
From: PECO2
17-Dec-24
I like a nice rack as much as the next guy, but meat is a priority for me. The first legal, healthy deer that offers me a close, mostly broadside shot I'm sending an arrow.
From: Trying hard
17-Dec-24
Meat....i use recurve bows...everything I shoot is a trophy...
From: midwest
17-Dec-24
I like to kill stuff with my bow. Lucky to hunt areas that require me to shoot lots of doe whitetails. I keep a few for myself and always have people that want the rest. I wouldn't "just" hunt does on an out of state hunt but will gladly hunt a cow elk in September if that's the only tag I draw. Antlers are a bonus, and I crave the big ones as much as the next guy but not totally necessary for me to have a successful season.
From: njbuck
17-Dec-24
I enjoy both. Fortunately for me, I hunt in an area where the state makes us take a doe before, we get our fall buck tag. I also have access to a few properties that if I do NOT shoot a doe off of, I will lose access to the property and others will be brought in to thin the herd. I love to go out and shoot does. That said, on out of state hunts, its antlers first for me.
From: 12yards
17-Dec-24
My main priority is to try to shoot a big buck. I have very limited opportunities in my home state so I go to other states to try to shoot a big one. In MN, I try to hold off for a decent buck but will shoot a smaller one if I don't have at least one deer in the freezer as it gets close to gun season. I will say, every big antlered buck I've shot was made out of meat.
I like to take a doe if possible for eating, but they seem to be as difficult to kill as a buck around me. The curses of public land hunting and trying to kill one after early antlerless gun seasons I guess. Deer get real smart fast here. Also, I have killed and eaten deer from CWD areas. Some were tested, some were not. I love venison but I get far more excited hunting big deer. And, I believe inside every "brown it's down" meat hunter, beats the heart of a "horn" hunter. It would be the rare bird that would shoot the delicious 1.5 year old doe standing next to that "gamey" 150"er.
From: Buckeye
17-Dec-24
Meat is always my priority. I hate antlers, especially big ones! Lol kidding of course, I have yet to kill a 125" deer. They always seem to tape out at around 114". One day I will have the time to devote to a P&Y buck. I hope.
From: B2K
17-Dec-24
The challenge of taking a mature buck is likely most of my drive, but I also enjoy taking does. Meat is definitely a blessing and wild game is all I eat. The more meat I acquire, the more creative I get in experimenting and utilizing it. I enjoy the whole process from butchering to cooking! I cherish the horns, meat and memories!
From: Cazador
17-Dec-24
I guess I should have framed the first question better. How important is getting the meat home after a big hunt, or even after a local hunt vs the horns? I get chasing big bucks and bulls, but once that P&Y animal is in the dirt, is the meat top priority for you? Is it a must for you to get it home?
From: TEmbry
17-Dec-24
It always cracks me up when guys attempt to belittle the pursuit of big animals (not saying OP is just in general). It’s as if you can’t eat big animals, only the small ones.
I have two freezers full at all times. Excess gets donated to friends or those in need (personal connections I know to be in need, not a food bank situation). For me to claim I hunt for the meat would be a lie because my desire to hunt doesn’t quit when my meat reserves are full. I hunt because I enjoy bowhunting. If you told me I couldn’t eat the animal I’d still bowhunt (example, I’ve killed 6 brown bears and haven’t eaten one of them… lord willing I’ll be lucky enough to shoot another 10 over the years).
That all said, I don’t waste meat and SOMEONE I know or care about eats it, so it’s baffling to me how that’s any less noble of a venture to pursue just because I had too much success one year or didn’t eat it all myself. It’s a false dichotomy set up.
From: Bowfreak
17-Dec-24
I want to kill big animals with big antlers I just shoot smaller ones when they show up. :)
Once an animal hits the dirt I am 100% focused on the meat. A kill would have a huge asterisk to me if I shot a world class buck and lost the meat because of a poor hit that was recovered days later. Recovering the meat is a requirement for me to consider something a successful hunt.
