By: Stacey Long
Can you remember the last time that you stopped at McDonald’s and grabbed a Quarter Pounder with cheese? What about the last time you stopped off at TGI Fridays and had one of their Jack Daniels beef steaks? Now, can you think of a time, just one time, when you sat down and had a meal including a meat you did not buy at a supermarket? Deer, bear, wild poultry: people just don’t see these things as food anymore because they don’t come prepackaged in the grocer’s freezer. Why is that?
My father is a hunter. That means that my family has tasted some interesting recipes throughout our lives. That also means a unique table is set for our guests at picnics and birthday parties. I’ve heard people berate my father for daring to kill something as majestic as a deer. He’s been made into the evil hunter in Bambi that everyone hates because he clearly has no regard for life. While everyone is entitled to his/her own opinions, I’ve always found it hypocritical to hear someone tell my father how inhumane it is to kill a deer without thinking about the cow that became the hot dog on which they are snacking. People see certain animals as precious because they live in the wild. Cows and pigs, who are often bred with slaughter in mind, somehow become less important to the average person. Their obvious conclusion is that it is cruel to go into the animal’s home (the woods – apparently a barnyard is not a home) and kill it. As someone who has studied animal science and wildlife extensively, I question whether they know how these barnyard animals are living – now THAT is cruelty.
Let’s take a trip together into the worlds of these creatures.
INFANCY: All animals begin as infants. For deer, that means 1-3 fawns per year per fertile doe. For fertile cows, that means one calf. Already I begin questioning why cows are our domestic creature of choice. If deer can produce twice as many young annually, wouldn’t it be logical for us to use them as a renewable food source?
The young of these creatures lead two completely different lives. Calves are usually weaned at around 4-5 weeks of age (Quigley). The females learn to eat corn laced with chemicals to prevent disease and the males are boxed in tiny crates where they are fed for about 5 months and then slaughtered to produce veal (Babes in Crates).
Fawns are weaned at about 6 weeks, but after immediate infancy, fawns are capable of foraging for food and could survive if lost. They remain with their mother in the wild for anywhere between 1-2 years depending on the sex of the fawn (White-Tailed Deer).
| Calf
Clumsy, I stumble around, exploring my new surroundings,
Cute, the passersby exclaim at my size and stature,
Curious, I wish to explore the world but am told where to go,
Caught, at 5 weeks, a mere child, I am taken away my mother,
Confined, I am free only within the bounds of my enclosure,
Quickly, I discover my place in the world. |
Fawn
Strong, I stand on my own, moments after dropping from womb to woods,
Silent, I shudder in the grasses waiting for mother to return,
Social, I nuzzle my brothers as we play in the sun,
Speckled, I know that my coat will keep me safe and hidden until I grow,
Small, I am a baby, though not for long,
Soon, time will make me grow. |
FUN FACT! – If you are walking through the woods and find a fawn, do not try to move it; it has not been abandoned. Doe will leave their fawns hidden for up to 8 hours, but if the fawn smells of human when its mother returns, she may refuse to care for it.
HABITAT: Perhaps the largest difference between beef cattle and deer is the habitat in which each creature resides. Most 6-year-olds can tell you that a cow lives on a farm and a deer lives in the woods, but many people don’t stop to think any further than that. Are the animals happy where they are? Do they spend time with other animals? Are they well fed? How do they interact with humans? These are all questions that can be answered by looking at the home of these creatures. Let’s check the encyclopedia…
Beef Cattle – Beef cattle are cows that are traditionally raised for their meat production; however they can also be used for leather products. Most beef cattle are female. They are often former dairy cows that have outlived their usefulness for milk production.
Habitat – Often, beef cattle are raised within the confines of a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation or CAFO. CAFO’s are gigantic lots in which many cows reside side by side, standing in their own waste. CAFO’s can hold thousands of cows, the largest in Nebraska holding 85,000. The animals are fed and watered through long troughs. These cows are fed corn, which often disturbs the delicate digestive system of a ruminant, and the side effects of this diet, which cows were not designed to consume, are counteracted by antibiotics. “Rumensin buffers acidity in the rumen, helping to prevent bloat and acidosis, and Tylosin, a form of erthrymycin, lowers the incidence of liver infection” (Pollan 78). Although unsanitary, cattle feedlots are the most efficient way to raise beef for profit. CAFO’s produce faster growing cattle, allowing the industry to earn more money as cattle constantly pass through these establishments.
