Trophy or meat?

[Ironhead]

I prefer wild game and fish over store bought. So I will usually kill an Elk every year, cow or bull doesn't matter to me.
Mule Deer, I am a trophy hunter. Mature Bucks only.
Whitetail Deer I will kill for meat. I have never shot a doe but I have killed lots of young bucks. I would kill a doe if I wanted to.

[salt n sage90]

To each their own.  You could ask me this question 10 times during a given year and possibly get 10 different answers. I do agree with the comments about all being trophies, they each represent the culmination of preparation and opportunity that tell a story for years to come.

Agreed. Circumstances change, schedules limit, hunting partners and experience levels dictate expectations. Its all good. I appreciate those that feed their families with a meat deer just as much as those that have the fortitude to hold out for a big one and possibly eat a tag.

[C-Money]

Some day I'd like a quality classic 4pt mule deer buck. I have tagged quite a few good size 3pts, but never a decent 4x4.  I've passed up quite a few bucks hunting private land, but on public, if its legal, I'm tagging it. I am more of a meat hunter. My family applies for doe tags. Someone is gonna draw the doe tags, may as well be my family. Nothing better than grazing on home processed venison.

[metlhead]

Meat wears no hat 🤤

[huntnnw]

way to many variables from year to year on why id take a animal or pass. I too do not shoot does. Lots ride on how the freezer is looking, what tags are in my pocket and how many days to hunt each tag etc. With whitetails its hard for me to shoot a buck under 150 or atleast get excited. Elk on a general hunt I am usually taking the first legal animal. Permit elk I am holding out its the whole reason I apply and I am not shooting whatever.

[7mmfan]

Everyone's goals for their hunts change over time as well. Most hunters that stick with it for life go through 4 or 5 phases during their hunting career. Mine went something like this.
1: There was a time when it was all about making the kill for me. I'd shoot spikes, 2 pts, whatever, there was no legal animal safe from me.
2: Then I got older and it became less about killing something but more about bringing that meat home. I think we're on a cool decade now of eating only game meat minus chicken and bacon in my home.
3: More recently, last 3-4 years, it's become more about the adventure, the camaraderie, and hunting more mature animals. I'm confident enough in my abilities now that I will pass legal animals now looking for a grade better. Later in the hunt, sometimes not much later  , I'll still kill a smaller animal to make sure I'm bringing home meat for the family.
I can see #4 on the horizon now that I've killed a few bigger mule deer and gotten a taste of hunting bulls out of state. I also have a new hunter hopefully rising in the ranks that will be getting trigger time in a few years so my priorities will shift dramatically at that point.

Anyway, there's no right or wrong answer, it's different for everyone and that's great. You do you, don't worry about everyone else's reasoning.

I know a couple of guys that are getting up in years that were tremendous deer and elk hunters in their day, but are now very content killing small bucks close to the road.

[Angry Perch]

I don't have/ choose to spend the necessary time to consider myself a serious hunter, but definitely a meat hunter. Interesting to me is that possibly my favorite part has become butchering. It's very interesting and satisfying to go from hunks of meat to cuts you might recognize in a butcher shop. Also trying to use more and more pieces and parts.

[MeepDog]

I hunt the modern rifle general season. I had a year where I hunted hard 9/10 days in an extremely pressured unit stacked with whitetails and all I saw was 50 does. Not a single buck (with visible antlers) walked out in front of me let alone the 3 point minimum for that unit. A month before big mature bucks were frolicking in front of my trail camera and they dug holes and hid underground one the season started. For this reason, I will shoot the first legal deer I see. That season I drove the same road so often that I noticed when a deer was hit by a car fresh and pulled a permit and yoinked it into the trunk. 

[Stein]

I'm certainly in the meat camp although if I somehow had a great tag in my pocket I might switch gears for that hunt.  This year, I'm not sure I'll even get a tag for myself.  For our MT hunt, my son will have a tag for the first time, my brother and his kid.  I doubt we will fill 3 much less 4 tags so I'm perfectly happy being spotter, guide and packer.

I do like the butchery and eating part though, by far more enjoyable than the shooting part for me.

[ghosthunter]

First legal animal I can find. I see nothing but steaks.

[BKMFR]

Trophy all the way or tag soup. If I shoot a trophy, I totally enjoy all the meat and mount is then enjoyed for years. What a trophy is to one will differ from another. I like older mature animals and enjoy the challenge, the meat, and the hide or horns.

[Craig]

Nice buck or it’s tag soup for me. I have ate Lots of Washington general buck tags and $600+ Montana non res tags.

[Mtnwalker]

Everyone's goals for their hunts change over time as well. Most hunters that stick with it for life go through 4 or 5 phases during their hunting career. Mine went something like this.
1: There was a time when it was all about making the kill for me. I'd shoot spikes, 2 pts, whatever, there was no legal animal safe from me.
2: Then I got older and it became less about killing something but more about bringing that meat home. I think we're on a cool decade now of eating only game meat minus chicken and bacon in my home.
3: More recently, last 3-4 years, it's become more about the adventure, the camaraderie, and hunting more mature animals. I'm confident enough in my abilities now that I will pass legal animals now looking for a grade better. Later in the hunt, sometimes not much later  , I'll still kill a smaller animal to make sure I'm bringing home meat for the family.
I can see #4 on the horizon now that I've killed a few bigger mule deer and gotten a taste of hunting bulls out of state. I also have a new hunter hopefully rising in the ranks that will be getting trigger time in a few years so my priorities will shift dramatically at that point.

Anyway, there's no right or wrong answer, it's different for everyone and that's great. You do you, don't worry about everyone else's reasoning.

I know a couple of guys that are getting up in years that were tremendous deer and elk hunters in their day, but are now very content killing small bucks close to the road.

This is pretty spot on for me as well. I've gone through a few major phases, lately its been more about wringing the most out of the hunts I get to go on and spending time with those I enjoy hunting with. I have an easier time passing on mediocre bucks these days but also shot one of my smallest bucks ever last year  so I guess it's situational. Still not so good at passing on elk.

[mburrows]

depends on the species and tag for me. Washington OTC whitetail its about meat in the freezer so long as its a legal buck and Ill be stoked with whatever I get. I cant hold out for a 130 or greater buck because there isnt one in there. Special permit in WA or another state Im holding out for my version of a trophy whether thats a big cool 2 or 3 point or a true giant (i've not gotten yet), just depends.

Whatever you pull the trigger on, enjoy the moment and experience, that's all that matters.

[Ingwe]

I am a black tail hunter. I am retired and can hunt every day. I decided about 40 years ago to hunt for big bucks. When I was younger I got a big buck almost every year. At 72 I can’t hunt as hard as I used to but I still go everyday. I just really enjoy being out in the woods. Last year I had a special permit to hunt during early November. With regular season, I think 17 days of permit and late buck I hunted 5 weeks for deer. I saw many bucks, many 2 and 3 points but I never fired a shot. But I considered it a very  successful season