Trophy or Meat?

[steelhead22]

I'm just wondering what everyone hunts for. Do you hunt for a trophy class animal or are you out there for the meat? Do you pass on smaller bucks/bulls even though they are legal waiting for a larger one?

Personally, I probably will never get a trophy animal unless it's the first legal animal I see. I just have never really cared what was on top of a deer or elk's head, I just see backstraps and roasts and jerky and sausage and venison/eggs breakfasts and.......OK I really need to get some meat this year and some lunch.

[steelhead22]

OK , had lunch and feelin' better. Master caster, well said. If there was a smaller and a larger buck/bull together, I'm going for the big fella too.

White River buck and Northside cow elk, only 21 combined possible days of big game hunting for me this year. I'm huntin' hard for those 21 then it's winter steelies and waterfowl [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] . I love the Northwest! Just try to find a month with nothing to fish or hunt, can't do it.

[pdxkevin]

Steelhead22:

I, too, would go for the larger one simply because it would put more meat in the freezer and is a larger target. If the first legal one I see and harvest is of trophy size, I would have the rack mounted, too. But first I get the meat processed.

[k9jeff]

I have a pretty serious history of meat hunting. Although, one of these days the first one I see will be a monster,,,my day will come.

[MasterCaster]

Im also a meat hunter. I would much rather eat a young healthy animal than a beat up big old animal anyday. With that said......The beat up big old buck better not walk out with the nice tender forky or I'll end up with more jerky than steak :shocked: I also have a doe tag to put meat in the freezer. :grin:

In all reality I take the first legal animal I can. I would lose too much fishin time if I waited for a "trophy".

The High Cascade hunt is creapin up fast! I cant wait to get out and cover some ground.

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

[ 08-31-2003, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: MasterCaster ]

[Fish Hawg]

Personally, I probably will never get a trophy animal unless it's the first legal animal I see. I just have never really cared what was on top of a deer or elk's head, I just see backstraps and roasts and jerky and sausage and venison/eggs breakfasts and.......OK I really need to get some meat this year and some lunch.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv"> I am also hunting for the meat. Ditto on the quote [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[MountainLion84]

If my family enjoyed it more, I would be more of a meat hunter. When my Grandpa was alive, he would use up all of his venison, so we shot plenty of forkenhorn's. We still like to have some, but I have started to pass up forkenhorn's and plan to this year, at least the first couple of days. I guess if someone is a true meat hunter, they would be applying for antlerless and either-sex elk tags which I never have. The important thing is that everyone who has a tag should feel to free to use it however they see fit (as long as it is legal.) My son is just starting too hunt, and would be thrilled with a forkenhorn. We have been seeing many more deer than we did 15-20 years ago, which makes it a little easier to try and hold out for a bigger one.

[Bait O' Eggs]

I have said it before and I will say it again, "I am a horn hunter". :grin: So is my best friend and hunting partner.

I would rather it be a trophy class animal though will take any bull, when hunting with my bow, I wont shoot a cow or calf even though it is legal. I let a couple cows go Sunday at less than 20 yards and broadside open shots lots of people would have loved to taken. :smile:

I will take a spike bull, but the more horns to pack off the hill the better. I just cant see myself holding a cow head and getting my picture taken :tongue: Shoot what ever is legal and your comfortable with.

[STINGRAY]

Every year it seems I pass on "meat" in hopes for a nice rack, and at the end of the year I go hungry.....in fact I passed on MANY does this last weekend in the Ochocoo's looking for that "rack" I had three doe's walk within 20yrds from me right in camp, the wife and kids grabbed my bow for me and said shoot! It was also our family camp trip. O-well, the season just started, right???

[ 09-02-2003, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: STINGRAY ]

[nitrobass]

I think the idea of "whatever floats your boat" works well here.
I've always believed that how you shoot your animal really determines how big of a trophy it is. If you do your homework, practice all year, do all the little things right, and end up with a cow or a spike or a "less glamorous" elk I'd still give you more respect as a hunter than someone shooting one as it comes to an apple tree on private land.

[Bait O' Eggs]

Stingray said:

in fact I passed on MANY does this last weekend in the Ochocoo's looking for that "rack"

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Are does legal in the Ochoccos? I saw a kid shoot at a doe from the middle of the road this weekend I didnt have a regulation at the time but thought east of the mountains you had to hunt bucks. I checked the regs today and it says "one buck with visible antler" then it has an asterisk that says in some units the regulations may change, check for a flyer.

Also this weekend on the way back to camp right near dark, we had to wait for a guy who parked in the road to shoot his buck. First he stopped in the road blocking us from driving around him, got out his bow and walked around behind the truck, the deer walked forward 30 feet. The guy then walks around to the front of his truck since the shot from behind wasnt the best, and shoots over his hood and gut sticks the little spike buck at less than 25 yards. He then walks over to us and says, "not a very good shot was it". He then said "maybe I will come back tomorrow and see if I can find it", :shocked: and got in his truck and moved for us to get around him.

[nitrobass]

Thats sloppy.......

There are about 5 units open for does on the east side, but I'm not sure exactly which ones. I am pretty positive nothing in the Ochocos would be open though. Most places that sell licenses should have the flyer that tells which units are open.

[ 09-02-2003, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: nitrobass ]

Meat

[DAB]

First Leagle animal I get my sights on is the ONE I TRY to kill, I got my trophy deer 2 years ago. You say that you have a cow tag for the Northside unit. I hunt that unit for deer and see elk quite often in my walks around the woods. I hunt east of Long Creek north of county 18 up hog creek and keeny point and slide creek, been hunting that area for the past 30 years and I have seen many cow elk and several branched bulls in my wanderings. Good luck on the cow tag.
DAB

[Flatfish]

I hunt for fun. Big racks are a bonus, but I would gladly whack a toe head.

