Great post, and excellent comment feed.

For the visually/emotionally/otherwise assaulted readers, I think perhaps you are forgetting this is a personal blog, not needing your $ubscription. Hate to be a ball buster, but I’m pretty sure the author is non-plussed about your self-important “good luck and goodbye.”

Great post. I have a Dad who hunts and have seen all of this first-hand. I’ve also seen the respect and care that goes into taking the right shot, field-dressing and so forth. I agree with many others, a person should know where their food originates. It doesn’t magically show up in the meat case at Whole Foods. I had no problems with the post, aside from wondering if that rack is soon to be on your wall adorned with Christmas ornaments. My Dad thought it was a great idea years ago to have an elk hide tanned with the hair on and suggested to my Mom that they use it as a bedspread. 20+ years later, the suggestion still pisses off my Mom and the hide is carefully draped over a couch in my Dad’s den.

Thanks for the photos and the good laughs. If I read the comments correctly, you’re no longer welcome in Eugene (that was the self-appointed gatekeeper, yes?) and you’re the next Sarah Palin. Good stuff, ya betcha!

JB rocks, and also? Now I’m starving!

I’ve got my son’s european mount in my bedroom, and people freak that I do being that I’m a girl and all. Do you do anything with the hide? Elk is the bomb for making moccasins or anything that needs thick stiff leather, but I never learned how to tan, that’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

PS, For all those vegans out there, you know that vegetarian is an old indian word for bad hunter right? LOL

I read your blog because you are hilarious, real, and an In general kick ass person. You are the Only blog I read . That said, if people dont understand your wonderfully unique personality then they don’t DESERVE to read your blog! Kudos and keep writing that book jodie

I don’t know what’s more disgusting: the pleasure you take in the destruction of a beautiful creature that was living its life until you decided you needed it dead or the woo-hoo fist bumping over you writing a self-congratulatory post about commonplace animal slaughter.

Either way, it’s clear that I’m not in your target audience. I hope you all are kinder to the human beings in your lives than you are to other beings that have the misfortune to cross paths with you.

this mad me sad.

This is awesome! Craving elk steak grilled with mushrooms and onions. (Wrap it all up in foil packet on top rack of grill with a little salt and pepper!) So gooood!

I am not from a hunting family, nor could I ever condone it- I find no glory in it at all. For the record, I don’t at pigs sheep or cows either. But I do want to say that eating wild game may protect you from pesticides and all that, but google “mad elk disease” and you can decide on your own whether that’s a risk you want to take.

Point excellently made.

We’re all just meat on the inside, after all.

Oh, Jesus vegjeannie. If that elk wasn’t shot to feed a family, it would have been killed by predators or hit by a car. Something. Chances are slim that it would have lived to it’s life expectancy.
Wild animals do not prance around a meadow enjoying their life. The circle of life. They hunt and are hunted. By humans and other animals. Fortunately we are at the top of the food chain.
This is nothing new. Man has been doing this for centuries and it will never change.

I sense you’ve been linked somewhere in the vegetarian blogosphere. (I have no problem with vegetarians, or with vegetarian food. Vegetarian indignation makes me snicker uncharitably, especially when random capitalization starts to creep in.)

Loved this post. Seeing where our food comes from is so important, and hunting your food is so much more respectful than what most of us do.

Hunting is not my game (see what I did there), but I still crave the summer sausage we ate from ones our family felled. Yum!

We humans have totally forgotten that we are ANIMALS and animals are supposed to eat other animals. :) At least that’s how I feel. If you don’t want to eat meat, then don’t. Judging someone else because they hunt for food so there families can eat is beyond ridiculous.

I also have never understood the need to tell someone that you are never going to read their blog again. Just stop reading the blog. Too funny!

I meant “their families”.

Holy big balls, batman. Very nicely done.

What Jan said. I heartily support this post. I wish I had the guts to kill my own food. Seriously. I am a weenie. But I wholeheartedly support people who cleanly kill their own food and I support the respectful treatment of animals, which this is.

Elk, as herbivores, are prey, and that particular elk lived a natural life until its end. That’s one of the reasons its meat is healthy and tasty.

At first I was thinking, “Wow. I just don’t understand hunting.” Then I got to the end of your post. Now I get it.

These comments are SLAYING me.

You’re the best.

Yum. I want to hunt…always have. Never did. (poo on my dad moving before I could get my license)

I wonder if there is some kind of bell-curve pattern to comments on large-readership blogs that tackle a controversial (and that is totally subjective too) topic. Anyone looking for a PhD project?

And I always look forward to *whatever* you write about.

Although I am a vegan, my comment is not about veganism, vegetarianism, or animal rights. I leave those for another day. I would like to ask:

How is this sustainable?

