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How Much Venison Can You Get From One Deer?
A few years ago, my brother gave me a deer scale for Christmas. It was about time we put to rest all of those deer camp bragging stories about who's deer is heavier. Let the scale to the talking. I wish we would have had that scale back when we were younger and it felt like dragging a train out of the woods. But now that we have the scale, we weigh every deer that gets put on the meat pole at deer camp.
Once you know the hanging weight of a dressed out deer, you should be able to estimate how much venison you'll be able to put in the freezer. First, some terminology:
Live weight - you guessed it, on the hoof weight
Field dressed weight (FD) - without the guts
Carcass weight - without the guts, head, legs or hide
Venison weight - boneless meat only
Type of Northern Whitetail | Average Field Dressed Weights |
Fawn | 65 - 85 pounds |
Healthy mature doe | 100 - 130 pounds |
1 1/2 year old buck | 85 - 125 pounds |
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 year old buck | 120 - 190 pounds |
An old brute | 200 + pounds |
Venison yield will depend on the size of the deer, how much the deer has bulked up, the shot placement and how picky you are when you butcher the deer. The maximum venison yield is for a head shot and a very tedious butchering job. The realistic venison yield accounts for some muscle damage and a reasonable butcher job. All weights are in pounds.
Live
Weight FD * 130% |
Field Dressed FD |
Maximum Venison FD * 50% |
Realistic Venison FD * 25-35% |
104 | 80 | 40 | 20-28 |
130 | 100 | 50 | 25-35 |
156 | 120 | 60 | 30-42 |
182 | 140 | 70 | 35-49 |
208 | 160 | 80 | 40-56 |
234 | 180 | 90 | 45-63 |
260 | 200 | 100 | 50-70 |
286 | 220 | 110 | 55-77 |
312 | 240 | 120 | 60-84 |
338 | 260 | 130 | 65-91 |