Live weight from on the hook weight?

[pinguisgod]

Is there a standard way of estimating the live weight of an animal from it's larder weight? Or if it's all down to experience what is you estimate for a 4 year old fallow buck that was 130lb on the hooks?

Thanks Ben

 

[tonyt]

Is there a standard way of estimating the live weight of an animal from it's larder weight? Or if it's all down to experience what is you estimate for a 4 year old fallow buck that was 130lb on the hooks?

Thanks Ben

Ben,
I took a buck last year that with head off in larder was 67kg. mentor reckoned it was comfortably 100kg when alive, so add 50% for larger bucks...?. % is probably different for lower weights

 

[deerstalker.308]

I'm sure someone will have more scientificly based answers but on the whole I find somewhere around 25-30% on top of carcass weight, it's probably fairly relative from species to species, as a red with an enormous rack of antlers will have a correspondingly large neck to support it etc.....
Equally a dinky little muntjac will be in proportion according to their different set up.
I know on a red stag there can be about 25kg of green offal, 10 or so of pluck, and up to say 12-15kg of head and 4 feet, so roughly possibly 50kg, carcass weight for an animal like that would be 145-150kg.

 

[Tim.243]

Is there a standard way of estimating the live weight of an animal from it's larder weight? Or if it's all down to experience what is you estimate for a 4 year old fallow buck that was 130lb on the hooks?

Thanks Ben

I put this question to a chap who deals with deer on a daily basis, his reply was add a 1/3 to the hook weight.
Also learnt a lesson when I dropped of a deer and was knocked 4 kg off the weight from the when they first weighed it....
Not a lot of cash, however compared to what they charge for it retail then they made a nice few quid!
It hasn't happened again as I spoke to them about it....and know it is fair as that is all I asked.

Tim.243

 

[deerstalker.308]

They do lose weight as they dry, like you say, 4-5kg can be fairly normal just from hanging overnight, more if they are hung for a few days in a chiller, if you think about a deer the size of a red with a thick coat, if it's been raining, there's an awful lot of weight that can be added to just the hide, and why would they want to pay more for that.....

 

[ofbiro]

Is there a standard way of estimating the live weight of an animal from it's larder weight? Or if it's all down to experience what is you estimate for a 4 year old fallow buck that was 130lb on the hooks?

Thanks Ben

I found the following table on the site of the ISPRA (Italian Experimental Institute for Environment Protection)
[TABLE="width: 314"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 192, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 83, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 80, bgcolor: transparent"]HOOK/LIVE WEIGHT[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]CLASS (sex&age)[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, bgcolor: transparent"]ROE[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, bgcolor: transparent"]FALLOW[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, bgcolor: transparent"]RED[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Fawns[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]78%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]77%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]75%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Yearling bucks[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]79%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]78%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]75%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Young bucks[/TD]
[TD="class: xl63, bgcolor: transparent"]---[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]79%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]76%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Adult bucks[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]80%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]79%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]78%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Yearling does[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]79%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]76%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]75%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: transparent"]Adult does[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]79%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]77%[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, bgcolor: transparent"]73%[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

The ratios are referred to beasts shot on the Apennines, in the Bologna area. Very heavy animals lead to smaller percentage and viceversa. I do not know why roe Young bucks are not listed, but personally suggest to extrapolate the value.

 

[novice]

I think Richard Prior has a table in his book the The Roe Deer setting out examples of the difference in live weight and weights at various stages in the carcass handling process.

Not got it to hand but will check when I get a min.

Novice

 

[pinguisgod]

Very interesting points there guys, I hadn't considered the moisture content previously.

 

[jubnut]

I've always gone with the 30% rule.

So your 130lb buck would be around 169lb live at a guess

 

[bogtrotter]

I put this question to a chap who deals with deer on a daily basis, his reply was add a 1/3 to the hook weight.
Also learnt a lesson when I dropped of a deer and was knocked 4 kg off the weight from the when they first weighed it....
Not a lot of cash, however compared to what they charge for it retail then they made a nice few quid!
It hasn't happened again as I spoke to them about it....and know it is fair as that is all I asked.

Tim.243

Quite normal for them to loose weight as they dry out, for red deer we used to estimate 1lb for every stone in weight in the first 24 hrs.l

 

[joe soapy]

Suprised at the percentages, sheep generaly are about half, often even less depending on time of year.
cattle can be from 46% up to 70% for the very best show animals.
Pigs i think would run about the 70% mark

 

[levigsp]

Suprised at the percentages, sheep generaly are about half, often even less depending on time of year.
cattle can be from 46% up to 70% for the very best show animals.
Pigs i think would run about the 70% mark

I agree, I think the figures are out for brittish deer.
Just checked two bucks shot last night and this morning, on the hook 64 and 67 % of total weight.
I have always worked on 1/3 to a 1/2.