Putting meat on the table, using what Mother Earth offers us.

[modern_pioneer]

MP, I have a question for you, and I hope this doesn't start a debate, do you have problems with people mounting their first buck, etc. even if they ate the meat? or just when people are just out there for the big one they can mount?

I'm not opposed to someone mounting their catch, my husband has his 10 point on our wall, but I hope they are eating that meat, or at least giving to to someone who will eat it.

My husband enjoys the hunt, but he doesn't want the meat wasted. Last season, he took 2 does. We put one in our freezer and gave the other to an elderly couple down the road. We process our own, but they wanted to send theirs in. They seemed very happy with the meat, but 2 weeks later told DH that the place processing their deer said the meat was rancid and that they couldn't eat it, so the whole deer was thrown away.

Ernie was livid. He said he knows that meat was good, and they wasted a perfectly good deer. He refuses to give them another deer, because they wasted last years.

If that was open for debate, I'll be the first one to shoot it down before it even starts.

QA Said.. I'm not opposed to someone mounting their catch, my husband has his 10 point on our wall, but I hope they are eating that meat, or at least giving to to someone who will eat it. Later on you said.... We put one in our freezer and gave the other to an elderly couple down the road.

I saw a double neg in your post and decided to point that out rather than bicker about the point.

Like most of you that have posted, if I fire a shot, there's meat on the table.

I finished the cold smoker today, and it is fab...... I still have to cure it, but that will be smooth.

Yup, you can expect some pics in the next couple days.

Tomorrow is the first day of muzzy season, and I am not going to hunt. Why? The earth shattering news is because the deer aren't moving around to much. They are still in pre-rut, bucks are still chasing does off their plots, and the does are sticking close by the bucks for some business. With the lower temps this year, I expect rut season will be longer.

On to small game.....

 

[modern_pioneer]

I see smoked turkey breast in the future....

 

[Blackbird]

Love it, its smokin'. LOL.
Thats my joke for the day. :/

I agree, its very disappointing to know someone is wasting meat. We see many remains from poachers around here.

My dad and grandfather have harvested atleast one deer per year, each. Both prefer to get a 'trophy' but will always make sure they have meat to feed us, whether a doe or spike buck, license permitting.

I personally don't see the point of shooting only a trophy, very similar to breeding an animal for colour, etc. Basically pointless to the important things. Men and pride. Meat is meat,

I have yet to shoot a deer though, I either haven't seen one or it wasn't right shoot it. I end up getting forced into the worst stands because members of my family (uncles, dad, brother) want the large rack to go with the meat.

I guess I'm just in a different frame of mind than some. Hunting for the fun of simply killing something? I see hunting is necessary for aquiring food.
We own quite a bit of land, my uncles often let distant family and friends hunt on it, most are know it all city slickers eager to kill. There have been some who are completely sickening. We went pheasant hunting with one, he accidently shot a hen (no one saw but me, and at that he wasn't shooting towards a very safe direction) he realized it was a hen and pretended he couldn't find it. Figures

 

[modern_pioneer]

Like QA said, at least their giving the meat away or keeping the does for themselves to eat.

The largest rack I have harvested is a 8 point, which is the least number, or 4 on one side allowed in my neck of the woods.

The whole kill what you eat was taught to me as a young hunter. It was just a lesson told to me or a practice that was just taught me after a incident on the farm. Of course I know the difference between trophy hunting and poaching.

Back on the farm, I think 1981, I was headed with Bobby to a lower field where he saw some spot lighting going on the night before. As we came to the area of the field bodies of dead deer where all about. I don't remember how many, I'd guess 9-14. All were missing the back straps and hind legs, the rest of the meat was just left to rot.

I think that incident is what gave me a bad taste for people who just trophy hunt, or hunt and don't eat the meat.

You like me, and all those reading this are products of things that have happened in our lives. The impact of these lessons learned, teaches us as people, and guides us to how we decide to live our lives today.

