Killing Just For Sport

H

HardcoreOutdoor

Guest
I am an aquaintance of someone that would be considered a very successful hunter by any measure and I was dumbfounded to learn from him that he doesn't eat the big game he kills. I am not sure what he does with it, I don't think that he wastes it, I think he just gives it away to whoever wants it.

I am curious how common this is. Do you eat what you kill?

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
I eat all the big game animals I kill. Thats half the reason I hunt. To put food on the table
whiskey
 
I eat mine, If I have too much, I give it to my bro. My three year old asks me it "I'm turning deer into chicken?" Of course I say YES. She eats jerky for breakfast. LOL
 
I am not a big fan of wild game. I give probably 90% of it away to a guy that I met years ago with 6 kids and not much of a payroll. He greatly appreciates every bit of meat that I give him and his family and is always excited to hear that I have something for him. I always feel good about giving it to someone that really NEEDS it vs. I that would just eat it just so that it isn't going to waste.
 
Personally, yes I eat the meat from big game animals I kill, and generally love it.

I see a lot of people get all self righteous about killing for sport and screaming they don't do it and it's so wrong, blah, blah, blah. Then when you ask "what about varmints, rockchucks, jack rabbits etc" they back peddle. When the following post was made I almost answered it with my usual tongue in cheek sarcastic answer but was afraid to stir the pot too much if people didn't understand.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID5/15724.html

Now, the law of course says you must pack out all the meat from a big game animal so there is a legal standard to measure against but aside from that, honestly, what's the difference?

PS. I shoot varmints, pests, etc, etc mostly for fun and no I don't eat them. Just posing the question to see how everyone reasons it out.
 
I'm surprised that with over 1K posts, you haven't read any of the threads covering this topic before...

I enjoy the game meat at home very much. This year i had two animals in my freezer and most of it already has been put to good use. I'm thankful for that. That said, i don't hunt for the meat. I hunt because there is nothing else that i'd rather do. I don't hunt for the kill. I hunt for the challenge and of matching wits with a mature trophy animal and all that goes with the program. Shooting a young buck with a small rack gives me no joy, i'd rather buy hamburger in most cases, and let the animal walk away.

I have found very few instances in my life, and i know quite a few SERIOUS trophy hunters, that any real hunter, not a poacher mind you, would under any circumstances, allow the meat on a animal to go to waste. If someone chooses to give away his legally killed animal, to someone that really could benefit from having it, to me, that's even better than taking it home to maybe, dry rot in the freezer.

Joey
 
This is another dangerous area of discussion.
Being in the guide business for 15 years, i can assure you i have seen my fair share of "meat donations" over the years.
I don't think it's from hunters not liking wild game so much as it is the issue of transporting or having it shipped back to their home state.
We as hunters, sport or other, are all "conservationists" regardless of whether we ourselves consume the meat of the animals we take.







http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx290/slamdunk_04/E1x1BWINV1-2.jpg[/IMG]
 
NV brings up a good point that goes along with my first post.
Varmints....we all shoot them, but who has coyote barbeques?
Again...."Conservation" :)


http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx290/slamdunk_04/E1x1BWINV1-2.jpg[/IMG]
 
I donate all of my meat to any coyote in the area. I just hack off the head and leave the rest....


Kidding, of course....I usually have meat in my freezer from the previous year. Come August, If I have to thin out the supply, I have several friends who are less fortunate than I and aren't able to hunt as much as me. They gladly take the year old meat. My kids love venison and antelope but the wife refuses to eat it. I generally cook it when she's not around and the kids and I feast on it. Nothin' like pan fried venison steaks with garlic smothered in tons of butter and fresh onion.

Steve
 
Sage

I did not do a search on the topic and I spend most of my time in the GEAR, OPTICS and REVIEWS forums. Sorry, it was more of an impulsive post.

I don't get as much out of pulling the trigger as I do from the act of hunting itself. I like the process and love being out there away from people doing things most can't or won't.

Personally, I don't shoot anything I don't plan on eating and it doesn't bother me at all to let something go without taking a shot but I haven't always felt that way. Now, I am just happy to be out there and doing it. I don't measure my success in inches or points.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
Wade, No problems here. The topic does come up often, usually though when a newer guy arrives, often one of his very first questions.

I see we have similar thoughts on the subject! I believe most of us here do. It's either hunt for the meat or hunt for other reasons AND themselves eat or utilize the meat. Little, if any, venison gets wasted by true "hunters".

