Hunting for Food: A Primer

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theanimal
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Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

I want to create a central resource on how to gain the skills and knowledge required to hunt for food. This is something I wish existed when I was starting out. I'll do my best to make it well organized and concise.

Hunting successfully locally results in a large quantity of food at a cost that amounts to less than the equivalent daily consumption of rice and beans. This post will be North America centric as that is what I am familiar with. It will also focus on large mammals as that is the more intimidating aspect. If anyone finds any of my information wrong, or that I am lacking something, do not hesitate to correct me. I am still early on in my own learning of hunting as a practice.

There is really only one thing that the prospective hunter needs to be concerned about throughout the hunt. That is finding the animal. All the other stuff, clothing, weapon, dressing out the animal and processing the meat among other things are of secondary importance. It doesn't matter how fancy of gear you have if you can't find your target.

East of the Mississipi River, hunting for large game (deer) will be best achieved by using a tree stand. Most of the region consists of dense forest that prohibits a high rate of success through stalking by the average person. Using a tree stand involves constructing a platform off the forest floor and waiting for deer to pass by your area. The tree stand is ideally placed in an area that sees high animal traffic, ideally along a game trail or a bedding spot. I'll discuss how to identify such a spot further below.

West of the Mississipi, hunting large game is achieved through the spot and stalk method. Most of the area is open and the animals cover greater distances, requiring you to move towards them and/or anticipate their movements.

Where can you hunt?
Most hunting takes place on public land, both state and federal. There are private land holdings that permit hunting as well, but typically you have to pay $$$ for access making it not economically viable. A look at your state's Department of Natural Resources website will detail areas that you can hunt. Providing maps, seasons, and data on results from hunts in each unit during the previous year.

Here's an example from Illinois:https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pa ... Areas.aspx The page provides reports from the previous years and maps detailing which areas are available to hunt.

Hunting is permitted on federal lands including National Forests, Fish and Wildlife Refuges and in Alaska, National Parks and Preserves*. Like with the state, each area details information pertaining to hunting on its website. What areas are permitted or restricted are shown. From there it is a matter of looking at a USGS topographical map and planning where you want to hunt.

Learning how to read a topographical map and finding your way is a necessary skill for the hunter and hiker. This video provides a good introduction : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqPMYGDxCr0
This is a great book on using map and compass: https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Navig ... 0898869536
Maps can be found and downloaded online at the USGS site: https://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/ There are other sites out there such as caltopo.com(what I use) and hilltopo.com. Caltopo allows you to customize the map, offering a number of variables such as slope shading, property lines and style of map among other things. Hilltopo offers side by side maps allowing you to look at topo and satellite images of a particular area. There are apps for your phone such as Gaia, which integrate GPS and mapping software. I don't personally use those but know many who do and find it very worthwhile. You still need to learn how to use map and compass

If possible, information from locals such as other hunters, hikers or outdoor users should be sought out and obtained in order to find out animal habitat and population size within the area. Forums also can work, but aren't really the best option as it'll funnel the most people towards one area. For example, Northern AK is a popular destination for urban hunters in search of Dall sheep. Each year one particular drainage ends up as the hot spot of activity due to people reading online reports or posts of others finding success in the previous year or the past. Yet, there are plenty of other areas within the region where sheep reside and would offer the hunter a greater chance of success. This may not be true of all areas, such as those with lower population numbers. But instead of following online advice, find the area on a map, note and study the terrain. Then see if you can find a similar spot elsewhere in the unit that may hold other animals not mentioned online.

Once you decide on which area you will hunt, you need to figure out a section within that unit in which you think you will find your target. To figure out where an animal will be, you have to understand its feeding habits, behavior and general movements. This isn't as complicated as it sounds and can be learned quickly. Animals typically move around only when they are feeding, bedding down otherwise. Some animals feed all throughout the day, like caribou. Most other species the deer family feed at first and last light, bedding down during the day. Meaning the best chance of you finding such animal is during that period. The more difficult aspect is taking what you learned and using it when consulting a map in order to find an area that will yield the greatest chance of success.

While the above is helpful, it is no substitute for boots on the ground. The more time you spend in the field, the better you will become at indentifying and locating animals and their habitats. Scat, tracks, trails, bedding and feed spots are all valuable signs worth looking for.

Much of the time spent hunting is actually spent sitting and glassing (using binoculars or spotting scope). After arriving at an area, the first course of action is usually finding a elevated position in which you can glass a section of probable habitat. You have a greater chance of spotting an animal and seeing more than when you are moving. Using some sort of optics only amplifies that chance. I will go into more detail on glassing later on.