From: Dale06
17-Dec-24
Meat or horns? Neither. I hunt for the challenge of getting close to the animal, and making a good kill shot. I give away virtually 100% of the meat from the animals I kill. Many of the animals and several species would make P&Y, but none have ever been measured. I’m not all opposed to the record book stuff, but debates over whether it’s a typical or non or whether a point comes off a main beam or is a branch to another point is totally different than my purpose in bowhunting.
From: PushCoArcher
17-Dec-24
I'm currently in WY on a late season cow elk hunt drove from Oklahoma. Definitely not about antlers. I'd also be a liar if I said I only hunt for the meat. I love game meat and it is eaten 4-5 days a week at my house. But the truth is if I was unable to get it my family would be fine. Hell the money I spend on tags, draws, gear, and travel we could probably have ribeye every night. I was on a muley hunt in CO this 3rd season that I used a pile of points to draw. Didn't shoot one because I never found the quality of buck I was after. Could have killed many younger bucks but that wasn't what that hunt was about. I will say if I had to let a animal sit there and rot after I killed it I would give up hunting.
As for CWD I could care less. I will continue doing as I was tought and eat any animal that appears healthy at the time of death and after inspecting it during the dressing and processing. Maybe I'll worry more once there's a single case of it being transmitted to humans.
From: HDE
17-Dec-24
Meat all the time every time. I hunt to fill a freezer, certainly never about the "journey"...
From: tradi-doerr
17-Dec-24
Meat/filling the freezer has been and always will be my main goal in hunting, but like T-roy stated I also like the challenge of chasing big mature animals. So... If there happens to be a really good male "trophy" animal/s in an area I will focus on a particular animal for a time. As for the CWD issues I don't worry or concern myself with it unless it's a mandatory testing unit, and then only to turn in head/or samples. I'm eating the meat regardless of the out come of the test.
From: btnbuck
17-Dec-24
I hunt because I like to hunt. I usually take 10-12 deer a year and save/use all of it. I fill the freezer with does and save a tag for a nice buck if a nice one comes in. (a lot of years I don't get the opportunity on one big enough) I give a lot away to people who don't/can't hunt and other friends. I also take a lot of it to my archery club night through out the year and grill it up for the guys there. I make a lot of jerky for myself and lots of dog jerky treats too.
CWD is not in my immediate area yet but it wouldn't bother me as long as the animal looks healthy from field to table. I butcher my own so I know where the meats been the whole time and how it's been taken care of.
From: APauls
17-Dec-24
Sometimes horns sometimes meat. I don't shoot does for the horns, and I still shoot does. Sometimes I even shoot does when I don't need the meat. What category does that fall in? I make dang sure I take good care of it and put it in the freezer and give some away. But ultimately I am a hunter. It's just what I am. The freezer level rises and falls, but often it's to the brim. Like right now. So I need to give a lot away to make a need for next season....
From: Brian M.
17-Dec-24
Meat, if it comes with antlers it's a bonus. I don't have the patience to chase a single buck. And with my recurve or LB, any mature deer is welcome to my freezer, and sometimes a not so mature deer.
From: Cazador
17-Dec-24
The reason I ask is one of my main hunting areas is simply full of CWD. Unlike some that have replied above, I refuse to eat an animal that has it even if it does look healthy but the testing says otherwise. I'm finding that my hunts are turning more and more into "horn" hunts as the meat no matter how you feel about it, has a risk to it. We're finding the deer shot more times than not, are testing positive for CWD. You could say the results have been very lopsided.
I have no issues leaving a bear carcass behind where legal, as the worms etc found throughout the meat has always been a turnoff, even though I love hunting them. For deer, I grew up on them. They were on a different level, and were always consumed. I crave hunting big bucks in November, but sadly, the hunt for me has pretty much been rendered down to a horn hunt and I'm struggling with it a bit even though the hunt is what keeps pulling me back.
