Western Hunters

Most of you know I live in the east, but hunt lots of places including Wyoming the last two years.  I've made a lot of interesting observations about the differences in the Eastern hunter and the Western hunters, different styles.

In watching deer in the west, I talked to some wildlife managers and land-owners about deer herds, and ratios.  I was "told" that management of the deer in the west is difficult because hunters there don't want to shoot does.  The reason I was told was that most hunters don't want deer to eat, so there is no point in shooting does.  Western guys, I was told, were looking for antlers only.  And that doe licenses seldom sold out.

These people were not saying that NO ONE eats deer, but that it is not "desired".  My response was to ask the same folks, do you eat mule deer or antelope.  It was tough to find anyone who said they ate or like antelope.  Usually I got an answer like " I'd rather eat dog sh&^t than sage goats".  Some guys said they ate it when they were kids (like peas on the plate) or when they were out of work.  Seemed no one I talked to ate deer because they liked it.

These guys were saying "some folks eat it"  but not a lot of hunters.

Here in the east, most hunters like deer meat.  Lots of girls and wives turn their noses up at it for "ethical" reasons ( but who cares about distaff folks).

I know lots of you guys eat deer and antelope........but what is the general Montana/Wyoming hunters tastes??????  Do you know more guys that like deer/antelope or those that don't like the meat?

Just curious!

BEAR

Well I for one like deer and antelope! The people I have met here in MT that do not like antelope, are those people that shot an antelope, threw it in the back of their truck in 70-80 F temps for 3 days before they did any thing with it. Yeah, it's going to taste like crap then! All those I know that clean it immediatly and take care of it all like it. No offense to locals, but it's most of the locals born and bred in MT, that I have met that are the ones that throw the antelope in the truck for 3 days before processing it. Those that clean and process the meat ASAP, are usually transplants to MT.

About shooting for antlers in the West, I really see it no different than in the East. I grew up hunting in AR, and there you can tag two bucks compared to only one buck in MT. Usually in the East you climb up in a stand and wait. In MT, you stalk as in most places there are no trees to hang a stand on in deer country. Also, I feel I have to work at getting a deer here in MT, compared to just waiting on one walk into my shooting lane. When I work for it, I want a little some thing to show off.

Hudge

Most of the people in this area buy extra doe tags, to fill the freezer with, as we are over run with them. Then they will go for a buck on thier A tag, but are not real trophy hunters for the most part. I think a lot of it is the desire of more time in the outdoors. The big bucks definitely don't get all shot out around here, as so little of the mountains actually have any hunting pressure at all. I'm sure there are bucks and bulls that die of old age here, without ever seeing a human.

A lot of the mentality of not wanting to shoot does goes back some years. When I was a kid, it was bucks only, and to shoot a doe was a big screw up. Kind of like shooting a hen pheasant.

I prefer cow elk to poor bull, and as has been stated, antelope is fine, if treated properly.

Here in CO,the antelope I kill are great, but like Fiftydriver says, you don't shoot them if they have been run, and get that hide off right now. A while back a picture was posted here and showed an adead ntelope standing up, riga mortis had aset in. I can guarantee that antelope wasn't fit to eat.

I don't do much deer hunting. Once you live on elk, deer are 3rd class eatables. I usually have  at leat 1 elk in the freezer and the last couple of years two. I don't hunt horns, so see no reason to shoot deer. If I want one , I go out eats and get a corn fed doe. I have shot enough bull elk in my years, that I can do without that also, so usually opt for a young cow.  However, I have 14 preference points a for a trophy bull area, and will get a license next year maybe, but definitely the year after. So I do like to shoot big bulls, but it's not a  must thing. I don't know of anyone I hunt with that has an  aversion to shooting doe.

Interesting comments.

Personally I eat lots of venison and have for the last 40 years.  Probably eat more deer than beef.  Love them both.

I find 2 1/2 year old does to be the best eating, and yearlings to be the poorest fare.  The Fawns" taste like veal" mentality I often hear and are good; doesn't fit with my taste.  Fawns have not flavor and a lousy texture.  to each his own.

Quality obviously depends upon what they have been eating.  Only had one that had a "bad taste".....don't know what that deer was on?

The antelope that I've eaten were delicious.  They were also in the butcher shop within 2 hours of killing.  And they were gutted immediately and the carcass washed out with clean water before they were put in the truck bed.  It is nice to be able to drive you vehicle up to the dead animal.  In the east I've often spent 4 or more hours dragging the deer back to the car.

Fifty you mentioned on of my thoughts.  Namely that there are a lot of local small beef raisers in the west for more good beef is available at a lower cost.  Folks just like beef better and therefore don't think much of deer as food.

Last year I hunted PDs in western North Dakota.  Lots of Pheasants everywhere.  The rancher where I was staying told me what he thought was a funny story!  Seems some Pennsylvania hunters were hunting pheasants there and saw all the cottontail rabbits.  SD only allows you 4 birds a day (I'd never go there for pheasants from far away Pennsylvania).  These guys stated shooting bunnies after they got their daily limit on birds.  But what the rancher thought was outrageously funny was they "actually cooked and ate those rabbits".  I laughed out of consideration, but didn't see anything funny in it.  I like fried rabbit.

BEAR

Venison has always been an important part of my families diet.  I very much hunt for the meat (as well as the horn).  I consider myself pretty luck to have married a gal that has really embrassed wild game     ...     cooking and eating it on a regular basis.  Her family did very, very little hunting as she grew up and what they did kill, they never kept any of the meat.  Always went to a grandparent.  When we married, she saw how much of a staple venison was to my family and dove right in.  Getting family recipies for steaks & roast.    From her back-ground, I would have never guessed a venison eater would emerge, but low and behold.  I am fortunate.

I do like a good store boughten beef steak, once in a while, too.  We usually will wait till we trip across a sale of some kind, then we'll by something, fire up the bbq and enjoy.  >>  klallen