City guy has a deer hunting question

cchu518

cchu518

Joined
Mar 6, 2013
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Hi Folks, help me out on my knowledge base here.

When you guys go out for a deer hunt. How much eatin' do you get out of an average size deer for 2-4 people. Meaning how much meat in pounds do you get on average post processing and how long does that last/keep for in the meat locker? Also when processing what do you keep and what don't you keep?
 
Average deer size varies greatly from one area of the country to another. And with deer sex and age. Also, what people keep and used varies from one hunter or processor to the next. Some use everything but the bleet. Some, like myself, will discard parts that don't yield much meat to connective tissue. Some bone and grind it all mixed with beef fat. Some make sausage (breakfast or dinner type). Jerked properly it will last for months. Frozen it will keep for a year (one season to the next season) if protected from freezer burn. Your local hunters or DNR can tell you pretty closely the average live weight of deer in your area. And state and zone regs will tell you what you can harvest.

The typical Northern fawn, which includes "button bucks," weighs about 55 to 75 pounds field dressed, while a healthy doe fawn weighs 45 to 65 pounds field dressed. Southern fawns weigh less - sometimes less than 30 pounds field dressed.

Yearling bucks, which range from small spikes to basket-racked 10-pointers, typically weigh 105 to 125 pounds.

Northern does weigh 105 to 120 pounds field dressed.

For decades, some hunters have relied on chest-girth charts to estimate live weights of deer. Unfortunately, such charts are often inaccurate because - among other things - they don't account for fluctuations in the body sizes of bucks before and after the rut. Most biologists put no stock in any weight estimates based on chest-girth measurements.

A hunter can obtain a ball-park estimate of his deer's live weight by multiplying its field-dressed weight by 1.28. This number came about after comparing it with several chest-girth charts. Granted, this estimate won't pass muster with biologists, but it should be good enough for deer-camp comparisons. For example, a yearling buck with a field-dressed weight of 125 pounds will have an estimated live weight of 160 pounds.

Yields (In Pounds)






Animal Weight* Meat Waste %Meat


Mature Buck 180 72 108 40%



*Carcass weight. Head, hide and intestines removed

**University of Wisconsin research
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That's a good amount of protein, relative to cost of a permit that runs about $30 in NJ!
 
Well, to be cost efficient as far as price per pound, even if one does his own butchering, a hunter needs to take several at least. And it makes sense to me, when given the choice, to take a half dozen young deer rather than two old tough deer. Think eating veal instead of old bull. A lot of people hunt just for the recreation or challenge. Some hunt for the trophy rack. Over the past half century I have come full circle and prefer tender meat over inedible antlers. Of course our large herd and liberal harvest limits allow this. Some areas do not.

A permit isn't the only associated cost though. Ammunition (both practice and hunting), fuel, clothes, gadgets, food, processing equipment and supplies... it can add up.
 
One can hunt on the cheap..... at least in some states if they are a Resident of Louisiana or Mississippi and hunt public lands.... and use a cheap rifle like a Handi. :o
 
Woodrow F Call said:
One can hunt on the cheap..... at least in some states if they are a Resident of Louisiana or Mississippi and hunt public lands.... and use a cheap rifle like a Handi. :o
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True. Here in Tennessee if you own farmland, you and your immediate relatives and full time workers can hunt without a license even.
 
Codger_64 said:
True. Here in Tennessee if you own farmland, you and your immediate relatives and full time workers can hunt without a license even.
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That is really neat. In Saskatchewan we are regulated to death. We have a draw system on Mule deer for pete's sake.
 
To give you an idea, the doe I shot earlier this year weighed in at 90lbs even, before gutting her. I got back 23 pounds of ground meat, plus 4-5 lbs between the tenderloin and back straps. I paid $55 for processing, also.
 
I once added up (very informally) the cost per pound of my first deer, which was a very small spike buck. I included the price of my bow, arrows, broad heads, various other equipment, fuel, tags, garb, knife, processing fees, etc. It was something like $43 per pound if i remember correctly. After about 12 years of hunting, i added it up again, and with the cheap resident tags in Missouri it came out to something like $4 per pound if i processed the deer myself. That was a while ago, but from that perspective it gets cheaper the longer you are at it.
 
