When I first heard about this book I was extremely eager to dive in and start reading. This book is FULL of great information related to hunting, prepping and cooking deer. The author WM. Hovey Smith lays out all of his information in an easy to read format, and is full of cost effective methods for deer hunting. When he says “converting deer to dinner for pennies a pound” he means it.
This book speaks to ten important issues.
1. The need to feed increasing numbers of the hungry in the United States. Estimates are that 50,000,000 people in the U.S. are going to bed hungry. These include adults, children and seniors. Childhood malnutrition is again being reported in areas like California’s Central Valley. Hunting whitetail deer and wild hogs can help provide food for those in need. This book provides basic information on how anyone can become a safe, legal and ethical hunter.
2. Vehicle-deer collisions occur at the rate of about 1,000,000 a year in the U.S. with some 10,000 injuries to drivers and passengers and 100 deaths. The frightening part of this is that if the airbag deploys the vehicle may swerve into on-coming traffic, off a cliff or into a waterway. Hunting in areas with high-density deer populations reduces the potential of these accidents.
3. Controlling urban and near-urban deer in an increasing problem. Allowing archery hunting from tree stands in designated areas reduces the numbers of deer, slows the spread of tick-born Lyme disease and also lessens the chance of deer-human conflicts during rut. Reducing deer populations by hunting results in a healthier population of deer, less browsing on landscape plants and more productive gardens.
4. Road-killed deer can provide an important food supply that is available throughout the year for those in need. There is no ethical conflict about a person salvaging a dead animal from the roadside and feeding it to his family. Legal problems are that a few states prohibit taking road kills, others allow it, while some states require road-kill deer permits or reports. If someone is willing to go through the mess, smell and fuss of salvaging a road-killed animal they should be permitted to do so. There is no difference in processing road kills than working up a gut-shot deer that was not recovered until the next morning. For a look at what it is like view “Gutting a Road-Killed Deer” at http://www.hoveysmith.wordpress.com. Anyone who is willing to go through this much trouble to feed his family deserves to keep the deer.
5. Saving money in this depressed economic environment is a need that is felt by almost everyone. This book goes through the entire process of skinning, processing, packaging and cooking deer. The last deer the author put in his freezer costs 11 cents a pound, including the energy costs to retrieve the road kill and boil its bones for his dogs.
6. Hunting does not have to be expensive. By hunting meat animals close to home during multiple seasons, a hunter’s chances of success are increased. Crossbows, where they are allowed, are the least expensive entry into the sport. They can take deer at close range, often the arrows may be reused and crossbows may also be used throughout most of the gun hunting season. Similarly, muzzleloaders may be used during special muzzleloading seasons and also during the regular gun season.
7. Time hangs heavy on the hands of the unemployed. Learning about hunting allows a person to uncover a healthy lifestyle that can not only provide food for his (or her) family, but also gives important psychological relief because it allows quiet time in the woods, away from the stresses of everyday life. Hunting can also help cement family bonds because the entire family, including sometimes the family dog, is involved in the hunting, game processing and cooking interesting meals from wild game.
8. Knowing how to hunt and process food can be a vital piece of knowledge when disaster strikes and a family may be isolated for some time before help arrives. Books, because they do not depend on electronic contacts, can be vital resources during such times. Books can be pre-positioned in homes, libraries and disaster-control centers so that they can be instantly accessed when needed.
9. Deer meat is much healthier than beef. Commercial beef animals have been breed for thousands of years to concentrate fat within their muscle tissues, which does not occur in deer and other wild animals. Deer are also not fed growth hormones and antibiotics which may also have bad health effects.
10. Not only is deer meat healthy, but it makes good-tasting meals. HRH Queen Elizabeth II served deer meat on the occasion of her 80th birthday dinner and frequently puts it on the table for visiting heads of state. Although deer needs to be cooked differently than beef, it makes excellent meals. Backyard Deer Hunting contains 50 recipes that anyone can cook.
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You hit a lot of good point on feeding people in need. I cannot believe that deer meat is so cheap; I guess people just don't know how good it can be. The like to the road kill dressing works, but I did not see the post.
I really had no idea deer meat was so cheap. I believe also that most of us should try some form of hunting. Hunting a great skill to have and if you have children you can pass down a lot of life skills associated with hunting.
I really had no idea that deer meat was so cheap, If I had to guess I would have been on the other end saying it cost more. I agree that bow hunting is the way to go, especially when there is a chance to use the arrows over again.
Great article and thank you for the great read.