anhle

55gal drum will have 2in of ice on top...if temperature stays <28F for 48 continuous hours.  If so, drain a few gallon with a bottom of the tank faucet and you will relieve the pressure on the tank.   275 gal tote will have 1in of ice on top....if temperature stays <25F for 72 continuous hours...If so, drain a few gallon with a bottom of the tank faucet and you will relieve the pressure on the tank.   So far in 2014....I had not drain my tanks...just bleed some water at the bottom of the tank to relieve some pressure when temperature was 22F for 4 days in Oct.   Saw birds, geese and whooping crane flying North the other day.....those critters have better sense than man....weather may warms up soon.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) for dog flea/tick control....Google this phrase   A few dollar/pound at Amazon; maybe as low a $1/pound when you buy in bulk   Add a tea spoon to the dog food 3X/day for the first week.  Reduce to 0.5 tsp/meal after the 2nd week.   Rub some powder to the dog fur for the first 4 days.  On the 5th day...I guarantee you won't find any tick on the dog anymore.   Drop a tick/flea in a clear container with DE...shake...they will dryout/die within 5min.   Stuff is safe....I sometimes mixed it with water and drink it to reduce cholesterol.   Yes I'm shocking you.  Google it and find out for yourself.   Being using it for 2.5years.   Also killed spider/cockroach....by drying out the insect....and molecularly cutting them to pieces.  DE is like sharp glasses to exoskeleton insects.   Will dry-out and wear out your skin.

Neck shot with 223 result in immediate incapacitation/anchoring/death.   My first ~150lb doe shot in the neck (~3in higher than the base) with 223 55g 16in barrel, scope on 3X, range 80yd.   Doe was running, come to a stop.  I shot immediately when she stopped.  Doe was standing and I was looking at the tail.  223 55g connected, and doe drop exactly where I saw her last in the scope.  After the flash, concussion, and ringing in my ear, did not see any flopping or movement.   Wait ~45sec then slowly walked toward the spot (due to 15min before end of legal hour [i.e. end of natural available light for possible tracking)].    At 40yds away, saw doe/hump lying still.  Decide to leave doe where she was, retreated.  Wait 10min more.    .223 in entrance, nickel or quarter size exit, 90 degree different from entrance wound. Doe's breathing tube and upper neck were undamaged.  Very little/non-existence bleeding at the exit hole.  90% of the neck around the wound channel was edible.  About 0.5 - 1.5" of bloodshot meat throughout the wound channel.   If this deer ran with this wound there will be NO blood to track.

12/25/13:  Merry Christmas every one!   I'm going to change the direction a little bit here from the last post.    Venison, when taken cleanly and quickly; and used wisely, is the best way and the most ethical… holistically… to feed and fortified the youngs and olds alike….much better than our ‘factory-farms’.  Venison is NOT cheap in $$$ sense.  It is just plain better.   I process all my kills for lots of reasons, ~8X in the last 25yrs.  This doe is the 2nd doe in the last 15 days.   My family got a gifted ~120# doe on Sunday night from a friend.  He gave me two does last years in the process of thinning out the does at a hunting club he owned.  He managed his land for trophies.  Awesome friend!   I enjoyed hunting my own, and grateful for any gifts from others.     50yd  30 06  shot entered the lung (small 30 cal hole), minor damage to one of the inner tenderloins (6" wound channel @ 4in below the back bone) and small damage to one of the ham (3" wound channel).  Frontal shot, 30cal shot entered about 8" below the backbone at the lung.  Luckily the intestines stay intact and no damage to the outer tenderloin.  Doe dropped on the spot, evidently still moving, a 2nd killing shot enter the neck 2in below the ear at very close range.  Complete pass-through.  No bullet remains inside the deer.   I gutted & skinned & rinsed the deer with misting water within 2 hours of getting my gift on Sunday night.  Weather in CHA on Sunday night was misting rain, 60F, and dropping steadily to 40-25F for the following 5 days.  17yrs old son helped with the skinning and watched the gutting.  Skinning & gutting with son took 3 hours (setting up took 1hr) and got a delightful conversation with son as a bonus.   