Taking more than you can eat?

[Granny]

Ironranger420 this is not directed towards your post at all. It just reminded me of a topic that I forgot to post earlier.

A local deer processor was given several deer this year, I think around 12 or so, where the people told him to keep the meat. With the intesive harvest going on in the area is it possible that people are shooting more than they can eat? I understand there is a difference between "meat" hunting and "trophy" hunting but should a person be harvesting deer if they do not intend to use the meat at all?

Thanks,

Granny

[decoy]

I don't think it is a good thing to shoot what you can't eat. However, there are many programs out there rigth now that allow you to give venison to "Feed The Hungry". This, I feel, would be worthy and valid.

Shoot to kill,

Decoy

[ironranger420]

Hi granny! I thought I would be one of the first to respond. I do believe that some people harvest more than they need. I can't believe that people would shoot deer just for the sake of shooting a deer and not want the meet. I know it happens, and those people tend to be more in that category of "trophy" hunting. I won't criticize them, I just feel that if a person is going to kill an animal for sport, the least we can do is honor that animal by using what it gave to us for survival (food), if you will. That is why I wanted to make sure i could give a deer away. If I couldn't, I simply would not harvest another deer. I want to make sure that somebody will be able to help feed their family with what I provide for them. If nobody that I knew wanted a deer for their family, then I would need to decide, "do I really need more venison." If yes, then I would take another deer. If not, i would simply not harvest another deer.

Good topic granny!

[bigbucks]

I concur ironranger420. I love to hunt deer & want to shoot several each year, but if I didn't have a lot of people who want the extra deer I get, I would stop shooting at what I can eat. I wound up with too much a couple times & didn't feel right about that.

[Ely Lake Expert]

I really don't think people should shoot more than they need. I was real excited to shoot a deer this year, but after my dad shot one on the third day I started to look for the big buck. (which never came ) Oh well since there are only 3 venison eaters in my family if I would have shot it I would have searched hard for people to give most of the meat to, either that or change to a meat only diet. That is just the way I feel about deer hunting. Shoot it Eat it.

Ryan

[fivebucks]

Me and the wife can eat 2-3 deer a year as long as we do jerky and breakfast sausage etc. so I limit myself to that many deer. Actually I am limited by the deer I see alot of times so maybe it's only 1-2 deer a year and some years no deer. I would be against someone not using the game they harvested. It's just not right.

[lawdog]

Wisc. has a program for donating deer to food shelfs etc. I think this fine because they are really trying to drop their population, but otherwise I think its deplorable to shoot game that you or your family/friends do not even desire to eat.

I have no problem I guess with giving one away to friends who really want them and can't hunt, but I guess I'm not too keen on the idea of searching out people to dump one on just so you can kill another one either. I think we'd be better off bringing those people that want venison into the sport and having them hunt with us. We need to promote hunting!

[bigbucks]

Who's to say the people you give venison to aren't already hunters? I'm about to give away the 4th deer of the season, which I shot last night with my ML. All of the deer were given to people who do hunt deer, but weren't successful this year.

If the population's high & they want us to cut it down, why shouldn't someone who loves to do hunt deer shoot deer for those who want one, whether they hunt or not? As long as it's legal, which it is. Besides, is someone who doesn't wish to hunt, but is happy to take a deer each year likely to be against hunting? They're still a friend to hunters & aren't going to be anti-hunting.

If it were a case where there weren't many deer that would be totally different.

If someone was hammering fish & fishing a lake out just so they could give all their friends fish, that wouldn't be right. Now let's say a lake was freezing out & open to promiscuous fishing, then it would be fine. You have to look at the circumstances.

[lawdog]

bigbucks, I don't disagree, but hey why not get those guys to buy the all-season license so they can hunt with you? They spend more $ for the DNR to have then and its helps wildlife in general (aside from what gets wasted on buearocracy...).

I agree too that in areas where the DNR really wants to knock the numbers down that that is a different situation than where they really aren't out of control numbers wise. Where I hunt they are not in an overpopulated area but I could shoot more from my spots and give the meat away, all while staying well within the law and I think it would be too many for the area and it would hurt everyone else's chances dramatically next year.

[bigbucks]

I keep moving around, I've shot deer on four different properties this year. There's about 25 miles between some of them & whether I shot those deer or not, other people weren't going to get access to most of that land. I put in a lot of time building relationships & I've never payed a lease yet & don't plan to. Christmas presents absolutely, very modest ones, but no cash.

Deer are just about like squirrels, hard to wipe out completely & know how to live around people. Although I've never seen a deer cross the street on a phone cable...