Killing Animals
If you’re like me (and you should pray you’re not), you’ve probably been noticing the recent shower of articles about the worsening food crisis.
Over at the casa, we’ve been paying attention and gradually getting more worried. Lately, our dollar isn’t buying what it used to: OJ’s going for $7.00 a gallon, organic milk is out of our price range for more than one purchase every two weeks, and overall, the hammer seems to be coming down. When you factor in our other expenses, like student loans,child support, gasoline/insurance, an the mortgage, there is precious little leftover. We’ve got a garden in the backyard as many of my readers know: right now we’ve got tomatoes, beets, broccoli, cucumbers, hops, and strawberries going. This weekend we put in the peppers (bells and habaneros), and we’re eagerly waiting for our kale to grow large enough in the peat pots to merit a planting.
In the next few weeks, I am taking it a step further. One of my many bandmates is a hunter and has invited me along on a few occasions. In the next month or so, I’m signing up for hunter education classes (free) and dropping the $20.00 for a license.
I don’t think I can see my way clear to shooting a bear, but deer? No problem at all. I did a little research, and even if the deer I bag is a small one, I wind up with 30-50 pounds of yummy, nutritious venison. Up to 80-100 pounds if it’s a full-grown buck. And yes, i can stand the gore: my pal has already explained in great detail what it means to field dress a deer.
Now turn the deer on its side and allow the guts to fall out. They will require help from you by cutting away the fat that will hold the intestines in. This is usually at the top of the cavity in the area near the spine. Care must be taken to not puncture or break the deer’s bladder. The bladder will be in the area where the cavity narrows down at the hips. I leave this part of the deer’s intestines intact but many or most do not. If you plan on removing all of this then you must have a very sharp knife and must ream the deer out from the back. Cutting around the anus and tying it off with string. Then cutting either forwards or backwards from the abdominal cavity to remove this entire area. Easier said than done. Care must be take not to puncture anything here this is where the deer droppings and urine are located. The deer’s abdominal cavity is separated from the chest cavity by the diaphragm. This separates the lung and heart from the stomach and intestines. This must be cut out to remove all of the intestines.
This is how it usually works for me, with the guts half in and half out I cut the diaphragm away from the deer’s chest cavity, I then reach as far up into the deer’s chest as possible and grab the deer esophagus. With the other hand I carefully slide the knife into the deer’s chest and work my knife up into the chest to cut the esophagus just above my other hand. After it is cut I simply pull the heart and lungs out and with it comes the rest of the intestines.
Makes your guts lurch, doesn’t it! And with that in mind, this video is only for my readers with a VERY strong stomachs. I mean it, no crying in comments that I grossed you out.
How to Field Dress a Deer
I’m pretty excited about this. Surprisingly, Christina thinks it’s a good idea too (although, she adds, she’s wouldn’t be able to kill a deer herself).
April 24th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I loves Bambi burgers.
There are a few tricks to preparing venison. Cut away as much fat as possible. Marinate it in red wine.
And have a feast.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:51 am
I’ve never field dressed a deer, but I’ve cleaned/dressed/filleted plenty of whole fish (salmon, blue, mackerel, Mediteranean sea bass, whiting, striper, etc.), and, in terms of the gore, it’s the kind of thing that I just got over after a short time. Maybe growing up on an island with a previously vibrant fishing industry desensitized me. I imagine it would be the same with deer; shoot the thing, and if necessary, put it out of it’s misery quickly and humanely. There is an element of savagery to it, but I think a deer would prefer taking a well-placed bullet rather than being eaten alive by another wild animal.
In the spirit of things, perhaps you could re-post this clip from Tenpole Tudor:
April 29th, 2008 at 4:52 am
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WungSzKum3s