IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR

papa-pepper (80)in OCD • last year

Time to stock up on venison.

Prior to moving to the Ozarks, I had never gone hunting for deer. Part of becoming more self-sufficient has been to learn new skills and do new things, so I am now a deer hunter. This year, the modern gun season just opened. I have an opportunity to harvest up to six deer each season, and so far I'm off to a good start with two taken in one morning.

One (left) was a doe and one (right) was a spike buck. We already made some smokehouse venison jerky and we are excited to enjoy more. Part of these deer will be frozen for future meals while other parts will be pressure canned in pint jars and stored. We'll see how the rest of the season goes, but at least it's been a success for me already. Enjoy the photos.