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Comment by Howard P Reynolds on February 23, 2014 at 11:21

Jan & Ivars,

I think that is what is called "progress" in a society or civilization.  I guess every society starts out as agrarian (farms) where each family does everything for themselves, grow their own food and butcher their own beef, chickens, pigs and sheep - and game.  Folks made their own clothes, too, as the Amish still do, here.  Then, somebody invents a machine to make farmers more productive.  The more they grow, the more they sell and the more money they have so they can begin to buy stuff that they used to make, and eventually pay people to repair machines they used to fix themselves.  Having 5+ children used to help in farming since it was labor intensive, but as more alternatives opened up such as jobs in manufacturing and urban business, children got out of such hard work to have more free time, and left the farm.  Eventually, farmers had to get big or get out.  Equipment that made farming vastly more productive also cost vastly much more, and little farms had to sell out because equipment got too expensive for relatively small farming acreage, and the children didn't want or need the farm, so housing developments paid a premium for open land and farmers retired, losing the skills required for what was called subsistence living (butchering their own food).  As you say, Jan, there are other factors in today's hunting and fishing.  Fewer and fewer people can hunt and fish on their own land, and for most, boats are a luxury.  Many hunting "camps", even if they have running water, aren't set up for butchering, such as sanitary areas to cut and freeze meat.  Plus, processing stations have food-grade band saws and what you might call a disassembly line.  Deer with antlers and hide go in, and wrapped and frozen steaks and chops come out - for a fee that, for the average person, is cheaper than the time, equipment, and skills required to do it themselves.

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on February 23, 2014 at 11:00

Alan, that's a real big boar. You are right about those old boars not being good to eat but some of the younger ones are. It just depends on the one you kill.

 I use to process deer here at my home. I have a commercial meat saw and a walk-in cooler. I use to cut a lot of deer but now days I only door my own. I built the walk-in cooler myself. I was a refrigeration tech. back before I retired. It comes in handy for a bunch of game and fish.

Comment by Jan Carter on February 23, 2014 at 10:36

Hoawrd,

How very true this is!  With year round hunting and fishing here in FL, the guides that can botcher and dress are making a better living than those that have to send it out for processing.

Plus, "butchering" is becoming a lost skill among the urban and suburban population.  Many people who hunt are generations from farm life and skills, which is why these deer processing stations can make a modest living during the season processing your deer. 

Comment by Gerald Hines on February 23, 2014 at 10:29

Ivars that's been going on around here for years. There are several pro meat packing slaughter houses that offer that service.

Comment by Howard P Reynolds on February 23, 2014 at 10:28

We have them here in the U.S. too, Ivars.  Local folks who decide to open a small business of processing game during the hunting season.  For a fee they will skin and cut-up your deer, and in popular fly zones, folks will pluck your geese and ducks for a fee.  However, as far as I know you are on your own with turkey in Pennsylvania.  Since the bag limit is only one there isn't enough business for someone to pluck and clean your turkey.  The bag limit for deer in Pennsylvania is also one, but it is a bigger animal than turkey and generally there are more deer taken than turkey probably because there may be more deer hunters than turkey hunters.  Plus, "butchering" is becoming a lost skill among the urban and suburban population.  Many people who hunt are generations from farm life and skills, which is why these deer processing stations can make a modest living during the season processing your deer. 

Comment by Waggoner, Alan on February 23, 2014 at 9:04

Ken,

to answer your question, no I did not dress this old boar to eat. I usually butcher a wild hog that is young and fat, or a clean sow. If a boar stinks so will the meat usually. When I hunted wild hogs with dogs we frequently cut small boars and turned them loose to catch them later as a nice fat barrow. Land owners more and more don't want any turned loose if you are hunting on their ground!

Comment by Ken Spielvogel on February 23, 2014 at 5:37

Great pic Alan, did you eat him?

Comment by Waggoner, Alan on February 22, 2014 at 22:17

I've been looking for this picture for a long time and finally found it! I killed this hog one evening as I was driving out of my gate. He was in the neighbor's hay field laying in the pivot track on a hot day. He saw me and layed down. I drove back to the house and got the .270 WSM and drove over in the hay field. I wasn't sure where he was so I got out of the pickup and started walking to the general area where I thought he was. He stood up when I got about 50 yards from him. I don't know who was more startled me or him. The only difference was I had the gun!!!!!!!! I went back the next day and got him out of the field. Wooly old boar.

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on February 22, 2014 at 20:27

We have mostly swamp rabbits and we have a good amount of them. They are hard to kill. The young dogs I had have a lot to learn.

Comment by Waggoner, Alan on February 22, 2014 at 20:16

Robert,

are you hunting cottontails or swamp hare or what kind do you have? Three years of excessive heat and drought has reduced the cottontail population here.

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