Thanks for all your hard work and great comments in the other forums. I do read them but i'm more from the old school as far as hunting clothing and gear goes. With the fact that what i already have is decent enough stuff and not having the coin for what could be upgrades and still be able to hunt as much as i do, i'm not usually shopping too much these days.

Joey
 
Hey Wade-

I am similar to Joey. I usually take 2-4 whitetails from my place here in TX-I keep one and give the others to my Pastor and a couple of families that can use it and really appreciate it. Most of my elk and moose meat stays with me though I will give some to friends(I don't get to hunt them every year).The only sheep I ever took was eaten by me,my guide,and wrangler during a 10 day spike-out in the Yukon.

So though I don't eat it all I certainly don't let it go to waste by any means....

Good to see you on the "other" forums!
 
"I do read them but i'm more from the old school as far as hunting clothing and gear goes."

sage,
PM me your size. I've put a lot of weight on the last few years and have a far amount of new or near new gear that might upgrade your wardrob. Be happy to send some if it will fit and your interested in a few threads.

DC
 
2lumpy, Thanks, but I'm afraid i'm going to be at least a 5xl even if i loose some intended weight before next season. Your kindness is right up there 2lumpy, right up in the top bunch of many nice things that people from this site have offered or done for me. Your offer is well thought of 2lumpy and may God Bless You for it!!...and though i can't accept, Thank You!!!

Joey
 
I give most of my deer meat away,i often make only jerky and sausage out of it if i intend to keep it. venison sausauge and jerky is great! however my moose i am very stingy with(very good!,id say inbetween elk and beef). most of the reason i give it away is due to having a cattle ranch and our freezers are usually full of often two cows or more of premium beef. we have 3 chest freezers full of 2 beef a moose and a little bit of antelope and deer .i just dont think wild game compares to premium beef. but i love to hunt! i dont shoot at any game that wont make me happy hanging on the wall or displaying the antlers. plus i know lots of people that love wild game and love my contributions so i dont feel it goes to waste!i wouldnt shoot any game if it was going to just waste the meat. the jackrabbits i kill often go to feeding the cats that live around our ranch. coyotes are the only thing that go to waste.

?It takes a genius to whine appealingly.?
Mr.Whiny
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-13-10 AT 03:40PM (MST)[p]+1 the ox

Imo, there's no difference in offering wild harvest from offering domestic harvest. Meat's meat regardless where it from, inside or out side the corral. Never could see the need to justify hunting based on eating so long as it's not allowed to go to waste. No one seems to abuse Inuits for feeding sled dogs fish, but just try posting that your feeding your cow dog a deer steak. (not that I do, I don't have cows or a cow dog, I'm just saying I see no difference, the dog has to eat and why should it matter if you buy it store bought dog food or feed it wild meat you've harvested.)

Call me crazy.

DC
 
I like everything except antelope. For that I either give the best of it to a friend who does like it or I make salami or pepperoni with it. I also eat lots of ducks or have them made into the pepperoni with most of the geese. I also give some of the ducks away to family or friends that like them. I have also "donated" deer on some hunts due to the logistics of getting the meat home.
 
I eat mine, but have given some to people that have asked for a few packeges, since I usaully have numerous game in the frezzer per year.

That being said, we all hunt for the sport / enjoyment / excitemen / challange of the hunt. In these days with the price of the tag, gas, equipment and all added up, the price per pound is quit expensive - in many cases more then you could buy meat in the store for.

Like stated above, when on guided hunts, out of state or where you have flew by plane it makes since to donate that meat to needy people glad to receive and willing to use it.

As long as the hunt is fair chase and legal. What happens to the meat should be up to the hunter as long as it is put to good use. A single family that really enjoys hunting can bag more then they can eat and giving that extra to families less fortunate is a great thing. That being said I can say that I have eat many a tag because me and my family had plenty of meat in the frezzer. Most times you have to put in for tags without knowing what you will draw and end up in them lucky years with numerous tags (Dang what a problem to have)!!!
 
Lets' not get too lofty on here boys,......our self-righteousness will start to show.

I, and millions of others hunt because we like to hunt. Period.

I don't really like any game meat, so I give it all away.

Anybody that says they hunt only for food is a mathematical retard.

Those that say the "kill" is not important are full of it also. I notice they don't leave their rifles in camp very often.