From: Groundhunter
17-Dec-24
I heard bucks carry more CWD, than does.
From: Charlie Rehor
17-Dec-24
I average 6 states, 85 days and a dozen archery killed whities per year. Lucky to get one giant buck per year. Meat comes home with me or given to friends and needy. Nothing ever wasted.
Ps: I’m in a tree right now
The reason I like it so much is when I make a perfect shot and the animal falls in sight I get an extreme rush. Kind of like a shot of whiskey hitting an empty stomach. Same rush Buck or Horsehead doe.
From: WhattheFOC
17-Dec-24
Hmmm. My initial reaction to this is … the rack is the prize. But - the years I don’t kill a buck or a bull, it’s not the antlers that I miss. There’s always next year for a trophy, but keeping meat in the freezer is an every year kinda thing.
From: SD
17-Dec-24
Valid concern Cazador. Your upbringing and personal morals tell you that you don't waste a whitetail. If you kill it you eat it. Getting past that is something you'll have to figure out yourself. To be honest most hunters don't necessarily follow that principle. Lots of critters like yotes/coons (and whitetail bucks) get killed and simply left to rot (of course not until after taking a pic to post online). Good luck!
From: Bowboy
17-Dec-24
I like the meat but horns are nice also. Sometimes I don’t have the luxury of bringing home meat so I donate it.
From: Empty Freezer
17-Dec-24
Meat for sure. Nothing tastes better than something i have caught with a rod and reel or shot with my bow. Antlers are cool too.
From: Bowfinatic
17-Dec-24
Rack #1...same i like to match wits against old animals. Old animals usually mean good shelter head gear. Meat #2 - easy to get shooting does. Still enjoyable but not the same level of satisfaction
From: Charlie Rehor
17-Dec-24
SD: I’ve been hunting whitetails for 43 years and never once heard of, or saw a rotting buck left by a bow hunter. I don’t buy it. C
From: bowyer45
17-Dec-24
I hunted elk all my life and will be 79 next week, still enjoy my elk and moose meat. I have enough horns. Sooner or later we had enough. Maybe next year. Yes watching one go down from a well placed arrow is a good feeling no matter how many times you see it.
From: Cotton
17-Dec-24
The meat is more important to me than the antlers although I do enjoy getting a nice buck as well as the next guy. We have CWD in the area that and I have all my deer tested but never have had one come back positive. I process all of the meat myself and find making the Summer Sausage enjoyable and welcome gifts. The antlers unless they are something special generally are used to make many different things with a rustic flair.
From: Bou'bound
17-Dec-24
It’s easy to say meat beans, more than antlers because for the average deer that’s absolutely the way just about anybody would feel.
But there is a size that all of a sudden that animal means more to someone because of the antlers than the meat
It’s just a matter of what that size is that flips the switch from what your stomach wants to what you wanna look at on the wall
From: labxtreme1.
17-Dec-24
Depends on the hunt for me. Overall I very much like to have a freezer full of wild game and is a priority each season. Having the luxury to hunt multiple states and tags with access to places with high success level doe hunts helps ensure that. The passion is for matching skills with old mature animals though.
If I had to choose it would be for meat. Fortunately I don’t have to choose often so it’s for horns and add some hunts to fill the freezer if need be.
From: ahunter76
17-Dec-24
I've bowhunted 15 states & it's never been about either. It has always been the adventure & experience of fooling my quarry on their home turf. Sure, I wanted to fill my tag, like anyone. I've actually put my either sex tag, out of state on a Doe. I'm not one to bowhunt anything I don't plan to eat regardless of sex/head gear. When I first started (1956, arrowed 1st Deer in 1958) ANY Deer was my target & meat/head gear a bonus. Today, 6+ decades later & many assorted critters put in the freezer, it's still the hunt & campfire friends most important to me. BUT, Whitetails, what most get to hunt the most, I have put restrictions on my self. I no longer shoot Does (I have many to my credit) & set a goal on my next Buck, rack wise (It's a biggie). Why? I have been blessed with many of both & a few good ones along the way. Whitetail is the only animal I have done this with. Now, 83 & still in the game I am blessed. Oh, I also get a quarter beef each year, most time get a hog in the off season in another state & with an adult son & 3 older G-sons crazy about deer hunting get all the venison I want. Great all around. Just a few deer only pic..
