Hunters and eating

[northlandwriter]

Hello! Who knew my first post would be about food. Well today after finishing some homework for environmental science and learning about the horrors of meat processing I was curious on how other hunters eat. My household eats only venison, if we're having anything else it's an occasion. But that's what we're used too, we hunt for fun but also for the meat in our meals. We cut up and package all our own meat. This is how I was raised but on a vast amount of different kinds of meat because my dad has been a butcher since he was 17 yrs old and a very avid fisherman and hunter so we had fresh Halibut from Alaska when he went there But I find I really don't miss the variety that much it's just fine if I have veni steak or fish and eggs for breakfast rather than bacon. I've actually found I cannot stand pork sausage, it's just greasy. I like having to put a bit of water in the pan cuz my meat won't emit enough fat to cook itself on!
This assignment was all about "eating low on the food chain" but maybe there's something about "organic", or "free-range" meat. Anybody else have opinion about this? Here's the website I found for the assignment explaining eating low... http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/why-we-should-not-eat-meat/eating-low-on-the-food-chain.html

 

[jore07]

First, welcome to the site. As for your post I keep a variety of meats in the freezer but mostly we have venison, antelope and sometimes elk when I am lucky enough to get one. I sadly don't yet process my own as I am still learning and trying to acquire all the tools needed. I take mine to a local meat shop that I trust and they do a good job for me but soon I plan on doing everything myself. I wouldn't be surprised if the many of the people on here have the same thoughts and feelings on the matter as you. Thanks for the post and again welcome.

 

[MHMT]

At home I eat all wild game that I process myself, besides adding bacon to some of the sausage that I make. I do eat other types of meat at restaurants when I eat out, but have never purchased meat from the grocery store aside from bacon and sliced sandwich meat. It is nice to know where your food comes from and how it was processed. Look into how some other foods are processed too, it will have you starting your own garden.

 

[sweetnectar]

Ha ha ha ha
As long as you are eating in the US you don't have much to worry about. Try looking at what goes on in other countries. One of the only things I'd watch out for in this country is organic milk. There is just something appalling about bloody puss in the milk that turns me off.

 

[northlandwriter]

Thank you all for the welcomes and the comments I appreciate it!! I guess we do eat a lot of grouse and fish along with the veni but venison is a staple in our diet. And we mix the veni burger with a few pork butts and a couple pounds of bacon depending on how many deer we're processing at that time. i think it's great to process the meat yourselves then you really know what's going on with your food. Don't garden too much, my father-in law has a huge garden all to himself so we get a lot of fresh produce from him.

 

[Big Fin]

Welcome, Northland. I think the eating part is the icing on the cake of hunting fun. Time to go thaw a batch of antelope lasagna.

 

[NChunter]

Welcome to the site. I process all my own meat too. I like to know it was handled properly. I make my own sausage too.

 

[Mudranger1]

we've been munching on elk since Oct but I have to have my chicken mixed in there....can only take so much red meat....

 

[mdunc8]

Same here. Finally did break down and buy a big fat ribeye for the first time in two years a few weeks ago. I think I'll have some down time this summer to get a garden too. Can't wait for the first completely home grown meal. Elk backstrap, salad, corn on the cob, taters, and a nice glass of huckleberry mead.

 

[genesis273]

Welcome to the site!

We (family) have not bought any beef since about the time my daughter was born 17 years ago. All we eat/cook at home is wild game. 90% venison, wild turkey, fish, etc. We do go out to eat every so often, which is a nice change of pace. I also process all my own meat. WIfe has a hard time finding different ways to cook it all....but she manages, which is mostly burger...without anything added (fat).

Wife came home from talking to one of our friends from church and said that her friends and her husband want to learn how to process their own meat, and start eating strickly wild game. I told her first, are they sure they want to do this! And second, he will have to kill more than one 140lbs buck a year. We will go through 15-20 deer, not including everything else.

