Author Topic: Killed my own meat  (Read 10064 times)

meatgrinder

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 157
Killed my own meat
« on: October 01, 2018, 09:31:59 AM »
Went on my first hunt with a friend this weekend and shot a blacktail dear. The meat tastes delicious and now we have about a year's worth of it in the freezer. Demand for wild game meat from friends and family has been high so I'm planning on hitting the logging roads again in Nov. for Elk season which I've heard is the most delicious of the deer meats.

Costs were reasonable
- Ammo $2 (2 Rounds at ~$1 per round. Rifle was a hand me down.)
- Big game hunting license $80 (will use this for Elk too)
- Hunting/camping supplies $50 (one time purchases of field knife and fancy camping stuff)
- Gas $10
Total: $142


Bird In Hand

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 842
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2018, 11:05:38 AM »
Well, your username checks out!  :D

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23128
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2018, 11:09:32 AM »
I'd take moose over elk or deer personally if we're talking about best flavour for woodland critter meat.  :P  Good on you for hunting your own meat though.

HAPPYINAZ

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 382
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2018, 01:45:54 PM »
Congratulations!  I hunt as well, and it's always nice to have meat you harvested yourself.  You know where it came from and how it was processed.  If you make your own sausage out of it, you can control the spices and salt that's in it.  So much better than store bought!

GuitarStv is right, moose is great meat.  I have had elk that I didn't like and some that I loved.  I haven't had blacktail deer, but I am not a fan of mule deer meat and it's likely similar.  Whitetailed deer is great though and Antelope is some of the best!

DS

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 673
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2018, 01:48:04 PM »
What about cost to butcher? Did you do it yourself?

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23128
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2018, 01:51:13 PM »
Congratulations!  I hunt as well, and it's always nice to have meat you harvested yourself.  You know where it came from and how it was processed.  If you make your own sausage out of it, you can control the spices and salt that's in it.  So much better than store bought!

GuitarStv is right, moose is great meat.  I have had elk that I didn't like and some that I loved.  I haven't had blacktail deer, but I am not a fan of mule deer meat and it's likely similar.  Whitetailed deer is great though and Antelope is some of the best!

The problem with deer is that it goes from being gross and raw to being dry and overcooked in a thousandth of a second.  :P

ninja

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 38
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2018, 02:20:53 PM »
I cheat - I'm one of those relatives demanding game meat! I get venison off of my dad every year - just now getting through last-years and season opens again next month!

Cost: Being very grateful to father $0.

Fishindude

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3075
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #7 on: October 02, 2018, 02:29:06 PM »
Good for you !   I can't hardly brag about how inexpensive my meat is, but we typically eat three deer per year and some years an elk, elk is awesome and you get 200# or more.
After a few disappointments, I do all of my own game processing now.  With a helper, I can process a deer complete in a couple hours.

Venison makes up the majority of our red meat.  About all we buy at the grocery is the occasional good steak or some pork.

thesis

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 407
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2018, 03:27:11 PM »
Congrats! Hunting for subsistence is often overlooked in favor of gardening, for whatever reason. There are a few upfront costs, of course, but to use that skill to save on food is going to be enormously handy over the years - I love your cost breakdown :)

MrSal

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 889
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2018, 08:35:07 PM »
Venison is awesome.

I was worried with all the "gamey" taste that people talked about. My wife's cousin hunted one last fall with a crossbow. He butchered it within a few hours - it was below 32F so butchering wasn't super important - however he gutted everything on the spot.

He gave me a few steaks and to be honest it just tasted like normal beef, however, to me it just tasted like really high quality beef like grass fed. It was one of the best steaks I ate - I did it sous vide so temperature was on point!

meatgrinder

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 157
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2018, 11:30:33 PM »
What about cost to butcher? Did you do it yourself?

Did it myself and made some home made sausage (had to add pork fat) and did my own meatgrinding.  Next time I'll try a butcher?

meatgrinder

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 157
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2018, 11:38:36 PM »
I'd take moose over elk or deer personally if we're talking about best flavour for woodland critter meat.  :P  Good on you for hunting your own meat though.

