I've been hunting whitetail deer for over 20 years and was recently accused of not being a "real" deer hunter because of my hunting beliefs and because I don't get a deer every year. You see, I'm a deer HUNTER, not a deer KILLER and I'd rather eat a dead cow than a dead deer. I don't care much for the deer "hunters" that pick up their gun or bow the weekend before season, run a few rounds or arrows through them to make sure it's "close enough" and then go out and shoot the first deer they see, "if it's brow it's down", regardless of the size. Some of these "hunters" field dress the deer and some don't even do that. They taken the deer to the local butcher to have it processed and then go about bragging about what a great "hunter" they are and making fun of folks like myself because we haven't gotten a deer yet. Now, where I hunt we own about 160 acres which about 90 of it is some of the best deer hunting property in our county and the rest is farm ground. We have bedding areas, two creeks flowing through it, and it's surrounded by adjoining woods and farm ground. If I wanted to shoot a deer I could do it with in the first 5 minutes of the first day of bow season. We also practice deer management on our property and have been for about the last 7 years. The biggest thing we do is shoot only bucks that are 8pt or more with racks as wide as their ears. We have another rule, if you shoot a deer on our property then you process it also, no butcher shops, that's all part of the hunt. For me my deer hunting season begins the day the previous years ended. Even after the season ended I'll still go out to my stands with a camera to take pictures and to see which bucks survived for next year. I start scouting deer routes and glassing deer in August. We usually have 3-4 large bucks in our woods every fall with another 4-5 smaller bucks plus those that run into our area during rut. With the way the property is plus all the neighboring property the deer we see in the early fall we'll see in January, they don't migrate away, they stay. So once bow season begins I already know what deer I want which is where the hunting comes in. Trying to figure out what route he's gonna take, what time of day, what day of the week, that's the fun part. Putting all that work into the perfect set up to make the perfect shot to have that perfect moment. Then after the kill and the deer is processed and after the mount comes back from the taxidermist to look at it and remember all the work and fun that was done and had to get that mount on the wall, now that's deer hunting. Do I get a deer every year? Nope. Does that bother me? Nope. Do I have some nice antlers and great memories? You bet I do. I honestly don't know how someone can go out and shot the first deer they see and call it hunting and say they had fun. But, apparently if you don't shot a deer every year then you're not a "real" deer hunter. I guess I'll go on not being a deer hunter. Oh by the way, this "not a real deer hunter" got a 12pt with a 21" spread this year and the guy that accused me of not being a "real" deer hunter shot an 80lb doe.

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I hope you did not consider that "person" a friend of yours. There are going to be azzholes in this world. Just ignore them and do what is right in your book. BTW, noticed it was your 1st post. Welcome.

Thanks for the welcome and no, not a friend but i've had the same discussion with other "hunters" and i'm amazed at what some people think and do. It seems harder and harder to find hunters that hunt for the enjoyment of being outside and the thrill of the hunt instead of just wanting to kill something. My best hunting memories have nothing to do with killing anything and everything to do with the people i was with and the experiences we shared.

I guess there are a lot of us out there then.  If killing something is all that you want to do, I pity you.  I have killed my share of deer and a few of someone else.  With age my idea of what make a great hunt now does not have to involve killing something.  Watching the sun rise over a mountain, watching a flock feed by not knowing I'm there, seeing a doe teaching her young about me the hunter and too many things that it would take someone better than me to explain.  So if you not a "real deer hunter" I am glad to be your brother of sorts.

I had the best season of my life ans did not shoot a deer. But it was fantastic.

I have been told many times that I am not a real hunter because I have let so many walk past and never even raised my rifle or bow. It seems "real" hunters are only in the woods for a few minutes more than absolutely needed to kill a deer.

Just ignore the so called "real" hunters and continue having fun doing what you're doing.

Hi and welcome but a slightly different slant on your post. I agree with being selective when you have the luxury to do so but if you're hunting in "big woods" where deer aren't running everywhere or hunting in a high pressure situation where if you don't shoot, some guy 3 or 400 yards away is going to.. the game changes.

