More Than Just Meat

Although many things change over the years, one thing that has remained the same is my wish to use as much of an animal as possible. That desire comes from both a strong belief that to use the whole animal is the best way to honour its life, and from a practical aspect – we spend a lot of money hunting each season (be it on tags, fuel in vehicles, ammunition, etc.) so I want to get the most bang for my buck. Meat obviously makes up the largest portion of the harvest, but there’s much more to an animal than just that. Here’s some inspiration on what to try keeping from your next harvest!

Offal

There is much to be had for variety when it comes to offal, which, to put it simply, refers to the internal organs of a harvested animal. Depending on how adventurous your culinary tastes are, the variety of flavours and textures found amongst the different organs can range from delectable all the way to unsavory – and that’s okay! The first time I cleaned a heart to marinate and smoke, I may have gagged a little bit while working through it; now, after prepping dozens of hearts, it’s just old hat and doesn’t faze me one bit. Heart, liver, kidney, tripe, tongue and caul fat all fall into this category.

 

Hide

Not a project for the faint of heart, tanning an animal hide is one task I have started and stopped several times over – the main deterrent to finishing a deer hide has been the strenuous physical labour required. Now that I feel nearly 100 per cent recovered from some nagging injuries, I’m looking forward to tackling a larger hide tanning project in the future.

 

Bones

Take some extra time to save the bones from your harvest – they can be roasted and used to make a delicious wild game broth.

 

Treats For Your Furry Friends

Last but not least, we cannot forget about our furry friends. My dog doesn’t get much, as I keep as much as possible for us to use and enjoy, but she always looks forward to a harvest coming home. Some of the treats she enjoys are dehydrated organs, dried trachea, hooves and antlers.