Thanks for the tip...there are some moose here but you need a special tag that is given out via lottery and the odds are around 5% of winning.

meatgrinder

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 157
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2018, 11:43:34 PM »
Good for you !   I can't hardly brag about how inexpensive my meat is, but we typically eat three deer per year and some years an elk, elk is awesome and you get 200# or more.
After a few disappointments, I do all of my own game processing now.  With a helper, I can process a deer complete in a couple hours.

Venison makes up the majority of our red meat.
  About all we buy at the grocery is the occasional good steak or some pork.

Thanks.  Anonymous internet bragging is the only kind I do. That's a lot of deer, you guys must have your recipes down.

How did you get experienced in processing? I don't know if how we processed was good or bad since it was my first time and my experienced friend took the lead...it was definitely messy though.

hoosier

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 118
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #13 on: October 04, 2018, 06:45:15 AM »

Don't hire a butcher unless you personally know them and how they operate.  Some deer processing places get slammed with all kinds of deer at the same time, get weeks behind, and your deer gets mixed in with everybody else's (who may not have not gotten it gutted/cooled in time).  They usually charge a lot just for basic butchering...something you can do yourself very easily.


Here's a quick video that really explains a lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-q4IVBrL0M

Davnasty

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2793
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #14 on: October 04, 2018, 07:44:08 AM »
Congratulations!  I hunt as well, and it's always nice to have meat you harvested yourself.  You know where it came from and how it was processed.  If you make your own sausage out of it, you can control the spices and salt that's in it.  So much better than store bought!

GuitarStv is right, moose is great meat.  I have had elk that I didn't like and some that I loved.  I haven't had blacktail deer, but I am not a fan of mule deer meat and it's likely similar.  Whitetailed deer is great though and Antelope is some of the best!

The problem with deer is that it goes from being gross and raw to being dry and overcooked in a thousandth of a second.  :P

It's been awhile since I've had venison but I do recall some tough steaks. You can also make sausage by adding some other animal fat (beef/pork) or jerky which works great with such lean meat. I always dreamed of a whole deer's worth of jerky but never had the patience to hunt deer. We did make some goose jerky though. It was... ok.

Fishindude

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3075
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #15 on: October 05, 2018, 11:04:59 AM »
Thanks.  Anonymous internet bragging is the only kind I do. That's a lot of deer, you guys must have your recipes down.

How did you get experienced in processing? I don't know if how we processed was good or bad since it was my first time and my experienced friend took the lead...it was definitely messy though.

My home state IN is pretty generous with deer tags and I can hunt them out the back door so access to the game isn't a problem.   However, I'm just a real avid deer hunter so I hunt a couple other states every year.   If I filled all of my tags this year, I could take approx. 13 deer, but three is all we can eat and I don't like killing game I'm not going to eat.

For butchering you need a nice clean table top surface, some cutting boards and knives, and a small grinder.   I use a vac seal machine to package the finished goods for the freezer, but you can get by without one.   Another important thing is getting the deer skinned and hung someplace "refrigerator cool" prior to butchering, outdoor temps aren't always reliable.   I've got a walk in cooler on the home place, but when I travel, we quarter them up and put the meat in big coolers with frozen milk jugs.   This will keep it nice for several days, depending on exterior temps.

One of the Steven Rinella Meateater shows on Netflix walks you through how he does a deer,which is much the way we do them.   Check it out if you get a chance.

Good hunting !

FINate

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3114
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #16 on: October 05, 2018, 12:40:08 PM »
Agree with others, do your own butchering. You've already done it once, gets easier after the first few times. Besides, if you're going for elk you'll almost certainly need to skin and field butcher to haul it out.