From: Tracker
17-Dec-24
When I want to fill the freezer with venison I shoot a nice young doe or two. To shoot a buck it has to make me excited to shoot it and worth showing it off to my hunting buddies not social media.
From: ahunter76
17-Dec-24
When I know I am going to take a shot, all those excitement things kick in, Breathing, anticipation, adrenalin be it Doe or Buck..
From: Bou'bound
17-Dec-24
Ahunter your neat Collages are always so interesting
From: shade mt
17-Dec-24
I agree big buck , big elk, big whatever your hunting, all have meat, but i'll shoot a smaller animal every year if its getting down to the end. One thing i never cared for is tag soup.
My standards go way down in the 9th inning.
From: cnelk
17-Dec-24
Antlers make thin, bad tasting soup
From: WV Mountaineer
17-Dec-24
I like killing stuff. I like eating it too. Horns are nice and sought by all. But, it’s not why I go. I go to kill and eat it.
From: Corax_latrans
17-Dec-24
For me, it’s Hunt first, Meat second, then antlers as a bonus.
No, I do not daydream of barely legal raghorns. Duh.
From: butcherboy
17-Dec-24
I hunt because I enjoy it. I hunt because I like the meat. I’ve never been a hunter that hunts for antlers. Like others, it’s a bonus if it happens but I get as much of an adrenaline rush shooting a cow elk as shooting a bull. If I just wanted meat only then I would raise or buy beef and pork every year. It’s much cheaper in the long run but it’s just not quite the same thing as hunting and the joy it brings me.
From: Two Dogs
17-Dec-24
I am single and retired. I buy almost no meat. If I don't shoot it or catch it I probably didn't eat it. I do look for a good buck and take does for meat. I feel there is no deer harder to kill than a doe with a few years of survival to her credit.
From: HiMtnHnter
17-Dec-24
Meat is most important to me. I have a lot of horns. That said, if I draw the right tag I will look for something special, though I will try my best to not go home with an empty cooler.
From: Acres4wildlife
17-Dec-24
Raised two boys on venison and have not purchased beef in 30 yr's. With that said, these days I usually pass up younger age bucks in hopes of something a little older. Antlerless deer are just as much fun as bucks too. I love the process of scouting, planning , and preparation as much as the hunt itself. I don't think I would knowingly eat a cwd animal but I'll not let that deter me.
From: Paul@thefort
17-Dec-24
Enough said!
From: SD
17-Dec-24
Charlie, I guess you don't have to buy anything. But I've seen it countless times. Could even tell you what parts of the country is more likely to do it. Never seen the Arkansas or Louisiana guys leave without their meat. Have seen plenty from the northeast do it. The guys who show up with only 1 little cooler barely big enough for their snacks are usually the guys asking where a gully is to dump their deer the night before they leave. I'm glad you haven't seen this side of "horn porn", but I can assure you it exists.
From: 12yards
18-Dec-24
Cazador, yes, it is extremely important for me to get that meat cooled no matter what kind of animal it is. While getting a big buck is important to me, it would seem a failure if I didn't take care of the meat as well. I wouldn't feel good about that kill at all if I did not get the meat off that animal.
From: wildan2
18-Dec-24
I try to take a reasonable sized buck and the meat always is welcome.Generaly we let the small bucks pass(wasn't always that way).Saw 20 bucks before shooting #21,a 18"wide 8pt.,rutted out at 155#.Last year's opening day buck was a 220#,7pt.
