Professional or Jack of all trades?

[oaknut]

Big bucks and big Tom's are nice to see when there mounted but not the best on the plate...

I'm not trying to steer this off course but is this the general consensus? Moose, yes, I've had big old hamburger bulls that refuse to be chewed, but deer? I have never had a "tough buck" I have taken a few decent deer over the years and so long as its looked after it has always been great.

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[jim]

I'm 69 yrs. old. Hunted since I was 8, on the farm in Sask. The older I get, the less I realize what I know about the sport!

[jaycee]

I'm not trying to steer this off course but is this the general consensus? Moose, yes, I've had big old hamburger bulls that refuse to be chewed, but deer? I have never had a "tough buck" I have taken a few decent deer over the years and so long as its looked after it has always been great.

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Over many years of hunting, my family and I have had several bucks that were very chewy, and they tasted like they smelled, terrible as they were in full rut.
Our dogs however enjoyed them , and we had to do the cooking of them outside as the smell was awful.
Moose on the other hand , I have shot more than most since I have been hunting them now for 58 years, and only one was rather chewy as he was quite old.

[MikePal]

I have never had a "tough buck" I have taken a few decent deer over the years and so long as its looked after it has always been great.

It difficult to attest to what is tough based on what your comparing it to. If you buy your meat from a supermarket etc, you're not always getting the best meat, so a 7yr old Buck may taste pretty good.

But if you're used to eating 2-3 yr farm raised beef from a local Butcher, then you know why it's best to ground the old Buck up and make pepperettes

[Fox]

But if you're used to eating 2-3 yr farm raised beef from a local Butcher, then you know why it's best to ground the old Buck up and make pepperettes

I grew up on 18 month old steer from the family farm, I will still turn an old buck into steaks and roasts but I will not cook it like 18 month old steer.

I was given moose in the Yukon that was from a 60in bull, this was an old animal, not tough at all, not a great cut either, this guy was the guide and was given all the meat that was not good enough to ship to the states, it is all how you cook it

[Snowwalker]

If you want to be a professional then become a guide. If you want to enjoy hunting/fishing DON'T.

[machron]

I think the OP was inquiring whether people focused on one species only (professional) or everything going (jack of all trades), In that case, I am a jack of all trades, depending on the season of course. Turkey in the spring, summer on the water in the boat, early goose/duck until OCT 1, where I focus on deer, and then have started trapping this fall out of necessity because the raccoons/coyotes were more frequent to the bait pile then the deer. Once the deer season is over and the hard water sets up, I am on the lake in my hut until March, and then its time again to start thinking turkey. Pretty vicious cycle lol. Anything I can do to get out into the bush more is what I am "hunting" for.

[ninepointer]

I got my hunting license when I was 15 years old and, like a lot of people, I tried to hunt everything and every open season. I especially spent a lot of time in my teens chasing cottontails with beagles instead of chasing girls. Now more than 30 years later I focus on (in order of priority):
1. My family;
2. Deer hunting with hounds;
3. Upland hunting (grouse, woodcock & preserve pheasants) with my lab and a SxS;
4. Spring turkey hunting; and
5. Late season deer hunting with my crossbow.

[lazyman]

I'm a jack of all trades birds, bunnies and big game. I'm to lazy to be a professional.😆

[G.S.]

My hunting days started at a very early age, and I do learn something new every single time I am out hunting.