Category Archive: Animals

How to Skin and Prepare a Rattlesnake for the Table

It’s best to leave them alone, but if you do get a fresh rattlesnake, you might as well eat it.

I’m a realist. I know that venomous snakes and small kids, or pets, or livestock just don’t mix.  While I might not kill a rattlesnake unless I have no other option, I’ll dang sure eat one if I get the opportunity.

Rattlesnake meat is white, tender, and tastes like a cross between frog legs and turtle. While there are a lot of rib bones, a big rattlesnake will have a backstrap like muscle that runs the entire length of the backbone. Once cooked, that muscle will peel out easily, giving the diner a boneless bite of goodness.

Think you might want to try one in the future? Here’s how to process a rattlesnake for the table, T2T style. Save the skin for a hat band, a nifty wall display, or do like Joe and use it as a decorative backing for a self-bow.

1. Always remove the head before handling a rattlesnake

Always remove the head before handling a rattlesnake

Step 1. Remove the head. Dead rattlesnakes can still bite. It’s a nervous system deal, similar to a turkey gobbler that flops around for a few minutes after a fatal shot. I can’t stress this enough, don’t mess with the head. Don’t take any chances. If the head wasn’t removed by a shotgun blast, use a long-handled hoe or a machete to remove it from a distance. Use a long-handled shovel to pick it up and dispose of it safely, away from curious pets or kids. If you can’t remove the head from a safe distance, just don’t mess with it at all. While rattlesnake meat is great to eat, it isn’t worth receiving a bite. Just like wild mushrooms, you might only get one chance to mess this up. If you aren’t confident in your ability to do it safely, find someone that is. We are not responsible for any injuries incurred in this step. Besides safety concerns, it’s important to always check your state and local regulations when it comes to killing or possessing a rattlesnake. They are a protected species in many areas. If you plan on gifting a rattlesnake to a friend in another state or area, check the regs in both places. Transporting a rattlesnake across state lines where they might be protected can result in federal wildlife violations.

 

2. Where gloves to protect from salmonella.

Gloves will protect against salmonella when processing a rattlesnake.

Step 2. Don a pair of latex gloves. Snakes, like raw chicken or turtle, can carry salmonella. Since you probably aren’t next to a sink and soap while you are cleaning them, gloves offer protection. Just like chicken or turtle, rattlesnake meat should be cooked to at least 165 degrees internal temperature for safety.

 

3. Use a pair of scissors to open the snake’s belly.

Use a pair of scissors to open the snake

Step 3. Use a pair of scissors to open the snake’s belly starting where the head USED TO BE (before you SAFELY removed it), down to the tip of the tail.

 

4. Use a sharp blade to start removing the skin at both the head and tail ends.

Use a sharp blade to start removing the skin at both the head and tail ends.

Step 4. Use a sharp knife to loosen the skin around the neck area of the snake to start separating it from the meat. Move down to the tail and loosen the skin in front of the rattles the same way so that it doesn’t tear when you get down to that part in the skinning process.

 

5. Peel the skin away from the meat over the full length of the rattlesnake.

Peel the skin away from the meat

Step 5. Grasp the rattlesnake in your left hand and get a grip on the skin at the neck with either your right hand or a pair of pliers. Peel the skin downward, just like peeling a banana. Roll the skin and place in the freezer, or stretch it, scales down, on a long board and apply salt or Borax liberally, covering every square inch of skin.

 

6. Remove the entrails from the body cavity.

Remove the entrails from the body cavity.

Step 6. Remove the entrails from the body cavity. They should pull out in one long piece, leaving the cavity clean.

 

7. Cut the snake into cross sections for cooking and serving.

Cut the rattlesnake into cross sections for easy cooking and serving

Step 7. Cut the rattlesnake in cross sections, about 2 to 3 inches in length. I leave the narrow sections of the neck and tail longer, since there isn’t as much meat on those. The thicker sections from the center of the body get cut into shorter lengths so that everything cooks in the same amount of time.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

via:  realtree

 


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North Carolina Woman ARRESTED for Saving 27 Cats & Dogs Without Permission (And How You Can Help)

A woman from Wayne County, North Carolina did the right thing during the chaos of Hurricane Florence and she got arrested for it because she didn’t ask the government’s permission.