And the price per pound goes down as volume increases too. If you don't use a processor. Going rates here are well over $100 per deer. More for summer sausage, breakfast sausage etc. I bought a good electric slicer and dehydrator and make mostly jerky and steaks for myself and friends.
 
It not a matter of cost but more of time. I had to stop processing my own years ago as the time involved is to precious. I do quarter everything but then let a processor handle it from there as it is normally cheaper if it is already quarter up. Here they charge by the pound and if you are not paying for the spine rib cage lower legs and head, which offer no value.
 
Our health regs don't let them take deer that are quartered. Or even skinned. In fact, when friends bring me deer, unless it is hot weather, I prefer they bring them whole, ungutted even. Yes, it is time consuming and that is why a good butcher charges so much. Our butchers charge by the head, not the pound except for specialty items like sausages where they have to add a lot of ingredients.

I know in some jurisdictions evidence of sex must stay attached in transport, as well as tags.
 
So how many do you take in a season? There are literally deer all over NJ. But the licenses never all get sold in a season.
 
Do I take or can I take? I can take about five just hunting this zone with modern weapons. If I use bow and muzzleloader also, hunt all seasons, zones and special and bonus hunts I could take upwards of thirty deer. A maximum of three bucks though. One or two deer is more normal for me these days. And I get meat from every deer I process. And one or two deer that people don't want. So I could keep a chest freezer full if I wanted to.

I just double checked. In this zone Nov. 23, 2013–Jan. 5, 2014 I can take 3 does a day and a max of three bucks. Add it up.
 
cchu518, I'm familiar with Deer hunting in NJ. If you're after venison, NJ is the place to be(lucky you). If you're after big deer, choices dwindle considerably, there are some, but not compared to other states. You'll want to become a Bowhunter, the season is roughly mid-Sept to Late Feb. Most zones allow you to take unlimited antlerless (does basically). If you're not comfortable with standard archery gear, NJ considers a Crossbow the same as any other bow. New Jersey also has many public land opportunities.
I hope this helps.
 
mrgreen said:
cchu518, I'm familiar with Deer hunting in NJ. If you're after venison, NJ is the place to be(lucky you). If you're after big deer, choices dwindle considerably, there are some, but not compared to other states. You'll want to become a Bowhunter, the season is roughly mid-Sept to Late Feb. Most zones allow you to take unlimited antlerless (does basically). If you're not comfortable with standard archery gear, NJ considers a Crossbow the same as any other bow. New Jersey also has many public land opportunities.
I hope this helps.
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Thanks! I've been considering going out with my brother yo get some family time in! I had never considered bow hunting though.
 
cchu518 said:
Thanks! I've been considering going out with my brother yo get some family time in! I had never considered bow hunting though.
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Even using a crossbow, it does take some practice and skill. At this late date, you might consider buying one and beginning practice for next year. Just my opinon. Worth what you paid for it. :)
 
I completely agree with you Codger. I mention it only because I find many are less intimidated by the idea of learning to use a crossbow then a compound bow. In regards to practice and skill, to finish the hunter safety course in NJ you have to demonstrate proficiency with your bow (no matter what type) at a "field day".
 
Definitely spend time in the woods. You don't need a weapon to enjoy it. I have gotten to the point I would rather video critters then shoot them. I know if I can see it with my naked eye I own that animal as I am relatively proficient to 600 yards with a specific rifles. Any video camera will work and the rush you get having an animal close to 10 yards is more exciting than any video game.
 
RWT said:
Definitely spend time in the woods. You don't need a weapon to enjoy it. I have gotten to the point I would rather video critters then shoot them. I know if I can see it with my naked eye I own that animal as I am relatively proficient to 600 yards with a specific rifles. Any video camera will work and the rush you get having an animal close to 10 yards is more exciting than any video game.
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I don't go piddling out in the woods during gun season if I'm not hunting.

there are just too many fools out there to risk getting shot for the sake of a photo.

and I can't eat a photo.
 
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