Today is opening day of deer season in Pennsylvania. Granted this picture doesn't show hunters with anything bigger than rabbits or pheasants. The woman in the middle is my great-grandmother though. Yes, she hunted. My great-grandfather is kneeling with my uncle on the left and my grandfather on the right. I come from a family of hunters, men and women. It kept food on the table when times were tough...or not so tough. I never hunted (Mom wouldn't allow it) but I know how to handle a rifle and a shotgun and was taught from an early age to have respect for the power of a fire-arm, they are no toys.
Diana has hunted since she was 13. This is the buck she got her very first year (within the first two hours of opening day, which is a pattern she repeated every year until last year). Isaac went out for the first time last year and is hoping this year will be his turn to put food in the freezer for winter. Yes, we eat what we take. That's the point.
27 comments:
I come from a family of hunters also. Wow, Diana must be good!
Have a good day!
That's IS the point... hopefully a 4 point!
I always went hunting with my Pappa.. I was the cook for many years and when he finally let me actually hunt I injured a doe and then had to find her and shoot her point blank... was my last hunting trip. I do miss it though...AND I miss venison!
I can hear Ted Nugent blasting in the background.....
lol @ Gman.
We have lots and lots of deer. Too many bucks in one spot. But we also have some neighbors who like to go hunting at 5 am even though this IS the urban prairie...you cannot hunt here, there are homes all in those woods, so, about once a month I hear a couple gunshots at 6 am...and I know they have some meat for awhile.
Then I hope it wasnt Guptas friend deer! EEK!
If animals weren't meant to eat, why are they made of meat?
:P
I just can't though. I just can't eat deer.
Have a lovely day, Lime!
I remember when Diana got her first deer, remember that pic with the deers tongue hanging out?
Then the switched one? You oughta post!
That is so cool. I've gone hunting with my husband a couple of times. But since I have to work outside in the cold during the week, going out over the weekend doesn't sound too appealing. Even if it does mean cuddling in a tree stand. :)
Venison... mmm... good eating.
I can remember nearly every Thanksgiving and Christmas when we would visit my Grandparents' farm, there was always a group of men, boys and the occassional girl (me!) that would go out hunting whatever was in season at the time - quail, duck, deer. Heck - us little kids would even shoot squirrels, cut their tails off and string them up. And yes - we too ate everything we could. I'll have to tell you a story about the time I shot myself up the nose with a BB gun. I'm talented.
I would eat my dogs if hard times hit :(
I have terrible aim though ..
We don't do guns here, but I wouldn't mind someone hunting all the deer in our backyard. They are no longer afraid of people and have a habit of walking down the sidewalks like dogs.
I hunt for my car keys on occasion, does that count?
I've never gone hunting (unless fishing counts as hunting - I suppose not...)
As you know, though, I have eaten Hippo, Lion, Deer, etc.
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/2007/08/mmmmmmm-hippo.html
I used to hunt every year (Nov 15th to 30th is Michigan's fire-arm season for deer) with my Dad and then that just kind of stopped. That was over 30 years ago. I had a chance twice but missed both times. One time they were probably 25 feet away too. I guess I really did not want to kill Bambie. I am not a huge venison with how strong it is but I do eat it when given a chance. I am glad you let Diana hunt and not stop it like your Mom did with you. Nothing wrong with a girl/woman hunting. Just don't come to buck camp unless you do not mind cruder than crude behavior.
Sorry...all I see is Bambi's Mom...or Dad in this case, I guess. I'm not a anti-hunting-lets-protect-every-animal-on-the-planet nut, it's just not for me. So...get 'em in the crosshairs and blast away...
I do think, in all fairness, that there should be a two week period where the deer are transported into downtown areas and allowed to wreak as much havoc as possible...I mean let 'em have SOME fun before the end up barbecued...
breazy, the girl is a dead-eye
cheesy, mercifully finishing off a suffering doe at close range is NOT an easy thing.
gman, oh yeah
s, i thought about that picture when i posted this one. unfortunately it was lost when my hard drive melted down a few years ago
phyllis, i'm not big on sitting in the cold either so i just help with the butchering
lecram, it is indeed..soooo yummy
cynnie, eek, a pet?
cocotte, we have quite the prolific deer herd in our parts too.
ve, you and elmer fudd
barman, mr lime does not take diana to deer camp. fortunately we live close enough to where they hunt that they just get up early and head out to the woods.
cooper, it's not for everyone and that's ok. i have some recipes i think you'd very much enjoy though ;)
Yep. I grew up in a hunting family, and now my boys are growing up that way too.
Both of those pictures are amazing. You have much to be proud of with your little provider. I heard that she got another one today. Way to go Diana!
I have never hunted, bt have a grandfather who is an avid participant in the sport.
His incredible beef jerkey was something we always looked forward to in our childhood.
My cousin and youngest brother also enjoy hunting, so I guess it comes from both sides of my family.
Dad went hunting every year, but I wasn't the rough outdoor-type guy that he was, so I instead became a nerd.
I like the way I turned out. :)
kat, it's quite the rite of passage.
signgurl, she did good. i'm glad for the full freezer
blackened boy, oh i do love venison jerky myself. thanks for stopping by.
fred, i like how you turned out too.
I bet Diana is the envy of many a hunter. She must have a talent because I have heard lots of bad luck stories of not getting much deer on the first day or even the whole season.
I would not want to hunt or dress meat. If I had to hunt my own meat I would be a vegetarian. (well, actually, if I needed to hunt for my pets or for my children--if i had children--i would do it.)
But, hey, have at it! Deer meat probably tastes better than the packaged chuck down at the local Kroger.
A lot of my wife's city slicker friends just can't handle the concept that people still count on the meat they get by hunting to feed their families. My wife's friends figure that meat magically appears at the grocery store wrapped in plastic. Lord help them if the poop ever hits the fan and the semis stop dropping stuff off at the local Wal-Mart.
& you can also save the head to hang over the mantle piece & the skin too!
mary, she has indeed been lauded by some big, burly hunter types as quite the skilled huntress. and yes, the venison is far tastier than prepackaged beef in my opinion.
beach bum, my kids have all helped with the butchering process too. no mysteries as to meat origins in this house.
mona, we do have two deer heads mounted on the wall. ;)
Amazing! You have quite the hunter there.
My son started this year, going with my brother who is the local federal game warden. Hasn't gotten one yet. There are 3 loping around the yard this year, but they are off limits.... too easy!
That is exactly the point. My nephew came by yesterday and took my Red Ryder w/out permission. I told him whatever he shot, he ate. He put it back... I don't think he was too thrilled about eating a Mockingbird~ and he would have, I promise.
Yummy!
Oh, and we need more female hunters. Women with guns are cool.
I like what Beach Bum said.
I hope you butcher what you take, too. It's the best bonding time ever!
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