Hopefully this information is helpful. In future posts I'll provide information and resources on shooting, field dressing, processing meat and necessary equipment/knowledge.

*Hunting in National Parks is restricted to subsistence users. However, the general public can hunt in a National Preserve. Rural residents within an area are allowed to hunt in a National Park (if one is present locally) based on legislation allowing for historical and traditional use.

NPV
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by NPV »

Thanks for this! How does the economics of hunting look in terms of full cost per pound of meat? I see you mentioning "cost that amounts to less than the equivalent daily consumption of rice and beans" and for FI/ERE perspective it would be good to understand some specifics. And what do you include in this cost? I would imagine different approaches would yield wildly (pun intended) different results, e.g.:
1. Marginal costs (bullets & gas) - almost nothing
2. Marginal + hunting equipment depreciation (guns, gear etc.) - more
3. All direct costs for someone who e.g. needs a car, freezer and dedicated yard area only if the hunt hence including this in depreciation - probably much more than buying meat at a store
4. Direct costs + opportunity cost of your labour (approach which probably yields most ERE hacks uneconomical :))

7Wannabe5
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Very interesting topic. Huge controversy in my neck of the woods, because small, liberal-minded city had to hire professional team to shoot and sterilize deer in attempt to get vehicular accidents down to 40/year. There were 73 accidents this year, a few years into the cull. If you travel less than 200 miles north, you hit the new lower range of black bear, so they can also now be legally hunted. The state had to drop the legal hunting age to 12 due to aging/death of the active human hunter population. Due to high reproduction rate, juvenile deer generally die of starvation if adult deer aren't hunted. The deer/human ratio in Michigan is now approximately 3 million/9 million. The deer population was much lower in 1900 when federal law prohibiting the inter-state sale of game meat was established. Deer thrive on grasses, so 19th century deforestation and decline of family farms in 20th century both caused short term boost to population. The 19th century boost was quickly wiped out due to high level of hunting skills in human population.

So, as with foraging for food, if everybody did it, resources would soon be depleted, but since most people don't, the few who do can expect a reasonable level of success. In fact, you can currently find paid employment in my region as urban sharp-shot deer hunter. It's interesting how quickly population levels and ratios can alter human psychology. The deer and the Irish having flip-flopped in the last 100-150 years.

theanimal
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

@ NPV
As you've mentioned there are many variables to consider. Hunting can be a very expensive affair if you choose to hunt in locations far from home, after very sought after rare species and with expensive gear. Or hunting can be something that fits into your web of goals where you source your food while achieving other goals. For example, this past year I killed a moose. I went with friends/acquaintances who provided a ride to the area where we were hunting. We were out for a weekend and two nights were spent post hunt processing the meat from my moose and that of someone else's. In return, I took home about ~140 lbs of meat. I calculated the cost out to be roughly $0.75/lb. Most of my expenses were in the form of building social capital/goodwill. I provided a good portion of the alcohol for both during and after the hunt. Otherwise my expense included a portion of the cost of my hunting license, bullets and some camp expenses/gas money. The rifle I used to kill the moose was lent to me by another friend in the area. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I do think I could get costs down much further and still keep most of the benefits by hunting with less people and at a closer distance. I aim to do this in the upcoming year and believe I can get my costs to less than $0.50/lb. This would be my costs falling under item number 2 in your list. Number 3 would include freezer time which brought my costs up about $0.07/lb to roughly $0.82.

Space is not an issue in Alaska, so that is not personally figured into my costs. I also benefit from a lengthy winter season, minimizing the time I need to run a freezer. An additional freezer would certainly increase costs but chest freezers can be found inexpensively on Craigslist. The freezers can not only be used for storing meat, but also stocking up on any produce sales at your local grocer.

I don't like factoring in opportunity cost of labor because most activities I participate in outside of paid work would not be replaced with paid work if I ceased to do them. This includes hunting.