 

[Fiver]

Welcome Northland,
Our family is in similar company. We pretty much eat wild game all year long (elk, deer, antelope, bison, fish, etc.) We do all our own processing, including jerky, sausage, salami, etc. Not only is it nice to know that you are getting your own animal back, you also know the quality of what you are getting back. The processing is also something we look forward to each year because we always have a few friends and family doing it together, drinking beers and telling lies, 'er I mean stories about the big one that always gets away.

We do a lot of canning of deer and elk meat and fish too. Use big mouth pint or quart jars. This is great for some of the tougher chunks of meat when you already have enough burger or sausage. Saves on freezer space too. The canning process really breaks it down, but is nice for those days when you want something quick or at the last minute because you forgot to take something out of the freezer. We have all been there, for some reason, I dislike nothing more when my wife tries to do a quick defrost in the microwave or a bath of hot water. Just seems to ruin it for me.

Not to say that we don't do the occasional eating out or buying some chicken for something different, it is nice for a change in pace.

The processing equipment can be expensive if you try buy all the equipment yourself. If you keep your eyes open and are patient enough you can find good deals all around the internet. If your family is one that insists on getting you something for birthdays or other holidays, ask for gift cards that you can put towards the equipment. And you can do what we did, since we process ours together each year, each one of us buddies bought a different piece of equipment to keep the individual cost down.

 

[putm2sleep]

Welcome N-land, The response seems to be consistent across the board. This is THE OYOA site, and would hedge a bet that most have an upright in the garage, full of wild game and rarely buy from the store. Can ya say spring time ---- wild turkey ----- turkey fryer - OOO LA LA.
We have the 'home town team' process our elk, and they do a super job. I do not have time or the space to process 6 elk, but manage the distibution to my hunting partners when it is done. Free range, hormone free through the 3/4 hp grider is hard to beat. We do-it-yourself with our antelope and deer. Made 150lbs of italian sausage and german brats this winter.
The trout we keep is smoked, but that is not often due to the 'health advisory with contaminants '????? what...yes it is true, for eating fish here in Colorado. It is recommended that you ~'only eat 1 fish / month' or something? Coming soon - 'NEW" radiation flavor this summer.

 

[northlandwriter]

Welcome N-land, The response seems to be consistent across the board. This is THE OYOA site, and would hedge a bet that most have an upright in the garage, full of wild game and rarely buy from the store. Can ya say spring time ---- wild turkey ----- turkey fryer - OOO LA LA.
We have the 'home town team' process our elk, and they do a super job. I do not have time or the space to process 6 elk, but manage the distibution to my hunting partners when it is done. Free range, hormone free through the 3/4 hp grider is hard to beat. We do-it-yourself with our antelope and deer. Made 150lbs of italian sausage and german brats this winter.
The trout we keep is smoked, but that is not often due to the 'health advisory with contaminants '????? what...yes it is true, for eating fish here in Colorado. It is recommended that you ~'only eat 1 fish / month' or something? Coming soon - 'NEW" radiation flavor this summer.

That's why we don't eat all of the fish we catch. I'm sure we'd have mercury poisoning quick like. Most of it goes to a group of widows that our uncle helps out quite a bit. And I like that because it makes them very happy to have a fresh walleye for dinner when they don't always eat the best all the time.. I'm sure it brings back good memories of their own lives too.
I would like to make up a bunch of jerky cuz I love it but we mostly leave that to my bro he's the jerky expert! Plus it seems like you loose a lot of meat in that process as well. We always take down as many deer as possible to feed us through til bow season opens up again. This year I believe you could take 6 deer where my fiance' works, which was wonderful because he can hunt while he's working! Lucky guy huh? I would not trade our life for any other though we live, work, and hunt in the northwoods, and I can't think of a better place to be.

 

[npaden]

Here in Texas I get to add wild pork to the list as well. I enjoy dove too.

We have 1 freezer that is just for meat. I process all my own game, jerky, hamburger, sausage, ham, etc.

Processing an elk does take some time (I shot 2 this year), but well worth it!

We buy fish and chicken to add variety (probably tons of added hormones there) and we buy ribeye steaks twice a year when they go on sale for $4.99/lb and one of the local supermarket chains.