And I kill lady ducks too.

Mark and the dog who just likes fetchin'.

[Freakwater]

Meat.
I'm the first person to snap my picture with a fish, but for some reason I'm not into pictures with deer or elk. I'm there for meat that lived a natural life.

Freak

[Myles]

Meat, although a nice rack on the wall would be cool.

myles

[outdoor.spec.ops]

If its brown its going down! A rack is nice to look at though.

[Small Fry]

Meat hunter. I have passed on a couple bigger bucks in order to get better meat. I don't care how you cook antlers there still tough.

Besides I gota get back home to fish.

[Firedog]

I love hunting and meat is a bonus. So I trophy hunt. I have killed probably the biggest blacktail I will ever kill but I keep looking for a better one. Now elk hunting I will shoot the first legal bull I see.

[salmurai]

I prefer meat with antlers but would settle for just meat. I more hungry than hor..... nevermind. :grin:

[blacktail]

firedog,

Any pics of your big blacktail to share?

Mike

[Salmon Loser]

Meat hunt with the bow, then horn hunt with blackpowder best of both worlds. :grin:

[Alligator]

The three Smith brothers start our 7 day hunt next Tuesday. My bro from Iowa will only shoot a branched bull (he says?) and my bro from Washington will shoot the first legal animal. For myself, I would like to hold out for a 6x6 or bigger but it's been too long since my last elk kill. I will hunt for meat and try to fill my tag as soon as possible so I can focus on calling in a big bull for my brothers.

[Firedog]

Blacktail, I don't have any pictures of my buck scanned. I will have to work on that. I shot it back in 93. It doesn't have a wide spread, 20" but it has great mass and length to the tines. It is a 4 point with a small fifth(2") point on one side. Eye gaurds that are 4" and 3 1/2" forks are on average 7" deep. Mass is 6"-7" at the bases. For a brush country buck he is pretty good. I never had it scored because we spilt the skull bringing it off the hill. Young and dumb. I will see if I can get some of the pictures scanned. There are bigger out there and I will continue to look for them but they are few and far between. :smile:

[ 09-06-2003, 08:45 AM: Message edited by: firedog ]

[blacktail]

Wow, that's a great buck! 20" width is nothing to sneeze at and the tine length and mass are very good along with awesome brow tines.

Are you hunting westside this year as well?

I drew Paulina, but also drew a Willamette tag too.

Sure would like to see some pics when you get them.

Mike

[dawhunt]

MEAT !!!!!!!!
Bob

[night stocker]

any elk is a good elk.no calfs or anything with spots.deer,on the other hand,the body has to be good.those 65lb'ers dressed weight (arm bucks,the ones you can carry out with one arm)don't work for me.they're more trouble than they are worth.although,i would be happy to see my son kill one of those little guys this year.i will take the first good animal that comes along.hopefully,it has a big rack

[tag-a-long]

Gotta say meat. I eat what I kill and horns make really poor soup. I grew up hunting whitetails in Indiana, and I still do not have one mount on the wall.... That is about to change as I got my first black bear this weekend.. Its a small 3yeart old, but it will make great pepperoni sticks!

[Woody]

Meat, I harvest the first legal animal I see.

What do you think about this: I know a guy that hates wild game meat. It grosses him out. He gives it all away. Yet, he still hunts trophy deer and elk every year in Washington, near Mt. St. Helens. He just likes to kill big animals and brag. Legal, yes. But somehow it just feels wrong. Every time I see the guy all he can talk about is how big his elk was this year. Sometimes, I expect him to want to drop our pants and measure up.

[Luckybill]

Night stalker, My dad calls the one's you can carry in one hand a "suitcase deer" - He knows, he carried a few I shot as a teenager. I hunt for Meat.

[steelhead22]

I don't see the point in hunting if you're not going to eat the meat. But that's just me. I guess if hunting for horns is what you wanna do then who am I to judge. Has he ever just thought about hunting for sheds, it's the same payout except he won't have to deal with any of that "gross" meat . Who does he give it to? At least he is doing it legally and the animal is not wasted, which is more than you can say for some. This sounds like a good deal for you actually, all you have to do is listen to someone brag a little and you can get free elk, deer or whatever else he takes.

[Big Willie]

No offense to anyone...but what is the difference between taking a spike bull or a cow? A spike isn't exactly a 'trophy' in the eyes of the books. But IMHO, any animal harvested with a bow is a trophy, aside from shooting it from the truck.

Btw...I'm in the meat is good, horns are a bonus group.

[feisty's wife]

Any game animal taken legally and ethically with a bow is a TROPHY.

[tailchaser]

Ok I guess I'll chime in on this one. I used to be a meat crazed guy, but the better I get at bowhunting the more I'm changing into a horn hunter. It seems to progress in a natural cycle as far as I can see. When you're young it's the first legal, mid-age you start looking for more horns, and then post-retirement it's back to the legal deal again. This is only my assessment with people around me so don't get all jived up about it.

I used to read over and over you won't kill a monster unless you let a few legals go in front of you. If that means going hungry a year or two so be it, but holding out for the big boys isn't for everyone. This is very true, and very tough. However, come the last three days of the season, it's time to fill the meat locker. Until then it's horny times! :grin:

tc

[lor]

My dream one day would me to get a nice P&Y Muley.
I think I could pass on the next spike of forked horn I see.

For elk, I don't see enough to be picky.
I will shoot the first elk that comes into bow range.
Unless its a cow with a young calf.
During the first week, guys in my party saw calfs which still had spots.