As you can see, your web of goals can pay dividends here. Using your social connections and skills, you can source transportation, gear and other necessary items that drastically reduce your costs. Of course I benefit from being able to hunt the largest mammal in North America. A whitetail deer is a fraction of the size (yielding 70-100 lbs of meat vs 500 lb for moose), but they are more prevalent. I haven't calculated the expense of someone hunting based out of a city. The transportation involved may not make it worthwhile. Then again, if you had 2 to 3 friends to carpool with, you could get multiple deer and still make it a worthwhile experience economically speaking.

theanimal
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

@7
The change in culture is remarkable. Alaska has the same issue with thriving moose populations around urban areas. Hunting seasons are extended in an effort to reduce populations and there are even emergency openings. No hired sharpshooter though. This past year there was a targeted moose hunt in Fairbanks. This meant that you could sign up for a list and be notified if there are any nuisance or injured moose. If one was found, you'd receive a call and be allowed to kill the moose for your consumption along the roadway, in someone's yard etc.

Deer are so abundant throughout the midwest and the east and the trend seems to continue upward. Besides lack of hunters, I think there are too few areas in which one can hunt. Which I guess is one of the reasons why the city close to you needed to hire a sharpshooter instead of opening up a hunt to the general public.

theanimal
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

I failed to mention above that everyone interested in hunting should take a Hunter's Education class. In most states it is required if you wish to hunt. The classroom portion can often be taken online at your own pace with one in person day at the end of the course. The class isn't expensive and you will learn about safety, a little about the anatomy of a firearm and tracking. among other things. It pretty much is Hunter 101.

So you've found your target. You've researched the area, spent time on the ground, glassed the area or set up your tree stand and are now ready to make the kill. For this you need a weapon of some sort. Admittedly, this area is a weakness of mine as I don't know much about different bullets. But you will need a rifle or bow. Check your local regulations to see what is allowed in your area. It may be more worthwhile to pursue archery as in most areas, the season is longer and a greater area is open to hunting. Note that archery hunting is much more difficult if you are pursuing the spot and stalk method of hunting.

I've seen this book recommend often as the one to read on firearm ballistics. I am awaiting a copy from the library and have not read it yet.

If you are hunting small game, a .22 LR will be your weapon of choice. A larger rifle is necessary for larger mammals and a shotgun for birds.

Archers will require different arrowheads depending on which animal is being pursued.

Does anyone you know have a rifle or bow? See if you can borrow it or if they are interested in going with you. Interested in getting your own? There are plenty of options for used firearms through online craigslist like sites or other areas like pawn shops. Ask around or research prices online first to make sure you aren't getting swindled. If you are interested in purchasing one new, then all your usual sporting goods stores will suffice (i.e. Cabela's, Dick's Sporting Goods etc). Ammunition can also be purchased at these areas.

The following quote comes from a blog I read regularly and someone who has taught himself to hunt over the past 5 years or so in Montana. The following paragraph is sound advice and you may find the rest of the article worth reading as well.

https://bedrockandparadox.com/2015/06/0 ... w-hunters/
Assuming you have a background in hiking, backpacking, and other outdoor activities, the first thing you need to learn to do is shoot. Rifles are the easy way here, because the learning curve is simplest, the effective range is longer, and their killing power provides for a greater margin of error than a bow. As will be addressed later bowhunting provides some unduplicable opportunities, and if you get truly into hunting you’ll want to be able to do both, but nonetheless rifle is the simple way to start, for a variety of reasons. The rifle question is the subject of multiple other posts, but my short answer is as follows: get a bolt action in 7mm-08, .308, .270, or .30-06. These cartridges are versatile, and factory ammo is common and inexpensive. Buy the first two if you’re a smaller person and/or you anticipate not hunting elk or bear often, and the later if you’re larger and/or might hunt the big critters frequently. Get a Ruger American if you want to spend less, a Tikka T3 or Remington 700 if you want to spend a bit more, and a Kimber Montana if you want to spend still more and if you’re pretty certain you’ll get obsessed and end up with rifle weight as a priority. Put a Leupold 6×36 scope on it, buy a bunch of ammo, and shoot a lot.
Some variables to consider before shooting:
Terrain If you shoot the animal, where will it fall? Are you in thick brush or along a steep cliff? Will you be able to track the animal and retrieve your kill?
Wind This will be more of a factor prior to shooting as you approach your target, in order to avoid detection. Always be cognizant of wind direction if you are spotting and stalking.
Obstructions Is there anything that may deflect your bullet or arrow between you and your target?
Location of other humans or animals
I believe this is self explanatory

For almost all animals, the best place to shoot is around the chest area. Your hunter education course will provide illustrations and more detail on this. This offers the largest area and the greatest likelihood of killing your target due to the concentration of organs, specifically the lung an the heart. If you are going to take another animal's life, it is best to do it as quickly and cleanly as possible, with minimal suffering involved. When you shoot, you shoot to kill. You may feel excited, but need to await the right opportunity.

