# Filling The Freezer?



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Ok in Missouri fishing and hunting limits are very liberal.Ok it is just me and my DW and we depend on nothing but wild game and fish.

Ok meat comes heavy in spurts for whatever,like Deer Season,Spoonbilling and Squirrels when cutting nuts.

My question is this do you fill the Freezer while things are going good?

big rockpile


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## blhmabbott (Feb 4, 2003)

Here in TN the limits are liberal also. If all five of us killed our limit, we'd be allowed 360 deer during the entire season. Needless to say, we don't kill that many. Deer season is a very serious time around here because that's the time the freezer HAS to get filled. We don't eat beef, so rely on venison as our main meat source. I'll supplement with chicken through the summer, as well as fresh caught fish. But if we don't put up at least 16 deer during hunting season, we're gonna be hurting by August of the next year. We either fill it or don't eat (at least not meat.)


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## wildhorse (Oct 22, 2006)

Rock I'm going to try this year to put what I can in the freezer my DH wont hunt at all so its up to me and the kids. I'm hoping and praying I can bag a deer we love deer meat.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Well I not sure how much Deer I have left but I'm sure it isn't enough to do until September.Squirrel Season is open,but I'm thinking they moved out after no Mast crop last Fall.So its fish,which seems they are starting to bite.

Thing is I don't want to over work getting meat,but I don't want to do without.

big rockpile


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## Homesteadwi5 (Mar 16, 2008)

When you live off wild game which we do as well you have to stock up when you can.We try to take at least 5-6 deer and at least 1 bear for the year.


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## Homesteader at Heart (Aug 11, 2003)

Rock, tell me about spoonbilling.


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

big rockpile said:


> My question is this do you fill the Freezer while things are going good?
> 
> big rockpile


It is said, "Those who rest in a calm will row in a storm", I guess that means it's fairly hard to fill a freezer when things are going bad.:shrug:


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Homesteader at Heart said:


> Rock, tell me about spoonbilling.


Here you go.Its fun




http://www.mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2005/02/10.htm

big rockpile


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## Homesteader at Heart (Aug 11, 2003)

Thanks. I remember my dad snagging at Texarkana Lake (now Wright Patman) near Texarkana, Texas. People there would catch buffalo and maybe catfish. I remember seeing a huge spoonbill, which they called spoonbill catfish. That was a long time ago.


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## Kevin and Laura (Jun 23, 2002)

Rockpile, you and I see many things a like...I do hit the in season animals to the highest extent I can. Dear Ole Dad would say "Make hay while the sunshines!" Daily & possession limits are important and I adhere, nuff said there...meat for our freezer is always a high priority. I take wildlife conservation as importantly as garden & orchard care.


Kevin


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Try to when it comes to fishing, but most of my family aint too much on deer and squirrels. So anymore I don't kill more then one or two deer per year and just a handfull of squirrels. If I only had to cook for myself, I would cook wild game everyday. My family will eat fish quite often so long as it's something like bass, sandbass, or crappie. Catfish, rough fish, spoonbill or just about any other kind of fish the wife and kids wont eat it. Too fishy for them. In fact I can't even get them to eat farm raised chickens or pork. It has to come from a grocery store before they will eat it.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Just got to thinking. If my wife and kids would eat wild game and fish real good, we could just almost be totally independant from store bought meats.

In Oklahoma we are now allowed up to 6 deer per person per year. Immediatly after deer season ends fish gigging starts up and the river is full of suckers fish that have a real good flavor. Come spring time you can load up on crappie, sandbass, and catfish during the spawn. Summer through the end of the year can be used to catch a lot of squirrels and rabbits in the winter time.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Well we can kill unlimited Deer for four months.Plus we can Gig all Winter.Plus Unlimited *****.Squirrels and Rabbits we can have 12 each for every person in the house.Plus large numbers of other fish.

big rockpile


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

My recommendation would be to pressure can a lot of that wild harvest (or pickle the fish) rather than relying on the freezer to get you through the tough times. Who knows, maybe many of us will not have the $$$ for electricity or even electrical service if the SHTF or during TEOWOAWKI.


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## Homesteader at Heart (Aug 11, 2003)

What can you gig all winter?


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Homesteader at Heart said:


> What can you gig all winter?



Mostly Suckers around here.But Rough Fish like Carp,Buffalo,drum,stuff like that.

But its mostly Suckers,see Boats all up and down the river it can be below zero,they'll be out there until Midnight,then come back Fry their catch in Camp.

It runs Sept.15 to Jan.31

big rockpile


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## dogo (Dec 3, 2005)

Not trying to start anything because I love all The wild game and fish . But I think those paddle fish "Spoon Bill's" Are a protective species. So please be careful. I think the proper name is Sturgeon . Better be careful The Fed's might be watching . I don't know if its so . You just need to check it out. I knew at one time you could catch them . But as you know time and things change .


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## Homesteader at Heart (Aug 11, 2003)

What rock is talking about is different from a sturgeon. Check out the link below.

http://grandfishingreport.com/pgs/lakeinfo/species/spoonbill/spoonbill.htm


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Cabin Fever said:


> My recommendation would be to pressure can a lot of that wild harvest (or pickle the fish) rather than relying on the freezer to get you through the tough times. Who knows, maybe many of us will not have the $$$ for electricity or even electrical service if the SHTF or during TEOWOAWKI.


That's what I had planned on doing this spring but since we've had a lot of high waters I haven't gotten to fish much.


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## Homesteadwi5 (Mar 16, 2008)

We just started pressure canning alot of venison this past winter works out great


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## luv2farm (Feb 15, 2008)

I used to put all our deer in the freezer. We would eat it, but the taste was too strong for us. One night the neighbor brought us a nice buck, but the freezer was full and I asked my Grandmother what I could do with it. She told me how to can it. I have NEVER put another piece of vension in the freezer! It is all canned now. Taste wonderful and doesn't take up the precious freezer space.

Now a question to those of you who "put up" rabbit. We have raised some rabbits for slaughter, and it is about time for them to be "took care of". Do you freeze them, or do you can them? The old Ball Blue Book had sections on canning wild meats. Not these new ones. How is the best way to preserve them?


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## DavidUnderwood (Jul 5, 2007)

I killed 10 rabbits yesterday. Gonna kill
another 10 next week, and more the next.
I still freeze all mine. But they don't stay
around very long. The younger you do
them, the better they are.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Cabin Fever said:


> My recommendation would be to pressure can a lot of that wild harvest (or pickle the fish) rather than relying on the freezer to get you through the tough times. Who knows, maybe many of us will not have the $$$ for electricity or even electrical service if the SHTF or during TEOWOAWKI.


 Back when we lived on the river,my wife pressure canned white shad which is a real boney fish but a real good fish. That pressure canner made them bones fall apart and we ate fish cakes, fish stews and fish with eggs and never found a single bone. Eddie


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## MariaAZ (Jun 5, 2007)

luv2farm said:


> Now a question to those of you who "put up" rabbit. We have raised some rabbits for slaughter, and it is about time for them to be "took care of". Do you freeze them, or do you can them? The old Ball Blue Book had sections on canning wild meats. Not these new ones. How is the best way to preserve them?


I've only frozen rabbits, which has worked out fine so far. I'd like to try canning some though.


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