Meat Hunting

[Shanel Arrendell]

Everymeat hunter" is a closet trophy hunter. Many would have you believe otherwise, and some even openly deride the practice of trophy hunting. Yet almost every blessed one of them, when offered a shot at a tender young forkhorn beside an honestly big buck, will shoot the big deer. Durned hypocrites.

Kidding, folks. Don't get your knickers in a twist. There's nothing at all wrong with maintaining that a young buck is trophy enough for you and fills your freezer to perfection, especially in areas where management practices don't favor bucks' chances to mature. However, trophy hunting, when correctly practiced, is a valuable conservation tool for hunters concerned about the quality of both present hunting and for the future generation of hunters.

Where plenty of mature bucks are present, the biggest, healthiest, strongest males breed the does, favoring future genetics. They more efficiently breed the does and shield them from continual harassment from hordes of horny, inexperienced small bucks, favoring conception and conditioning against the coming winter.

I'll be honest: I could argue this topic either way as I am both a meat hunter and a trophy hunter, depending upon species hunted, season, and even time of day. I'm not committed to either camp 100 percent of the time. I'm an opportunistic predator. I think most of us fit into this category.

Meat hunting is also socially acceptable. Don't believe me? Go tell a non-hunter you hunt for meat. You will find they are often accepting of your passion. Tell that same person you hunt for trophies and you will never get the chance to tell them you pass younger deer or go seasons without pulling the trigger, and when you do tag a trophy, you utilize all the meat (and support the local economy by giving a taxidermist a few hundred bucks to preserve the part of the animal meat hunters throw out).

And I found out I enjoyed the actual hunt; the appreciation of a clean, ethical shot; the time in camp; and celebrating the experience with family or friends more than I had in years. If those aren't enough reasons to be a meat hunter, I don't know what is.

With two tags punched and only one hunter remaining, the pressure is on Rafe Nielsen of Browning to follow up on Joe Ferronato and Shawn Skipper's success. Intent on using every minute of hunting light that Alaska's long days have to offer, Nielsen attempts to close out the trip on a high note. Will he be able to follow in Ferronato's footsteps and tag out a great Alaskan grizzly bear, completing a feat thought nearly impossible?

Heading into day two of the hunt, the group has high hopes for another success. Continue the Big North adventure with Joe Ferronato, Rafe Nielsen, and Shawn Skipper as they attempt the impressive feat of each notching a tag on an Alaskan grizzly bear. Explore the Browning and Leupold tools this trio utilizes during the hunt and discover if Ferronato can follow Skipper's early success in wild grizzly bear country.

Travel along with Joe Ferronato to Alaska's remote Tundra to hunt grizzly bears with Leupold's Shawn Skipper and Browning's Rafe Nielsen. Experience the journey from Oregon to Alaska, the plane ride into the Tundra, setting up camp, and the first sightings of bears. The group's goal? To hunt three majestic grizzly bears all within a week. Will the group be able to accomplish this daunting task?

Stag Arms continues to cater to the hunter crowd with purpose-built AR and bolt-action rifles. The new Pursuit AR Pro incorporations find leather into the cheek pieces, as well as a leather wrap on the handguard that not only looks great, but also protects the hand from the cold steel and helps deaden the sounds when resting the handguard on a blind or stand rail. It is available in .223 Wylde, as well as .350 Legend for the dedicated deer hunter in straight-wall-only states.

Known for premium-grade ARs and AR parts, Aero Precision recently entered the bolt-action rifle market with their Solus action. This year, they've upgraded the Solus Hunter model, shaving weight with a new split 20 MOA rail and fluted bolt body. The Solus action is mated to a premium, match-grade barrel that is a fluted, stainless sporter contour sheathed in carbon fiber. The whole package is then set into an adjustable AG Composite stock to create the ultimate big-game rifle for the western hunter.

The original X-Bolt rifle from Browning was introduced in 2008, and became an instant classic. For 2024, Browning is upgrading the design with new manufacturing methods and new features. The X-Bolt 2 Speed rifle is fitted with the company's new Vari-Tech stock, which is adjustable for both comb height and length of pull, plus features interchangeable pistol-grip modules for a true fit personalize to the hunter and shooter.