If I had 160 acres such as you that housed water, food, and great woods. I'd be picky too. Play that game around here and you'll never shoot.

Now, that being said, I made three trips to northern Maine for deer. A week each time. The lodge's driveway was 20 miles back off of a back country two lane road. Never even pulled the trigger any of the three years. The only one out of 6 of us that did was my nephew got ONE. Did we still have a ball? You betcha!

Not trying to disagree - I'm actually in agreement with you. Just saying that very few places have pristine hunting conditions such as you enjoy.

Again, welcome and it's nice to see new folks join who participate!

ohio, congrats on that buck ,very nice.
in my mind  a "real deer hunter "is one who loves the outdoors and the thrill of the chase, it doesn't matter what you shoot or do not shoot. some of the funnest hunts I have been on I passed several deer and went home empty handed. that said, I  have no issues with killing does or small bucks.if that makes the hunter happy then I  consider it a successfull hunt.frankly if what I shoot is legal in that unit I don't much give a chit what any other hunter thinks.I HAVE  killed big and small bucks, one doe ,several bull elk and a few cows,  couple of lions and bears (didn't much care for bear meat, not bad  as jerky though). what I kill usually depends on what oppurtunities the unit I'M hunting provides and how bad I need to fill the freezer.there have been years when having that meat was the differance between eating and starving.that is why I have 0 respect for a man who wantonly  wastes game meat.
   

   no sense stressing over the opinion of some  moron you don't respect .

    (stress is caused when you resist the urge to beat some arsehole that desperatly needs it)

Amen brothers Steve and Yote! I shot three deer this year, a spike, a 7pt, and a doe. They all taste great and I need the meat more than ever due to my wife getting hurt and losing her job. Do I care about horns, nope. Do I put my time in the woods? Many miles of walking and strategy planning. Sometimes it works, some times it doesn't? I also hunted new property this season that was unfamiliar to me and made it happen. That's hunting. Plus I enjoyed talking with all the neighbors because I saw and shot the most deer that they thought didn't exist. LOL! It was fun and I think I made a bunch more friends that will invite me onto their properties to help out next season.

Hunting is a personal thing. For folks like myself, it's the source of meat for me and Travis from season's end 'til season beginning. I also practice a form of QDM on my little piece of property through the use of trail cameras, food plots and bait piles in order to decide on which does I will or will not kill, and which bucks I will cull from the herd and which bucks I will kill due to age and rack. I also hunt deer with hounds, and down in the swamps, we don't have time to assess what size and sex the deer is as it comes through the water and thickets. What I'm trying to get across, is that hunting, whether it's done with a bow and only trophies are killed, or whether it's killing the first thing seen, is a matter of personal choice. The biggest thing is all of us, regardless of what and how, are hunting; and that shouldn't be disparaged by anyone of us who chose to do our hunting in a different manner. I personally don't bow hunt, or use a muzzle loader, I do use a rifle when I'm still hunting and a shotgun with buckshot when I'm hunting with the dogs; but if your method is to hunt with a spear, so be it....you are still a hunter! I'm on a site full of Western hunters who don't believe that anyone in the North, East, or South is a hunter, because we don't climb a mountain and glass for hours before beginning a stalk! To my way of thinking those guys are snobs who wouldn't know the difficulty of killing a deer in the SC low country swamps I hunt in; but I would never accuse them of not being hunters because they take 1000 yard shots on mule deer and elk. Hell, I'd never see a damn deer if it's 1000 yards away, since I don't have access to that type of terrain. My point is that all of us are hunters, and if I kill a young spike buck for the freezer, it's no one's damn business to condemn me for that decision. What we all need to remember is that our sport has been in decline for several years, and just recently the numbers seem to indicate a slight increase. We do not need to argue or criticize those who do things differently and accuse anyone's style as "not being" a hunter. We have enough anti-hunters out there who would love to see us bicker and fight among ourselves to the detriment of our sport. So instead of making a self determination on what is hunting and what isn't, we should all learn to just get along and appreciate the fact that even if it's not the way I personally do it, at least the other guy is doing it, period!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, I deer hunt practically every single day from August 15th to Jan. 1st, this year was the worst season I've had in several years.  I only killed 4 deer and Travis only killed 1.  Sure I enjoy the outdoors, but the reason I hunt IS to kill something......and that something is called FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Any day that results in not seeing a deer is a wasted day for me; but that's just my take on hunting..........and I have a lot of wasted days!!!!!!!!!!!!

