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| Painting by Montague Dawson |
Belladonna dragged me out hunting this morning.
We shook two out walking to the blind.
Then she saw an 8 point buck walking through the tall grass five minutes later. More accurately, she saw an eight-point rack sailing over the tops of the tall grass, Giant Foxtail, Setaria faberi for those who care about such things.
Like a sailing ship in stormy seas, Bella could see the sails and rigging but could not discern where the vital parts of the body were. She did not shoot.
She saw 16 deer this morning and a Pileated Woodpecker. We heard mallards, a loon, squirrels, chickadees, more squirrels etc.
Michigan DNR forbids any kind of baiting or attractants in my part of Michigan because of Chronic Wasting Disease. It is my opinion that those rules are being followed because, suddenly, the orchard is irresistible to deer.
Her vision is much, much better than mine.
Reducing Thursday's deer
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| No soybeans were harmed in the production of this image. |
The prime cuts were left in chunks so people who cared can cut them to the thickness they prefer. Belladonna will be taking some back to school.
The rest is cut to stew-meat and simmered until tender. Cooled slightly, poured into containers. The juice jells. The jellied stew-meat is put into freezer bags and frozen.
Goes great over potatoes, noodles, dumplings, toast, biscuits, cornbread. Can go into stew, soup, chili or gravy. Mixed with vegetables or beans or eaten plain.
I think of it as an upscale MRE.
I hope to finish up processing the deer tomorrow and hope I have enough freezer room.
Hubbie took the spike horn he shot on opening day into the processer yesterday, and donated the head to the nice DNR dude who asked for it. Evidently they run it, and post on line if it is CWD clear or not. This deer he splits with a buddy who is not able to go hunting anymore. They split the cost of the license, and the processer's fee. He decided to start taking deer in about 8 years ago, as it is getting harder and harder for him to do things that require him to stand for any length of time due to severe back issues. I like it as once we gut the deer out, someone else does all the cutting. The hardest part is dragging the silly deer out of the thick underbrush they always bolt into. I bought him a large plastic sled for Christmas 2 years ago, and it has more then repaid the cost in much less hassle in dragging out a doe last year and the buck this year. He brings out the tractor with the logging winch on it, I roll the deer onto the sled, and then just guide it along as he has the winch pull the sled out.
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