White-Tailed Deer – The white-tailed deer is a game animal located in great numbers throughout most of the continental United States. White-tails are mainly solitary creatures, the male (bucks) gathering in groups of 3-4 at most and only when mating season is not taking place. (White-Tailed Deer)
Habitat – White-tailed deer can survive in nearly any wooded area. They are sustained by a variety of plants that can be found all over the US. Deer will eat many different green plants, fruits, and nuts as different seasons pass. They often reside near agricultural areas where food is always plentiful. “In agricultural areas, a large part of a deer’s diet is…soybeans. Bucks especially seem to gorge themselves on soybeans while they’re green” (Long). In addition to using plants as a food source, deer will use them as a source of protection. Mother deer will hide fawns in tall grass while they search for food, and many deer will eat in a grassy area next to wooded lots that will provide ample cover if the creature is in danger.
Possibly the greatest danger to deer is removal of habitat as wooded land becomes developed and shopping centers or houses are built.
MATING: All creatures that want to remain a species have to reproduce. What’s interesting about barnyard animals is that they have been domesticated for such a long time that some of them have forgotten how to do so naturally. Others, such as cattle, are not allowed to reproduce on their own because humans wish to select only the best milk or beef producers to pass genes on to the young. Creatures in the wild use natural selection (the animals are responsible for choosing their own mates) to ensure that good genes are passed on to their young. With domestic farm animals, farmers are the ones to select the creatures who are allowed to reproduce and they ship bull sperm across the country in vials. Each vial of sperm costs around $50.00 and must be manually inserted into the female cow (Dairy Farmers Drive…) I had the “pleasure” of experiencing this firsthand during a high school Ag. Science course. I also spoke to one of my co-workers, a hunter and fisherman, about his own personal experience with watching deer during mating season.
November, 2001
Dear Diary –
OMG I did the coolest and grossest thing ever today. Miller is always trying to get me to do animal stuff, which is totally awesome, but today was crazy. I told Lucas about it and he was grossed out too much to high five me. Ready? I fake artificially inseminated a cow. Miller kinda pushed me towards it. It was pretty nasty, but I’m glad I did it. It was me, Jason, and Meg. Valerie went along but wouldn’t do it because she was too grossed out. See, the cows on a farm don’t actually do it, you have to use purchased semen to get them pregnant. I know, weird, right? They wouldn’t let us do the insemination for real, because the bull sperm is expensive, but we got to feel exactly what it would be like to do it, just not inject. We had to put on these really long gloves that went up past our elbow and then the farmer lubed them up so the cow wasn’t uncomfortable. We pushed our hands up the cow’s pooper which was real nasty when you think about it, and the cow must have still been uncomfortable because it went to the bathroom all over Jason when he tried. It was disgusting but I’m still glad I tried it. Heck. How many other people can say they did this? Anyway, we pushed up through the cow’s sphincter, which was really tight, and then inserted a tube into the cow’s reproductive tract. The tube would have usually had the sperm in it. You had to have your hand in the pooper because you needed to feel where the tube was going and that’s below where your hand is. Then you would have pushed the tube and it would have been like a syringe with sperm in it. Then you just pull everything out again! I’m glad I got to experience this, but I do feel sort of bad for the cow.
November 3, 2007
Log –
Saw something really amazing today. Was fishing along the bank of the creek out back, watching some doe graze in the field way across the creek when a young buck wandered by me. Buck walked near me, and looked right at me. Thought for sure he was going to bolt, but he crossed the creek (scared away all the trout…) and went over to the doe. I swear, they get stupid during mating season. Like teenage boys at a school dance. Right about then, another young buck stumbled out from the field and the two saw each other. They started butting heads, fighting over the doe. The loser wandered off, and the winner tried to mount one of the females. She snubbed him anyway – acted like she didn’t want anything to do with him and ran, but I know the lowdown. She runs, he follows, eventually she gives in and babies soon follow.
Made me think of how soon the young ones are going to be out with their mothers. God, they’re cute. Stumbling around, butting heads for fun. Can’t wait to see that. Maybe in spring I’ll stop by the creek again, see if anything new is showing up.