This year I had the privalage of taking my 7 year old granddauter on a bow hunt for muleies, We spotted and stalked numerous times. She found the first buck of the day, and claimed it as HER deer. When I found a ,and described where it was, she found it in her bino's. We did not fill my deer tag this year. It IS one of the my most treasured memories. Later my 4 year old grandson went with me to find a pronghorn. Spot and stalk. He did great. We did not fill that tag either. Teaching, training, and enjoying the time. PRICLESS. We are hunters.

Ohiohunter who gives a crap what other people think. Nice deer. I have a couple of so called friends that come close to the views that your talking about. Sure I am very selective on what deer I shoot and some of my hunting buddies don't understand why I pass on certain deer. To me hunting is being in the outdoors enjoying all of the wildlife whether or not I kill anything. Sure, when I need the meat, I'll stick a deer, but still being selective on which ones I stick.

I say to each his own . Got one huge one in BC class , got some big ones and plenty of small ones , and alot of does because they are my source of "good meat" . Don't have the luxury of private , only public and don't see anything wrong especially since venison doesn't work for your palate . For meat or rack we're all hunters . Heard the same thing from rack hunters about meat hunters .

I've killed a lot of deer most with a bow. I get two tags for bow that's standard here. One for either sex and one for antlerless only. Then there are the DMP antlerless only permits that I can use during bow season. The simple fact is I see more deer bowhunting than during gun season. I've let a lot of yearlings walk but if a mature doe comes along I'll take her. I've sat for weeks waiting for that special buck to come along but three days before gun season a spike presents itself I'll take him. I like venison so I want to fill as many tags as I legally can. And I'd rather use a bow to do it. I can't gun hunt any more due to my accident. The people around where I'd be hunting would put a bullet in my ATV. The only way I can get into the woods is by ATV I fall down A LOT walking broken ground HE77 I fall on my own lawn. I have my deer processed by a guy who can do a lot better job than I ever could. For me skinning a deer comes at a cost. That cost is a lot of pain and swelling. With what we get from my SSD and the VA plus my wife's part time job filling the freezer with deer is a great help. And before you tell me that my wife should get a full time job. Lowe's doesn't have them. Walmart doen't have them. Home Depot doesn't have them. Etc etc etc. So I guess I'm in that group. Well except I'd never tell you you're not a hunter just because you went deerless through a season. I'm not a horn hunter but I'm not a meat hunter I'm a management hunter.

You say you have 160 acres and practice management. In your own mind. The home range of a deer is many times that area. You may have the deers Core area but if you think they don't leave that area you are DEAD WRONG! A deer's home range is in the neighborhood of 2 square miles. I know one year I was watching a nine pointer in my buddies pasture later in the year I shot him on the other side of a cornfield, woodlot, and an interstate highway a distance of between 1/2 and 3/4 mile. And I know it was the same deer by the notch in his right ear.

That's a really nice deer you got there congrats on it. Around here deer like that are far and few between. Over thirty some years I've taken some great 8s I've also shot a 4 1/2 year old spike. He looked like a dern goat coming through the woods. Each antler was 19" long the deer itself gutted weight was 210lbs.

Ignore the morons who make stupid comments and the know it alls. And don't judge other hunters either. You do your thing and I'll do mine respect that.

