2. It's manly. Greg has a great job. We want for nothing. We sleep on a giant pile of money every night and burn it in our fireplace to keep warm. But what is more manly, more provider-like than actually killing your own food? Seriously. Greg is such a great provider.
3. It makes sense. I've been trying to simplify my life lately--to focus on the things that really matter. My kids. My husband. But also my food. We've all read food labels and know that most of the stuff in food isn't really food. But a deer, it's a deer. It's just that simple.
4. It's human. As I know most of you are from California and have driven through Colinga at least once, you all know that stockyards are not happy places for cows. But a forest, is a happy place for a deer. So the deer get to run around and be free and enjoy life, until they get hit by an arrow.
5. It's organic. Again, picture the cows in Colinga--they live in their own poop. And then they drag that poop into the slaughter house with them, and then we eat it. We eat cow poop. And then there's all the antibiotics and ammonia and blah blah blah. A deer is just a deer. They eat acorns and the corn Greg puts out for them to lure them closer. Nothing crazy in a deer, just deer.
6. It's lean and tastes like cow. Seriously, deer tastes like a very lean cow and cooks in all the same ways--minus crock pot. Not enough fat in a deer to make a successful crock pot meal out of...maybe a stew. I'll try and let you know.
7. It's good for food storage. I'll be honest and say we have almost no food storage--we could last a few weeks. Maybe. But a good friend of mine, who shall remain nameless because I don't want anyone getting in on my deal, has like 3 years' worth of wheat. So we agreed--she'll share her wheat and we'll share our deer when the zombies attack.
And yes, I know hunting is super hick. We live in the South remember? But just take a look in my freezer full of organic, grain-feed, free-range, super fresh deer meat, then judge.
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| Greg harvested (hunter code for killed) these Bambis last week--one with a bow and one with a rifle of some sort. Four more to go to fill up his card and get us through 'til next season. |
So yes, I love me some hunting--as long as I don't actually have to do it. I continue to live in my non-Southern, non-hick fantasy world where I still live in California/Utah, depending on the day.
This was my life growing up and I chose to ignore it. Until it came to dinner time, then I relished in it. And you are right, it makes sense. I would just prefer fishing.
ReplyDeleteDeer meat is tasty. Of course I think I had the throw away parts from that family that gave us the hind leg to hack at in my old family ward, but it was still good to me :). Really, next time Greg gets a deer, I want to see how he skins and cuts it up. This is something I need to know when the zombie apocalypse occurs. Well, maybe I should learn how to hunt first....
ReplyDeleteFull disclosure here: I've only actually cut up a deer once, and even then it was mostly my brother-in-law doing it for me. It's not difficult though, especially if you do it the way he does. I prefer to take my deers to a processor where they are processed in a variety of tasty ways and neatly vacuum-sealed for optimal freezer-life.
DeleteSometimes I have a hard time determining where the truth ends and the sarcasm begins. Maybe you could just bold the true parts...... oh I guess you did.
ReplyDeleteAh ha....a processor. And tasty ways- got it. So where does such a processor exist? You just drop off the deer and you pick it up the next day? How many pounds did these deer yield? Sorry for so many questions- I'm very curious about this subject :).
ReplyDeleteThe processor is this house we found a couple of years ago way down highway 218 in Union County. Creekside Processing I believe they are called. Anyhow you pay $50ish dollars per deer and they dry age the meat for a week to make it tender, then process it into backstraps (the tenderloin), ground deer-beef and sausage. I also had some jerky made. It is very convenient and yields 40-80lbs of meat depending on the deer and how much meat you destroyed while taking it (bow hunting conserves the most meat). You should just take up hunting. It's not difficult, just takes time, patience and either a gun or a bow, or lacking those two things a very sharp stick.. Well you also need a license too, but that is relatively cheap though it does require you to take a hunter education class. Anyway, nothing beats the payoff when you've put in hours and hours of preparation and patience.
DeleteI don't mind Erick hunting. I never had a choice either. He came that way. I've just learned how I like it processed. Erick brought home 2 deer a couple of weeks ago and Bryant and Cora worked together and ground up the entire thing! Erick would cut the meat and hand it to them and they would grind it through. It was interesting. They didn't mind at all. Kids don't seem to be too sentimental, at least mine aren't!
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