Newbie to site, but not life

[maddog37jad]

Found this site looking thru sporting on Craig's list. Country boy still in Houston, but in woods on my lease 250 miles north every other weekend. I hunt, trap, and butcher feral hogs year round. Properly processed, there is no finer eating. No hormones, no antibiotics, free range. Just like this high dollar low cholesterol free range meat they sell on the internet for $25.00 a pound. What is amazing is the locals, with a few exceptions, consider them vermin and coyote bait and would sooner eat an armadillo. Not surprising really, few people are capable of getting out of the box and realizing what nature has to offer, or perhaps it is not as labor intensive to pick up a package at the grocery store. I am a former helicopter gunship pilot, circa 69-70, and have hunted the ultimate game. At 58 the basic goal in my life is the harmony and well being of my family and friends and know the difference between a friend and acquaintance. I have a lot of acquaintances. Hurricane Ike helped me move forward in my survival views. Yin & Yang at work. While sitting on patio with a glass of good cheap whiskey, I was trying to decide where to store plywood I took off windows. A few sketches and by end of weekend I had a smoking box on the deck that will smoke 100 pounds of sausage. Moved forward from sausage to curing my own ham and bacon. Will never eat store bought again. In the circle I share with, the response has been universal, with awesome being the most common keyword. Planted 1/4 acre turnips for deer, they didn't eat. I now have years supply of greens in freezer. If anyone is interested I will be more than happy to share techniques, recipes, or design. The most rewarding is to be able to open eyes of young children and receptive adults to world outside grocery store.

[Big_Saw]

Deja vu.....

[sd allen]

Hey Maddog,I spent a little time in the Houston area after Ike visited ya'll.Boy he sure made a mess.Any how hope everything is up and running again.I tried to find some hunting land while in that area but I had alot of time working.I do alot of smoking as well mostly deer and fish with the occasional bird.I like to use wild cherry.Any of that around Houston?

[Zombie Axe]

Welcome aboard and thanks for your service ;)

I would be interested in a write up on smoking. Gotta love that flavor :D

[maddog37jad]

Hey yourself sd allen. Things are pretty well back to normal here. Next spring the trees will look good and look professionally thinned. No wild cherry here. I use pecan for pork and bird. I like the sweet smoke taste it imparts. I cold smoke at 130 degrees for 5 hours. Meat is not cooked just nice smoky flavor. As far as hunting nearby, the yuppies who don't know what to do with a deer beyond pull a trigger and drop it off for processing hours later, then talk about the wild gamey taste, have pushed the cost of lease out of sight. That is why I drive 250 mile for an affordable lease.

[Big_Saw]

Hey yourself sd allen. Things are pretty well back to normal here. Next spring the trees will look good and look professionally thinned. No wild cherry here. I use pecan for pork and bird. I like the sweet smoke taste it imparts. I cold smoke at 130 degrees for 5 hours. Meat is not cooked just nice smoky flavor. As far as hunting nearby, the yuppies who don't know what to do with a deer beyond pull a trigger and drop it off for processing hours later, then talk about the wild gamey taste, have pushed the cost of lease out of sight. That is why I drive 250 mile for an affordable lease.

Gimme that "wild gamey taste" any day, over hormone-flavored beef ;)

Don't hunt much deer anymore, myself (outside the occasional invite) - but love to get me some small game all-year-round. My daughter loves it...we pop it, dress it, and usually end up cookin' and dinin' on-the-spot.

I think we're gonna get along fine, 'dog'.

[beebopcop]

Welcome maddog

[Visinedrops]

Gimme that "wild gamey taste" any day, over hormone-flavored beef ;)

Don't hunt much deer anymore, myself (outside the occasional invite) - but love to get me some small game all-year-round. My daughter loves it...we pop it, dress it, and usually end up cookin' and dinin' on-the-spot.

I think we're gonna get along fine, 'dog'.

What's in red above seems like an oxymoron...I didn't know beef actually had a flavor. Is it supposed to taste like cardboard? Pour some A1 on and sprinkle with some Mrs. Dash or something...ahhh, now it has flavor.

[Big_Saw]

What's in red above seems like an oxymoron...I didn't know beef actually had a flavor. Is it supposed to taste like cardboard? Pour some A1 on and sprinkle with some Mrs. Dash or something...ahhh, now it has flavor.

Well, I know that good, ranch-raised angus sure as heck don't taste like chicken.... :D

We don't buy any beef at all from the store....we get ours from a neighbor...by the side...and he raises 'em the way God made 'em.....no hormones, no junk-food-fattening agents.

And I'll tell you a fact right here: Once you've done a side-by-side taste-test, you will, very likely, forevermore agree that store-bought beef is, in fact, cardboard meat.