Am I trophy hunter, I say I am not, but given a choice between a 12 point or 8 point, I'd harvest the 12 point and mount it. But I would eat the meat, and even brag how good he taste.

 

[FarmerChick]

that is a good point
taste of meat

younger more tender is best. big buck is smelly old big buck...LOL

even if "waste" happens by hunters, nature never wastes anything. many critters would eat off those leftovers and it would not truly go to waste. we think waste, but nature thinks buffet.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Sometimes you can harvest a nice deer with your car , although I wouldn't suggest causing $3500 worth of damage to a perfectly good 4x4 Blazer as I did just for a venison roast! Unfortunately, someone beat me to my deer. While the state trooper was giving me the paper showing I had hit the deer so it'd be legal, the guy who allowed me use of his phone had loaded it up and taken it home. :/

MP, I'm not sure what you mean I posted a double negative? The second Doe my husband had harvested was only because he promised the neighbors a deer. They had allowed him to hunt their land, so that was his way of thanking them. He doesn't plan to hunt their land again since they wasted the deer.

I'm not sure how many we'll be allowed this year, as they seem to change their minds on that a lot. I haven't read the 2009 hunting regs yet. We fill our freezer first, and then Ernie usually tries to take another one to give to someone who needs/would appreciate the meat for their freezer.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Or $4200 to a very nice white buick and you don't even get to harvest the deer, cause its not legal around here and the cops got there too quick.

I'd rather have a doe myself, rather than a trophy. They do taste better, and the hides aren't typically cut up as much, since the does don't fight.

Very nice smoker, MP. Mmmm, bacon, smoked turkey, hams, cheese, yep, tasty stuff.

 

[modern_pioneer]

MP, I'm not sure what you mean I posted a double negative?

Oh, I'll explain it... 1st you gave the buck meat away hoping they or some one else would eat the meat, and the second time the folks said the meat was spoiled. You gave meat away twice without positive results, hence a double neg.

Your attitude of giving is kind, to bad you folks don't live down the street, Ernie and I would be taking turns keeping the smoker going. Yuns would have plenty of meat for the winter, prepared meat, not just frozen.

Saying that, I am on my last batch of jerk and still have bologna and kielbasa in the freezer. I also have some roast and 6 canned quart jars of deer meat left.

I really like this idea of getting a hunting dog, I think its a move in the right direction. This means I will be able to hunt the state game land again without hiking for 7-8 miles a day for 10 pounds of meat. Of course the 9 pheasant I harvested last year were nearly gone before xmas. With only four rabbits harvested last year, with a dog I hope to harvest 4 times as much. I didn't get a grouse one last year, I kicked a couple up but was slow on the draw.

DW wants me to think about duck hunting, I never ate duck before, I hear their fatty if not cooked correctly.

But hey, if we eat the meat, by golly, I will hunt it, its free food!!

I miss our old hunting beagles, they always made quick work at sussing out rabbits. Bobby had them two trained pretty well back on the ole farm, worked very well together most of the time.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

OH I see what you mean! No, we ate that buck! LOL Sorry I wasn't clear on that. What I meant was if someone was just hunting because they want the trophy, I'd hope they give the meat to someone in need if they don't eat it themselves.

Are you allowed to run dogs during deer season there? We're not here, but last year Ernie saw a couple guys hunting on horseback!

We've had duck-YUCK! It was really greasy and tough. It could have been the way my Aunt had cooked it, too, but we didn't care for it. Ducks are better for eggs IMO.

Ernie doesn't rabbit hunt anymore, which is why I decided to raise rabbits. He said he'll clean them for me.

He does enjoy squirrel hunting and says squirrel are the best eats. I've not tried squirrel, and he's not gone squirrel hunting in awhile.

I'd love to have a smoke house, even for just smoking meats we raised ourselves. Smoked pork....

 

[modern_pioneer]

Hope he sticks around