Kevin Reese of Pulsar educates us on the difference between thermal optics, night vision and all the terms surrounding the growing popularity of hunting and shooting in no- and low-light conditions. Pulsar leads the category of thermal optics, and provides a wide-array of optical options for hunters.

Digital Editor Dale Evans talks with Weatherby's Marketing Manager Tyler Grethen about the all-new Model 307. The Model 307 incorporates Weatherby's newest bolt-action rifle platform with a 2-Lug, fully cylindrical action that is compatible with a multitude of aftermarket accessories. This shooter-friendly platform will be at home on the shooting range or the most extreme hunts you can take it on.

David is joined by R.J. Contorno of Savage Arms, who highlights the newest addition to the popular 110 line of bolt-action rifles. The Trail Hunter is fitted into an overmolded Hogue stock that sports classic lines and sure-grip feel throughout. Like all 110 actions, this Trail Hunter features Savage's proven Accutrigger, which just celebrated its 20-year anniversary.

Controlled-expansion bullets offer great accuracy along with deadly down-range performance, and Federal's Terminal Ascent bullets are some of the best. The Terminal Ascent line now features the brand-new 7mm PRC which will prove to deliver devastating terminal performance on a variety of game across North America.

CZ's marketing director and I discuss the merits of CZ's top-of-the-line competition pistol, the Shadow 2. Building upon the iconic, full-size CZ 75 9mm pistol, the Shadow 2 is factory-fitted with all the bells and whistles that today's competitive shooters expect. Why pay more when the Shadow 2 offers-up speed, accuracy and dependability at a very attractive price point.

Hunters and shooters looking for a single-gun solution for hunting, predator control and plinking should consider the Franchi Momentum All-Terrain Elite. With a short barrel, sporterized design and AR-style drop magazine, the All-Terrain Elite blends all the best attributes of scout and ranch rifles into one reliable platform.

I have also heard the argument that many people could not live a lifestyle where you sustain yourself on wild game. They say that they prefer to not see where their food originates. They cannot stand to eat food with bones in it or eyes staring at them. My only advice to these people is that they trust too much in the grocery store to get their food. Those same people have not seen the cramped dirty feed lots or the packed chutes of a slaughter-house. They could not handle the sights and many would revert to vegetarianism. Me, I prefer to get my meat from the wild.

435lbs of meat is enough to sustain three individuals for a period of about a year. As an alternative, if the choice to hunt an elk is not reasonable then you could exclude this from the equation. You would then have 85% of your total protein consumption for two people from game meat. The other 15% would include the consumption of other sources of protein such as eggs, nuts, and beans or the addition of another fish or game animal. There is certainly room to play around with the figures. This model serves merely as a base line for the sake of debate.

Deer and Elk would take the place of beef in your diet. Turkey and Rabbit would replace chicken. Wild Pork will substitute store-bought pork and hand caught fish would replace that fresh/frozen purchased or canned. Average prices for the store purchased meats will be combined with the total yields of wild game and fish.

There are really only two variables present in the equation. If you do not have the necessary equipment then you would have to purchase such equipment prior to hunting or fishing. This would be an upfront cost which would diminish over time as you acquired the equipment. The second would be your success rate. This model is based upon a 100% success rate. Each year you would be hunting for your food for the following year. If you failed to meet the quota for a specific season then you could modify your plan to encompass other game animals or supplement the remainder of your diet with other sources of protein depending on the time of the year.

The health benefits are certainly present. Game meat has been proven to be leaner and more beneficial to your body than domesticated livestock. The condition from which wild game is harvested is much cleaner, environmentally safer, and healthier than its domesticated counterparts. As an added bonus, the general worry about injected hormones, toxins, steroids, and additives are eliminated. What you harvest is safe for your body. Now your food is as organic and local as it gets. Not to mention, the pursuit of game requires some level of active participation which forces you to live a more involved lifestyle as you pursue your food.

Thanks for the comment. Wow, that is expensive. I would look at gathering some friends to split the cost of the charter. Also, depending on what part of FL you are in it may be just as beneficial to do some shore, pier, or jetty fishing more regularly. I know many parts of FL offer great fresh, brackish, and saltwater options. It may take you a little longer but you could catch a larger variety of fish and still acquire the same amount of meat.

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