Greetings Paleo tribe,

WARNING _GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF CARNAGE AHeAD

I am a reformed vegetarian, who after serious ill health, realized
eating
meat saved me. I have been an unashamed carnivore ever since (15 yrs).
I
have extolled the virtue of eating meat to any one who will listen. I
eat a
lot of meat, and organs, often raw.

However, I am now facing a crisis of wimposity.

Yesterday, I became the proud owner of two recently killed elk heads.
A doe
and a buck. Very large. They were given to me by hunters dressing the
kill.
Although they questioned my usage (I said "I have dogs")  and  I did
hear a
mumbled reference to "satanic ritual",  they happily gave them to me -
proud that "nothing went to waste".

My plan was to extract the tongue and the brains.

I took my heads home with me and spread out some newspaper and plastic
garbage bags out in my back yard. My dogs prowled the perimeter
lifting
their lips and growling and snarling at our cats- who were very
curious.

I took out the doe head out of the bag and was surprised at the
suppleness
in her fur. She was beautiful! She felt alive. Just like in a petting
zoo.
Her muzzle was soft. I petted her for a while. Her ears were furry and
felt
a lot like my dogs. I opened her mouth and saw there was still grass
on her
tongue. I pulled it out to see it and heard a gasping noise come from
her
throat. I almost jumped out of my skin, and found myself apologizing
to
her. I remembered the Native American tradition, (my grandmother is
Cherokee) and thanked her for giving herself to us. I felt better
after
that - acknowledging the sacrafice.

(Let me just mention briefly here that I was raised a "city kid" and
have
no exposure to hunting in my background).

I did not have a clue what to do next, hoping some natural instinct
would
kick in.No way could I take my hatchet and whack her between the eyes.

I hadn't anticipated such a reaction in myself. I have always
contended
that in another place and time I would have been a good hunter.  I am
not
given to squeamishness. Blood doesn't bother me at all (I used to be a
Vet
Tech). I have no intellectual misgivings that it is "wrong" to kill
animals
for food.

Anyway , I set her aside and pulled the buck's head from the bag.

The hunters had taken the antlers and the eyes were gone. That helped.
The
brain was exposed and I was able to scoop it out. I regulrly eat cow
brain,
so I could make the transition from "Bambi"  to "this is meat". Soon,
I was
digging out the tongue< managed to saw it loose from the jaw>
i then took out the doe head< And usiNG What i learned < was able to
get
the tOngue out> i tried to get through the brain thRough ThE bottom
(near
where the tongue was attatched< but i brOkE toO much bone- SHATTERED
IT
INTO A GAZiLLoin shards>
mY APOLOGIES- MY COMPYTER IS GIONG BONKErS ON ME> PLEASE HANG IN
THERE.

MY BUTCHER< WHO IS MY GOOD BUD< SAID IT WAS NORMAL TO BE A BIT FReAKED
OUT
AT FIRsT AND "IT TAKES SOME GETTING USED TO"
I tHiNk I wiLl coNtInue afTeR I GET My COMPUTER FIXED>

To be continued...