Completely out of meat.......

[bswiv]

The final pheasants were fried a couple of weeks ago. The last package of ground hog got mixed with some GRASS FED beef and baked into one fine meatloaf on Friday. All the ribs, loins, trimmings, every last bit of good stuff, is gone.

Only thing left is a SMALL package, maybe 8-12 ounces!, of jerkey that's thawing in the frig right now. It'll be gone by sunrise Monday as it's part of the snack pack for the first night of gator season.

We even went so far as to raid the brother in laws freezer the other day for some hog to strip and fry for breakfast at the market. In fact we went so low as to beg a couple of dozen quail off a friend 2 weeks ago to make breakfast with.

And as we don't bow hunt ( To busy with the gators.... ) it'll be at least early November before we fix the situation. That is unless the brother in law gets his act together.

Was at his house last night eating his food and looking at his latest batch of gamecam pictures. He's got more than a few coons, one scragly spike(still in velvet), a couple of does(one that has a fawn so small that a few spots are still visible with it) and two nice packs of hogs hitting his feeder.

He had 4 days of pictures, maybe 200 in all. Activity, except for the coons, was during dark hours. The deer showed each night, the hogs, and this was kind of odd, showed only one of 4 nights. Guess they don't care that much for corn.

Anyway, sense we don't eat the gator, it's up to him and his bow to put the next load of game on the table..............hopefully one of the smaller hogs that'll get marinated for 8-12 hours in smoke till it just about shakes off the bone.

A empty freezer.........is a reason to hunt......................

[TX Hunter]

I feel your pain, we are about out of venison, but still have a few packages of ground pork.
Cant wait for the chance to stock back up.
We have an advantage though, Youth Deer weekend comes up the last weekend of October, and My Son and Daughtor are both acomplished hunters.:D

[shafter]

Good thing huntin season is comin up!

[hooligan1]

My youngest son took a nice little 60lber, Made breafast fry sausage out of that one, my oldest parked his deer in my freezer, so I pinch a few steaks or burger when necessary, I'm out of fish though, I could use about ten lbs of walleye:rolleyes: MMMMMMMMMMM biscuts and deer-sausage gravy:D:D

[mrgoodwrench76]

You guys are making me hungry

[bswiv]

You mentioned fish......and yes I know it's a hunting forum but sense the issue is now on the table.........we live on the St. Johns River about 20 miles south of downtown Jacksonville which means we catch a few fish.....and shrimp.

Yes I said SHRIMP. Catch them right off the dock at night during the late summer and fall. This year we are having what is working out to be the best run in about a dozen years. They are not real big yet but numbers are crazy. Caught near on 25 pounds the other night in about a hour and a half......and that was even with tossing back 3 of every 5 we caught because they were to small to bother messing with.

If we have no tropical event, as in a LOT or rain to wash them out of the river, by late September they will be big and we'll be faced with the question of whether to scout for hunting season, keep after the gators or go toss the cast nets.

Louann though says there is no hard choice......she says that we need to just quit working for a few months. The concept sounds good but I don't think the various lending institution we are beholding to would understand.......

[Deerhunter]

I am lucky enough to still have some deer in the freezer. It was going to be a tough year but bought into a cow with some friends. That was at least way better than the stuff you get in the store. Wish I could work out a hog hunt so I wouldn't even need to buy pork at the store.

Dove hunt September 18th and then archery opends 2 October. Should just make it to the end.

[BIGR]

I still have a little bit of deer meat left in freezer, it is vacuum sealed so its still pretty good. About a week ago I had some tenderloin on the grill and a roast in the crock pot. That made me look forward to deer season that much more so I can have some fresh meat and restock the freezer.

[Deerhunter]

Mine is all vacuum sealed also.

Deer backstraps......cut them about 2 inches thick and lay them in a glass casserol dish. season (both sides) with salt, pepper and anything else you want. I use seasoning from a place called The Melting Pot. Fresh press garlic as desired, peal and cut challots. Then cover with sliced baby portabella mushrooms. Last thing is to add red wine. Pour in enough to cover bottom of dish (about 1/4 the way up the pieces of meat). Put in oven on 350 for 10-15 minutes. Flip meat over and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Turns out great. If you have meat from an older buck soak the backstraps in salt water over night before.

