all by himself

Josh took Ammon out hunting a few times this fall. They drove around the ranch on their motorcycles, looking for the perfect deer. Ammon became very interested in finding and shooting a deer, and took any opportunity he had to go, even when Josh couldn't go with him. On one such Monday in the middle of October, he came home from cross country practice, changed his clothes, grabbed his gun, and set out on his motorcycle alone in search of a deer before it got too dark. And he got one! All by himself! He shot it just as it was getting dark, and he texted Josh and I as soon as it happened. Josh was in town attending a school board meeting, and he left as soon as he got the text. Grandpa found Ammon out in the field and brought over his backhoe to help light up the area. As soon as Josh got home, he got his gutting knife and took me with him in the truck to the area where Ammon and his 2-point prize deer were!

 

By this time, it was after 7:30, and too dark to see. So using the headlights of the truck, the 4-wheeler, and the backhoe, Josh and Ammon began the task of gutting the deer.

Thankfully, Ammon had shot it in the upper shoulder, so it didn't ruin any of its quality meat. He'd slit the deer's throat while he was waiting for Josh & I, so the deer was all ready to be cut. It totally grossed Ammon out to pull out all the innards and intestines!

This is the same shot, using light from the camera flash instead of the headlights:

It was funny for me to watch 3 generations of Tolman's be so interested in the hunting of the deer!

After the intestines were removed, the heart and lungs came next, then Josh made Ammon cut out the bowels.

Then the deer was ready to be loaded onto the front fork of the backhoe. Josh and Edward pulled it up, and got it chained to the equipment to be taken back to the shop for hanging and drying. This picture makes me laugh every time I see it!

Here's a photo of the deer is all hoisted up and ready to go:

After Edward drove the deer to the shop, they hung it up from the ceiling using chains. Josh and Ammon skinned it, and it hung in the shop for about 10 days before we processed the meat. We've never processed our deer meat before, but Josh really wanted to try. So he purchased a meat grinder, and he set up a processing area in the shop by the hanging deer. He began cutting bits of meat off the deer, then Ammon put the meat sections in the grinder. My job was to measure the ground meat in 1 lb. increments and put in freezer bags.

Malachi was home the weekend we processed the meat, and he brought along with him his friends and roommates. One of his roommates was an experienced butcher, and he stepped in and helped Josh with the second half of cutting the deer meat. He really helped expedite the process, and we were so happy for his help!

 

We worked on it for about 2 hours, and we were able to get more than 30 pounds of deer burger from it!

Using some of that deer burger, Josh also made homemade salami for the first time, all by himself! He mixed it up with other meat and seasonings...

...then he compacted it in the wrapper and secured the ends.

It soaked up the flavors in the fridge for a day or two before it was cooked in the oven. I'm so proud of Josh for trying something new and creating it all by himself. And oh my goodness, it is SOOO delicious!!!

He's also made homemade jerky with the deer burger, using seasonings, a jerky maker, and a dehydrator. He's already made two batches in the last few weeks because it disappears so quickly--we all like snacking on it!

It feels good to be self-reliant! It's so fulfilling to be able to hunt an animal grazing on the ranch, process its meat, then consume it. This is something I never experienced growing up, and I appreciate the skills of Ammon and Josh in producing such a wonderful protein for us to partake.