Just got back from a backcountry wilderness hunt with a buddy. Were going for deer but brought a bear tag along because the seasons overlap. Planned on being out for a week, but ended up taking a mature bear the first evening then spent the next 2 days getting the meat and the hide/head (per the regs here) 8 miles down the mountain, along with our gear. Skinned and deboned in the field, which made it packable, but was still a lot of weight. Finished the detailed butchering at home before throwing into the freezer. Haven't had a chance to tuck into it just yet, though we did roast the heart over the campfire which was delicious.

Still sore but eager to get out again, though DW probably would not approve :) Will have to content myself with half-day outings for quail after the season opens in a few weeks.

Congrats on your deer!

NV Teacher

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 559
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #17 on: October 06, 2018, 11:06:29 AM »
Venison is good but elk is fantastic.  I’d take elk stew over a full thanksgiving meal every time.

TomTX

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5345
  • Location: Texas
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #18 on: October 06, 2018, 11:24:03 AM »
I'd take moose over elk or deer personally if we're talking about best flavour for woodland critter meat.  :P  Good on you for hunting your own meat though.

I've only had elk and moose a couple of times, but black bear is certainly my favorite for flavor. Was a bit tough, but delicious.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23128
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #19 on: October 06, 2018, 11:26:08 AM »
I'd take moose over elk or deer personally if we're talking about best flavour for woodland critter meat.  :P  Good on you for hunting your own meat though.

I've only had elk and moose a couple of times, but black bear is certainly my favorite for flavor. Was a bit tough, but delicious.

I haven't eaten bear, but my understanding is that the flavour of the meat changes quite drastically depending on the time of year that the animal was killed.

Nate R

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 415
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Milwaukee, WI (Bay View)
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #20 on: October 06, 2018, 11:31:14 AM »
I'd take moose over elk or deer personally if we're talking about best flavour for woodland critter meat.  :P  Good on you for hunting your own meat though.

I've only had elk and moose a couple of times, but black bear is certainly my favorite for flavor. Was a bit tough, but delicious.

I haven't eaten bear, but my understanding is that the flavour of the meat changes quite drastically depending on the time of year that the animal was killed.

Same here. Just make sure any bear meat is WELL cooked. You don't want to risk trich!

gaja

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1681
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #21 on: October 06, 2018, 12:28:29 PM »
A friend of mine is home slaughtering his sheep, DD12 and I helped him this week in return for free offal and cheap meat. Currently there are a stack of blood waffles cooling in the kitchen, and in the fridge we have heart, tongue and liver from one of the lambs. The liver paté we made earlier this week is almost gone, so it will be good to get a second batch done tomorrow.

I don't know how common it is in your part of the world to take offal from wild game? The blood will probably be more work than it is worth, but liver from young roe deer is highly recommended! Smoked heart of reindeer and deer is also a delicacy.

I prefer to do my own butchering, since I like cuts with more bones than most butchers make. It is not difficult if you have a good knife. I usually keep to the cuts on the center and right of this poster. With elk/moose and larger deer you have to make smaller cuts, unless you are feeding a tribe.

FINate

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3114
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #22 on: October 06, 2018, 12:30:01 PM »
I'd take moose over elk or deer personally if we're talking about best flavour for woodland critter meat.  :P  Good on you for hunting your own meat though.

I've only had elk and moose a couple of times, but black bear is certainly my favorite for flavor. Was a bit tough, but delicious.

I haven't eaten bear, but my understanding is that the flavour of the meat changes quite drastically depending on the time of year that the animal was killed.

Same here. Just make sure any bear meat is WELL cooked. You don't want to risk trich!

Agree! As an added protection we wore gloves while processing the carcass.

Have read that fall harvested bears generally have a better flavor because they fatten up on berries/plans for hibernation, though I suppose location (which affects diet) is also a factor. Would pass on a bear in a wildland-urban interface because they are such scavengers of garbage, whereas a bear in the wilderness consumes mostly wild vegetation.

TomTX

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5345
  • Location: Texas
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #23 on: October 06, 2018, 12:36:30 PM »
I'd take moose over elk or deer personally if we're talking about best flavour for woodland critter meat.  :P  Good on you for hunting your own meat though.