Anyway, not often that you get to see them fighting over the females. Especially when they’re this young. Usually the little ones get their behinds kicked by the older bucks, but they must have been out somewhere else. I was pretty lucky today. Not many can say they got to witness this (Waimkessel).
DEATH: All creatures must, at some point, die. It’s a part of life. How they die is a different story. Most people believe that death should carry some dignity – that’s why we hold funerals for our own species and even for our pets. Deer are harvested (hunters generally frown upon the word “kill”) and cattle are slaughtered. While man is the cause of the death of these creatures, the process can be two completely different stories.
The Hunt
The hunter sits in his stand, waiting. He has been here for hours, waiting and watching since the break of dawn. His face is painted with camouflage that shows his art, much like the Native Americans painted their faces to symbolize the hunt or war. The hunter is quiet as he patiently sits. His eyes focus on the horizon, searching for the movement he is desperate to see. There! Behind that cluster of white pine. The buck emerges in a fervent search for doe. He fails to see anything beyond that which he seeks. He goes left, right, left again, his nose thrust into the air searching for the scent of ANY female. The hunter holds his breath as the deer wanders closer. He raises his bow in preparation. Now? No, the buck walks behind a patch of briar and a clean shot now would be impossible. Wait for it…wait for it… Yes! He’s moving again. The hunter pulls the string back. The deer does not know what is coming, he merely seeks a mate. The hunter is experienced. The arrow is quick and sure. A straight shot through the heart and the deer knows nothing but the peace of death. The hunter descends. He says a prayer and thanks the animal for the life it has given so that his family might enjoy a truly earthy meal. He bends and places a bit of grass in the mouth of the deer, a last meal for an honorable being. The hunter begins to carve the animal, taking care not to drop anything. A life given should never be wasted.
The Slaughter
The farmer awakens – today is the big day. The cattle he has been raising for months are ready to be slaughtered and sold. He gathers his team and each man receives his role. Some will be stunners, others will hang the animal, and still others will be in charge of the actual killing. Each man takes his position in the slaughterhouse. Outside, the animals wait in new pens. They were transported here earlier this morning – any sooner and the new pen would completely stress the animals. They are given water and food to relax their nerves. In the meantime, the crew prepares the stations. Stunners are laid out, hooks are attached to pulleys on the ceiling, and knives are sharpened.
The cattle are led into the slaughterhouse one by one. First, the cow enters a stunning box. While in this area, she cannot move and her hooves stick to the non-slip floor. A man climbs into the box with her and places a bolt gun on the cow’s forehead. Once the trigger is pulled, the creature will collapse onto the floor, unconscious due to the bolt that has been driven into its brain. The floor of the stunning box is tilted and the animal’s body slides through a trapdoor and into the next station.
Another man checks to see that the creature is unconscious. It must not be breathing, nor can it be making any noises. If it is, it receives another bolt.
A third man bends over the cow. He pierces each hind leg with an enormous hook and the animal is pulled up towards the roof where it dangles, lifeless, on a pulley. It must be hurried onto the next station – the actual death must take place before the animal regains any sort of feeling. One minute may pass, no more.
At the final station in the slaughterhouse, the creature loses its life. A sharpened and clean knife is dragged across the animal’s throat. The creature is bled until the brain has been starved of oxygen, then it is removed from the area and sent to the butchering area. In a matter of minutes the flesh will be turned into steaks, chops, and ground beef, the organs may be sold as dog food or fertilizer (Chambers).
BUTCHERING: Any time that an animal is killed for food, its meat must be butchered. Many hunters prefer to do this themselves, but some will take the animal to a local shop for processing. The actual butchering process is fairly similar for both creatures, although the location will differ. A cow is butchered in the same area in which it was slaughtered. A deer is field dressed in the woods (the internal organs are removed for cooling) and then can be butchered at home or taken to a shop. Want to compare the processes? Check these out.
Deer being butchered after harvest (video clip)
Cow being butchered after slaughter (video clip)
DISPERSION: After meat has been processed, the next step is to deliver it to the public. This plays a big factor in the meals that many families have. Beef can be purchased at a grocery store for a fairly low cost, as can other animals raised in a CAFO environment. Venison, on the other hand, is something you can obtain either from a specialty store or straight from the person that harvested the animal. It is rarer to come across, but there are benefits. Nutritional information shows that venison is actually better in terms of calorie and fat content, and instead of dealing with an impersonal grocer, you get to speak with your friend or neighbor, creating bonds between friends that are shared over a good meal.
|
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Great in-store deals, free samples, and recipe ideas also available!
|
*knock on door*
*Neighbor answers*
Hunter: Hey Ted. Just got back from the butcher and I wanted to bring you some of those deer steaks I remembered you liked from our last party. I took two deer this season, so I had them make a few extra for you.
