Monday, November 7, 2011

Hunting

My Dad got a deer on Saturday Morning.  He showed up for coffee and to wash his hands.

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I can be a sensitive old broad sometimes so I will spare you the fresh kill photos. Knives..to cut open the body cavity..and water to wash it out. 

One less tick carrier is in the woods now.  I hope for a good deer harvest in our area.  If you ask me everyone that hunts should be able to harvest several deer.  Dad would have enjoyed hunting longer and would have taken another deer for his friend Darrel who is blind if multiple licenses were issued.

If it is a winter with heavy snow..the deer will be wolf meat anyway.  Mother Nature is sometimes cruel.

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I found a feather, maybe from a Wild Turkey. It is on my desk so I can share it with Adam the next time he visits..I wonder if we can make a quill pen out of it?  I will heat up some sand in the oven in a soup can and then put the quill in the sand until it is cool..to temper the quill..so it makes the quill stronger.  I wasn’t hunting for feathers..but I was pleased to find this nice specimen.  I even found a recipe for children to make their own ink to use with a quill.

Natures Ink

Crush 1/2 cup ripe berries add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar.  Store in airtight container.

I think I will go hunting tomorrow for another feather:)

22 comments:

Country Gal said...

I used to go hunting with my dad when I was younger now the only thing I hunt for is things to photograph. Have a wonderful day !

troutbirder said...

The Bambi type sensitivity is not real strong also in the southern rural areas of the state. Speaking of sesitivity and otherwise a local hunting used to hang his deer in the yard adjacent to the side door of our middle school...right outside my room. Still most regard deer as having replaced rabbits in this area and multiple deer can be taken on one license. There used to be talk of heading up north for the hunt. No more. In any case I used to bow hunt deer. They were all quite safe in spite of my efforts.:)

Gail said...

We eat a lot of deer. It is a main staple in our area with many people with low income.

DJan said...

Thanks for sparing me the gory details. I know deer hunting is very popular and when I go out on the trails I see men with rifles and camouflage clothing. They are out hunting bear at this time of year, in these parts.

Lanny said...

I would have loved to have given out special permission to hunt deer of both sexes on my land this weekend. Four cavorting deer, frolicking in my Market Garden. Presumably not eating anything, until I was looking at my cauliflower, the centers are missing.

Dreaming said...

I never knew about tempering the quills. Thanks!

Ann said...

I'll have to try tempering a quill.
I have a few drop feather also. I don't mind seeing picture of the kill.Hope he got a nice size one.

RURAL said...

In all honesty I am not sure where I stand on hunting any more. I understand all the reasons....we lived off of wild meat when we were young.

My niece who is a absolutely wonderful woman, works as a guide in a camp way up north. Those animals are only hunted for trophy's by rich men.....she needs a good paying job, they want a trophy.

I do know that the feeling of tracking wildlife with my camera is one of exhilaration. When the ducks soar above the water, and the camera clicks...it's a great feeling. I have some shots that I was going to use in a post describing this feeling, and how my Dad used to hunt...got to work that one out a bit.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Muffy's Marks said...

Venison in the freezer this year!!! Good for dad. I never gave it a thought to temper a quill and write with it. I will have to do that with the grands the next time I find a good size feather. We sure have come a long way from the days of quill communication to present!!

Rita said...

I never knew about tempering a quill, either. Have never tried making one myself. My DIL brought me two huge turkey feathers...hummm...

I'd pass on the dead deer, too. Thanks. ;)

Karen said...

I have nothing against hunting responsibly. There are certainly parts of BC that have deer problems right in the town, and the council has to keep the 'bambi lovers' and the 'kill them all off' types happy.
I enjoy seeing the deer, but then they are not much of a problem in our area.
I do have a problem with the 'drive along the back roads, beer in hand, and then blast at anything that moves' goons. (I don't even want to dignify them with the word 'hunter')
When he first came here from England, my dad was quite thrilled that he was able to hunt deer. Then he said he made full on eye contact with one, and I think that put an end to his deer hunting. He was a softy at heart:)
If someone offered me some deer meat, I'd be quite happy to take it.

L. D. said...

Our hunting season must be different than yours. I don't hunt but usually I hear the guys at school talk about it when the season is open. I guess the news covers it too. I am glad your dad got his deer.

Just Stuff From a Boomer said...

My husband tells me there are more deer now than in days of old, so he would agree with you on getting more than one deer. When his dad was still hunting, Grandpa would says "I'm going to go get a deer" and out the backdoor he would go... and come back in a hour or so with one, like he had just run up to the corner market.

Love your ink recipe. Never knew that. Thanks.

Karmyn R said...

I am going to save that recipe and use it on my kids at some point - or even give it to the school to see if they want to use it for Pilgrim or Pioneer day.

(or for when civilization crashes- lol)

LindaG said...

Congratulations to your dad!

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Deer season begins here next Saturday. The same day we're havin' a wedding her on the Ponderosa.

The reception is outside...not my idea but the bride has her mind set.

God bless and have a beautiful week sweetie!!!

lisa said...

Glad for your dad! I am hoping that hubby gets one this year. Neat idea for the ink.

rkbsnana said...

Information I did not know.

Nancy said...

The feather is beautiful, and I think you are correct about it being from a turkey.

Has the "chronic wasting disease" found it's way into Minnesota's deer herds?

TARYTERRE said...

I've never had venison. But the local hunters here donate their kill to the local food pantries to feed the homeless. I have never tempered a quill. Love the ink recipe. Take care.

Terry and Linda said...

Pheasant hunting is about to start here...there are hardly any pheasants anymore because of the ffox and the coyotes...I'll take the birds any day.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

EBet said...

That definitely looks like a turkey feather to Me! making ink sounds like a fun project.