I told my wrestling son that watching wrestling and actually wrestle are two different things.  The same can be said of gutting a deer.  You can't learn from just watching.   Also, this is the 2nd times I used compressed air & air gun to "fluff" the hide (stretch the hide;  the deer carcass become a balloon with air leaking out of the wound channel).  Skinning is much easier.  However, you have to "fluff it" before you gut it.  Go to youtube if you want to see how this is done.  I was a bit skeptical at first, but now I'm a true-believer.   I wanted to hang the doe for a 'few days'.  This is the first time I attempted to hang it, after hearing much favorable information about the benefits, most of all, the draining of all the capillary blood.  All other times, I process and freeze them within 24hrs.   On Sunday night, temperature dropped to 28F and dry/desiccant wind were blowing, and I see that the skinned doe is drying fast, and the container I placed under the deer has about a quart of water/blood, 12 hours after hanging.  It may have rain/mist about a 1/4in overnight.    I debate whether to let the doe hang another night with temperature expected to drop ~28F.  I was a bit concern of "freeze-then-thaw" damaging my hanging doe, and wanting to process it after rigor mortis has left…which will be over around 7pm on Monday.   On Monday, I watched several you-tube videos to learn about the Pro&Con about aging venison and hints about sharpening knives and how to butcher the deer cleanly/quickly/efficiently.  Spent the next 6 hours prepping; getting materials/tools/set up in place.  Monday night temperature was going to dip into 28F.   On Tuesday, the doe is even dryer, and only a few drops of blood in the bucket below the hanging deer.  I did not want to loose more meat to the dry wind.  Tuesday night temperature is expected to go into ~23F…in fact it dipped into 16F.  I didn't want to loose any more meat to the dry wintery wind, so I decided to process the deer after 48hrs of hanging.   Having learned a few hints from Youtubes, I quartered the doe in 1hr.  Move the quarters into a heated garage, and debone the quarters.  I was disappointed in the meat loss from the bullet wound in the 'ham'.   After I quartered the deer, I got ribs and the back bones into an unheated garage.  I fired up the pressure cooker over a hot plate, and voila I now have a heated garage.  For simplicity, I just put water & ribs/bones in the pot, and just add enough heat to keep the pot at ~150F for ~48hrs, after an initial boil of 3min.  Before canning, I cool the pot, strained, and then bring the content back to the boiling point, then transfer to the jars.     Took me 6 hours to research, prep, clean up/sanitized the work area, sharpen knives, set up, and about another 3 hours to debone my ~80lbs carcass from the ~120lbs doe.  Son was not willing to learn ' deer butchering' that day; so my dog keeps me company while anxiously waiting for deer scraps.  The simmering pot of doe broth helps keep the 25F cold and windy day at bay.   At the end, I estimate about 40lbs (mostly sirloin) to the freezer, 10lbs of scrapped/damaged/blood shot meat/fat/uncooked bones for the dog.  Maybe 2gal of broths from the ~30lbs of bones/ribs I'm stewing now.  The four legs will be my dog's Christmas present.  She already consumed 90% of the two front legs including hooves & skin.  Hide, head & gut are waiting to be buried for next spring blueberry bush or fruit tree....have not decided yet.   Somebody did some research and analyzed that it cost ~$70/lbs of venison if you lease the land, buy the license and few other 'knick nacks'.  The hours that I spent processing my gifted doe, drives that cost even higher.  I hunt/process deer because I think the benefit far offset the cost.  I am thankful that I live in a country that I have that right, and in a position that I can.  Not many people who want a hunt can have a 'good hunt'...for numerous reasons.  Not many people who wants to taste venison, can...for similar reasons.   For those reasons, I am truly lucky, for I have been in those circumstances.     This is what I learned: 1.       Neck shot, when available, save lots edible meat.  Get big enough tool to get the job done.  Bigger tool, only wastes resources.  Too little tools, and pushing its envelope...only bring bad result. 2.       