Deer Hunting Tips

What It Really Weighs

Of all deer hunting tips a perennial question in any hunting camp, once the talk of weapon choice and caliber has died down, is what a particular deer weighed.

Ironically, although most of us never have weighed a deer in any form, we do not hesitate to offer a guestimate. If it’s our own trophy, the guess is probably on the high side. If it’s somebody else’s deer, who would blame us if the guess is a little low? With no scales handy to say yeah or nay to our guesses the discussion can be endless.

As much fun as such talk may be, there is a way to take some of the guesswork out of weighing deer. These deer hunting tips (see accompanying charts)were developed by fish & game biologists in

Start by measuring the animal’s girth, just in front of the rear legs. That’s normally the widest circumference point on the body. If you don’t have a measuring tape handy (and, after all, how many of us carry them in the field) don’t worry. Merely use a piece of string or other line, and mark it with the deer’s girth. Measure the string at home or camp.

One simple way of handling all this is to use your drag rope as a marking tool. Measure the deer’s girth with the drag line, and tie an overhand knot to hold the mark.

However you measure the body, be sure to do it before you gut the deer or the final figures will go astray. Once you know the animal’s girth the rest is easy. The charts are pretty much self explanatory, and you should have no difficulty converting the girth in inches into the weight of a field dressed deer. The final step is to use the second chart to determine what the deer weighed on the hoof.

Armed with these deer hunting tips, next time somebody asks what your trophy weighed you’ll be able to answer them with some precision.