Deer Weight Estimating Chart

[LAKY]

 

[kyler1945]

Take a whole hind quarter off separating joint at the hip, with all meat you can. Skin it. Leave foot on. Weigh it. Multiply weight by 11 for deer bigger than 100lbs. Should get you to live weight +-10%.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I don't think I've ever gotten 45% of live weight off of a deer in deboned meat. Even keeping shanks, neck roast, brisket, rib meat...etc.

Maybe osceola deer ain't as meaty as borealis. I'd love to get 40lbs of venison off a 90lb doe.

 

[kyler1945]

I don't think I've ever gotten 45% of live weight off of a deer in deboned meat. Even keeping shanks, neck roast, brisket, rib meat...etc.

Maybe osceola deer ain't as meaty as borealis. I'd love to get 40lbs of venison off a 90lb doe.

The above calculation I posted, 9x multiplier for deer under 100lbs. Lines up with your findings. Deers are skinnier down here.

 

[Sbrammer]

Good info. Thanks.

 

[Nutterbuster]

The above calculation I posted, 9x multiplier for deer under 100lbs. Lines up with your findings. Deers are skinnier down here.

9/11ths of 39lbs is 31lbs. I'd say for a 90lb doe that's close enough to right.

 

[kyler1945]

9/11ths of 39lbs is 31lbs. I'd say for a 90lb doe that's close enough to right.

Funny to think about it - a 90lb deer has a 10lb rear leg, skin off. If you asked me to guess at the weight based on my feelings not knowing what I know, I would guess 15 or 20lbs...

 

[LAKY]

@Nutterbuster and @kyler1945 Maybe carry a pocket tape measurer next time you kill a southern deer and see how off the chart is for those? May need a different chart for smaller skeletal whitetails.

 

[Nutterbuster]

@Nutterbuster and @kyler1945 Maybe carry a pocket tape measurer next time you kill a southern deer and see how off the chart is for those? May need a different chart for smaller skeletal whitetails.

I was thinking that myself. Not sure how big the chest is on the average doe down here. Also, I wonder if sex throws things off. Bucks are bigger-chested than does.

 

[kyler1945]

Measuring the way I’ve described has been consistent. For deer killed in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, all the way up to northern Missouri.

Something to keep in mind:

If I am super careful, and get every speck of meat still attached to the leg, and leave nothing on the carcass, and I come up with 20lbs- 220lb deer (+-20lbs)

If I took same leg, and left 1lb of meat on carcass because I was moving fast. 19lbs - 209lbs. I know I was in a rush, so I should expect my weight estimate to be low. It’s still within the margin of error.

Yes, a 20% total margin of error is big. But it also encompasses fat deer, skinny deer, tall deer, short deer, bucks and does, thick and thin winter coats, rut wasted or corn fed, red noses or black noses. Most deer it has been very very precise.


My elk last year had just under 50lb bone in (no lower leg -2-3lbs) quarters. That puts the animal around 550lbs. Feels right looking at a 3 year old bull.


All critters are different.

But someone would have to show me a whitetail, that weighs over 100lbs live weight, that has a hindquarter, bone in, foot attached, no skin, with 90% of the meat removed from the carcass, that weighs more than 10% of the live weight. (In other words, falls outside of the margin of error of my calculation)

 

[LAKY]

Measuring the way I’ve described has been consistent. For deer killed in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, all the way up to northern Missouri.

Something to keep in mind:

If I am super careful, and get every speck of meat still attached to the leg, and leave nothing on the carcass, and I come up with 20lbs- 220lb deer (+-20lbs)

If I took same leg, and left 1lb of meat on carcass because I was moving fast. 19lbs - 209lbs. I know I was in a rush, so I should expect my weight estimate to be low. It’s still within the margin of error.

Yes, a 20% total margin of error is big. But it also encompasses fat deer, skinny deer, tall deer, short deer, bucks and does, thick and thin winter coats, rut wasted or corn fed, red noses or black noses. Most deer it has been very very precise.


