Author Topic: Free Meat  (Read 6094 times)

effed

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Free Meat
« on: March 21, 2014, 11:39:54 AM »
I have been posting in the Ask a Mustachian section about everything I think we have done wrong, but there are some things I feel badass about. One is free meat. I know most people find this wrong, but we can and actively look for and have consumed several road killed deer. Free meat. We only take freshly killed deer that are intact, and we know how to process them ourselves. We also hunt, and our freezer always has venison in it. We only hunt does or cow elk since there are more of them and they are easier to hunt than the antler bearing males. Can't eat antlers anyway! Not all states allow people to make use of roadkill deer and elk, but our state does and they even thank me when I call one in to get the free permit. The only thing we spend money on are the vacuum seal bags.

We don't serve roadkill to guests because, you know, some people think it's gross, but honestly it isn't any different to us than deer we shoot. Plus we feel driving by a perfectly good freshly killed deer is a waste.

AJ

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2014, 12:01:49 PM »
Better than it going to waste, for sure. How often to you run across freshly road-killed animals? And, is it limited to deer?

effed

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2014, 12:08:07 PM »
Since we both work at home and aren't on the roads much it has only been once every few years. You can pick up elk or deer. I am always scanning the roadsides when we drive. If we drove more I am sure we'd have more opportunities to pick them up. We have friends who know we want them that say they will call us when they see one....they never call, though, guess I need to pester them.

ingrownstudentloans

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2014, 12:35:50 PM »
I hunt and fish in the Adirondacks.  It's the best organic, free-range, humane-kill (think before you try to debate this) meat you can get.  It's cheap (cost of license and either fishing or hunting gear), and you get to enjoy the outdoors while doing it.  There is nothing like cooking a brook trout on the side of the stream you pulled it from before turning in under the stars. 

Last year it cost me $23 (at about $.50/lb) to fill my freezer.  Cost of license was $22 and cost of a box of slugs was $5 (I had 4 slugs left after the hunt!)   

I am not against the side of the road grocery store, but unless I saw the deer get hit and I knew it was clean, I am not sure that I would partake.  If you do, more power to you.

effed

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2014, 01:49:31 PM »
We feel confident in our ability to judge if it's fresh or not. One of them only had a broken leg, but it was young and the Fish and Game said the young ones can be killed from minor injuries. It's eyes were still wet and shiny and it's mouth warm, it's body was still warm and limber, in the winter. Wasn't dirty from the road even. We do hunt, our tags costs a little more than yours at $30 each but it is very rewarding to know where your food came from, and that it lived naturally and we did not have to keep it in a pen and feed it. Fishing is also good, and I agree, nothing quite like pan fried trout that were caught the same day :)

FuckRx

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2014, 06:32:09 PM »

i'm a vegan but TOTALLY all for eating road kill. especially since you guys know what you doing even better. so kudos for not letting the thing go to waste.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2014, 09:10:35 PM »
In some parts of the country, there is (no joke) a roadkill hotline. Friend of mine's family in Ohio was on it growing up. If law enforcement spotted a kill, there was a list of families they could offer it to, or something like that.

MicroRN

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2014, 10:15:08 PM »
A friend and I actually once helped a guy load a deer into his hatchback.  He saw it flailing at the roadside with a broken back.  He called it in, got permission, shot it at close range, and then flagged us down to help him load up.  I thought it was a great idea.  The deer was already going to die, but this gave it a humane end and the body didn't go to waste. 

effed

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2014, 08:23:09 AM »
I should totally see if our local law enforcement has a road kill call list! GREAT idea! I would rather pick one up that already died than go hunting, actually. I really just want the meat. It seems excessive to go shoot one when you drive by so many already dead along the road. But I have no ethical issues with hunting for meat, either. It's ecologically sound, healthier to eat, and brings a person close to their food, all good things. I quietly mourn the death of the animal, but am always amazed by the process of going from a live animal to perfectly lovely table meat in vacuum packages filling up the freezer. Meat...it's neat :)

effed

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2014, 09:04:35 AM »
We do our own processing and have only rarely had a piece that tasted gamey. I have eaten venison for so long that beef tastes processed and greasy to me now. Plus, have any of you taken a gander at what roasts and nice steaks cost nowadays? Yikes!!!!!

senecando

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2014, 07:31:23 PM »
It might make more sense to spin this off to its own thread, but:

I'm planning on taking up fishing after a ten (?) year hiatus. I did it a bit as a kid. Do any of you folks have tips on mustachian routes to take with respect to gear? Is it better to rent a pole for a while, or just start with a cheapish one and use that? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Simplicity

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2014, 08:00:13 PM »
What kind of fishing do you intend to do? Fishing gear can be purchased inexpensively if you know what you are looking for.

TreeTired

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2014, 08:31:33 PM »
I will spare you my deer story (I could have invited you over to my house one morning last year) but I am really down on farm-raised fish, and while I can choose between farm raised and wild caught salmon,  I am pretty sure the only trout I can buy in the store is farm-raised.  Enjoying wild caught trout is a rare treat in my life.

Wesmon

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2014, 08:52:20 PM »
It might make more sense to spin this off to its own thread, but:

I'm planning on taking up fishing after a ten (?) year hiatus. I did it a bit as a kid. Do any of you folks have tips on mustachian routes to take with respect to gear? Is it better to rent a pole for a while, or just start with a cheapish one and use that? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Here in Connecticut it's not viable to live off of caught freshwater fish.  Too much mercury in the water.

senecando

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #14 on: March 24, 2014, 08:32:09 AM »
What kind of fishing do you intend to do? Fishing gear can be purchased inexpensively if you know what you are looking for.

Well, edible fish in Wisconsin streams and lakes, from the shore. Probably no fly fishing since that seems a bit outside my skill range. (I'd like to learn eventually.)

The actual species are listed in the link below. Thanks!

Here in Connecticut it's not viable to live off of caught freshwater fish.  Too much mercury in the water.

I don't plan to live of 'em by any means. I will probably follow these guidelines: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/images/consumption/Safe-eating.jpg

YK-Phil

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Re: Free Meat
« Reply #15 on: March 24, 2014, 08:47:56 AM »
I lived most of my adult life in the Arctic, and hunted and fished to feed my family for many years, which was possible without license or permit since my children are Aboriginal and the law up here allowed me to provide for them. I hunted for caribou and seal mostly, and fished whitefish, trout and arctic char in the most pristine environment, and accompanied my Inuit friends on their beluga, walrus and polar bear hunts regularly. There is nothing more rewarding as a father to know that you are bringing real and fresh food to your family, and not having to rely on the food industry for sustenance. And the feeling of the warm blood of the animals on your frozen hands, when the temperature is -40, is probably the most primal experience a human being can get. Too bad we didn't have roads in the Arctic, otherwise I'd also go for roadkill.

 

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