From: swp
18-Dec-24
I'm in it for the meat, not that I won't pass up a small one if I know there is something bigger in the area.
From: Double Creek
18-Dec-24
I flew to Montana to hunt moose and spent 3 full days driving the meat back to the gulf coast.
At this point in my life, I really won’t kill anything that I don’t plan to eat, including predators.
From: drycreek
18-Dec-24
One look around my living room at the “trophies” from decades of hunting will show you that the meat comes first but I don’t mind the headgear.
From: pav
18-Dec-24
Definitely pursue mature antlers over meat. If venison was the main goal...1-1/2 year old does would be the primary targets...not bucks. That said, venison is never wasted.
From: carcus
19-Dec-24
Horn hunter here, I don't like shooting immature bucks or does, the meat always gets used of course. That said, I always get a bear, and usually get an elk and some years a moose, so the freezer is often pretty full going into deer season
From: Bow Crazy
19-Dec-24
For me it's the journey, the process, the comradery, the tradition, the antlers, and the meat to name a few. Not sure what order I would put them in, because all have a very important part in my hunt.
PS. In Wisconsin more Does than Bucks carry CWD, as in most or all states. BC
From: Ricky The Cabel Guy
19-Dec-24
Who was it that said "I'm a trophy hunter...until something else legal shows up."
When it comes to bucks, that pretty much describes me.
From: tobywon
19-Dec-24
Where I hunt, it’s about the meat. My answer would be different if I had more time to hunt or hunted other parts of the country or had really good private land to hunt with ample deer numbers. Here in the northeast, I hunt state forest with little to no agriculture and when acorn crop is scarce, it feels like hunting a barren desert. I’m lucky to get a shot or two if I’m lucky at a deer with the bow or gun. I’m jealous of guys that can shoot does at will when they need the meat. My walk ins are tough and getting a deer out is tougher, but I’m a glutton for punishment and it’s very rewarding when I do connect on a deer.
From: Bake
19-Dec-24
I’m a collector. Of trophies and experiences. And a seeker of the rush. The moments before and after a shot, when the adrenaline is flowing, are the moments I’m chasing.
The meat is always utilized. Always. But it’s not the reason I do this
From: g5smoke21
21-Dec-24
Can't beat Moose steaks and sausage. The horns are a bonus
From: craigmcalvey
21-Dec-24
When I’m carrying my bow, it’s for a big rack first. Maybe die early in the season. Once rifle season rolls around I fill the freezer with does.
From: caribou77
21-Dec-24
As I’ve aged it’s definitely horns for whitetail. Enjoy the meat but a lot of waiting for the right deer involves plenty of time in the woods. Most years I could shoot a doe any day i feel like it.
Other big game…. I just want to get one…. I’m like a kid again doing something new.
From: WYelkhunter
21-Dec-24
The enjoyment of the hunt, the horns and then a little meat for jerky is what it is about for me. Sorry just the way it is. There are people around who need the meat way more than I do so that is who gets it.
From: Deerdawg
21-Dec-24
I’m a Meat Man. But I love Big Racks!
From: goyt
21-Dec-24
I definitely hunt for horns I hunt does so that the habitat is capable of growing bucks with bigger horns. We eat mostly wild meat and fish that I catch so if the efforts to harvest big bucks or grow big bucks does not generate enough meat, I would go meat hunting.
From: grape
22-Dec-24
I love to hunt.
From: elkmtngear
22-Dec-24
Definitely a meat hunter (marinating some elk steaks right now).
Every now and then, I get lucky and take a mature buck or bull...but I'm not passing up any opportunity on a cow or doe (if legal).
From: BOHNTR
22-Dec-24
I hunt for both….mostly trophies but I enjoy the meat when I get one. Just not too excited about eating a 2 year old buck/bull……rather arrow a doe or cow if I need meat in the freezer. But that’s just me…..you do you.
