Geez Louise! The only thing that frightens me about your story is that it's one that I'd be writing myself in the near future. Ex-vegan--3 1/2 years (still recovering/dealing with resulting health issues); Ex-vet tech; haven't butchered any carcasses yet, but I plan to if the opportunity arises; appreciate the critters whose lives become part of mine; am into descriptive writing, nature themes--non-fiction and fiction (very nice job you did on this story, by the way). Just had to comment, 'cause I thought I time-travelled into the future and was reading my own story! Lois > 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... >