A young doe is less gamey than an older doe.  For me, I will skip buck.  I'm glad others will go after trophies. 3.       Farm doe is FATTER & larger, as compare to doe not around farms.  The smaller doe will not do well this cold winter...this is where hunters should come in. 4.       Gutting a deer right away, leave no gamey smell during butchering; only exception if the temperature outside will be <0F….and only if you want to deal with the stench from a fermented stomach. 5.       Will use a scrub brush next time to get rid of all deer hair after skinning, if the weather allow for it to hang/dry in the next 24hrs.  Butchering a wetted carcass is a hard/slippery job. 6.       Disposable rubber glove over working glove reduce cleaning of the expensive working glove afterward.  Cut-resistant gloves on a cold day, may save your fingers. 7.       Processing a deer that has been hanged for >24hrs is a lot less bloody, and EASIER.  Processing a fresh kill and freezing it… leaves much blood in the package after it is thaw out from the freezer. 8.       Sharpened knives make the job much quicker.  Skills & techniques for sharpening knives…well that is another story for another time.  All my sharp-able knives now have razor edges.  Did you know a leather belt is a vital tool in the sharpening process?  I didn’t either, before yesterday. 9.     Get all the tools ready at the end of the last job, all in one bag, so that I can be quickly ready for the next job…and save much time. 10.   Sharpen extra knives and stage them.  Better to have extras, than to stop and sharpen a dull working knife. 11.   Have a knife for trimming around bones….and a separate knife for trimming flesh only. 12.   Knife ‘stealer’ is a great tool.  Make sure the knife is cleaned before using it....help with clean up later 13.   I need to buy a meat hook/puller.  Got several closed calls of my fingers with my knives. 14.   A cold (near freezing) and blood-less carcass is a pleasure to process. 15.   Using a hammer banging the ax head is faster than a saw, and a lot cleaner (less of an eye hazard) than using an ax alone.  (a hammer is now part of the tool package, and so is safety goggle) 16.   Those large aluminum pans are extremely handy for holding venison in various stages of butchering. 17.   10% mixture of Simple Green & 90% water is a great deer fat degreaser. 18.   Can only teach son when he is willing to learn...can't ram it down his throat, even if it is a valuable lesson....especially for a teenager. 19.   Job goes faster when the family got involved.  Son helped with the skinning, and daughter/wife help with wrapping the venison packages for the freezer. 20.   Took me ~24 hrs from skinning to finish, may be another 2 hours to bury the gut pile & skin, but I enjoy it.   Broth pot is simmering.  A pleasant aroma greets me every time I go down into the garage.      Suggestions & your ‘lessons learned’ for making this job easier/more efficient in the future?

Got started canning two years ago with tomatoes.     I started with tomatoes.  2 years later, those jars are still in good shape.   Here is what I learned 1.  Clean jar & lid thoroughly.  Make sure you get all the soap out.  Once they are cleaned and you are not using the jar immediately, put a lid over it, then store it.  Next time before use, remove lid, rinse jar with 100% vinegar before use.  I don't boil the jar. 2.  Boil lids 3.  Whatever foodstuff you want to can, make sure it come to a boil for at least >10min, and keep it HOT (>180F, or near boiling) while you transfer the content to the jar.  Get the jar full to the brim.  Wipe brim with a clean/disinfected towel. 4.  Use a tong to remove the lid from the hot water pan.  Keep the lid/brim clean and free of contaminant during the process.  Put the lid over the HOT jar.  Screw the lid on tight using hand and a different towel.  Transfer the jar to a spot until it is cool to transfer else where.  Once cool, the lid should be dented inward toward the jar, showing a good seal.  If not, reboil the content and redo and replace the lid with a new one. 5.  I do not reboil the lidded jar, because I transfer the content into the jar at/near boiling temperature.  Your choice.   Two years after the can stay vacuum pack and the stew tomatoes are still edible.   Tried deer broth a month ago.  Got about 1.5gal of broth.  Will try them out in a few days to see if my palate like it.