From: 8point
22-Dec-24
Back in the day I remember my dad beating the bushes trying to get a buck, shooting a doe was out of the question, how were you to build up the herd if you shot does. I can't remember Dad shooting a buck. In the first year I was old enough to hunt deer, I got a 6 point that dad missed minutes before. I got to hunt 2 seasons with dad before cancer got him. As a youngster I remember seeing an Outdoor Life magazine that had a picture of a big caribou on the cover, As a young man in the service, I requested and got an assignment Alaska where I was able to get at least one of almost everything south of the Brooks range that had horns or antlers, some of which were exceptional. When I ended up back east, I took up archery, and as I gained experience I focused on dads Holy Grail and held out for betted bucks. In "92", I killed a 150 inch 8 point, & I was bit hard, after that if it didn't have good antlers, it got a by. Since then, I tagged 2 bucks each of which missed P&Y by an inch +. I try to shoot the best bucks I have on trail cams, and many years I don't punch my tag with archery equipment waiting for the "big one". In the past 2 years I passed on "nice" 10 points on the opening day of rifle waiting for a super buck that a neighbor finally got, but that's the gamble. I grew up when antlers were about the only game in town, so with 64 hunting seasons in the rearview, I'll honor dads quest and wait for a "good" buck every time.
From: Juancho
23-Dec-24
I do it for the meat. The antlers are usually put to good use on making buttons, handles or some other useful stuff, when not chopped to pieces for chew toys for the dogs. The bones go to bone broth and the skin to my many fly tying friends or any other such purpose. Most other organs for dog food and what's left for coyote bait. Fist things I eat are tongue and heart.
From: IdyllwildArcher
24-Dec-24
The chase is what I'm after primarily. Then the adventure. Both of those are better if you've accomplished something difficult like taking a mature male. So for me, antlers and meat both matter too, but that's not it.
Some guys say "you can't eat the antlers."
Sure, but likewise, you can't hang the meat on the wall and admire it and reminisce about the hunt for the rest of your life while looking at it.
That said, the meat is very important to me and I eat game meat twice a day. Most of the animals I've killed have been female or young males.
From: Rock
24-Dec-24
I am in the same camp as T-roy, I like the challenge of shooting bigger/older males. As no one else has mentioned it yet the bigger/older males usually have more meat on them, so it is a win-win. I have not had to buy meat in the store for over 45 years, although I do by a beef cow from a rancher friend every 2-3 years as my wife (and myself) do enjoy it also.
From: Franzen
25-Dec-24
As the season wears on and I haven't shot my meat, I get pretty frustrated. I enjoy antlers and chasing them, but it is less and less about it for me. Maybe if I was a good hunter, I'd have that as a higher focus.
From: W
25-Dec-24
I kill does on our DMAP program so that we’ll have the trophy bucks. Meat and horns go together.
From: TonyBear
26-Dec-24
Generally meat first , unless it's very early in the season and a single tag situation. Like this guy...
From: Mint
26-Dec-24
I just enjoy the whole experience and always hunted with a traditional bow. That said, bring home the meat is a priority. Sure i would love shooting big bucks but i do enjoy shooting does also.
From: Huntiam
26-Dec-24
I hunt for horns nowadays My Kids kill plenty for meat
From: Double Creek
28-Dec-24
I only like meat from really old, fully mature males. I pass up all those skinny ones :)
From: fuzzy
28-Dec-24
meat, always
From: Hancock West
28-Dec-24
Both equally. I don't think it has to be one or the other. We horn hunt until after the rut & then shoot does for meat if we didn't get enough from the bucks. We don't have a preference of does or bucks because we only use it for summer sausage & snack sticks.
From: Slate
29-Dec-24
I love both but, having an incredible chef as a wife makes it so much better.
From: CW
29-Dec-24
I'd say the #1 reason I pass on bucks early in the season is because I would not have a tag and be able to keep hunting if it it filled; so for me its the hunt first, then either meat or antlers depending on whats in the freezer. I actually like the hunt/pursuit more than the shooting part.