I myself would never tell you you're not a real hunter, however you need to understand where some of these guys are coming from. I don't have access to a grinder or sausage stuffer or the money/time to keep up with all the butchering materials. I gut, skin, and debone all of my deer, but I take the hind quarters and shoulders to the processor to turn into ground or sausage while doing the backstraps, tenderloinds, and the ocassional rump roast myself. My wife and I prefer venison as it's leaner and taste better than beef (at least to us). So I don't really understand your "have to process it yourself, no exceptions rule". Also think about how many people weren't taught the same way you were and don't know how to do all that. Does it really matter or make them any less of a hunter? Like some have said we're all hunters and should never discourage anything another hunter does other than bad behavoir or something unethical. Now as far as the "it's brown it's down" not everyone is as lucky as you to have the property you do. Other than public land I only have full access to one hunting spot that is about 12 acres. I once watched 2 buttonheads all season, saw them almost everytime I was out there and it made it more enjoyable. One day I was hunting with my dad and they both showed up. I watched them for about 30 mins, could've shot them 5-6 times and then the went behind me. Not 5 mins later I hear somebody shoot twice less than 100 yds away and within a minute. He had killed both of those buttonheads. So for me when I hunt there and haven't filled my freezer I shoot just about whatever I can especially during bow season as activity pretty much shuts down during rifle season because of all the pressure.

Hey Ohiohunter, welcome to the site. I agree that ther is much more to hunting than shooting. I only bow hunt for deer now, mainly because i'm there for the whole experience and not just to fill the freezer. Having hunted for over 50 years has given me plenty of opportunities to take game, now i'd rather watch the woods and see what i missed for a lot of those years. Watching the other animals, and birds, the leaves turning and hearing the sounds gives me more pleasure than actually killing an animal. Yes i do take a deer now and then, but bow hunting allows me the opportunity to draw on one, and decide if i really want to do the work or not. I look at it like catch and release fishing kind of. I draw on one, let down and think "i could have shot you" that's one. So you see i take several deer every year and usually only put one or two in the freezer. I guess i'm more of a trophy hunter than just deer hunter, if the chance to shoot a buck bigger than my last presents itself you bet i'm going to take him. But there is so much more to the experience.

SALBERS, isn't it also great about bowhunting when you see those deer out of bow range and say to yourself, "If this was gun season, you would be on the ground by now!"

Hey gut - skin 'em with your atv! 10 minutes - done - no work for you. You have to have seen the vid on how to do that, no?

Want an 08 Polaris RZR 4x4, 800cc with about 25 hours on it, ALWAYS dealer maintained and serviced? I've had it to 65mph but it gets a bit loose over 55 or so.

Loaded with options.

I'll pass on the Polaris. I've got a Honda Rancher 02 model 350cc plenty of power to get me in trouble. Look what I did with my Sporster!! The guy who processes my deer has a winch setup so the deer never leaves the ATV on the truck I go straight to his place.

I seem to not explained myself enough. I was in a poor mood and was just venting about a certain type of hunter, the one week a year, shoot the first deer they see, and then act as though they've put a ton of time and effort into it while belittling the guys that are more selective and wanting to get the bigger deer. I have no issues with the hunters that only want to the meat and don't care if it's a buck or doe, most of those guys don't go around shooting their mouths off about how great they are because they shot a deer. I understand the guys that hunt "big woods" or public ground and don't see a lot of deer, I hunt in the U.P. as well and see very few deer. If that's all you have then that's all you have. Most of the guys I know that hunt "big woods" or public ground put a lot of time in just to see a deer. I understand that not everyone has the means to process their own deer and I wouldn't expect everyone who deer hunts to go out and buy the equipment and then learn how to do it. It's very time consuming and a lot of work. It just happens to be OUR rule on OUR property because if you're gonna shoot a deer on OUR property then you're gonna learn and appreciate the entire process from beginning to end. And yes, I know deer roam, thanks for insulting my intelligence. In my particular area it's mostly farm ground with the only cover being along the creeks. We happen to own a large portion of what little cover there is which has 2 creeks running through it and about 90 acres of woods on either side with the rest being farm ground. With the way the land is there's little places for the deer to go with cover other than up and down the creeks. All the neighboring land owners hunt and we compare notes a lot. The bucks I see are not the same bucks the guy down the creek a mile sees. Sure they'll move around more during rut but other than that they pretty much stay in their area because there's nowhere else to go. They have food, bedding grounds, and cover. That's why I stated that the bucks I see in August I'll see in January (unless they get taken). From most of the comments I've read it seems that the guys that might have felt a little jaded were not the types of hunters that I was venting about and most likely misunderstood what I meant. Hopefully this will clear up some of that. Now, if you're the guy that I described in my opening statement and you're offended then I don't care, be offended.