I ask my  friend to bring over the bones, heart, liver, kidney after he processed his deer.  My dog loves the treats, and I feel good feeding her wholesome foodstuff.  At ~$0.70/lb for questionable 'healthy' dog food at Costco, you can imagine how I view my friend's gift.   The hide & head, I buried for my tree/garden.   When I process my own deer, I save the heart & liver.  I have cooked the heart (just like I cook the backstrap), and it tastes exactly like the backstrap/tenderloin; only I know the difference.  I haven't cook the liver yet, but understand it to be good eating.     Anybody for a good liver recipe?

For hunter with dog (or cat).   I feed my 80lb dog (half boxer half fox terrier) deer's lung, kidney, spleen, liver, heart, legs, trimmings, ribs, back bones, pelvis, etc (no skin).  She can do a magic trick with a deer leg, hide & all, in 45min; there is literally nothing left.     I usually ax 1/2lb side chunk and she loved it.  I store the extra in a cooler cooled by frozen milk jug.  I try to give her a veggie meal (vegetable scraps, fruit skin, broccoli stem/leaves) in between chunks to help her pass.  I tried NOT to feed her more than 2lbs at a time.  When I first process the deer she gets 2lbs.  Thereafter, no more than 1lbs at each meal, 2X/day.   She gets to gnaw the ears also; it is better than peeling the skin off a chemical laced tennis ball or licking a Chinese made dog toy.    This year I'm going to try cooking up some broth and canned them like you guys suggested.  I strain the broth and make sure I don't put deer fat in the pot.  Dog will get the white bones and the broth dredge when I'm done.   This way I pay respect to my deer.

if you have a garden or will be planting a fruit tree, bury it.  You will be amazed.  Skin/hair/blood/intestine....those are super-concentrate, slow-releasing food/nutrient for plants/trees.  Ever heard of blood meal/hair for fertilizer?   Garden...bury it at least under 2' of soil if the flies are still buzzing, (1' if it is after 3 freeze spells).  Put wood chips on top of the carcass/intestine.  Cover with soil, then top it off with leaves or chips.  Put cinder blocks on top of it for a few weeks so that dogs or other vermin will not dig it back up.   Future tree pit:  dig deeper and wider; put chips on top of it.  Ditto.  Next year, when you re-dig the hole, stop when you see chip or smell the decomposing pile.  Make sure the hole is deep enough for the size of the tree you will be planting the next season.   If you don't want coyote harassing your deer, then why feed it.  Make them work for their keep.   If the flies are still out, leaving a gut piles make life harder for the rest of us.

