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Old April 19, 2005, 03:30 AM   #1
357SIG
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Shoot and run, and cook, other ?

Forgive me for what will appear as a ridiculous question but only your answers will pull me out of my ignorance.

What do you do once you shot large game?
What do you do with varmints?

I understand that in Europe, as soon as the hunting season opens, restaurant from all price ranges offer game in the menus. Event the most expensive and sophisticated ones.

What do you do? Cook? Take the fur? Other?

Thanks.
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Old April 19, 2005, 10:49 AM   #2
hockey_78
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Cook and eat!

I love deer meat!
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Old April 19, 2005, 11:14 AM   #3
Sharp Shooter
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eat it

kill it, skin it and butcher it, have the hide tanned and enjoy.
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Old April 19, 2005, 02:14 PM   #4
Jseime
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both

deer, i shoot em field dress em hang em for a few days and butcher em. mmmmm fresh Bar-B-Que venison steaks :drool:

varmints (p. dogs, yotes, rabbits) leave em where they fall ive got no use for them thats why i shoot them
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Old April 19, 2005, 05:55 PM   #5
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Bury them! Well, the little critters. Never done a big game hunt, don't plan to.
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Old April 19, 2005, 08:21 PM   #6
Shell
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My ex would remove the ivories from the elk. Antlers are the best chew toys for dogs. I've skinned deer and rabbit for fur, but never got past the stretching part of the process before the cat got to it. Maybe someday. I had a friend make me a pipe from deer antler. I had thought of trying to make some buttons out of antler, but haven't accomplished that yet either. Cleaning, skinning and butchering are like science class for the kids. Hope thesse ideas are helpful.
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Old April 25, 2005, 04:01 PM   #7
Fat White Boy
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Wild boar is delicious although the larger ones, over 200# can be rank. I haven't found any gamebirds I won't eat. They are all good. I guess that's why we shoot quail and not sparrows....
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Old April 25, 2005, 05:37 PM   #8
Dave R
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My rule is, if you shoot it, you must eat it.

That rule does not apply to varmits, such as Prairie Dogs. Those I leave for the coyotes.
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Old April 25, 2005, 06:25 PM   #9
MeekAndMild
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I never bury the inedible parts from the deer I harvest, nor any of the varmints I remove from the food chain. I leave the remainder for vultures, our least appreciated bird of prey.
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Old April 25, 2005, 07:26 PM   #10
FirstFreedom
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Meek.... "Buzzards gotta eat; same as worms." - Josey Wales To answer the question in some detail, "what do you do after you shoot an animal?":

Varmints: Make sure they're dead (not suffering), then leave 'em.

Game:

First, let them go die (in the case of large game). Wait a good half an hour before tracking if you have made an excellent shot. Wait an hour or 2 if you think you hit them with a bad shot. Tracking itself can be an adventure and is a whole nuther subject unto itself - and very unfortunately, will occasionally be unsuccessful, sooner or later (knock on wood). A second shot is sometimes required also, if you can see the animal is down, but not dead.

Second. Gut them immediately or almost. Regardless of the game: fish, bird, or mammal, they got guts that need to be taken out. Cut from [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] to sternum, reach in and pull em out - may require some cutting around the insides of the rib cage. Then, in the case of organs that you want to save & eat (such as deer heart or turkey liver or whatever), place organs in a plastic bag; place on ice. Any number of carnivorves and omnivores will greatly appreciate your gut pile - coyotes, wolves, bears, buzzards/hawks/eagles/falcons/kites, crows, racoons, skunks, etc. I think owls eat only live prey, not carrion, but these others will eat it, 'cept maybe falcons & kites eat only live as well - not sure. Possums might even eat the guts - not sure.

Third: Get the game out of the woods & back to camp or home (may require a horse, tractor, 4-wheeler, wheeled carriage, 3 or 4 of your buddies; whatever). May require some in-field partial butchering to make the carcass into a manageable/packable size (esp. elk and up sized).

Fourth: Skin & Butcher 'em; requires a good sharp knife....in cold weather, you can let a deer hang a few days to make the meat tenderer or tastier, but in slightly warm weather all game must be butchered soon (within 3-10 hours let's say), and in very warm or hot weather, immediately. Carve out the meat, wash off, place into plastic bags or other container, put on ice. Butchering specifics depend on species, and is a skill that you get better and faster at over time, but the basics are the same, regardless of species - carve the meat away from the bones, and get the parts small enough to fit in the ice chest. Take skin and discard or save & have tanned (or tan it yourself if you know how and are so inclined). During the skinning process, you cut off and save whatever trophy you want, if applicable - a deer or elk antlers or head, a turkey beard, pheasant tail, whatever. Discard carcass (makes a good crow lure. )

Fifth: For large game, you *may* want to take some or all of the meat to a professional meat processor, and pay the man to have it turned into sausage, hamburger, steaks, or just whatever, with possibly spices and/or suet added esp. in the case of hamburger or sausage. Or you can do this stuff yourself with grinder, sausage maker, etc.

Sixth: When I get home, wash the meat off again, and place into freezer bags or freezer paper or whatever (this step is already done for meat you had processed - just place in freezer). Additional butchering may be done to make into smaller meal-sized pieces for freezing, since it's so hard to cut into smaller pieces after its frozen.

Seventh: As desired, thaw, consult wild game cookbook, fire up the grill, frying pan, oven, or smoker, and enjoy! "Where's my Hasenpfeffer?!?"
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Old April 26, 2005, 11:46 PM   #11
oneeyeross
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Also, check your game book

In some states (I know here in Washington) if you DON'T take all usable parts of the game animal with you, you have committed a crime.

As someone else said, you kill it, you eat it. My boys are growing up with the same rule I learned as a child. It's a good rule. Prevents you from just running around killing things for the sake of killing.

I've brain tanned hides. It's hard work, but rewarding in the end.

Meat is tasty. My kids eat goat, sheep, deer, turkey, duck and goose. And only some of those I hunt, the rest I raise. For us, I guess, it's easier, since we eat our own animals anyway. Butchering a deer isn't any different from the goat or sheep.

Oh....one other thing. Thank what ever God you want to thank, for the life of the creature that will sustain you.
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Old April 27, 2005, 02:34 AM   #12
357SIG
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Thanks to all

I appreciat your feedback highly and am certainly reassured.
Indeed, I had never come across the subject before and was a bit worried that some might kill for the sake of killing.

FreedomFirst: thanks for your detailed account.

Other: congratulations for the "If you kill it you eat it" rule.

Happy hunting!
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