Well after several days of hunting and passing up many small deer, Cale finally got a nice 8 point buck. He got a nice shot, not ruining any meat. since it is so warm, we are taking it ot our loal butcher to have it done up. Usually we do it ourself but with temps in the 60's it just isn't a good idea.

Please note my new e-mail address!

-- Melissa (melissa_n65@hotmail.com), November 30, 2001

Answers

Well done, Cale . . . meat for the table is always welcome around here.

I too use to do all the butchering, but became wiser and now have the burger ground by the butcher; my arms (I have a crank meat grinder) thank me for that decision.

In south Texas, we also have warm temperatures during deer season. My brother killed a small six point (we wanted meat NOW), and the highs that day were in the low 90's!

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), November 30, 2001.

Melissa, why does he take the bucks? They taste far worse for "gameyness" than does, and since the hunting is for over population control, taking a doe makes more sense. It only takes a few bucks to service a whole herd of does, but the does all make babies. Scott Shalloway in his column in "The Farm and Dairy" has posed the same questions to hunters also, why the bucks? It's the does that need to be reduced in number!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), November 30, 2001.

I know Annie!! I tell him I don't know any recipes for those horns!! But he does often shoot a doe for meat. He hasn't shot a big buck for about 6 years. His whole family is really into hunting and getting a big buck is a good thing to them. We do have a huge deer population around here. There are literally dozens in my yard every morning. I could shoot a doe from my front porch any day of the week.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), November 30, 2001.

Melissa, it must be a testosterone thing, don't you think ;-)!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), November 30, 2001.

Must be! althoughI know several women who like to hunt as well. I used to go out with him some, but it just isn't for me. I'd rather be here cooking up something good, or reading a good book.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), November 30, 2001.

My husband got a doe this year, and bucks in the past three years. In this state, you can't take a doe unless you get selected from a lottery process. I would like to hunt with him, but the noise of those deer rifles freaks me out!

-- Cat (catcrazy@somewhere.com), November 30, 2001.

Our state uses the lottery process for the does, too. (MN) We have such a large population this year, that my husband and I both received the doe permit as well as the maintenance permit. He got two good sized does. I didn't even see anything. We had to use the processor this year, too. It didn't get cool until just last week, here. First snow this week. Do you mix your meat with pork fat when you grind it at home? If not, how well does this cook for you and do you cook it in a special way to keep it from getting too dry?

-- Dawn (olsoncln@ecenet.com), November 30, 2001.

We don't have any fat added to our meat, either at home or at the butchers. If I am frying it for things like chili, I just add a little water to the pan. If I want to amke burgers, I might add just a small amnount of olive oil to keep it from sticking.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 01, 2001.

Wow, sorry to hear there are some states that don't allow open season on does, perhaps those states don't have the actual population problem we do here in OH, WV and PA, we are over-run with deer! Or maybe the DNR folks need a desperate re-education in how biology works!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), December 02, 2001.