Breath deep... in... out... in... out... lol I doubt if you'll find anyone like what you intended to describe here. And most anything you post will generate differing opinions but nothing's meant by it... usually... ;-) I think most would agree with your opinion of guys like you describe.

I do have one question though... what the h*77 equipment does it take to butcher a deer? I use my chefs knifes.... When I'm done, I end up with steaks and stew meat.e I do have a grinder but we don't want the burger and if I do, I'll grind that when I want it. No roasts, 'cause we don't want 'em but I wouldn't need anything other than knives for that either. Well... a Tilia vacuum sealer is a necessity but otherwise... nothing

Considering that I've not taken a deer since opening day of 2009 I must not be a real deer hunter either

Mind you that it's not due to a lack of opportunity, it's been a matter of choice. Though it's nowhere near the feeling of taking a deer, the feeling of letting them walk is probably underestimated by those who don't have the opportunity to do so for whatever reason.

Like Ohiohunter, over the last several seasons I've targeted specific deer. Though not successful at it thus far, I find it to be a great deal of fun to do so. Also like Ohiohunter, the conditions that I'm hunting under allow me to hunt this way.

Steve, for most of the years that I've hunted there was no CWD scare, and all of our steaks had a bone in them so a good bone saw was part of our butchering tools. I had a friend who has since passed that refused to de-bone his venison, he believed, and I agree that leaving the bone in the steak enhances the flavor of the steak. In my early to mid 20's we knew a guy that used to have a butcher shop. When he closed his shop and retired he installed much of his equipment in his basement. He used to ruff process our deer for $10.00 apiece, it was just too easy to bring them to him for that price. There were bones in the steaks and the butterfly chops, we never carved out the backstraps, though the tenderloins were always long gone before he ever cut the chops

Yeah, I yearn or the days in NW PA when I had the luxury to hunt a very large tract of land with virtually no one else. If my Dad and I saw another hunter, we'd seen a lot. Back then I agree, fingering a certain deer was a huge amount of fun. It came down to how well each of you knew the woods and patterns. They'd win a lot having huge advantages in senses and they knew every freekin' limb in the forest. But I took my fair share too. Some of the best memories that I still think on is when they outsmarted me. I've seen them do some pretty amazing things.

Sadly, where I live now it's hunting pressure galore and that's just not an option.

And yes, I know guys who don't scout, shoot etc but get deer. I don't begrudge them but they don't go around bragging or rubbing it in others faces either. I agree - that's very bad manners and sportsmanship.

LD, for ten bucks? NFW I'd do it myself it the guy did a good job! I was raised on boning so I guess that's probably why that's what I do. If I were to want the bone in, I'd have a ban saw! lol As picky as I am, it takes me about an evening to do each quarter.