Enjoy

[hooligan1]

Now it's a recipe thread aye?:rolleyes: Really fellas try this one, butterfly backstraps, on the grill. Take your butterflys and open them up, place three or four japeleno slices inside, fold back over, wrap a length of bacon around the edge, as you would a fillet mignon, sprinkle a little Cavanders Greek Seasoning on them. Place over a direct fire like you would for deer burgers. I let them cook for 10 minutes and then flip. When bacon is pretty well done so is the butterfly!!! don't overcook venison!! Hey try it and respond. I swear you'll have people who dislike game meat chomping these steaks down.:) I also have a killer recipe for deer neck!:D

[DiscoRacing]

I still have around 10 lbs squirrel,,,,20 lbs turtle,,,100 lbs catfish,,,and 80 lbs deer.... IM actually making jerkey like crazy to use up the venison that I have left to clear some room for the upcoming seasons.

[TheGoldenState]

Not trying to be an uninformed dummy, so i have to ask.

Do you guys', OP and others, hunt for ALL the food/meat that you eat? Without meat stored from your kill, what happens? Are you able to run to a local market? How rural of an area do you live, and is it common?

I'm 22 college kid and live and grew up in an upper-middle class city of 250K + people. Hell there are 5 High Schools within a 10 mile square radius. I have never been hunting (shooting all my life tho) but i want to (possibly going deer hunting in november). Meats for me, are a mere 2 minute drive in any direction you can point to the nearest grocery store (not talking any of the 50-60 plus drive thrus i can see).

To me, hunting for the need of survival, is something ive only seen in the movies. Aside from a venison stew once ive never had any of the things you mention, but id like to. I was under the impression wild hogs werent for eating (unless "baby")??. How long does a single kill, say deer/hog last you?

Many questions that are probably laughable to you, but it is all relative.

[hooligan1]

Many of us hunt for wild meat because we prefer it. Not because it's cheaper or just right down the road. Usually wild game is healthier and fresher. I like a beef steak and a regular hamburger also, but its convienant to reach down into the freezer and thaw out some walleye fillets and some frog-legs, and some backstraps, and some.........:p And its good for the heart!!!!!!:D There was a time when my younger family ate more venison than beef, so I needed to take at least three or four deer per season.. Now they're older, and they still like it, but not for every meal, so instead of me hunting for meat exclusively, I can be picky about what I'm hunting for. My younger kids will try to kill any deer big enough because they haven't been hunting too long, (they still measure success by getting their deer tags filled). As long as there is at least one deer harvested for the freezer wer'e doing well!!:)

[TheGoldenState]

Ah gotchya. I know, ya have to figure fresh wild meat is MUCH healthier than the chemically preserved, disease inducing meats from joe blowes market.
:(

[pbrktrt]

We are down to elk and venison burger with a few steaks. But really been chowing down on salmon and trout all summer. Deer season is just around the corner then we switch gears. It is all good, healthy eating. If I didn't smoke and drink beer I'd probably be in wonderful shape. Here's to a successful season for all.

[bswiv]

Golden State:

We own a seafood business and therefor eat fish ( Some of it which we catch ourselves.) 4 or 5 days a week. And no, we do not get tired of it. Had crabs Friday night with a bunch of friends, shrimp creole with the brother in law last night and right now Louann is making a fish spread using salmon and Chilian seabass.......and the house smells GOOD.

We buy maybe 2 or 3 pieces of beef a year, same with pork......... and NEVER buy chicken.

More often that not when we are not eating fish we are having something we harvested ourselves. We prefer wild hog and focus most of our efforts on them. Venison is a close second with birds(quail/pheasants) not to far behind.

Beyond the fact that wild game has more flavor there are recognized health benifits to it. Yes even the hog.......

Wild game has less fat in it and what fat it does have is of a different kind than that in farmed animals. Look that one us. You will be very surprised.....especially as to wild hogs.

If I may suggest a book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma" as a place to get some insight about wild as compared to farmed food. Some of it will be very surprising. And no, while the book was written by what I judge to be a liberal ( Michael Pollan ) it is not some crazed tretise on living off the land or going organic or "slow food". In fact he sands the luster off some of the "organic" shine.

Finally, getting back to the hogs. Some on here, and on other hunting forums as well, will tell you that they are vermin, crop destroyers of the first order and fit only for the buzzards.

Truth is that in some places, depending on the agriculturial practices, they can be pests that often need drastic control measures employed.

In many places though they do not get out of control. Here in NE Fl. there are few issues with them other than the occasional yard that gets rooted up.

For the most part in this area, and much of the SE US is this way, they are viewed as a bonus in the woods by hunters.

And they are by far the best eating animal out there. I think in 35 years of hunting I've had one, a big sow that was lactating, that had a off flavor. The rest, even big boars, have been good. Though I will admit that a older one will sometimes need a little more time on the heat to get tendar.