Farm_or
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by Farm_or »

@theanimal - excellent points. I have been a hunter all of my life. There's good info out there and the right way to hunt and then there's the "other" way. I agree with everything you've said.

Most of the time, hunting is just hiking with an unused weapon. There's very rare occasions of instant gratification.

Rifle purchase? I bought my rifle by choosing the greatest range of ammunition available for a variety of big game. I bought a quality brand and I have taken great care of it. It's worth more today than what I paid for it thirty years ago.

luxagraf
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by luxagraf »

@theanimal-

Thanks for this, looks like really good info. And I'd second the recommandation to read bedrockandparadox.com, one of my favorite regular reads.

theanimal
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

In my experience, the greatest fear when hunting is wounding an animal and not being able to finish a kill. But the part that caused the most anxiety and a sense of overwhelmment in the beginning was field dressing. You have made your kill, now it's time to prepare the meat to take out of the field and back home. The quicker this is done, the better, as the meat will spoil due to heat or moisture if not cared for properly.

This post will focus on hunts that take place within one day. If you hunt further off the road and will be spending nights out with your meat, you will need to research how to hang the meat and ensure that it remains cool and dry. When hanging or transporting meat, it is best to place it in some type of game bag. Game bags are cotton cloth bags designed to hold meat and allow adequate ventilation to keep meat cool and prevent moisture build up. These are available at any sporting goods store and can be reused more than once if cleaned.

Everyone seems to have their own way to dress an animal out, but there are some techniques that work much better than others. In the beginning, it is best to follow that of an experienced friend, or if you are on your own that of an online expert. You will make mistakes, it'll take a long time and some of your cuts won't be pretty. That's OK, it's all part of the learning process. Once you know how to dress out one animal, you have the basic knowledge to dress out them all. There isn't much of a difference in style, just a difference in size and therefore, time involved.

To gain experience quickly, hunt small game frequently. You can scale up as you feel comfortable and you will likely be less anxious, overwhelmed etc. as you move along.

Having a sharp knife is of the utmost importance. You will want some means of sharpening your knife while you are dressing out the animal. Especially for the larger ones such as elk or moose. Much of this boils down to personal preference. This is the knife I use. Don't let the price fool you, this is a high quality knife. There are knives that are bigger and more expensive. Find what works for you.

The following are great resources on dressing out animals by three experts in the field. The first two are professional hunters/media stars and the third is a renowned elder from my neck of the tundra. Watch the videos often. Take notes. I've watched the third video 10+ times and still made plenty of mistakes the first time I dressed out a caribou. No matter how much video you watch, there is no substitute for practical experience. It still helps though.

Steve Rinella on How to Skin and Clean a Rabbit]

Randy Newberg Dressing a Deer

Raymond Paneak How to Skin a Caribou

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C40
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by C40 »

ohh ohhhh, thank you for sharing this. I'll be reading through in detail.

NPV
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by NPV »

theanimal wrote:
Tue Dec 26, 2017 10:11 am
@ NPV
As you've mentioned there are many variables to consider. Hunting can be a very expensive affair if you choose to hunt in locations far from home, after very sought after rare species and with expensive gear. Or hunting can be something that fits into your web of goals where you source your food while achieving other goals. For example, this past year I killed a moose. I went with friends/acquaintances who provided a ride to the area where we were hunting. We were out for a weekend and two nights were spent post hunt processing the meat from my moose and that of someone else's. In return, I took home about ~140 lbs of meat. I calculated the cost out to be roughly $0.75/lb. Most of my expenses were in the form of building social capital/goodwill. I provided a good portion of the alcohol for both during and after the hunt. Otherwise my expense included a portion of the cost of my hunting license, bullets and some camp expenses/gas money. The rifle I used to kill the moose was lent to me by another friend in the area. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I do think I could get costs down much further and still keep most of the benefits by hunting with less people and at a closer distance. I aim to do this in the upcoming year and believe I can get my costs to less than $0.50/lb. This would be my costs falling under item number 2 in your list. Number 3 would include freezer time which brought my costs up about $0.07/lb to roughly $0.82.

Space is not an issue in Alaska, so that is not personally figured into my costs. I also benefit from a lengthy winter season, minimizing the time I need to run a freezer. An additional freezer would certainly increase costs but chest freezers can be found inexpensively on Craigslist. The freezers can not only be used for storing meat, but also stocking up on any produce sales at your local grocer.

