{"id":2043,"date":"2021-12-22T18:19:22","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T18:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/?p=2043&#038;fishpig=1640195532&#038;preview=true"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:36:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:36:54","slug":"what-is-a-meat-hunter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/what-is-a-meat-hunter\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Meat Hunter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Defining what is a meat <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/tag\/hunter\/\">hunter<\/a> is more than harvesting every animal; it\u2019s about connecting with your food and appreciating the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/tag\/quality\/\">quality<\/a> of meat we feed our families.<\/strong><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite a general sense of unity among <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/building-the-ultimate-hunting-rifle\/\">big game hunters<\/a>, there is one point of contention: what is a meat hunter. By the same line of questioning: what is a trophy hunter?\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We will point out that this is a topic for discussion and not an argument for one or the other. The two overlap. The hunter who kills a wall hanger, for the most part, enjoys the fruits of the animal just as much as he who\u2019d rather a doe walk by. Whether you\u2019re heading into the woods strictly for meat or in the pursuit of a taxidermy bill, the point is that you\u2019re <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"hunting\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"322\">hunting<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To us, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">meat hunter<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, or, in reality, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/30mm-vs-1-inch-rifle-scope\/\" title=\"30mm vs 1 Inch Rifle Scope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunter,<\/span><\/i>&lt;span<\/a> style=&#8221;font-weight: 400;&#8221;&gt; is a catch-all term describing the primal connection and respect that we have with our quarry. By the end of this article, we will have peeled back the layers of nuance and brought to light what it truly means.<\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/what-is-a-meat-hunter\/#What_is_a_Meat_Hunter\" >What is a Meat Hunter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/what-is-a-meat-hunter\/#Different_Hunters\" >Different Hunters<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/what-is-a-meat-hunter\/#From_Field_to_Plate\" >From Field to Plate<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/what-is-a-meat-hunter\/#Benefits_of_Wild_Game\" >Benefits of Wild Game<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/what-is-a-meat-hunter\/#Quality_of_the_Meat\" >Quality of the Meat<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/what-is-a-meat-hunter\/#Physical_Health\" >Physical Health<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Meat_Hunter\"><\/span><b>What is a Meat Hunter<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The main goal of a meat hunter is to substitute some or all of their protein diet with wild game. Of course, reasons vary. Still, most examples include a desire to connect personally with the food as a resource harvested from the land. There\u2019s an added layer of satisfaction too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another example for someone subsisting off of wild game is due to the fluctuating costs of beef, pork, and chicken; store-bought protein. This is a fact apparent to anyone who has visited the grocery store in the past two years. Understandably the supply issues, the rising cost of food, and the mandated closures of many locations have created a renewed interest in <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/planning-a-caribou-hunt\/\" title=\"Planning a Caribou Hunt\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"758\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting<\/a> as a \u201ccovid proof\u201d means to eat.<\/span><\/p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Different_Hunters\"><\/span><b>Different Hunters<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The two distinct groups of hunters we&#8217;ve alluded to are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">meat hunters<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">trophy hunters<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Trophy <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/binoculars-for-turkey-hunting\/\" title=\"Binoculars for Turkey Hunting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"750\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting<\/a> is not a term that is well explained to the public and carries a hint of contempt. A non-hunter may assume that once the \u201ctrophy\u201d is removed, the meat is discarded. Quite the opposite.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To contrast the positive difference between these two <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/why-turkey-hunting-with-binoculars-works-for-me\/\" title=\"Why Turkey Hunting with Binoculars Works for Me\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"781\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunt<\/a>ers, we can use the example of how one might portray an animal and the hunt to his friends. A trophy hunter may choose to highlight the achievement and restraint needed to harvest a specific animal, be it a 10-point buck or a 300-plus-inch elk. The focus is on the trophy, ie. antlers, and the pursuit. And truth be told, most of us revel in the tales of such <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/category\/hunting\/\" title=\"hunting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunts<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A meat hunter\u2019s story may come off a bit more bland. As in, \u201cthe deer walked out and I made a clean double lunger.\u201d That sort of thing. But in this latter instance you may receive a depiction of the food generated from the animal, how it was prepared and cooked, what was served with it, and so on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And that\u2019s not to say that you wouldn\u2019t get this from either camp. Again, there is a lot of overlap between the two.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_Field_to_Plate\"><\/span><b>From Field to Plate<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A growing portion of the population has become interested in what\u2019s known as the locavore movement. Which is, in layman&#8217;s terms, eating food that\u2019s been locally sourced. A popular description is field to plate.