Look up Spanish Hams on the web. You will be surprised.

[Deerhunter]

@ The Golden State......I grew up in PA outside of Philly. I was in the Army for 8 years and after getting out I moved to Northern VA. Been here since 2006, and still go back to PA for deer season. I can see the Pentagon from where I work so there are plenty of stores around. I shot 4 doe 2 years ago and a buck last year. That is pretty much all we eat. I could go to the store but I enjoy hunting and the meat is soooo much better. We only buy pork and chicken at the store. I am going to be out hunting anyway and the meat works out to be about $2.50 a pound. That all depends on what I get made and how heavy but a good average. So you figure extra lean burger is way more than that at the store.

[wpcexpert]

Where you at Bswiv? Close enough to get gifted about 25 lbs of deer?

[BIG P]

We were out also but a little luck came today 830am shot 2 hogs 70lb./90lb.
Stag AR15 we're going to process 1 ground cook the other next weekend.
Cant wait for it to cool off a little bugs are bad:D I try to take 6 to 9 deer/5or6hogs every year.:D

[DiscoRacing]

TheGoldenState
Do you guys', OP and others, hunt for ALL the food/meat that you eat?

I like to hunt...but I also like the meat... you cant run to the store and buy squirrel, turtle or deer... I like beef to. . but I dont buy much of it anymore because I like the other meats that I have eaten for years.

[kaylorinhi]

All I got left is one strap and it will be used as my motovation to spend the extra dollars for a nice stand and quality bullets as I don't yet reload!

[bswiv]

WPCEXPERT:

Very kind offer but I am a LONG way from you, NE FL.

The cost of shipping would be VERY high.

[oneounceload]

ya have to figure fresh wild meat is MUCH healthier than the chemically preserved, disease inducing meats from joe blowes market.


Assuming, of course, that your deer actually lives and eats in the wild and is not feeding in some farmer's field that has been sprayed with herbicides, insecticides and inorganic fertilizers........

Same with hogs if they live near a dump..........

[BIGR]

Came home yesterday and I'LL be danged if my wife didn't have a deer roast (one of my last ones) cooking in the crock pot. It is almost like she had read my mind. It was a tasty meal last night.

[Sgt.Saputo]

I hate these "Expert Hunters" that always show up in my neck of the woods during hunting season. They show up, kill some deer, saw off the rack, and leave. Then people like me who would have eaten all that meat are left with slim chances of getting a deer :(. Hopefully I get something this year, looking forward to some nice deer steaks and deer jerky *drifts off into into a trance-like state while licking lips*.:D

[Creade]

Our freezer is empty as well!

I think there might be a grouse somewhere in the back, but even that may have gotten gobbled up in my summer cravings.

Only another 2 weeks!

[Deerhunter]

Had to break out some hamburger the other night. Fiance doesn't want to finish off all the deer just yet. She was trying a new recipe and didn't want to waste deer on it just in case it wasn't good. She was concerned that if I get a deer in October up in PA that I wouldn't get back up to get the meat for awhile. I assured her that if I get one opening day (2 October) that I could pick it up when I go back up mid October.

Headed out Monday for a dove hunt so hope to limit out at 15.

[43FLcracker]

Bswiv, just eat some of that gator yall are trappin . I live down by melbourne. We keep the freezer stocked with tail from every season, as well as hogs in the pen out back, ready for slaughter

[bswiv]

Odd that this one should come back to the top of the board today.........because............as I was cleaning out the cooler today one of our customers who is a guide/dog handler on one of the local quail plantations shows up. He'd had some clients out this morning and they did not want their birds.......so guess who got them.

And if things go right we have some folks coming to the house and we're going to set out bait and toss the shrimp nets for a while after sunset. If it's anything like the last few days there will be a pile of shrimp caught.

And that means that for breakfast at the market tomorrow we'll be having fried shrimp & quail.........

Just thinking about it makes me hungry.......

[hogdogs]

Yep I am screwed!!! bswiv, YER solely responsible!!! The wife didn't want to cook tonight so she is at walmart buying hotdogs... http://www.gulfcoastfishingconnection.com/forums/images/smilies/misc/puke.gif
And I am not really "fond" of hotdogs.... as in I am also not very "fond" of sticking my finger in light sockets!:D

Brent

[kaylorinhi]

@HogDogs, Come-on Hot Dogs are like a whole pig put in the blender kinda like a fruit smoothy but meat!!