There are approximately 2 million elk worldwide. With almost 7 billion people on our planet, how could hunting elk be considered sustainable?

Prior to colonization of America it is estimated that there were 10 million elks in America. Now we are down to about 1 million in America. Does not sound sustainable to me.

If factory farming was outlawed all together (which I hope that someday it will be), and we continued to eat meat at the rate that we currently do, we would run out of meat very quickly. Actually, our ecosystem would collapse before we ran out of meat.

Factory farming is the only way that carnivores can get the quantity of cheap meat that they have come to expect and demand. I do not see a way that you can argue for free range, organic meat. That simply is not sustainable.

Simply put, with 6 billion inhabitants on our planet, there is NO sustainable form of meat that will feed everyone.

With that said, I would ask you if you are okay with eating dogs and cats. Meat is meat, right?

You. Are. Awesome.

this is just FANTASTIC.

any place that can bring up vagina flaps, sarah palin, eating dogs and cats & batman’s calls is a winner on my list.

fan-FLIPPING-tastic from beginning to end.

How proud you must be to have hunted down a beautiful and defenseless animal, shot it, allowed it to lay there and suffer, and then shot it dead. What wonderful lessons you are teaching your boys.

I bought a whole chicken the other day wrapped in plastic from the supermarket. When I got it home, I plopped it out on my cutting board to chop up for chicken noodle soup. Only to realize in the country I live, whole chicken means whole chicken — head, feet and a few leftover feathers, too. I debated throwing the whole thing immediately in the garbage, but I toughed it out, whacked it’s head off, chopped the feet off and cooked it up. Must admit, I had to take out the garbage shortly after b/c I could feel the chicken eyeballs staring at me from the trash can. So, obviously I’m not cut out for hunting. Happy to cook it, just prefer not to see it until it’s wrapped up in a nice package. I don’t have any problem with hunting, it’s just not for me. Looks like JB had a successful trip and you have plenty of nice dinners in your future.

As a sort of meat eater, I have little to comment on about this post. I grew up the daughter of a sometimes-hunter, and definitely remember coming home to see the elk my dad caught hanging in the garage. My parents also by their beef from a friend who has about 15 head of cattle. I totally support people knowing where their food comes from, and think way too many people have meat “wrapped tightly in styrofoam and denial” (hilarious, btw).

I am commenting more to stick up for Eugene!!!

My family is from there, although I grew up in NE Oregon, and my grandfather was a US Forest Service ranger (Willamette National Forest Service Superintendent, actually). AND we’re all liberal, University of Oregon alumni (Go Ducks!) and Eco-aware and Eco-friendly in our habits – and my family in Eugene would welcome you with open arms. SO THERE! (to the commenter who said stay out of Eugene…)

Oh chill out cranky commenters: if we weren’t meant to eat animals they wouldn’t be made out of tasty, tasty meat.

This looks very labor intensive. But it does give me some new ideas for ways to skin a cat!

To those who hate the entire concept of hunting to feed one’s family: do you think the animal who provided the leather for your shoes, belt, handbag and car upholstery died of natural causes?

Nope.

WE ATE HIM and you are wearing the leftovers.

Thanks for a great post that got people thinking!

I would just like to say: Defenseless animal, my ass. Elk are very dangerous. Shit.

I’m going back to emotionally assaulting my vagina now.

Mixette–Agreed! There is a nice sociological study in these comments–PhD material for sure.

Love this post! Elk meat is delicious and lean. I am more emotionally assaulted by the overpriced, overpackaged crap at WholeFoods, to be honest.

And, anonymous, the “wonderful lesson” for her boys here is an elegant one: Respect your food, know where it comes from, and eat healthy (cruelty-free, yes, cruelty-free) meat.

Great post!

@Steve: Oh for goodness sake. Please tell me you are aware that you just set up a straw man argument. OF COURSE the way we all eat meat in this country is not currently sustainable. OF COURSE we have to change our foodways. But the argument you are making is not the same as the one Linda (or others) are trying to make: if we all ate meat in the way our physiology intended (e.g., approximately once a week or so), supplemented by eggs and dairy products, we could make omnivory sustainable.

Also: I don’t know where you live, but in most of the world, there is not enough fresh water currently available to make a local vegan diet sustainable. We are currently facing a fresh water shortage on this planet that is becoming a very, very big problem very, very quickly. What do you propose for those millions and millions of people for whom this is true?

Just when I was dying over the “emotional assault,” somebody went and called you Sarah Palin. This day cant get any better.

Great post!!! I respect anyone who produces or supplies food for their table, whether it’s from the garden or the woods. My two brothers and dad are avid hunters, and happen to be three of the most passionate environmentalists and conservationists I know. They are keenly aware of nature – more so than a lot of people – and have a sense of respect and admiration for the animals they hunt.
With that being said, I also understand the rationale behind those who oppose hunting, from an “animal rights” standpoint. Different strokes for different folks, right?
I think hunting is one of those debates that may never be resolved.

