Hunting Trip

While we were getting ready for a trip, Robin Hood was “robbing from the rich and giving to the poor”.

Ten minutes from home we stopped (actually, a kind Dad turned around and drove back at the urgent pleas of one passenger) to observe this hawk owl sitting on a power line. He dove into the field, flew back up, and ate his lunch.

Balto met the horses.

There was a little bit of snow and ice…. just enough to make snow ‘n dirt angels.

The hunters heading out for a look.

A load-your-own ammo lesson.

Balto and Roxie had a lot of fun.

Hello!

Much to the annoyance of Noah, Balto likes breaking down snow towers.

Totally posed. Neither Gabe or I were present when Dad shot the deer.

There are no photos from the hands-on tutorials on field dressing, skinning, and cutting up a deer. Grae gutted the first while I video taped.  I did the second.  We both got to skin and quarter.   And now we feel confident that if a deer walks by our door again we could take care of it from the shot to the freezer on our own.

Helping Grandpa move a tractor.

Time for the skinning and butchering lesson to commence.

Back at home everyone took a turn weighing out meat to be packaged.

And Mommy finally got her hides for brain tanning (except I’m not going to use brains this time…. special request). Here I am salting them to preserve them until I can get to the next steps.