I've only had elk and moose a couple of times, but black bear is certainly my favorite for flavor. Was a bit tough, but delicious.

I haven't eaten bear, but my understanding is that the flavour of the meat changes quite drastically depending on the time of year that the animal was killed.

Same here. Just make sure any bear meat is WELL cooked. You don't want to risk trich!

Agree! As an added protection we wore gloves while processing the carcass.

Have read that fall harvested bears generally have a better flavor because they fatten up on berries/plans for hibernation, though I suppose location (which affects diet) is also a factor. Would pass on a bear in a wildland-urban interface because they are such scavengers of garbage, whereas a bear in the wilderness consumes mostly wild vegetation.

The bear in question was eaten ~30 years ago, harvested in Canada from a wilderness area in the fall. Cooked thoroughly. Wan't my kill, I just got to enjoy some of it.

meatgrinder

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 157
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #24 on: October 08, 2018, 05:54:36 PM »
Thanks.  Anonymous internet bragging is the only kind I do. That's a lot of deer, you guys must have your recipes down.

How did you get experienced in processing? I don't know if how we processed was good or bad since it was my first time and my experienced friend took the lead...it was definitely messy though.

My home state IN is pretty generous with deer tags and I can hunt them out the back door so access to the game isn't a problem.   However, I'm just a real avid deer hunter so I hunt a couple other states every year.   If I filled all of my tags this year, I could take approx. 13 deer, but three is all we can eat and I don't like killing game I'm not going to eat.

For butchering you need a nice clean table top surface, some cutting boards and knives, and a small grinder.   I use a vac seal machine to package the finished goods for the freezer, but you can get by without one.   Another important thing is getting the deer skinned and hung someplace "refrigerator cool" prior to butchering, outdoor temps aren't always reliable.   I've got a walk in cooler on the home place, but when I travel, we quarter them up and put the meat in big coolers with frozen milk jugs.   This will keep it nice for several days, depending on exterior temps.

One of the Steven Rinella Meateater shows on Netflix walks you through how he does a deer,which is much the way we do them.   Check it out if you get a chance.

Good hunting !

Thanks for the tips.  I'm originally from Indiana and never took advantage of all the deer there. I'm prepared to hike with a ton of meat on my back if we do get an elk. Just started watching the Meateater....new season was just released!

TexasRunner

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 926
  • Age: 32
  • Location: Somewhere in Tejas
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #25 on: October 09, 2018, 09:17:31 AM »
Went on my first hunt with a friend this weekend and shot a blacktail dear. The meat tastes delicious and now we have about a year's worth of it in the freezer. Demand for wild game meat from friends and family has been high so I'm planning on hitting the logging roads again in Nov. for Elk season which I've heard is the most delicious of the deer meats.

Costs were reasonable
- Ammo $2 (2 Rounds at ~$1 per round. Rifle was a hand me down.)
- Big game hunting license $80 (will use this for Elk too)
- Hunting/camping supplies $50 (one time purchases of field knife and fancy camping stuff)
- Gas $10
Total: $142

Congrats!!!!  It goes to prove that hunting does not have to be expensive.  If you dump thousands of dollars into it, you are choosing to do so.
(Don't tell my wife though, because I really like my $1800 rifle....  :)  )

I recently started getting back in to hunting since having done it as a kid.  I hope to be right behind you once rifle season opens up here.

chaskavitch

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Fort Collins, CO
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #26 on: October 09, 2018, 09:47:58 AM »
A friend of mine is home slaughtering his sheep, DD12 and I helped him this week in return for free offal and cheap meat. Currently there are a stack of blood waffles cooling in the kitchen, and in the fridge we have heart, tongue and liver from one of the lambs. The liver paté we made earlier this week is almost gone, so it will be good to get a second batch done tomorrow.

I don't know how common it is in your part of the world to take offal from wild game? The blood will probably be more work than it is worth, but liver from young roe deer is highly recommended! Smoked heart of reindeer and deer is also a delicacy.