Steve, to answer one of your questions, I didn't so much mean tools as the stuff to process it with. As far as tools go all you really NEED is knives (as you said), a grinder if you want burger is just a preference as well, a stuffer attachment if you want sausage, somewhere to put it all to keep it from ruining especially if you don't have time to finish all in one night, a good light if it's dark, which it is most of the time for me. If you really wanted to do it "right" (in quotations as it would be my ideal way to do it) you could spend all the money of having a nice stainless steel sink, table, trays for the meat, an easy haning system (other than a rope tied to a gambrel hook tied to a truck, which is what I do) What I was mostly talking about is a vacuum sealer, the plastic you have to use with it, the sausage casings along with seasonings, beef fat for the burger (which I do want), which is almost impossible to find here unless you want to buy a 50 lb block. I would need a refrigerator during bow season since it's usually too hot to leave it outside, also too many ferrel dogs, too messy to hang in the garage, not enough room in the kitchen fridge, and I don't want to be up until midnight doing it all. But really yes, all you NEED is knives and a butt load of time.

ah well ya know bambi, I guess it does ad up huh? Kind of like that old thing that went around about saving $ heating with wood... lol

I stand corrected. (normal ;-) )

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You're right, it doesn't take much equipment to process a deer. The first deer I processed over 20 years ago all I had was my buck knife,  a regular crosscut hand saw,  and a borrowed KitchenAid mixer with a grinder attachment. Since then I've upgraded to an regular meat grinder, assortment of butcher knives, bone saw, meat tubs, sausage stuffer, electric meat slicer, and dehydrator. I was just referencing one of the comments directed at my initial post about how I shouldn't expect deer hunters to process their own deer because not everyone has the time or money to process their own deer. Just keep in mind some folks think that processing a deer means that they'll end up with sausage links, jerky, summer sausage, roasts, steaks, and burger because that's what they get back from the butcher when they take a deer in, so in their eyes to process their own deer they'll need all the equipment to do that. And like you stated, when you're done you end up with steaks and stew meat, and if you want burger you'll grind it as needed, well some people might want more and to get more they'll need more than a knife.

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Yep, kind of admitted that when replying to bambi...

I guess I should have added a bit of a caveat to my above post.

There was a 10 year period where I did fit at least a couple of the category's that Ohiohunter describes. In my childhood, as well as today I had/have 1000's of acres to hunt were I rarely see any sign of other hunters, much less the hunters themselves. There's one area I hunt if conditions are right that I've only found sign of another hunter once since 1997.

That said, from 1987 to 97 I hunted public land exclusively. In those days I was an "if it's brown it's down hunter" and plenty of brown did go down. Also in those days I wasn't afraid to spout off about my success. But... I wasn't a one or two weeks in the woods kind of guy. I spent 100's of hours every Fall scouting two areas that was comprised of 6 to 7 thousand acres. It was the one or two weeks a year guys that I used to spout off too, as most of them were unsuccessful.

Steve, the guy was exceptionally good, and very efficient. We could bring him 4 or 5 skinned deer, and we would be on our way home in less than an hour, a fair share of which we spent BS'ing with him, he liked our hunting crew. During the time he cut up our deer was the only time I've ever had good neck steaks. I've actually looked at 3 or 4 band saws over the years since we've moved into our current home, but for the most part I hunt alone these days so the volume of deer never seemed to justify the expense so I've passed on them. I do have a good grinder, with all the sausage attachments, as well as a good vacuum sealer. I also have plenty of good knives, as well as 2 hand bone saws, pretty much works for me 

I'm primarily a meat hunter that likes horns, too. I focus on meat, early and late season, while looking for horns during the rut. On my properties, I TRY to take only mature animals....depending on the freezer situation and the occassional itchy trigger finger. I get a HUGE rush from it, whether buck or doe! I will cull a buck that I think is inferior.....or if it's the first legal buck that comes in front of me and my 6 y/o (after 4 years of hunting together)with him begging me to 'Shoot him, dad'!LOL! With that said, I have 60 acres in one spot, that borders public woods and a 40 acre clear cut in another county that is surrounded by 'brown and down' hunters. So, if I get a good rack, then it is extra special, to me.
When I was growing up, we processed all out own meat, but I use a processor now, due to time and storage constraints (as do many others). I will say that I do use my 4 wheeler to pull the hide off all the deer I'm not gonna mount and a reciprocating saw with a combo blade, makes fast work of bone cuts. I can get one from the four wheeler rack, to quartered and bagged in about 30 mins.
This may seem petty to some, but I have just about every single set of horns I've ever taken, mounted in some fashion, and on the wall. Just my own little bit of honoring the animal, the hunt and sparking the memory of that hunt when I look at 'em.

