The moose hunt 2010

It's been some great days up at the farm and a truly amazing moose hunt, Saturday, to round it off. It was one of those rare brilliant sunny days that captures the nature and the late autumn forest in all it's glory. It was an even more special day as my kid sister from all the way up north in Norway came down and joined in the hunt.

The moose hunt up here is organized in various ways, but in my region and in my 'team' it is a social happening where kids are welcome and we have a long bonfire break in the woods with hotdogs etc, lots of crazy stories and many laughs. I know I've told this before, but to sum it up quickly the hunt consists of two groups, the shooters and the chasers. The shooters goes into the woods first to their appointed spots. After an agreed upon time has gone by the chasers (which means everyone who doesn't shoot, including children old enough to hike in the woods) starts walking in a line towards the shooters while we holler and shout and bang sticks on trees chasing the moose towards the posted shooters.

This year we got 3 out of 4 animals during our second chase. One cow, one youngster and one ox. Hubby shot the youngster and thus was entitled to heart and tongue, which we give to my parents. they're too old to take part in the hunt now, but they are the ones who has the knowhow and the ability to make the traditional sausages and dishes of the meat. My father is also the one from our farm/land that takes part in the butchering and dividing the meat among all the landowners entitled to an equal part of meat, as we live some ways away and hubby is working late. The moose are skinned and gutted immediately after the hunt, but will then hang for a day or two depending on temperature etc. I'll be helping my father doing the last bit of dividing, mincing and the packing of the meat on Wednesday.  My extended family will have some great moose roast dinners this winter ^__^ yum yum!

I've got one heck of a cold, but at least it did not get worse by the day in the woods(actually I'm certain it would have been worse if I had used the cold as an excuse to stay home and in bed).