I prefer to do my own butchering, since I like cuts with more bones than most butchers make. It is not difficult if you have a good knife. I usually keep to the cuts on the center and right of this poster. With elk/moose and larger deer you have to make smaller cuts, unless you are feeding a tribe.

Any recommendations on cooking heart, tongue, and liver?  I've made beef liverwurst once, but I'd like more options.  I still have liver and heart from the quarter cow we got last year, and I'm so lost as to what to do with them.

LovinPSDs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 89
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #27 on: October 09, 2018, 09:51:31 AM »
What's a general rule of thumb for meat processing cost if you take it somewhere?

gaja

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1681
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #28 on: October 09, 2018, 10:10:21 AM »
A friend of mine is home slaughtering his sheep, DD12 and I helped him this week in return for free offal and cheap meat. Currently there are a stack of blood waffles cooling in the kitchen, and in the fridge we have heart, tongue and liver from one of the lambs. The liver paté we made earlier this week is almost gone, so it will be good to get a second batch done tomorrow.

I don't know how common it is in your part of the world to take offal from wild game? The blood will probably be more work than it is worth, but liver from young roe deer is highly recommended! Smoked heart of reindeer and deer is also a delicacy.

I prefer to do my own butchering, since I like cuts with more bones than most butchers make. It is not difficult if you have a good knife. I usually keep to the cuts on the center and right of this poster. With elk/moose and larger deer you have to make smaller cuts, unless you are feeding a tribe.

Any recommendations on cooking heart, tongue, and liver?  I've made beef liverwurst once, but I'd like more options.  I still have liver and heart from the quarter cow we got last year, and I'm so lost as to what to do with them.

Heart and tongue needs long and slow cooking to get tender. Do you have any favorite stew recipes? 

I've never used liver from cow, only young animals. How old was she? Does the liver have a smooth surface, or is it more uneven? Liver from older animals can have a stronger taste and more "mushy" texture. I would soak it in milk for a day or so before you use it, to get a milder taste.

The kids like fresh, lightly seared lived (cut in cm thick slices and fry for a very short time - it should still be pink inside). But usually we make liver paté in the Danish way. It can be eaten warm or cold on bread, with a bit of bacon, cucumbers and fried mushrooms if you want to be fancy. There are tons of recipes for liver paté, this is what we use:

250 g liver
1 onion
-run these three times through a meat grinder

125 g butter
-melt in a pot
100 g flour
-mix in to the butter
-add 1 dl boiling water and mix well
-Let the flour/butter/water mixture cool

1.5 dl cream
some salt and pepper
-add to the liver mixture

-mix everything carefully together
-grease a small pan
-Add mixture, and put a layer of bacon on top

-bake for 40-50 minutes at 200C

Nate R

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 415
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Milwaukee, WI (Bay View)
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #29 on: October 09, 2018, 10:18:49 AM »
A friend of mine is home slaughtering his sheep, DD12 and I helped him this week in return for free offal and cheap meat. Currently there are a stack of blood waffles cooling in the kitchen, and in the fridge we have heart, tongue and liver from one of the lambs. The liver paté we made earlier this week is almost gone, so it will be good to get a second batch done tomorrow.

I don't know how common it is in your part of the world to take offal from wild game? The blood will probably be more work than it is worth, but liver from young roe deer is highly recommended! Smoked heart of reindeer and deer is also a delicacy.

I prefer to do my own butchering, since I like cuts with more bones than most butchers make. It is not difficult if you have a good knife. I usually keep to the cuts on the center and right of this poster. With elk/moose and larger deer you have to make smaller cuts, unless you are feeding a tribe.

Any recommendations on cooking heart, tongue, and liver?  I've made beef liverwurst once, but I'd like more options.  I still have liver and heart from the quarter cow we got last year, and I'm so lost as to what to do with them.

https://harvestingnature.com/2018/01/31/venison-heart-stew/

This was my first time trying heart, and DEFINITELY will do again. I liked it this way.


partgypsy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5206
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #30 on: October 09, 2018, 11:56:39 AM »
I don't mind people hunting IF they eat the meat. Probably one of the more low impact, higher sustainable ways of including meat in one's diet (as long as animal is not endangered).