Everyday I see reminders to be kind to those around me. Today’s lesson is comming from the hateful commenters here.

Enjoy your harvest.

Linda, you are awesome. The pictures had me recoiling a bit, but I’d be a massive hypocrite if I didn’t read it to the end, look at all the pictures, and think ‘point well taken’ when I was done.

Enjoy the sure-to-be-delicious dinners that come from this, and please, keep on doing what you do. I wouldn’t stop reading you for anything.

FYI…My comment was meant to be mostly tongue in cheek. “Nice post Sarah Palin” made me laugh when I said it in my head, so I typed it. Glad it made others laugh as well. Believe it or not, there are other, more important things/people in my life that actually have the power to “emotionally assault” me. The blog entry of a person I have never met is not even remotely close to the top of my list.

Yes, I am a vegetarian (have been for 20 years). No, I have no problem with the food choices of others. Yes, I am disgusted by images of dead animals. Just like I am disgusted by images of starving children, the aftermath of a suicide bomb, any of the Saw movie trailers, etc. To all those who have commented “Good for you for sharing images of animal carcass”! I’m sorry…what?

All I was trying to convey was, when I go to a blog expecting to see pictures of cute kids (why wouldn’t I expect that from this blog?), pictures of a dead animal pale in comparison—and seem to be there simply for shock value. Or “advertising” purposes. In which case, good for you!

Vagina Flaps….really?? I just snorted a Cheerio out my nose! Holy hell, you people are funny!

As for the commentor being “emotionally assaulted” while expecting images of little kiddos, how long HAVE you been reading Linda’s blog? If you had actually read through some of the archives, you would know that she writes (and shoots) from the hip, with no holds barred. Blog topics may include: Dog farts, poop, scrotums, regurgitation, dead animals, and yes, at some times, adorable small children.

If you’re looking for fairy dust and Stepford senses of reality, I believe you can find that at ParentDish. Ta-ta!

“I am more emotionally assaulted by the overpriced, overpackaged crap at WholeFoods, to be honest.”

Amanda, you are the official winner of this comments section.

Go tofu.

I just had to comment because my blog name and twitter handle is Deer Baby.

I’ve had slow days at work this week, but held off on coming to read the chaos until today. It was worth the wait.

Vagina flaps, Sarah Palin, Mad Elk Disease .. you are gunning for your own TLC show, you know? Or at least Discovery Health.

I love it. I’m jealous of the meat in your freezer. Also, I’m gonna just say that what this thread is missing is the fact that I don’t like seeing breast feeding in public.

My eyes are burning!! Not only from the gross photos (which, being your blog, you have every right to post without warning) but from laughing at the comments. Hilarious.

I’m a sometimes meat eater, and while yes, I think the photos are gross; it would be hypocritical of me to not educate myself on how this meat is produced. Awesome post.

Now I’m off to read the comments from the dairy barn post, had no idea there was controversy over that!

Well, you’re welcome in Cottage Grove, just a stone throw from Eugene, anytime. :)

Wow, Linda, I have to say that your commenters are much more open minded than I thought they would be.

We hunters have spent a lot of time being vilified for what we do, and it seems like it’s only lately, and thanks to the trend of eating locally and humanely, that our food supply choices have begun to be respected. My husband and I personally kill and process over 50% of our meat, and we do it respectfully and without stress or waste. We used to mostly be made out to be assholes for doing this, except in our own circles, but that tide seems to be changing. I especially appreciate the vegetarians and vegans that see the effort we go to and respect our right to make our own choices in the food department, as I respect theirs.

YUMMMMMMY! Makes me miss Montana and my grandpappy!

Already hunting!

Death is a fact of life. Suffering doesn’t have to be.

Good stuff.

when i was a kid, my dad ran a taxidermy business in our basement. none of those images are new to me, but i never connected the concepts i knew as a kid (skinning, quartering, venison in the spaghetti sauce) with the ones i started hearing as an adult (local, organic, free range).
thanks for the new perspective.

my boyfriend was never exposed to hunting or anything like that and i showed him this post to explain the process. it was very thorough, good job.

as for the onslaught of comments, i think any reasonable person would agree that knowledge is valuable. if someone is unwilling to learn about or even look at something they disagree with, they should stick to reading their own blogs.

As many others have said, I think it’s a great option to get meat from a greener, more humane source like hunting. I also think it’s extremely worthwhile to see where your food comes from, even if people are squeamish about the images.

So, nothing to add there. But I do say that as a vegan (and a former Eugenian). We’re not all total nutbags.