Respect to all the hunters here, I don't hunt but I do eat meat and I find it dishonorable to do so (That is, I dislike that I eat animals who were slaughtered under cruel and torturous conditions, rather than taking their life with respect and reverence, as a good hunter). I read the whole thread, and some of Jay-in-AR's comments prompted me to look up a video about live hanging, very unsettling. Of course I knew, even previously, that these atrocities were happening, and yet I still choose to eat the pain meat. I will pray for guidance.

Troy: Nothing beats a stroll in cattle country. Hi, I'm Troy McClure.
You may remember me from such educational films as "Two Minus
Three Equals Negative Fun" and "Firecrackers: The Silent Killer".
Jimmy: Mr. McClure?
Troy: Oh! Hello Bobby.
Jimmy: Jimmy. I'm curious as to how meat gets from the ranch to my
stomach.
Troy: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down Jimmy. You just asked a mouthful.
It all starts here, in the high density feed lot. Then, when the
cattle are just right [swipes his finger along the top of a cow
and licks it] Yum...it's time for them to graduate from Bovine
University.

A klaxon blares out a siren and the cattle begin moving up a conveyor
belt into the meat packing plant.

Troy: Come on Jimmy, let's take a peek at the killing floor.
Jimmy: Ohhh!
Troy: Don't let the name throw you Jimmy. It's not really a floor,
it's more of a steel grating that allows material to sluice
through so it can be collected and exported.

They walk throught the door of the plant accompanied by the sounds of
moo-ing and startled cows. Electricity noise sparks in the background
as the camera pans down the length of the factory to a truck marked
"Meat For You" being loaded with raw chunks of meat. Troy and Jimmy
emerge, with Jimmy visibly pale and queasy.

Troy: Gettin hungry Jimmy?
Jimmy: Uhh, Mr. McClure? I have a crazy friend who says its wrong
to eat meat. Is he crazy?
Troy: Nooo, just ignorant. You see your crazy friend never heard
of "The Food Chain". [Flash to a picture of "Food Chain",
with all animals and arrows pointing to a silhouette of a
human.] Just ask this scientician.
Scientician: [Looking up from a microscope.] Uhhh...
Troy: He'll tell you that, in nature, one creature invariably
eats another creature to survive.
[Images of various wild carnivores attacking and eating
others appear.]
Don't kid yourself Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance,
he'd eat you and everyone you care about! [Image of a cow
quietly chewing cud.]
Jimmy: Wow, Mr. McClure. I was a grade A moron to ever question
eating meat.
Troy: [Laughs.] Yes you were Jimmy, yes you were. [Briskly rubs
his hand on Jimmy's head.]
Jimmy: [Timid] Uhh...you're hurting me.

You don't win friends with salad!

Peace be among all my friends and brethren, animal and human, all one, alone.

[edit on 12/31/2008 by ExquisitExamplE]

I have to say this...my husband hunts and so have my children. Wild game has fed us and others we know many times and we have been thankful to have it. For those of us that live in the country, deer hunting is a way of life, and if not for it, the population of the herds would be terrible. Deer cause alot of traffic accidents, they destroy crops, I could go on. Hunters help control the size of these herds. We do NOT believe in killing just to take antlers or anything like that, we put meat in the freezer for hard times and I say kudo's to all hunters everywhere! There were six deer bedded down in our yard last night...we love them. We hunt out of need only.

Originally posted by Greenize
I have to say this...my husband hunts and so have my children. Wild game has fed us and others we know many times and we have been thankful to have it. For those of us that live in the country, deer hunting is a way of life, and if not for it, the population of the herds would be terrible. Deer cause alot of traffic accidents, they destroy crops, I could go on. Hunters help control the size of these herds. We do NOT believe in killing just to take antlers or anything like that, we put meat in the freezer for hard times and I say kudo's to all hunters everywhere! There were six deer bedded down in our yard last night...we love them. We hunt out of need only.

Indeed, Everymorning I have a cup of hot green tea on the porch and watch as the deer run though the yard, eating and romping. It's great to watch nature up close. I'm not just about killing them all. You put it very well, in the country, it's a way of life. It's food and respected more than city people respect their hamburgers from the choke & puke places.

Hope I don't get a point deficit for this....but, golly, I do enjoy the weekly shopping-cart round-up! I mean, it can be fierce!!!

The stakes begin high, as the battle for a cart without wobbly wheels begins!!!

After that first hurdle, well....the thrill is on!! Up and down the aisles, never knowing when your opponent will take you out at the intersection, or if they will simply empty the shelves before you arrive to catch your bounty, the Grocery Wars are on!!!!!

Finally, after vanquishing our foes, we are left to choose the best exit strategy....(this is usually the shortest line, combined with the fastest check-out person). ALAS!! We sometomes are thwarted by the 'check-writer'....the one who lives in the past, and cannot acknowledge the present, where 'check-cards' and 'credit-cards' now reign.....Oh! The Humanity!!!!!

We're starting to stray here, guys.

Let's try to keep the focus, please.

TIA

[edit on Sun Jan 4 2009 by Jbird]

Taking care of the game begins the second it hits the ground. Field dress your large game asap. This removes the internal organs and begins the cooling process. The sooner you can cool the carcass down, the better the meat will taste. Leaving the organs intact for very long causes spoilage and can lead to the meat having a very "gamey" taste.

When next you skin a deer, please do not forget to harvest the inside loins. The reside along the backbone just below the pelvis. They are not big, but are the most tender and the sweetest.

Remember to always take care when removing the bladder and the anus/colon. waste WILL taint your meat.

Always avoid cutting on the hair side of the hide as this will cause hair to get all over your meat.

Don't disregard the neck either. It is a mass of muscle and can be stewed for a great roast.

I have lost count of how many deer I have taken. It is a special moment each and every time. The descision to take an animal is always in the hunter's hands. I have let way more deer walk away than I have ever taken.

My family relies on me to suppliment our diet with wild game and fish. We are not poor, but we can't afford to eat out or purchase meat for every meal. Wild game saves me thousands of dollars per year. Yes, hunting can be expensive initially, but over time that investment pays much larger dividends.

Sport hunting is not my style. I hunt for the meat and I hunt to help maintain the balance of wildlife in my area. Urban sprawl and ever increasing demand on natural areas severely impact the land's carrying capacity. If you think shooting a deer is bad, try witnessing a whole herd starve to death or die off from one of the many diseases that propogate during periods of overpopulation.

Final thoughts:

Keep your skinning knife razor sharp. Use a small knife (blade less that 4") and use short cutting strokes. Quarter the deer, seperate the ribs from the backbone and sever the neck at the edge of the ribline and just behind the skull. You should only discard the legs below the hock and knee and the backbone. A gutpile in the woods will not last more than 24 hours before it is scavenged by a myriad of creatures.

Read up on how to process the hide. You can make or have made all kinds of garments.

Remember, taking game is far more than any thrill, it is a Rite of Passage and something that should always be looked upon with reverence and respect.

Keep your Powder Dry!