Myself, I would probably end up becoming close to a vegetarian if I had to kill to eat meat. In reflection of that, moving to eating less meat. 

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23128
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #31 on: October 09, 2018, 12:18:04 PM »
I don't mind people hunting IF they eat the meat. Probably one of the more low impact, higher sustainable ways of including meat in one's diet (as long as animal is not endangered).

Myself, I would probably end up becoming close to a vegetarian if I had to kill to eat meat. In reflection of that, moving to eating less meat.

Squirrel and rabbit are pretty easy to get with snares even in an urban environment.

meatgrinder

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 157
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #32 on: October 09, 2018, 01:37:41 PM »
I don't mind people hunting IF they eat the meat. Probably one of the more low impact, higher sustainable ways of including meat in one's diet (as long as animal is not endangered).

Myself, I would probably end up becoming close to a vegetarian if I had to kill to eat meat. In reflection of that, moving to eating less meat.

Squirrel and rabbit are pretty easy to get with snares even in an urban environment.

I have mixed emotions on snares.  Cost and time effective but the animal can still suffer for awhile even if they are checked on a daily basis .

FINate

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3114
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #33 on: October 09, 2018, 01:40:53 PM »
I made bear stew this week, was quite tasty. Very slight gaminess, though I attribute this to the time it took to get the meat on ice as we packed it out of the wilderness in warmer than usual temps. Next meal will cook it a bit longer - was tender but could have gone longer still.

@partgypsy Hunting (which I picked up only a few years ago) has changed my attitude towards meat. It's hard work (esp. in wilderness areas) and entirely hands on from start to finish. Seeing an animal breathe its last breath so I can eat is profound. I don't get sad about it, nor is it a sadistic pleasure (certainly not pleasurable)...maybe the best way to describe it is sobering. And then processing a carcase that was just recently alive and running around is also an experience. Lots of hard messy work to go from carcase to something recognizable as food. This has prompted me to consume less meat. I have a new respect for it and am somewhat in shock about how cavalier we are about it -- for most meat is just something that comes shrinkwrapped in the grocery store or, worse, just appears in fast food.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2018, 01:42:41 PM by FINate »

Fishindude

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3075
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #34 on: October 09, 2018, 01:46:23 PM »
Any recommendations on cooking heart, tongue, and liver?  I've made beef liverwurst once, but I'd like more options.  I still have liver and heart from the quarter cow we got last year, and I'm so lost as to what to do with them.

I like to cross cut the heart and liver, dredge in flour salt & pepper, then fry with some onions, just like you would cook traditional liver and onions.   Don't over cook it or it will just keep getting dryer and tougher.

Tongue can boiled until done, then peel the outside layer of tough skin off of it, then chop it up and eat on crackers, in tacos, etc.

Anybody new to wild game should seriously consider watching the Meateater series on Netflix by Steven Rinella, or get one or more of his books.   He shows how to cook something in every episode.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23128
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #35 on: October 09, 2018, 01:48:59 PM »
I don't mind people hunting IF they eat the meat. Probably one of the more low impact, higher sustainable ways of including meat in one's diet (as long as animal is not endangered).

Myself, I would probably end up becoming close to a vegetarian if I had to kill to eat meat. In reflection of that, moving to eating less meat.

Squirrel and rabbit are pretty easy to get with snares even in an urban environment.

I have mixed emotions on snares.  Cost and time effective but the animal can still suffer for awhile even if they are checked on a daily basis .

It's a myth that it's possible to kill an animal without suffering.  There is always suffering, it's never fair, and if you're the person doing the eating . . . you are causing it.