I don't like factoring in opportunity cost of labor because most activities I participate in outside of paid work would not be replaced with paid work if I ceased to do them. This includes hunting.

As you can see, your web of goals can pay dividends here. Using your social connections and skills, you can source transportation, gear and other necessary items that drastically reduce your costs. Of course I benefit from being able to hunt the largest mammal in North America. A whitetail deer is a fraction of the size (yielding 70-100 lbs of meat vs 500 lb for moose), but they are more prevalent. I haven't calculated the expense of someone hunting based out of a city. The transportation involved may not make it worthwhile. Then again, if you had 2 to 3 friends to carpool with, you could get multiple deer and still make it a worthwhile experience economically speaking.
Great stuff, thanks for clarification. This is an amazing price for game meat.

theanimal
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

@ffj
To be honest, I don't know about the 7mm-08. .30-06 and .308 are very popular. I have a .270 which is not as widely used.

Shotgun are numerous and widely available. I'm waiting to find a Remington 870 used in good condition and at a good price.

I must have missed the part where one of those guys talks about using a .308 for birds. That's ridiculous. Unless you just want to eat feathers...

George the original one
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by George the original one »

theanimal wrote:
Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:07 am
I must have missed the part where one of those guys talks about using a .308 for birds. That's ridiculous. Unless you just want to eat feathers...
If you're carrying a .308 instead of a shotgun and the bird appears, then that's what you use. In my case it was a .243 and the grouse was fine. But, damn, plucking feathers sucks big-time compared to skinning rabbits or squirrels.

SnailMeister4000
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by SnailMeister4000 »

@animal Thanks for this post (and you journal; I love reading it and seeing your photos). How do you use dogs for hunting large game (=/> deer) in the US/Alaska? Let's say you wound a deer, because e.g. a twig you hadn't noticed changed the path of or deformed/split your projectile before impact, and the deer runs off. Asssuming after you have waited for a bit and inspected the scene, but can't find tracks/blood etc. Do you usually have access to someone with a trained dog to track down the game? Or do you write it off, if you can't track it down yourself? If you can't find it, do you have to report the incident (for game management statistics e.g.)? Also, can you track down a wounded animal that has left the area where you were allowed to shoot it in (e.g. public to private land)? Or is that rarely an issue due to the vastness of the terrain/land ownership in US/AK? I'm asking from a European hunting POV.

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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by Farm_or »

@george-

Plucking feathers sucks. I skin grouse, pheasants, chickens, Partridge, chukar, quail...
It's a lot easier, faster, and cleaner.

theanimal
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

@SnailMeister4000

Good questions!

Dogs aren't used much in the process of killing large game, mainly just hunting for birds or big cats (like mountain lions, cougars etc). Dogs are used semi-regularly as pack animals. It was a much more common practice in the past, but I have neighbors who will use dogs to pack out portions of a Dall sheep or caribou. A good pack dog can carry out most of a sheep. That makes a big difference when you are high up in the mountains!

You are supposed to make a substantial effort to track down any animal you wound or kill. Killing an animal and intentionally leaving the area without salvaging edible meat for consumption is known as wanton waste. Laws vary by state, but in most areas it is a misdemeanor with a large fine and a possible jail sentence. In areas with a strong hunting culture, like Alaska, such a crime is heavily looked down upon and it will significantly damage a person's reputation. I can't say that I've heard of many people using dogs for the purpose of tracking large game. Maybe another forumite can comment on this.

The question of private/public land will vary by state as well. In the area I live and hunt in, private land is so minimal (~100 acres in an area larger than most states) that it is not a concern. It is best to allow yourself a buffer to avoid such a scenario. This link talks about different states laws on hunting and trespassing. For most, you are allowed to pursue wounded animals on to private land if you are unarmed. Other states require permission by the landowner.

SnailMeister4000
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by SnailMeister4000 »

Thanks for your reply, animal!

Do you, or anybody you know/have heard of, still go out on skis for a hunting trip in AK? Or do usually use snowmobiles and then snowshoes in winter? Or is hunting in winter on large game prohibited?

Do you personally enjoy hunting small game aswell, or do you only focus on getting the most buck/lb. for the bang?

Oh, one more: do you have driven hunts in AK, i.e. drivers/dogs try to get game moving into the hunter's sights? Or is hunting much more an individual affair?

theanimal
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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

You've brought the meat home. now it's time to process it. This means cutting the meat into smaller chunks for roasts and further processing (grinding). This is the easiest part of the process, but it takes some time, especially on your first few attempts. You will find that much of the meat can be divided by natural points of separation. Cutting along those lines will result in quick and efficient means of processing. Most people seem to cut off the fat as they don't like the taste. I enjoy it and leave it on. Find what works for you. You'll want to make two piles, one of roasts and non-roasts (containing sinewy portions like the lower leg, neck, scraps or anything you deem less than ideal) that you will process further.

