I am just wondering if any of you " need the meat " you get from deer hunting. My family eats venison instead of beef all year long but we do not " need the meat ". We eat it because we prefer organic meats, it tastes as good as any beef (beef is good too ) and we like the idea of trying to be self sufficient but we do not " need the meat ". The reason I bring this up is because, over the years on these forums, I have read numerous times someone justifying an action because they " need the meat ". The most egregious, IMO, was the young man that took a 40 yd full frontal shot because he " needed the meat ". If me and my family truly " needed the meat " for survival then I would be using a gun and would kill deer (and any other animal that we would eat) all year and it would not bother me one bit about whether it was legal or not. So, do any of you actually " need the meat "?
I thoroughly enjoy all the venison I harvest and actually eat a lot of it.. but I totally agree with u in the fact that if I sincerely "needed the meat" I too would be out with a rifle and harvesting deer or other game that way.. IMO its a disgrace for someone to use "needing the meat" as an excuse for unethical or immoral shot taking while hunting. This is actually gonna be my first season hunting with a bow. I've grown up rifle and gun hunting and am always very conscious of the shots I take even with them. I can just imagine how much more discipline it takes to bow hunt and that's one of the things that attracted me to the bow hunting scene. Everyone should hunt ethically and morally and nobody should ever use the "needed the meat" excuse for bad decisions or actions. Very excited about this coming season. Happy Hunting All
I don't "need" it. I like it and get cravings for venison, but I could survive without it. PA is full of "hunters" who view hunting season like one big grocery store trip. The meat hunters of the world. Most of these guys are slobs, for lack of better words. Taking stupid, long distance shots hoping they connect. All because the "need" the meat. We used to have two old guys in our camp that really did need it though. They were too old to work much anymore, didn't have a retirement and lived off of their SS checks each month. It was't much. They used every thing you could think of from the deer they killed each year. And I'm going to say it, they took a few does more than they were allowed. Most guys at camp also gave them part of their kill as well. There probably are people just like the two guys from my camp, that really do need the meat. But I'd venture to guess that most don't.
i dont 'need' the meat right now, but i might in the future. None the less, i dont agree that it justifies a shot thats not going to put the animal down and fast, if it was the case that opportunities to take the animal were that scarce that i was considering taking a wrong shot through hunger id use a gun. But if the shot opp's werent scarce id absolutely hunt with a bow over a gun. Part of the reason i say this is because i get 'more' meat from a deer when its taken with a bow as the bullet gives too much impact damage on the rib area of the animal. I also prefer the animal to not hear a loud bang. Of course this is in the context of heart/lung shots not head shots.
I love this topic, Bruce. I think that it would be safe to say that the vast majority of hunters don't "need" the venison. I know that I don't. As was stated above, I do love venison and I stock my freezer when I get the chance, but it would be wrong for me to say that I need it. I've met some people out in the "sticks" that really do hunt because they need the meat, but those folks are few and far between these days. If I took all of the money that I spend on equipment, licenses, gas and supplies each year I could probably buy a couple of Black Angus steers, haul them to the processing plant, fill up a big chest type freezer and probably still save money. I tend to think of the venison I get each year as a bonus that is also a sort of "return on my investment". :D Edited to add this: I've got to say, though, that if my family and I were hungry and I had a shot that EVERYONE on here would say is unethical, you can bet your entire bank account that I'm going to take that shot. The concept that I'd let an animals welfare come before my family's welfare is incomprehensible. If we were hungry I'd be taking every single shot that was presented, and yes, in hopes that I'd "connect" and be able to put food on the table.
I hear ya LOL. We also love deer hunting (hunting in general) and, yes, compared to other expensive endeavors, the venison is definitely a return on investment bonus.
This season will definitely be a meat season for me, I will be moving next year and trying to start my own practice all from scratch, so things will be pretty lean (no pun intended). However, I still wouldn't use that as an excuse for a poor shot with my bow, you can still make the ethical kill without making some ridiculous shot. I have no problem using a gun for hunting either, we just can't use rifle in IL,lol, but I would have no issue using my .50cal Prohunter to take down a deer
No "need" here. We enjoy it, but I just bought the champion carcass beef at the fair yesterday. Nothing better than a homegrown local beef.
If you choose to bowhunt...probably don't "need the meat"...but I do love processing my own deer and grilling/sharing with friends. Although...I do "want the meat" now that I have a family of 6, it's healthier red meat, and store bought meat prices continue to climb...if it was a "need" I would grab a gun and just buy our OTC $17 Unlimited doe tags we have for the 4 gun seasons and could probably take 10+ deer...but then I would "need more freezers!"
This is spot on Bruce. Needing and wanting venison are two very different things. I gotta agree with Chief though, if we were in need, I'd be flinging arrows like crazy. Then again, I know we can live without meat for a very long time....
We need the meat now because of our fixed income since i got hurt at work 2 years ago. But i still won't hunt with a gun. Since we have been able to fill our freezer with deer or grocery bill was cut in half. But yet we still struggle. Once I'm working again we are going to start the 100 mile diet Look it up is pretty kool. Sent from my LG-E739 using Tapatalk 2
That is fantastic! We will buy a 4H hog each year and, starting next year, will be eating 4H goats although they will be ours and raised by my daughter. I appreciate that you support 4H but am not surpised at all . American values handed down to each generation
Our county fair in running currently thru this Sunday. We don't "need" the venison, but it surely helps....especially the last few years. I have been the sole $$$$ provider for my family (spouse, 2 kids and pets) since my wife's last job which ended May 19, 2006....not that I remember or anything! If I was making more $$$ I'm sure we would be eating some of that high-priced grass-fed, organic beef, but that is just not that case even with 2 jobs. I can't say that I spend a ton of $$$$ on hunting as it is. I do not lease land, instead hunt a lot of public. I do not purchase a new bow every year, usually every 10 years. I do not have any food plots. I do not pay for outfitted hunts. I purchase only the items that I believe I truly need to not only put some meat in the freezer, but also continue to tag older, more mature bucks every year. There really is no "magic pixie dust" to accomplish that feat (quote stolen from another hunter!).
I don't think a lot of the hunters that you find on the internet are the class of hunters that "need" the meat. Not stereotyping all of you on this forum or any online forum - but most of you on here seem to be doing pretty well for yourselves and the difference between "need" and "want" is quite obvious. Obviously some people in this country still hunt for food and it is a way to feed the family, I acknowledged that a few of you on here might be that way. For me personally, I don't "need" the meat either. But last year I did something really cool that I am going to continue to do this year and beyond. I had the doe that I killed made into summer sausage with jalapeno cheese in the middle (it made about 25 to 30 rolls if I recall) and I gifted them away for Christmas. Delivering to friends and family was very cool - to see the smile and to say thank you to them. Gifted the different people who allow me to hunt on their land, people that I work with, my family, my friends and even a few people that I didn't even know. Kept a couple for myself and that was good enough for me! A whitetail deer is the gift that keeps giving.
I don't "need" the meat, however since starting a Primal diet, my family does eat alot of meat. I'm lucky in that my dad raises grass-fed Angus cattle, and I help my cousin, who lives on the farm, raise a couple pigs, and soon some goats. Between the half an Angus steer and a hog in my freezer, with the 2 deer I got last year, it was pretty full. I do like to have the ability to help others who are in need, though, and when my wife or I see/hear of a family who could use a little help we try to make sure they at least have some food to eat.