Nice post Ohiohunter. I got your point and I agree with you. I have to hunt a lot different than you do and pretty much have to shoot whatever I can. Thank you for not calling ME a non-real hunter. Your methods and your ways are what works for YOU and NO ONE should knock you for that. I admire your rule about processing yourself. I think that is a good way to teach folks how to truly live off the land. And not much more is needed than a couple of good sharp knives. Keep up the good work, welcome to the boards, and congratulations on a fine buck. That is truly a trophy.
Btw, I'm a meat hunter, and I want the meat however (leagally) I can get it. I heard Jase Robertson off of Duck Dynasty speak one time and he was talking about killing ducks in a "sportsman" like manner. So many people say you have to cut 'em as they fly down. He said that the duck shot while sitting in the water, tastes JUST AS GOOD as the ones that come flying in! Lol! Point in case, the doe that I stumbled up on tastes just as good as the buck I had been stalking all year. Well...actually.... she probably tastes better........

a Tilia vacuum sealer is a necessity but otherwise... nothing

Ooohhh nnoooo! you have to have a cuber!...lol

Here is another point of view to consider. There are folks out there like me who are lucky to get a full week to hunt during the year. Being in the Army, my leave dates are mission dependent and at the discretion of the CDR. This year has been a great exception. I got to take a full week for elk hunting, another week deer hunting in TX and a weekend for my first bird hunt. My point is that this was like the lottery for me. The key to hunting in my mind is that everyone's circumstances are different and their desires different. I love to see big antlers but I am most interested in being in the woods and then filling the freezer. As for processing, deer is one thing but elk this year about killed me. My partner and I processed to full elk in two days and I could barely move for several days. That is a WHOLE other ballgame and I will pay for that one next time Here are some pics of this year...
http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac118/lawrenceborn/GEDC05782_zpsf3114f9e.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac118/lawrenceborn/Antlermount2.jpg

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac118/lawrenceborn/GEDC0530.jpg

And the survey says?........aaaaaant.......didn't work SFC B?

Here's SFC B's pics.

Thanks for pulling those out L-dog. I have been having trouble uploading so I have been putting in the links.

Not a problem SFC B, it seems as though most have a problem using this sites tools for posting pics(I know that I do, it usually comes down to sizing the pics) and since your links didn't hyperlink I used one of the other tricks I have up my sleeve

We are running on tight budget, so we butcher deer ourselves. I skin and quarter and bring in pieces as I go, while the wife cuts it up and ziplocks the pieces. Nothin' fancy. If we want meat ground I let it thaw a little, just til a little flexible but still frozen chunk it up and into a food processor a little at a time then mix it with a little burger. So grind when I need it and the rest left as roasts, and chunks pulled out and cut and cooked as we go. Nothing special, or expensive. Anything like sausages are not that important for me to spend extra on. The processing isn't expensive or hard just depends on how in depth you go and how fancy you get with it. We don't have a grinder or sausage stuffer or saws, just knives and a food processor. The rest is just excuses for not wanting to or maybe just not "needing" to do it with out all the fancy equipment. I'm a meat hunter, I have nothing against hunting for trophies, would love to have some nice antlers on the wall, but I go out for a little extra meat and the enjoyment of being in the trees, I don't need it to survive but does help out the meat bill if I put it in the freezer myself.

I don't worry about whether other people think I'm a real hunter. I just smile at those who spend way more than me and look at what I do and say, "That's not hunting" and those who spend way less than me and look at what I do and say "That's not hunting." I'm having a good time trying to get in front of the deer that I target and sending them to freezer camp. Everybody wants to measure success by the way they do things. That's okay for their success, but I'll decide what's okay for mine.