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/first-case-of-cwd-found-in-wild-texas-whitetail-deer\/\" title=\"First Case of CWD Found in Wild Texas Whitetail Deer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">case of deer<\/a> or similar species, a meat hunter is after the most meat they can ethically harvest. This desire to fill the freezer has resulted in the tongue-in-cheek phrase \u201cif it&#8217;s brown, it&#8217;s down,\u201d referring to harvesting any legal deer regardless of antler size. The retort is usually another idiom, &#8220;you can&#8217;t eat the antlers,&#8221; placing the focus back on the resource and not the record of the animal. A trophy isn&#8217;t measured by Boone &#038; Crockett points or color <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/the-phases-of-a-deer-hunter\/\" title=\"The Phases of a Deer Hunter\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">phase to a meat hunter<\/a>. His trophy is measured in hand-labeled packages, freezer space, and meals with family.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"What is a Meat Hunter\" class=\"wp-image-2045\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/elktacos-flourtortilla.jpg\" alt=\"What is a Meat Hunter\" width=\"892\" height=\"595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/elktacos-flourtortilla.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/elktacos-flourtortilla-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/elktacos-flourtortilla-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/elktacos-flourtortilla-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/elktacos-flourtortilla-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/elktacos-flourtortilla-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 892px) 100vw, 892px\" \/><\/p><p>Hard to beat a spicy &#8220;Elk Taco&#8221; with homemade tortillas!<\/p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Benefits_of_Wild_Game\"><\/span><b>Benefits of Wild Game<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hunters often cite the health benefits of eating wild game because it delivers a much better protein-to-calorie ratio than farm-raised options. For example, a four-ounce venison steak will average 170 calories and yield 34 grams of protein. By contrast, a painstakingly trimmed ribeye could take 200 calories to deliver about the same amount of protein. As for iron-rich red meat, it&#8217;s hard to argue that venison or any wild game isn&#8217;t an excellent option for lean protein.<\/span><\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"How to Get the Most Out of Your Binocular\" class=\"wp-image-1032\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Game-meat-and-grinder-1024x542.jpg\" alt=\"How to Get the Most Out of Your Binocular\" width=\"892\" height=\"472\" \/><\/p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quality_of_the_Meat\"><\/span><b>Quality of the Meat<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Any butcher shop will have a portion of their case devoted to animals certified to a certain quality. These certifications may be about the heritage of the animals or the standards of which they lived. Outside of species, hunters don&#8217;t differentiate a game animal&#8217;s breed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hunters do appreciate the quality of the meat based on its forage. All wild game is &#8220;free-range,&#8221; able to enjoy the environment and move freely, developing firm muscles that translate to high protein meat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All wild game is \u201corganic.\u201d Their diet being forage and crops, whatever they require to survive. The meat&#8217;s richness comes in part from the varied and nutritious nuts, berries, seeds, and grasses. Grass-fed beef is better for you than corn-fed and venison, as we illustrated earlier, is a step further.<\/span><\/p><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Physical_Health\"><\/span><b>Physical Health<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another health benefit of wild game is the hunter\u2019s active pursuit of food. You can walk miles to find animals. When successful, miles back. And this time with a heavy load to bear. Can\u2019t say the same for a trip to the local supermarket. Being a hunter, especially a public land hunter, requires a dedication to physical fitness. This fact doesn&#8217;t receive the recognition it deserves as a facet of the sport.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_2046\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2046\" style=\"width: 464px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Top Competition Cartridges for 2022\" class=\"wp-image-2046\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/moose-with-bow-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Top Competition Cartridges for 2022\" width=\"464\" height=\"696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/moose-with-bow-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/moose-with-bow-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/moose-with-bow-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/moose-with-bow-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/moose-with-bow.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 464px) 100vw, 464px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2046\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Defining what is a meat hunter is more than harvesting every animal; it\u2019s about connecting with your food.<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A meat hunter\u2019s motivations lie in what\u2019s on the animal\u2019s bones first and foremost. This doesn\u2019t exclude them from enjoying the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/avoiding-ticks-while-hunting\/\">outdoors<\/a> as a place to connect and reset. Just as the trophy hunter will enjoy braised venison shanks osso bucco, a meat hunter will value and celebrate a heavy beamed 10 point buck.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Understanding the appeal of <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/how-to-transport-meat-home-from-your-hunt\/\" title=\"How to Transport Meat Home From Your Hunt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">meat hunting<\/a> is a bridge to grow the number of hunters taking to the field every season. By opening the conversation to food, we make <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/all-about-hog-hunting\/\" title=\"All About Hog Hunting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"602\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting<\/a> digestible (literally) to the non-hunting public. In some cases, through our explanation of what <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/shed-hunting-with-a-binocular\/\" title=\"Shed Hunting With a Binocular\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"797\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting<\/a> means, we can help soften the image from antlers on the wall to free-range elk tacos.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a Meat Hunter | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2255,1],"tags":[2460,2625,2794,2797],"class_list":["post-2043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-extra-topics","category-uncategorized","tag-big-game-hunting","tag-extra-topics","tag-hunter","tag-hunting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2043"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11427,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043\/revisions\/11427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}