Here is an example of someone butchering a deer. He uses a whole deer, but it's more or less the same as if he was using a deer that was already quartered out.

Non roasts can be made into ground meat. There are both electric and manual grinders out there. I do not own a grinder and have only used electric grinders from friends. I don't have any recommendations here. Maybe someone else can provide input.

There are many ways in which you can package your meat for storage and freezing. Much of it comes down to personal preference, how much meat you consume and price. The longer you plan on storing your meat in the freezer, the more you have to worry about packaging. Moisture and oxygen are your enemies. The simplest (and cheapest) is using freezer paper. Here is a video on how to wrap your meat in freezer paper. He wraps the meat twice, which I don't think is necessary. Some also incorporate plastic wrap (i.e. saran), wrapping the meat first and then wrapping it in freezer paper.

Another method is to use vacuum sealed bags. This is the most expensive means of packaging and is not always as effective as it's purported to be. Another method is using ziploc bags then wrapping them with shipping tape to take out all the air bubbles. This is what one of my neighbors does and he claims that the meat will stay in top condition for 5 years. I think it's overkill but YMMV.

As I've mentioned, the frequency in which you eat the meat matters. None of the meat I eat stays more than 8 months or so in the freezer, hence why I'm able to get away with only using one sheet of freezer paper for packaging. It's helpful to use a sharpie to label your packaging with the name of the contents and the date in which it was placed into storage.

If you wish to make jerky or dry meat, there are a few ways in which you can go about doing this. If you have a woodstove, you can make a rack and place strips over that. Slice meat to your desired size. You can make jerky that is fairly thick. You can also use an oven, dehydrator, or the sun. If you dry meat outside, you need to figure out a way to keep the meat protected from flies and other insects. There are plenty of recipes for seasonings and such online, find what works for you. Some possibilities include soy sauce, Worcestershire, terriyaki, garlic/onion powder, salt, and more...

Canning meat is another option. One that I haven't pursued yet but will be in the spring. Necessary items are a pressure cooker, canning jars and a stove/heat source. This is an attractive option for those not looking to add another freezer and/or for those who aren't interested in shelf ready food.

This book is a great resource on all things related to preserving meat, game and fish. I recommend it if you are looking for additional resources to further your knowledge.A Guide to Canning, Freezing, Curing and Smoking Meat, Fish and Game

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Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by theanimal »

@SnailMeister

Yes, hunting on skis is still common. For most of the winter, the hunting season is closed to the general public. For rural residents like myself, we fall under subsistence regulations and can hunt in federally managed lands. But this isn't done very often until late in the winter (March/April) unless someone is low on meat. Other factors like animals entering the rut or not being very fat deter people from hunting at this time of year. As the caribou begin to migrate in late winter (from March on), hunting becomes more prevalent again. In the area I live in, snowmobiles are prohibited for use in hunting for everyone besides locals (all ~12 of us). People will use skis or dog teams to hunt in areas off the road. Other areas have less strict regulations and snowmobiles are very common.

I do enjoy hunting small game and have hunted birds such as grouse, ducks and geese and arctic ground squirrels. I intend to hunt snowshoe hares throughout the second part of winter. I really like moose and caribou though. :)

Nowadays hunting is not much of a communal affair. The most common approach seems to be as an individual or in small groups of 2-3. In traditional times, the Inupiat people within my area would drive caribou into corrals or lakes. This was the only way they could kill these quick animals with bows and arrows/spears in a region without trees. The practice was pretty remarkable. They'd create what they called inuksuks, which are stone cairns, and place them in a V formation within a valley. The caribou wouldn't go on the outside of the cairns and they'd be funneled into a lake where they'd be speared by natives in kayaks or fenced in in a corral made out of willow branches. Snowshoe hares were also driven by children through willow thickets into a net placed on the opposing side. I've heard of people that still drive hares, but that's rare.

SnailMeister4000
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:09 am

Re: Hunting for Food: A Primer

Post by SnailMeister4000 »

(Deleted due to double entry. As of of 01.01.2018 I won't drink and type anymore. Promised)
Last edited by SnailMeister4000 on Fri Dec 29, 2017 3:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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