If someone chooses to hunt simply for the trophy, that's their choice.

We all have our own reasons for why we are "hunters" and I get a kick out of how many feel that THEIR reason is more valid than any other......or that they are better hunters, based on weapon choice, hunt method, or the price of their tags.
 
Killing Just for Sport ? No such thing... it doesn't exist... it's a fantasy argument.. If Killing was a "Sport" don't you think it would be an event in the Olympics ?

Point resolved.

Mens Figure Skating a sport ? HA


Destiny
 
You are wrong if you don't think there is a high stakes competition going on. It may not be olympic but a magazine cover or sponsorship is as good as gold to some hunters.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
I hunt for the meat, the trophy, the kill, the experience, the labor involved and everything else that goes with it. I simply love everything about hunting. But I really have no problem with people giving thier meat away. I like to fish and although I eat fish I'm not a big fish eater so I give away a lot of the fish I catch when I go fishing which is not very often. fatrooster.
 
The thing that I am increasingly uncomfortable with is the rack race. Killing for fame and glory. Trophy hunters that don't eat meat. Money shots and high fives. Food plots and shooting lanes. The ultra commercialization celebritization of something that has been an important part of my life, something I have held in very high regard since I was a little kid. It has, based on what I have seen in the field, read in the magazines and seen on the shows led to a corsening of the hunting community and an ultra competitive atmosphere that I think is unfortunate and distasteful.

It has happened to all the organized sports like football, baseball and basketball I know so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I just didn't want it to happen to hunting. To me hunting was taboo to this sort of thing.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
Wade...

The reasons why people hunt can range from one extreme to another and yes their reasons may make you uncomfortable... just let it go... you are not "required to Participate" you can say to yourself... "I will not be a Antler Whore" then smile and move on. Your not required to buy the latest commercialized product or even watch their latest television show. If they are not supported by the public, they eventually will go away... Personally I don't care much for "Pigman" so I don't watch it and I'm much happier for it.

True Hunters will always prevail.

Destiny
 
Destiny

The choice is to walk away or try to do something about it. At this point, I choose to try to shine some light on the subject and perhaps influence through my writing. In other words, use whatever soap box or bully pulpit I might have to make my point and encourage change or reform.

Case in point. I grew up on a football field, litterally. My dad played and coached. I played. My son plays. I don't like what has happened to the game, especially at the high school and youth levels, yet I continue to coach because it keeps me and my philosophy in the mix and I hope making a difference with the kids and parents.

"just let it go" makes some sense and works for some people, however, while it may indeed exist somewhere in my DNA it has not shown itself much up to this point. Like elephants and bulldogs, my people never forget and rarely let go. Admirable in some cases and a curse in others.

True hunters will always prevail? Not without a strong effort from good men...and woman.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
Hardcore,

One thing I can say, nation wide, whitetail deer have been raised from the dead, turkeys and sheep are making progress, elk on the east coast and in the midwest again. Mountain goats and buffalo are slower but making some progress as well. Duck and geese in some why's have been too successful in their recovery. Mule deer and pheasants suck but could and I hope will be turned around when the agencies finally decide it's time.

It's not because of hikers, skiers and backpackers, it's those meat eaters, trophy hunters, rich guys and poor guys, all of us are why these animals have flourished. If the rich guy doesn't get their trophy's they'll go skiing or jet boating with the money. Let them have their glory and their fun so long as they keep paying the bill for the rest of us. It can get a little over bearing at times but I don't have the money or political influence to establish a new buffalo herd on the Book Cliff so if getting your mug on the cover of the "Rolling Stone" (so to speak) keep the money flowing, hell let them have their moment of glory. (Anyway, we all know which one was the hunter in most cases.)

By the way I got no problem with the hikers, skiers and backpackers so long as they don't pretend to be the reason we have wildlife recovery across the country.

DC
 
Wade I hear exactly what you are saying and IMO you are spot on.The culprit:television.Never seen so much antler lust,glory-seeking and just overall immaturity than what I have seen since hunting shows began to explode in popularity.They are ALL about one-upsmanship and the kill only. Everything is score,score,score(or range,range,range now on the long-range shows). Talk about misplaced priorities!Read the "Long Range Archery" thread for an example of what all this has spawned...

Hunting and TV just don't mix.Hunting is an intensely personal and private endeavor that can never translate well to TV.