That said, I tend to agree with you that a snare is not the most humane way to kill an animal (but would argue that neither is hunting for that matter - and fishing is on par or worse than using a snare).  It's probably the simplest/easiest way for someone to catch their own meat though - much more effective than actively hunting/fishing.

partgypsy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5206
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #36 on: October 09, 2018, 02:19:53 PM »
Eating no meat is the only way to insure "no" suffering. But if one was going to eat meat, I think an animal would prefer to live its life in the wild, having a close to normal existence before dying, than live (aka exist)  in a factory farm. Above factory farm, are all the various free range, grass fed type options of raising of livestock and fowl. One thing I want to work on is getting better at preparing tougher cuts of meat such as stew meat. For the grassfed options at the local store these cuts are actually reasonable in cost versus steaks etc. My Mom used to use a mallet like thing to pound meat as well as some kind of tenderizer. So far I have not been very successful.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2018, 02:22:21 PM by partgypsy »

gaja

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1681
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #37 on: October 09, 2018, 03:42:12 PM »
Eating no meat is the only way to insure "no" suffering. But if one was going to eat meat, I think an animal would prefer to live its life in the wild, having a close to normal existence before dying, than live (aka exist)  in a factory farm. Above factory farm, are all the various free range, grass fed type options of raising of livestock and fowl. One thing I want to work on is getting better at preparing tougher cuts of meat such as stew meat. For the grassfed options at the local store these cuts are actually reasonable in cost versus steaks etc. My Mom used to use a mallet like thing to pound meat as well as some kind of tenderizer. So far I have not been very successful.

Well, cooking it long enough for a stew usually does the trick for stew meat. :) A crock pot does wonders, and if you can cook it on the bone you can usually get a good soup or sauce with very little work.

Or is the the stew part you don't like? In that case, baked in the oven at a very low temperature for hours, maybe even over night, is also a good alternative.

JLee

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7512
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #38 on: October 09, 2018, 03:45:42 PM »
Congratulations!  I hunt as well, and it's always nice to have meat you harvested yourself.  You know where it came from and how it was processed.  If you make your own sausage out of it, you can control the spices and salt that's in it.  So much better than store bought!

GuitarStv is right, moose is great meat.  I have had elk that I didn't like and some that I loved.  I haven't had blacktail deer, but I am not a fan of mule deer meat and it's likely similar.  Whitetailed deer is great though and Antelope is some of the best!

The problem with deer is that it goes from being gross and raw to being dry and overcooked in a thousandth of a second.  :P

https://www.outdoorlife.com/venison-sous-vide-recipe-for-perfectly-cooked-wild-meat

Cassie

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7946
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #39 on: October 10, 2018, 12:02:09 PM »
I have lived all over the country with my ex who was a hunter. Venison taste really varies depending on what the deer eat.

Fishindude

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3075
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #40 on: October 10, 2018, 01:46:41 PM »
I've got a pot of venison chili in the slow cooker right now.   Supper later, with some grilled cheese sandwiches.

Thegoblinchief

  • Guest
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #41 on: October 12, 2018, 06:21:53 AM »
Not a hunter but I kill well over half of the meat we eat every year myself.

We raise chickens for eggs (fantastic protein source) but of course you don’t need to kill chickens for eggs. I also raise furry chickens rabbits. I’ve had to take a break from tracking my production numbers, but I probably process about 150-200 rabbits a year.

It’s a really versatile meat and while they’re not the easiest animals to raise, you can fit a very productive rabbitry into some incredibly tiny spaces.

smoghat

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 258
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #42 on: October 12, 2018, 06:56:10 AM »
If only they let us hunt around here. I could sit on my deck and take out deer all day. My neighbor poached one in their yard once. I was outraged when they told me. We’d just moved in and they hadn’t invited us for dinner.

pressure9pa

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 91
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #43 on: October 12, 2018, 02:01:10 PM »
I don't mind people hunting IF they eat the meat. Probably one of the more low impact, higher sustainable ways of including meat in one's diet (as long as animal is not endangered).

Myself, I would probably end up becoming close to a vegetarian if I had to kill to eat meat. In reflection of that, moving to eating less meat.

Squirrel and rabbit are pretty easy to get with snares even in an urban environment.

I have mixed emotions on snares.  Cost and time effective but the animal can still suffer for awhile even if they are checked on a daily basis .


