Meat Buck?

[Foggy47]

OK....so discussion around our family camp can center around what we should shoot for our (two deer) community sausage making bucks / does. We generally take two deer and I have sausage sticks and snack sticks made from all the meat except for the backstops and tenderloins which the shooter keeps.

Thus we all have a good amount of sausage for parties and such. And with our MN party hunting abilities......we all continue to hunt for a more "Trophy" racked buck (or any other deer that we select) to have individually butchered. It's been our camp policy for a few years now.

So.....what say you....do you take a big bodied deer like this shown.....which displays a rather small rack....or let him go in hopes of a better rack in the next seasons? I'd say this guy has little chance of growing a beautiful rack in the future......and should be killed for sausage. What do you think?

( dang, I cannot post the pic I want here. It's a large bodied buck - 8 pointer and pretty small basket type rack. Will try to get the proper extension on the pic)


I'm estimating this deer to be 2.5 or possibly 3.5 years. Meat?..... or let him grow?

 

[Catscratch]

My point of view; unless you know the age of the deer you don't know it's trophy potential. If you don't really care about antlers then shoot whatever you want.

 

[hillrunner]

Do you have previous years pictures to prove he is older? If I knew that was an older buck, then absolutely I would take it out. I would not shoot it if I thought it was 2.5. I've seen bucks that looked like that at 2.5 go 170 at 5.5.

 

[BenA]

If a developed age structure for bucks isn't part of your goals, shoot away. If you are going for an advanced age structure, then if you have the history to know he's not 5+, then don't shoot. If you're working on getting the best antlers from a crop of bucks, then the bucks that will never meet your criteria could be removed.

 

[Bill]

Snack sticks should only be made from deer that are from the property you pay taxes on.

 

[Foggy47]

Ok. So how old do you consider this buck to be? I have another pic here with a good look at the body. And yes he is on property I pay taxes. Grin. Would you rather shoot a large doe? Just askin'

 

[Bill]

Tough angles but I would guess 3.5 in my neck of the woods.

 

[SwampCat]

Ok. So how old do you consider this buck to be? I have another pic here with a good look at the body. And yes he is on property I pay taxes. Grin. Would you rather shoot a large doe? Just askin'

View attachment 83959

That depends on your deer density, buck:doe ratio, and fawn recruitment. Our deer density is high, but our fawn recruitment is low. I cant age northern deer, they all look big bodied to me. Down here, that deer would be next in line right after our big target bucks. On my place, I would rather kill a buck like that at 3.5 or older than a doe.

 

[Catscratch]

In sausage they all taste the same.


If you want big bucks let hem get old.

If you want more deer then don't shoot does.

If neither of those things are a concern then shoot the first one that walks by on a Saturday morning (I don't like staying up on night on a work night because I shot and evening deer).

 

[bigboreblr]

Body that big and horns not that great for that size.. Could cleanup the genetics with a trigger pull........

Im a meat hunter. My personal brag is how close I can get to them.

Don't think you're wasting trophy potential.... You'd be wasting a buck tag if you want more horns...... Never an issue with a doe tag....

What I shoot also depends on how busy I am that year and what kind of weather far as letting a deer hang, or getting it to a cold place in time. Spoiled meat doesnt taste good.

 

[Foggy47]

So....IMO....this buck is at least 3.5 years old and still has a small rack. The chances for him to become a great buck in the future are slim to none. So...if he were to make it for 2 or 3 more years he would still be a spindly 10 point buck. Not gonna be a trophy....IMO. Do you let him walk in favor of a doe....or kill this buck for body mass and more sausage? Asking for a friend. Grin.

Also the reward for adding to the sausage pot is.....that the killer of the deer keeps the backstops and tenderloins for himself.

I agree we all have choices. Some are not easy. As we are a party hunting state, and have an agreement between us.....if we harvest one for the sausage meat.....we still can hunt for a trophy via another's tag. Also have doe permits....and I have a doe factory here.

Thanks for those opinions above. Our camp has this discussion every year. ....and I'm sure we will discuss it again this year.

 

[goatman]

Depends on what you're after. I agree your buck is probably 3 1/2. Necks here start to swell on 3 1/2 yr old bucks. Think this one is 5 1/2 and will not amount to much rack wise. He is a target just for age and making room for better bucks. The brisket on this one will disappear closer to Nov. He is a perfect buck for me at my age. The higher scoring bucks can be for my son and grandsons. Doesn't really matter with your buck. Just keep it fun.

 

[BenA]

Just some of my observations... Treat him like inventory or an investment. What's his carrying cost of leaving him on the shelf? Is his value to you going to increase the longer he stays there? Or, is he taking up shelf space that you'd rather to devote to something else?

It depends on how large your shelves are too. The less space you have, the more picky you may want to be with your inventory.