Everyone loves to brag about the rack size of the buck they just took down, but if you’re a true hunter you want to know how much meat you’re going to get out of your deer.
If you’re curious about the number of people a deer will feed, or the number of servings you’ll get from a single deer, we’ve got the right answer for you here!
On average, a white-tailed deer will feed around 214 people, assuming 1 serving per person.
Furthermore, a white-tailed deer can feed a single person for nearly 71 days, assuming 3 servings per day.
Average (Live) Deer Weight 150 lbs. Estimated Live to Field-Dressed Weight Ratio 1.26 Field-Dressed Deer Weight 119 lbs. Meat Yield Percentage 45% Amount of Edible Meat 54 lbs. Number of People Fed / Number of Servings 214 Number of Days (1 Person, 3 Servings Per Day) 71
So you might be asking, “How did you get to this number?” To follow along, check out the information below:
1. How Much Meat Does A Person Eat?
According to the American Cancer Society, an average person’s normal portion amount of meat consumption can be around 3 to 4 oz. per serving – about the size of a deck of cards or bar of soap.
In the calculation above, we took the amount of edible meat (54 lbs.) and divided it by 16 to convert it to ounces. For additional clarification, there are 16 ounces in a pound. We then took that number and multiplied by 4 – the meat consumption serving estimate given above.
2. How Much Does A Deer Weigh On Average?
According to World Deer, the average weight of a white-tailed deer is around 150 lbs. Of course, there are a number of factors including location, sex, time of year, etc. that affect a deer’s weight, but this is usually a standard, agreed-upon average.
For our calculation, we used 150 lbs. as the average live deer weight for our top line number.
3. How Much Meat From A Deer?
As a usual rule-of-thumb, most butchers say that a deer’s expected meat yield is around 40-50% of its field-dressed weight. Meat Yield is the Total Edible Meat Weight Divided by the Field-Dressed Weight.
For our meat yield percentage, we decided to go with 45% as it’s somewhere in the middle of all the estimates listed below.
Source
In case you’re curious what other people are saying, we’ve gathered the top sources for White-Tailed Deer Meat Yield on the internet:
1. Ohio DNR: 48% (Source)
2. Pennsylvania Game Commission: 55-58% (Source)
3. Idaho State Journal: 40-50% (Source)
4. Hunter Conservationist: 60% (Source)
5. Deer & Deer Hunting: 40% (Source)
6. Stone Creek Ranch: 58% (Source)
Live Weight: A deer’s total weight before processing.
Field-Dressed Weight: A deer’s total weight without any organs, particularly the intestines.
Hanging Weight: A field-dressed deer’s total weight without feet, head, and hooves.
4. How Do You Calculate Field-Dressed Weight?
We also found this great calculation reference from Deer & Deer Hunting in case you want to calculate your deer’s meat yield based on the animal’s field-dressed or live weight:
1. Live Weight: Field-dressed weight multiplied by 1.26
2. Field-Dressed Weight: Live weight divided by 1.26
2. Carcass Weight: Field-dressed weight divided by 1.331
3. Ideal Boneless Venison Weight: Carcass weight multiplied by .67
4. Realistic Venison Yield: Ideal boneless weight multiplied by .70
5. How Many Calories Are In A Serving Of Deer Meat?
While the average number of calories isn’t vital to this calculation, we still wanted to gather some additional information just in case. While there are a few outliers, most sources agree that a 4 oz. serving of deer meat contains close to 130 to 140 calories.
1. Fat Secret: 170 Calories per 4 oz. Serving (Source)
2. My Fitness Pal: 134 Calories per 4 oz. Serving (Source)
3. Wild Harvest Table: 136 Calories per 4 oz. Serving (Source)
4. Calorie King: 135 Calories per 4 oz. Serving (Source)
For a blog about How Long To Hang A Deer we have that too!
