She Moose

A few weeks ago Josh got a moose.  

He was out hunting with Sol (our neighbor and Josh's coworker) on his boat and got a cow (girl moose) on the shore.  Unfortunately, she spooked and ran down the bank toward the water, where she collapsed.  

Josh & Sol spent hours trying to get her out of the mud and water so they could butcher her and get her into the boat.  They were unsuccessful so they tied her legs to Sol's boat anchor and left her there, planning to go back the next morning and try again.  Sunday they brought reinforcements in Peter & Isaac (more coworkers) and were gone nearly twelve hours trying to get this blasted moose cut up enough to move into the boat and bring home.

They lost some of the meat to the water, but were able to salvage quite a bit.  Mostly we were grateful a bear (or other animal) didn't happen upon it & help himself!

Finally they got home after 8:00pm and Josh brought our pieces into the arctic entry.  We laid cardboard down and stacked it up on top.

The next day, Monday, Josh was off work and he spent the day washing & butchering while I attempted to keep the boys in the playroom.

{Those ribs there on the table were cut into thirds, that's how BIG the rib cage was!}

{Blood splatter on the floor from carrying the legs back & forth}

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Picnic in the playroom!

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After he got the meat cut off the legs, he borrowed Sol's meat grinder and made us 100 pounds of hamburger.

The freezer is now well stocked for winter, and we are so grateful for this animal that gave its life to feed our family.

The clean up was brutal afterwards, (Hello Clorox wipes + elbow grease!) but for the price of gas for the boat, the meat came to a mere $0.45 per pound.  It was a lot of work, but totally worth the end product.