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Tuesday
February 2010
9
Community Blogs
Tom grew up in Milwaukee, bartended in Wauwatosa in the '70s and moved here in 1984.
Commentary, observations and musings about the outdoors, life in general and maybe Tosa politics and personalities will be the order of the day. He savors a lively debate as much as terrific cooking.
Head Hunter
Remember what I told you yesterday about the deer I shot that had an ear tag? Seems that lots of people are interested in the deceased deer that we affectionately refer to as Number 24. Especially how she got here.
The guys have their own theories.
Sid suggested that I shot the deer that nobody is allowed to kill. It was somehow a special deer and I was going to find myself in deep, deep trouble with the law.
Lawyer was interested in the humongous fee he was going to charge for my defense.
NewGuy suggested that it was also a special deer – but whoever shot Number 24 was the winner of a million dollar hunting lottery. And since he field-dressed it I had to split the pot with him.
The warden emailed me yesterday and asked if we could save the head. Today a WDNR guy showed-up to take possession of Number 24's noggin.
They’re baffled as to how a tagged deer showed-up here since there are no fenced operations anywhere close by. Theories include someone bringing the deer here to improve the local genetics. (I know it sounds crazy but it’s been known to happen.) Or maybe an animal rehabilitator released it. The more likely scenario is that Number 24 was an escapee from a fenced deer farm.
If Number 24 fled the life of a fenced deer farm she was certainly living it-up to the very end with her wild brethren. And she would have had to travel a great distance to get here. The guys all agreed that life and death running free in the wild is much more dignified for a whitetail than life and death in a fenced farm. The notion of killing fenced animals is repugnant to them. Me too.
Number 24 died at age two under the rules of fair-chase.
The head is going to be tested to rule out chronic wasting disease and someone I’m sure is going to try to trace the origins of Number 24. I've asked that the yellow tag be returned to me as a souvenir after everyone is done with it.
I’ll let you what I hear about this.
For any of you unfamiliar with aging a whitetail you do it by means of examining the teeth.
The "rules of fair chase"? Did the deer get to vote on the rule?
I don't have anything against hunting but this pic is a little too real for me. Meat belongs in nice little freezer packages.
And I keep imagining some coroner estimating my age by the condition of my teeth!
You couldn't pay me enough money to eat that deer Gas, it's from a deer farm, its an escapee.
Thanks for the comments - both of you.
I was hoping that bringing-up the topic of fenced game farms and posting a startling picture might provoke some thinking.
I happen to think that the science of aging deer is cool. Years ago I killed a buck that was determined to be six years of age. That's very unusual. Technically Number 24 was 2 1/2 as deer are born in the spring of the year.
Fair chase?
You bet. That deer had every opportunity to escape - and six of the eight did. Her number was up - it just happened to be me in the food chain and not a wolf or other predator.
I think people today (children in particular) are too far removed from their food and lack - shall I say - a personal connection to the "business end" of how food finds its way to their plate.
Number 24 died fair and square in a wild environment. She didn't live out her days behind a fence breeding big bucks for wealthy trophy gatherers.
I am going to eat that deer - but not before I know it's tested negative for CWD.
The alternative is too horrible to comtemplate...
I don't know man, regardless of the CWD result you don't know what that thing was fed for the last few years. Nothing wrong with letting the coyotes feast on it, it's not going to waste.
Funny you mention the disconnect between the source of our food and our plates. I recently watched the movie Food, Inc., which covered this very topic. Pretty eye opening. I'm not a hunter, myself, but my brother is, and I plan on getting my hands on every bit of venison I can this year.
Tags: Deer Camp : Hunt Camp Humor : Friends : Strange But True
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