This is a BIG "It depends".  Some snare that do not have stops built into them can dispatch pretty quickly and humanely.  (There is always a scale, and it is not perfectly instant and perfectly painless.)  The big downsize is that these snares are not intelligent.  That is to say that they have no idea what animal is in them.  So while you can use a snare to take a rabbit, you run the risk of getting an outdoor cat as well.  I'd have no issue with them being set deep in the woods with a responsible, licensed sportsman doing the setting.  Not ideal for a suburban environment.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23128
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #44 on: October 12, 2018, 02:53:38 PM »
I don't mind people hunting IF they eat the meat. Probably one of the more low impact, higher sustainable ways of including meat in one's diet (as long as animal is not endangered).

Myself, I would probably end up becoming close to a vegetarian if I had to kill to eat meat. In reflection of that, moving to eating less meat.

Squirrel and rabbit are pretty easy to get with snares even in an urban environment.

I have mixed emotions on snares.  Cost and time effective but the animal can still suffer for awhile even if they are checked on a daily basis .


This is a BIG "It depends".  Some snare that do not have stops built into them can dispatch pretty quickly and humanely.  (There is always a scale, and it is not perfectly instant and perfectly painless.)  The big downsize is that these snares are not intelligent.  That is to say that they have no idea what animal is in them.  So while you can use a snare to take a rabbit, you run the risk of getting an outdoor cat as well.  I'd have no issue with them being set deep in the woods with a responsible, licensed sportsman doing the setting.  Not ideal for a suburban environment.

Cat tastes about the same as rabbit, and people who abdicate responsibility for their pets by letting them wander the neighbourhood out of control deserve to have their cats eaten.

Fishindude

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3075
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #45 on: October 13, 2018, 07:59:29 AM »
I run snares for coyotes every winter on my own land.   Haven't snared a neighbors dog or cat yet (knock on wood), but it wouldn't be a big shock if I did.    People need to keep their pets on their own property.   Snares are a small hazard, free ranging pets are much more likely to become lunch for a pack of coyotes.

MishMash

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 731
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #46 on: October 17, 2018, 09:24:02 AM »
What's a general rule of thumb for meat processing cost if you take it somewhere?

In our area it's about 150 for basic processing.  If you want special things like sausage it's per lb more.  It's super easy to process them at home and we do all of our own, making 10 different types of sausage, jerky, pre seasoned burger patties etc.  We also hunt boar and do a crap ton of fishing/crabbing. I'd say we probably kill about 90% of what we eat.  We are lucky to have a place to hunt that doesn't cost us anything.  Leases in our area are about 3k a year.

CBnCO

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 108
  • Location: Colorado
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #47 on: November 05, 2018, 07:11:01 AM »
Congrats.

I've been a lifelong fisherman & hunter, mostly deer & elk these days. The meat is healthier and the hunting experience has always made me feel a little more attached to our natural world and to being a natural human animal.

Was out with a friend this fall who said, "why do you think we have elk hunting season in the first place..because the herd size is too big". I thought about that for a moment and it occurred to me that the real reason we have controlled hunting seasons is because the human population is too big!

Fascinating to pull up data and maps showing historic populations and range areas of North American fish & game (deer, elk, moose, bison, salmon, etc.) from even 100-200 years ago and we've really done a number on these animals. It's pretty sad. It seems we have reached a bit of an equilibrium for the time being as wildlife management professionals seem to be managing our eco-systems to some success in terms of maintaining animal populations; but, i do fear that human progress (malls, subdivisions, golf courses, etc..) will continue to pose a threat to wildlife.

partgypsy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5206
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #48 on: November 05, 2018, 08:21:31 AM »
From people talking about it here, just this week got a pound of ground elk. I was going to make it into hamburgers but anything people would suggest?

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23128
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Killed my own meat
« Reply #49 on: November 05, 2018, 08:27:04 AM »
Add fat of some kind to the burgers (butter/bacon grease/beef fat/whatever) or they'll come out kinda dry.