I am going on a meat hunt next week,I have never shot a red deer or ever ate one. How do they compare to Axis and how much meat can I expect back from the processor on a hind?

Sorry for all the questions!!

20-25% of animal weight is a good rule of thumb.

Red deer is as good as axis. I can't tell the difference and I have ate a lot of axis and red stag the past 2+ years.

It's just as good as axis....maybe a little better
I shot a smaller, skinny one and got about 80-85lbs of meat....we use everything except for the guts.....

It's all personal preference, but I've never had any animal better than axis. It's right up there with elk. Shot one this summer, and had about 80 lbs of meat/burger. Good animal, and for the price that they go for they are a great freezer filler

In my opinion, it's the best exotic, but I haven't tried Eland. On my one, and only, hunt in Africa, the PH said that the eland was the only animal that was not to be shot through the shoulder to put it down quickly. The meat was too god to waste! capt david

I'm thinken we got close to 50% meat on our Hinds.


But the meat is very good.


Snake

im glad to hear you say that Temmi i shot one last week and would hate to think that all i was going to get out of it was 80 to 100 lb of meat as SFRanger7GP stated it dressed approx 400 lb

Tim

i just picked up my red deer hind from the processor today and i think she weighed live at around 275

the packaged meat filled up a 100 qt cooler to the top.
i had the processor make the backstraps and tenderloins into chops. anxious to try it that way.

All excellent answers. My favorite is Elk with Red Deer being a close second. Axis is third on my table. My wife likes Axis better than Red Deer. Expect 80 to 100 pounds of meat, a little more if she's an elk-cross.