(Kinda ranting I know.Sorry.)
 
cbeard and lumpy,

You are both right. The show hunters and their groupies that lust for celebrity, their own TV/video deal and the obligatory gear sponsorships are entitled to do what they want to do I guess. It is afterall still a free country, so yea, let them pay the frieght on the big projects but they're not welcome at my fire which won't bother them much at all I reckon. My record free DIY hunting resume' doesn't rate with them anyway. Besides, I doubt very seriously if they understand what I am saying.

Anyway, not much else to say on the subject. Take care.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-14-10 AT 06:03PM (MST)[p]Yes there is plenty to say. Money also is a big killer of any sport. I don't agree with letting "them" pay the bill and believing thats the only way to get our mule deer numbers back to par. In my opinion we could just sell less tags and let the population come back on its owne like Colorado did a few years ago. When you make loop holes for the rich to cheat on thier taxes, get thier kids out of jail while the poor mans kid pays the price for his crimes that he committed, or pay off sports figures to throw a game, or pay money for tags, or any special priveledge for that matter, then you have just let corruption into your sport and the people who bow down to it are the prostitutes selling thier bodies. Sorry for ranting, lol but thats my opinion. Let the bulldog you talked about a couple of posts up be heard and let the elephant remember history which always repeats itself. Ok, I'm done. fatrooster.
 
Fatrooster,
Each State is different, Colorado Big Game management is paid out of there general tax revenue so reducing there tags has no effect one the admin agencies operating budget, its life as usual. So they can reduce tags when they need to without financial consequence. Utah on the other hand is funded according to the number of tags sold and how much they sell for. Under Utah's system it's nearly impossible to manage game without revenue being the first rather than the last concern. It's the concept of pay for your own program and not asking the general public to foot the bill for hunters. Some would argue that it keeps the anti's from having a seat at the table, if that were true it may justify the concept but they demand and are given a seat at the table anyway. In my opinion its a flawed system and explains a lot of things about why we behave the way we do in Utah when it comes to conservations tag and Antelope Island tags. When your herds need help and you've over harvested you herds, how can you keep selling more and more tags for revenue. As far as mule deer and pheasants are concerned we might as well be hunting unicorns. If the rich guys can tag a few animals and pony up the money we need to rebuild our habitat and our brood stock I'm for taking it. If someone can change our legislative funding mechanism I'd rather do it that way but having tried for 40 years and failed, I guess I'm willing to go to plan B. Some won't agree, when they start putting up the money in a different way I'll be the first to holler who-rah.

I understand your point of view and would rather do it your way if we could but so far, in Utah it hasn't happened.

DC
 
2lumpy, you are exactly right about how Utahs system works and I thank you for explaining it. The problem is that on years when there is a great population of deer the wildlife agencies grow and then when the population decreases they still need the revenue to pay for the growth. Instead of cutting back on personel or this program or that peogram they all of a sudden need to find a way to keep the money coming in. The needs of the wildlife are not put first. Populations will increase if they are allowed to do it. Colorado did not want to quit selling unlimited over the counter tags because of lost revenue but eventually had to do something about the loss of deer herds. So they cut back and made many areas draw units and Walla! The deer herds came back and Colorado became one of the premier places to hunt mule deer. Idaho is another state that could learn from this. But your right, the system is flawed and money is the #1 priority instead of wildlife. I am by no means an expert on this situation but feel that people are making it more complicated than it really is. fatrooster.
 
I kill all the feral horses I can.

It's not for sport ? it's called Range Management.

Live free or die ? Nevada Badger
 
>I kill all the feral horses
>I can.

You may be talking out your ass, but probably not a good idea to admit that on an open web site.
 
>I agree. Sort of like
>announcing at a cocktail party
>that you are a Doctor
>specializing in abortions.
>
>Wade
>www.HardcoreOutdoor.com

Suppose it depends on who you're cocktail partying with.... ;-)

S.

:)

PS: I hunt only because I love to! I live in a city now, but was raised hunting/camping/exploring/fishing/etc... Running around the desert/forest with a rifle or shotgun in my hand feels like HOME. That's why I do it! I eat most of what I kill, and try to 'donate' the rest.
 
Not big on cocktail partys in general but I sure wouldn't want to be at that one. Begs the question, though completely random and off topic, I bet all those flower children that spit on our returning soldiers and called them baby killers in the 60s turned out to be big pro choice advocates.

Maybe I am getting soft in my old age but shooting horses just seems like really bad karma to me.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
 

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