Mike, at our hunt club we gut our deer out in the woods, bring them into the skinning shed and weigh them before processing. We obviously know the dressed weight, but are always guessing the live weight of those deer. Is there a good way to calculate that?—Thanks, John from VA
John, to get a good estimate of a buck’s or a doe’s live weight, hoist your gutted deer and weigh it on a scale. Then pull out your Smartphone, open the calculator and multiply the field-dressed weight by 1.28.
For example, a gutted buck that goes 140 on a scale would have weighed about 179 on the hoof in the woods. A mature 10-pointer that dressed out at 170 pounds would go about 217.
Good luck to everyone in the late season, I hope you shoot a 200-pounder live weight (hmm, that would be about 157 gutted).
I think you can also use the 1.28 body weight scale during the Holiday season for humans as well. For example my personal pre-Holiday weight was a slim-ish 250#. After Thanksgiving and then Christmas and the New Years, I will most very close to 320#. Here’s how it works…
250#+turkey and all the trimmings (squared) + deer jerky, salami, and many helpings of mashed potatoes and gravy + Christmas goose, ham, roast beef+ several more helping of mashed potatoes and gravy + another giant Christmas meal at at least one random family member’s house + the post Christmas meals anywhere and everywhere + the New Year’s meals (see: meals from gift cards) + all the college bowl game party eating = 320#.
It’s not just for whitetail body weights minus the guts. It’s for all of us too. Merry Christmas everyone.
Bad news Maverick, it only gets worse. Still worth it though. By the way, those elk steaks are worth every mile. Mike, I see you finally got your droptined buck. I know you have been looking for one forever so Congratulations to you on a trophy well earned!
I buy the 1.28 times hanging weight, but I think you double it if you are dragging one, and then add a pound for every year you are over 35!
Dr. Bones you have me LMAO over here. I don’t think you have to be 35 to add those extra pounds while dragging it, I’m 27 and just had to pack out a 1000 lb elk last weekend. I would have sworn I carried out 10,000 lbs on those 5 trips to get it packed out of the woods.
Hey Mike, where does the 1.28 factor come from?
Thanks for the info.