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Post by Sandbur on Jul 22, 2021 20:43:26 GMT -6
That being said, I don't think venison is a cheap substitute for most people. It costs way more to make it edible for most, than it does to just buy something else made outta science meat. There aren't many of us that can take venison-only and eat it. If a guy can cut the deer up himself, it’s some quality meat at fairly affordable price. Archery for example, once you have the equipment it’s basically driving time/gas. Unless you live by your land (like Stu). We process our own deer, except for my bow kill last year. It was over 70 degrees and we don’t have a refrigerated cooler.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 22, 2021 20:54:55 GMT -6
That being said, I don't think venison is a cheap substitute for most people. It costs way more to make it edible for most, than it does to just buy something else made outta science meat. There aren't many of us that can take venison-only and eat it. If a guy can cut the deer up himself, it’s some quality meat at fairly affordable price. Archery for example, once you have the equipment it’s basically driving time/gas. Unless you live by your land (like Stu). it's from that point where it was getting crazy when I quit looking. Ten years ago, I could swear it was almost $20/lb to have deboned venison made into pepper sticks, and you were providing half the meat, and the other half was $1/lb boston butt. I can only imagine that has gotten worse since then. I'm biased towards canning. It's fast, affordable, and the only way I've found I can eat venison without drowning it in seasoning or diluting it with other meat. I've pan fried it and eaten it damn near raw. I'm talking inch thick butterfly chops, glowing red pan, 45 seconds on each side, dump the whole lot into a stone dish and let set covered for ten minutes.
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Post by biglakebass on Jul 22, 2021 21:00:53 GMT -6
I have said it MANY times......
Those who claim they need deer to feed the family are outta their minds... if they only factored in all the costs.
If I want to eat venison.... I bring it in. Just a pain to deal with and its not as if its breaking my bank. Let someone else do it, and get it done in a quarter of the time it takes me.... maybe 1/8 the time honestly.
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 22, 2021 21:28:14 GMT -6
Venison can be cheap. Duck on the other hand...
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Post by benmnwi on Jul 22, 2021 21:29:40 GMT -6
I have more browsing pressure than normal this year on my SE MN place, so people putting a few deer in the freezer isn't a bad thing. Especially with the dry weather decreasing the natural food sources. It is setting up for a year that could thin out a lot of fawns, so maybe adding an extra fawn or two to the freezer would be good for the herd.
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Post by Reagan on Jul 22, 2021 21:35:05 GMT -6
I like knowing and controlling where most of my food comes from. Venison, turkey, squirrels, rabbit, ducks and geese might be for dinner any night of the year at our house. Maybe the occasional catfish. I buy eggs from the old couple down the road from the cabin.
We do buy chicken at the grocery. If I could only talk a friend into a high fence semi wild hog operation I’d be set.
There will be more dead does this year. We have taken 1 doe per year for three years now. We can certainly take some more
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Post by caveman on Jul 23, 2021 4:18:41 GMT -6
That being said, I don't think venison is a cheap substitute for most people. It costs way more to make it edible for most, than it does to just buy something else made outta science meat. There aren't many of us that can take venison-only and eat it. Over the years I have accepted quite a bit of freezer burnt meat from newer hunters that were successful. In the past they had gotten a few sausage sticks given to them, or had a marinated back strap fed to them. Then once they get and have to deal with a full deer they figure out that they would rather eat steak and chicken from the local restaurant.
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Post by Sandbur on Jul 23, 2021 4:21:16 GMT -6
I have said it MANY times...... Those who claim they need deer to feed the family are outta their minds... if they only factored in all the costs. If I want to eat venison.... I bring it in. Just a pain to deal with and its not as if its breaking my bank. Let someone else do it, and get it done in a quarter of the time it takes me.... maybe 1/8 the time honestly. I have to admit that taking the bow kill in last year worked out great. I think the last deer I took in was also a bow kill from over 25 years ago. We have delayed shooting deer during a very warm early rifle season and in other years have really had to hustle to get them in the freezer. I just had the last of the venison Trimmings ground and wrapped. .55 per pound. I expect it will be higher by fall. We view cutting up our own venison as part of the process and life style. However, as I get older, it could easily change. We haven’t had any sausage made in decades, but I hear the local market will now make ten pound batches instead of 25 pounds. They now make a cheese/ country sausage that is good and probably matches our moderate tastes. The local market had limits on number of deer processed last year during rifle season. There might not be as many processors in the future with the labor shortage.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Jul 23, 2021 14:55:32 GMT -6
My wife’s uncle gets the biggest kick if I shoot a doe for him. He loves venison!
He gave me $50, I said “Steve there is no way I’m taking that” and he proceeded to drive away. He’s one of kind.
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Post by Sandbur on Jul 23, 2021 14:58:23 GMT -6
My wife’s uncle gets the biggest kick if I shoot a doe for him. He loves venison! He gave me $50, I said “Steve there is no way I’m taking that” and he proceeded to drive away. He’s one of kind. Would he go hunting with you, if you asked?
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Post by Bwoods11 on Jul 23, 2021 18:16:11 GMT -6
My wife’s uncle gets the biggest kick if I shoot a doe for him. He loves venison! He gave me $50, I said “Steve there is no way I’m taking that” and he proceeded to drive away. He’s one of kind. Would he go hunting with you, if you asked? No he’s getting old, he likes to cut up deer though.
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Post by Reagan on Jul 23, 2021 19:48:38 GMT -6
I have a cousin who I think is early 40s so young enough to hunt but just not interested. He takes a doe from my dad every year. Dad breaks it down to quarters put it in a cooler and cuz does the rest. He loves it.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Sept 12, 2021 10:52:32 GMT -6
In the next 2 weeks, the first cool day we are going to try to take a doe or two up at Otter Tail. Anyone else going fir a doe early in the season?
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Post by sd51555 on Sept 12, 2021 11:26:45 GMT -6
In the next 2 weeks, the first cool day we are going to try to take a doe or two up at Otter Tail. Anyone else going fir a doe early in the season? That's where I'm at. Ain't looking like next weekend for how hot it's going to be. I've also got that bison coming in this week, so freezer space in the valley is going to be limited until MFS takes his the following weekend. That does remind me though, I've gotta order up an outdoor propane cooker so I can run my canner on the deck, or maybe in the garage at camp. Haven't decided that one yet. If a big old cow came along, I'd figure it out if need be, but it'd need to be a doozie. I've got enough freezer space at Stab Camp to keep one there until I can bring it home.
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Post by Sandbur on Sept 12, 2021 11:44:55 GMT -6
In the next 2 weeks, the first cool day we are going to try to take a doe or two up at Otter Tail. Anyone else going fir a doe early in the season? We want to shoot a doe and a fawn, but prefer the fawn in rifle season when they are a bit bigger. I am keeping early antlerless in mind, but doubt I will hunt.
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