Whitwell, TN.  25F overnight, max daytime temp was 38F.  Will be 27F again tonight.  10-15mph breeze throughout the day.   Got on the field at 11am; first time on this 60acrs private land that has not been hunt for many years.  Owner showed us the boundaries with his dog.  Got permission from owner to scout with one AR rifle for both father & son.  Owner left us at the edge of his outermost boundary, 3/4 miles from our car, but took us 45min to climb the hill and over all the fallen trees, and thorn bushes.  As owner start walking away from us, we both were thankful for the gift he gave us.   Max distance before striking a branch....15yds.  Max visibility of 30yds in most places.  In rare place, 50yds.   15min later, two does bounce toward my son and I.  Both would have run us over, but did a 90degree turn at the last second 10yds from us.  One follow 10 sec after the first.   This was an unexpected gift, just to see deer!   This is my son first still hunting, and first with a 16in AR/rifle.  He was not ready, and was not comfortable shooting at a running deer.  Large does, at least 150lbs.  He shot a deer on a stand with a crossbow two years ago.  This is his first true hunt, on the ground, and still hunting, on unfamiliar territory.  I gave him the rifle, and taught him the rules of the hunting, and serve as his safety observer.   Son wanted to move 2min after the does ran away from us.  Told him no, and to be patience.  Sure enough, a spike followed the does 5min later. Spike just wandering around, eating this and that, but no good angle, and all the branches are covering him.  Son gave me the thumb up, asking permission to shoot, I gave him the thumb up, seeing his gun wavered.   Spike started to walkaway from us.  I rustled the leaves.  Spike turn around looking directly at us.  Gun barrel now steady.  Son took a shot, but shot under spike and throwing dirt on him.  Spike jumped straight up and disappear.  No blood.  Can't find anything.   Son got angry at me for rustling the leaves.  I explained.  He understood.   This was an unexpected 2nd gift, son got a chance at pulling a trigger at deer!   Couldn't see anything for the next two hours.  Son got cold.  He now learned to listened to dad when I told him to bring the heavy jacket with him, but didn't.  I didn't want to argue, and figure he will learn from experience.  He did.   3rd gift, son learn the value of dad's experience.  Still gave me some lips though.  What do you expect from a teenager?   Later on, saw a does bouncing away, 50yds from us.  Next four hours, heard alot of squirrel which son later make fun of dad for thinking it was deer.   Saw a 10lbs owl 10ft from us on the way back...for 30sec.  That was one brave owl!   Got back to the car, which sat on an open hay field.  Son was burnt, went to sleep inside the car.  I decided to hunt till the end of legal hour, sitting on the cold ground a leaning against the car.  Wait an hour.  Heard noise; anticipate a deer from one quadrant. Wait another hour in 29F temperature, after spending 6 hrs in the open on a cold and blustery day.     Saw ears, then eyes, then head, no antler.  Doe then saw me.  Took off running until 10ft from the treeline then stop.  While doe was running I have the cross hair on her.  When she stopped, I put a 223 55g hp round on her neck.  I was looking at her butt.  Wait 45sec.  15min left of legal hour.  Look inside the car, figure son has woke up or would open the door and ask "what's up".  He was sound asleep!  Left him alone, and hope for the best. Why wake him if I miss.   Walk toward the spot where I last saw the deer before the concussion and the ringing noise now in my ear.   Don't know if I can find blood in this low light, don't know if I have to track her or not if my shot connect.  Walk toward the spot where I pull the trigger.  40yds away, saw deer skin.  Got excited.  Did 180 and get back to the car to wake up son, and load the doe before everything turn dark.  Told son I got a deer. He thought I was kidding.  Safety the rifle, and unchamber the round.  Put rifle in the car.  Empty my pocket for the ardous work ahead.   80yds away.   Drop dead on the spot where I last saw her.  Bullet enter the back of the neck and exit the front.  It was an instantaneous death.  (Thx Lord.)  Fourth gift.   Son and dad drag the ~150lbs doe to the car.  I touch the doe's head, and say a thankful prayer, and wish doe a safe journey back to our maker.   Last deer I shot was in 1989.  It has been a long time.  It was a good & memmorable ride back home for father and son, fifth gift.   Altogether, it has been an exciting day for my teenage son and I.  We were lucky to see deer.  Lucky for both father & son to spend a memorable day together in the field.   Since it is going to be 27F overnight.  I decided to field dress the deer tomorrow.  Neck shot, no organ was damage.  We both were tire, except for the adrenaline rush.   Son, and now his middle brother and younger sister, wants to do it again.   Gun:  The DPMS Sweet 16 bull barrel AR put 3/4" 3 rounds group at 100yd, and 1.5" 7 rounds group by dad with plain Fed AE 55g fmj.  Son can do 4in group at 100yd.  3-9x40mm Leupold Rifleman.