Neighbor: Hey, thanks man. You want anything for these?
Hunter: Nah. Just enjoy. I get my venison sticks back next weekend. I’ll bring a few over for the kids.
Neighbor: Thanks!
Hunter: Have a good night.
Neighbor: See ya.
THE MEAL: Once the animals reach this point, a person’s relationship with the food depends entirely on the individual. Some families grill, some grab fast food, some make it a point to sit at the dinner table together. The meat being prepared does not make the dinner any different. The person doing the cooking will choose the dinner based on a number of factors including price, flavor, size, and hopefully, if this paper has done its job, the treatment of the creature being served.
Green Chile Cheeseburgers (By: Bobby Flay)Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chuck, 80 percent to 85 percent lean
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 thin slices Provolone
- 4 good-quality hamburger buns, toasted
- Green Chili Sauce, recipe separate
- Romaine lettuce leaves, optional
- 4 thick slices beefsteak tomatoes, optional
- Pickled jalapenos, optional
Directions
Heat grill to high. Form meat into 4 (8-ounce) burgers and season each burger on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Grill until charred on both sides and cooked to desired doneness.
Place 2 slices of the cheese on each burger, close the lid or tent with foil, and cook until the cheese has just melted, about 1 minute. Place burgers on buns and top with a few tablespoons of Green Chile Sauce and lettuce, tomato, and pickled jalapeno, if desired (Flay). |
Ground Venison Burgers (By: Jerry Honeyager)Ingredients
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
- 1/3 cup chopped green onions
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 pounds ground venison
- 8 hamburger buns, split
- 8 slices Pepper Jack cheese
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, mustard and lime peel; cover and refrigerate until serving.
In a bowl, combine the onions, yogurt, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Crumble meat over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight patties. Pan-fry, grill or broil until meat is no longer pink. Serve on buns; top with cheese and mayonnaise mixture (Honeyager). |
Which will you serve tomorrow?
Works Cited
“Babes in Crates.” Factory Farming Campaign. Humane Society of the United States, 2009.
Web. 31 July 2010. http://www.hsus.org/farm/multimedia/gallery/cows/veal_crates.html>.
“Butchering a cow.” Youtube. Web. 1 Aug 2010.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABLQB38gMxc>.
“Butcher a deer (quick job on a small doe).” Youtube. Web. 1 Aug 2010.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwXH7qQAs1I>.
Chambers, P.G. “Chapter 7: Slaughter of Livestock.” Guidelines for Humane Handling,
Transport, and Slaughter of Livestock. Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 2004.
Web. July 30 2010. <http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6909e/x6909e09.htm>.
“Dairy farmers drive bull market in cattle semen.” Associated Press (7/20/2006): n. pag. Web. 1
Aug 2010. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13939201/>.
Flay, Bobby. “Green Chile Cheeseburgers.” FoodNetwork. FoodNetwork, 2010. Web. 25 July
2010. <http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/green-chile-cheeseburgers-
recipe2/index.html>.
Honeyager, Jerry. “Ground Venison Burgers.” AllRecipes. TasteofHome, 2010. Web. 25 Aug
2010. <http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/ground-venison-burgers/Detail.aspx>.
Long, Todd. Personal Interview. 10 July, 2010.
Pollan, Michael. Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin
Press, 78. Print.
Quigley, Jim. “Calf Note #09.” Calfnotes.com. N.p., 2001. Web. 1 Aug 2010.
<http://www.calfnotes.com/pdffiles/CN009.pdf>.
Stribling, H. Lee. “White-Tailed Deer Management.” ACES, 1996. Web. 28 July 2010.
<http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0521/#t1>.
Waimkessel, Art. Personal Interview. July 20, 2010.
“White-Tailed Deer.” NatureWorks. New Hampshire Public Television, 2010. Web. 1 Aug 2010.
<http://www.nhptv.org/NatureWorks/whitetaileddeer.htm>.
