Thread: Getting back to living off the land.....

helped a mate out the otherday by skinning a big pig for him.....he has system pretty well sorted to make it as easy as possible.....one bit that sticks out is did all the main cuts to begin with and skinned down legs brisket etc IN A WHEELBARROW....so not bending over or kneeling on the ground. we recently did something very similar with our huge ram...he was carted to trailer on a sackbarrow..bum on bottom plate (no pun intended) and his back against barrow.....laying on trailer spreadeagled like a bar girl the day after marines have come home.....when we got to where I processed ram I dragged sackbarrow over to side of trailer and did knife work there and then....pulled barrow to other side of trailer and did other side....really good to do knife work at decent height..I have done it on table before but flopped on back makes it oh so easy...mate has the next bit sussed two...a permanently mounted wee electric winch up high in garage so the barrow wheeled underneath and piggy winched upwards..too easy bro too easy.
those are beautiful pelts.

As I mentioned, the goats where I hunt are usually in fantastic condition! These boned out shoulders show that. It's very rare to see wild goats with this amount of fat!

2 rolled seasoned wild goat shoulders. Bought stuffing, not homemade... Don't judge me... The shoulder bones are in the crockpot to make soup...

Greetings @bumblefoot,
Going hungry is clearly the least of your worries. That stationary chook tractor of yours seems to be working a treat. Makes my miserable little effort look modest in the extreme. The Quail are definitely not up to the job.
Regards Grandpamac.

@grandpamac Plenty of food here It's the uncertainty of $ss that is the problem. I put in a CV (for the butchery) at the supermarket last week. Seemed funny after 15 years of freelance writing. But so many mags have closed their doors. I'm a qualified butcher and managed supermarket butcheries for about 15 years. The last year has been one of chasing your tail trying to keep up with magazine changes; and I'm tired of it.... I need some stability for a year or two.

Like I said; I am going to return to tanning skins for clients (I did it fulltime for about 10 years until the early 90's). I've really enoyed tanning again. Just doing a few goat skins at the moment for samples. I've nearly finished this goat skin. Came up lovely and supple, I just need to sand the back and trim it.

Ah, one of those skills that doesn't rely on a cell phone app. I do like those rolled goat shoulders, they look delicious. Best of luck with the employment. There is demand for mature workers with skills as I suspect you will find.
Regards Grandpamac.

@grandpamac I have an interview at New World today at 11am. It'll seem a bit strange to be butchering again; I've been freelance writing since 2007.

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

@grandpamac I have an interview at New World today at 11am. It'll seem a bit strange to be butchering again; I've been freelance writing since 2007.

Greetings,
That didn't take long. Best of luck.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

@grandpamac I have an interview at New World today at 11am. It'll seem a bit strange to be butchering again; I've been freelance writing since 2007.

Best of luck
There's always plenty of work for skilled workers like yourself

@308 Thank you

@grandpamac Thank you The NW boss is ringing this afternoon with hours etc. Looking like 3 days a week, which is fine

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

@grandpamac Thank you The NW boss is ringing this afternoon with hours etc. Looking like 3 days a week, which is fine

Greetings,
3 days a week! Mate you've cracked it. That's what I did for my last three years working. Plenty of time left for other stuff.
Regards and congrats Grandpamac.

@grandpamac Yup; time to get back into tanning and also to really push the YouTube channel much harder. Got 5,300 subscribers now and it'll give me time to do longer videos rather than just Shorts. But I'm just sick of the way publishers work. I can understand that people get dropped when times are tough. But when the publications that you've written for, for 5 years, just leave you in the dark, it's incredibly disloyal and downright bloody rude

awesome to read the job front is looking up.....have look in new NZHunter magazine..the 100th issue there is comment there re Greg having that done to him...I remember the time well as it was a little messy,I still buy the "other magazine" have done so for many years but the Duleys do a far better job these days.

One of last Wednesday's wild goat skins being washed after salting and fleshing, and going into the tanning solution