As we comb the archives of Morgan tradition, we see many actions aimed at protecting out environment. As “dwellers by the water,” “at harmony with nature,” we’ve gardened, foraged, hunted, lived off the land, and even built dams for flood control. I’m sure there were some adverse side-affects there, but helping out population grow during the TVA was a big job. Keeping our environment as pristine and unadulterated as possible has been a paramount objective.
Right around the time I turned 30, these inborn traits emerged. I found myself interested in many of the same things my father was in to like, antiques, gardening and growing our own food, making things by hand, and acquiring things naturally. To me, nothing is more rewarding than doing something that took some effort to achieve. There’s a lot to instill in our children to keep them humble and remind them that anything worth having takes work to get it. We aim to do things honestly, ethically, and exist by the labor of our own hand.
Hunting is one of the traditions that I try to keep alive. At first, I paused at the thought of taking an animal’s life, but reminded myself that we were all once hunters, and if we’re diligent in using every part of that animal that we can, then we’re no worse off than those killing for sport.
I’ve acquired a taste for venison… be it jerky, steaks, or grinding into sausage. I use chicken, pork and rabbit too, but venison has become a seasonal treat. When hunting season rolls around, I set a goal on what I want to take, prepare and execute my plan… and let the deer processing commence. Here, I’ll document my particular process of processing a white tail deer over a series of videos. Also enjoy some pictures below. The camaraderie among friends is one of the best parts of processing your deer.
Note: The following is not for the squeamish. Please… spare me any comments about animal cruelty. I can assure you that the animals I take are taken in the most ethical way possible.
Field Dressing
Separating the primals and roasts
[…] When I cut open a package of chicken, I sigh not knowing anything about it. After processing my own deer, and hogs from local farmers to make my own pork products, processing chickens seemed to be the […]