My elk last year had just under 50lb bone in (no lower leg -2-3lbs) quarters. That puts the animal around 550lbs. Feels right looking at a 3 year old bull.


All critters are different.

But someone would have to show me a whitetail, that weighs over 100lbs live weight, that has a hindquarter, bone in, foot attached, no skin, with 90% of the meat removed from the carcass, that weighs more than 10% of the live weight. (In other words, falls outside of the margin of error of my calculation)

Source? Or, if it's something you came up with, what's your sample size? Certified scales?

 

[kyler1945]

Source? Or, if it's something you came up with, what's your sample size? Certified scales?

Source is hunting buddy who spent the time to come up with it.

Dozens of deer.

No. Not certified scales. Just enough to draw the rough conclusions.

I don’t think there can’t be better ways. I also know we could probably close the margin for error with both professional butchering skills, and certified scales. Probably something like +-5%, total margin 10%. That would account for the differences in winter coats, racks, body fat% etc.

But skin off, bone in, using the largest bone/muscle mass in the deer’s body, is going to give a very good signal on the remaining deer mass.

I’m posting this mostly to gather more data points, and help other people get a guess on live weight of deer they didn’t bring home. Much less important to me is being right.

 

[LAKY]

Source is hunting buddy who spent the time to come up with it.

Dozens of deer.

No. Not certified scales. Just enough to draw the rough conclusions.

I don’t think there can’t be better ways. I also know we could probably close the margin for error with both professional butchering skills, and certified scales. Probably something like +-5%, total margin 10%. That would account for the differences in winter coats, racks, body fat% etc.

But skin off, bone in, using the largest bone/muscle mass in the deer’s body, is going to give a very good signal on the remaining deer mass.

I’m posting this mostly to gather more data points, and help other people get a guess on live weight of deer they didn’t bring home. Much less important to me is being right.

While I appreciate anecdotal evidence, I'd rather rely on something a little more scientific. In the livestock world, goat and sheep weight can be estimated by using the formula: HEART GIRTH x HEART GIRTH x BODY LENGTH / 300 = ANIMAL WEIGHT IN POUNDS

 

[kyler1945]

While I appreciate anecdotal evidence, I'd rather rely on something a little more scientific. In the livestock world, goat and sheep weight can be estimated by using the formula: HEART GIRTH x HEART GIRTH x BODY LENGTH / 300 = ANIMAL WEIGHT IN POUNDS

That chart is scientific?

 

[kyler1945]

I’ll buy you a nice bottle of your drink of choice if you prove me wrong. If you prove me right you have to smile and I say I was right.

 

[LAKY]

That chart is scientific?

It's from the Pennsylvania State University Department of Dairy and Animal Science.

 

[kyler1945]

It's from the Pennsylvania State University Department of Dairy and Animal Science.

What’s the margin of error?

Is the chest girth measured skin on or off?

If on, the difference in winter coat and not could add up to the difference in a 200 and 300lb deer…

 

[LAKY]

I’ll buy you a nice bottle of your drink of choice if you prove me wrong. If you prove me right you have to smile and I say I was right.

I'm not saying you're wrong. I would like people to have the easiest way possible to determine if they are utilizing as much meat as they reasonably can. Bringing a tape and recording a few measurements is easier than bringing out a whole quarter and weighing it if you are packing out deboned meat.

 

[LAKY]

What’s the margin of error?

Is the chest girth measured skin on or off?

If on, the difference in winter coat and not could add up to the difference in a 200 and 300lb deer…

I didn't delve into the research.

Skin on.

The same could be said for hindquarters loaded with fat.

 

[kyler1945]

I'm not saying you're wrong. I would like people to have the easiest way possible to determine if they are utilizing as much meat as they reasonably can. Bringing a tape and recording a few measurements is easier than bringing out a whole quarter and weighing it if you are packing out deboned meat.

Ah,

Your goal wasnt clear before.

I thought we were sharing ways to estimate live weight to a pretty precise degree.