When Tammy Hedges saw that her neighbors had left behind 27 cats and dogs when they fled Hurricane Florence, she jumped into action to save their lives.

Hedges, a resident of Wayne County, North Carolina, was taken into custody Friday after providing care to more than two dozen animals – 17 cats and 10 dogs – for owners who had to evacuate before the storm hit.

“The owners got to evacuate. They got to save themselves. But who’s going to save those animals? That’s what we did,” Hedges said. “We saved them.”

The owner of Crazy’s Claws N Paws, a donation-based animal rescue center, was in the process of converting a warehouse space into a proper animal shelter when she decided to use the building to help keep pets dry. However, her facility was not legally registered as a shelter. (source)

Horrifying. Almost unbelievable.

Except there’s precedent.

This is not unique.

This will sound familiar to those who remember the historic flood in Louisiana back in 2016 (when the Cajun Navy was formed.) Citizens organized to rescue other citizens, they set up shelters in businesses that were unaffected and they took care of each other like communities are supposed to do. They all but rendered “official” rescue unnecessary, so effective were their efforts.

Of course, the government doesn’t want citizens to realize that they are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves. If people realize that they can perform independently and that it is much better than performing within the strictures of government regulations, they will be a heck of a lot harder to control.

So, they stepped in and uttered the scariest words ever. “We’re from the government and we’re here to help.

Like a horde of modern-day carpetbaggers, they began “helping” by forcing people who were struggling to rebuild to purchase permits. That’s right. They forced people to ask for permission for the right to repair their own property

…But that isn’t the worst of it.

They also decided to charge fees to the Cajun Navy before they were “allowed” to continue rescuing people.

I couldn’t make this up…

…The Libertarian Republic reported:

No good deed goes unpunished. The Cajun Navy is a group of volunteers that operates at its own expense to rescue people trapped in flooded areas in Louisiana. They use their own boats. They risk their lives. And now that people have noticed that they are far more effective than government rescue efforts, there are plans to require them to pay a fee before they are allowed to do any good. “Don’t worry. It’s just a small fee,” legislators explain. “Maybe only fifty dollars. That would be worth it to put authority behind the Cajun Navy, wouldn’t it?”

When the Cajun Navy members said, “No thanks” to the government who wanted to train them to do what the government wasn’t even able or willing to do, they were treated like criminals.

That’s right. The government deployed the police to prevent these good Samaritans that we all wish now were our own neighbors from continuing with their efforts.

You are not allowed to save your neighbors (or your neighbors’ pets, apparently) without permission. Only with the blessing of the government (and the proper fee, of course) are you allowed to help others survive.

It’s always a money grab. ALWAYS.

They “only” wanted to charge the Cajun Navy $50 a pop to save people. Here’s the backstory from Hedges:

Cray’s Claws N’ Paws is a 501c3 nonprofit, no-kill, volunteer, foster, and donation-based animal shelter. We take in surrendered animals, primarily injured, abused, neglected, and sick. They receive all their medical care to include, but not limited, spay/neuter, rabies, vaccinations, microchip, fecal testing, heartworm test/prevention/treatment(dogs), and FelV/FIV test(cats). After all medical care is done, each animal is placed available for adoption in hopes to find their forever home.

Myself, along with independent rescuers and volunteers came together during this natural disaster to save animals. We had a plan. We had the calls for help, but we didn’t know where to put the animals. Since we recently remodeled our indoor yard sale, very little had been moved back in. We decided to use this space as our emergency disaster center.

We were not open as a shelter, although we are remodeling to become approved by the state as a shelter location. We created a Facebook post for donations of food and supplies, while volunteers came and set up.

On September 12, Frank Sauls with the Wayne County Animal Shelter made a press release stating they would be closed beginning the 13th to owner surrenders. We began rescuing on the 13th. Monday, the 17th, I received a call from Mr. Sauls saying he was at our warehouse. I met him there, along with a volunteer who was there to care for the animals. He stated he had a call saying we were flooded and asked to check on us. He asked to see inside. As we walked in, before we got to the animals, he basically said I could hand the animals over voluntarily or he would get a warrant. At this time, I made the decision to voluntarily hand them over. During the seize, Sauls did tell me I would probably be charged with a few things. As of this post, I have not been charged. We will keep everyone updated on this through our Facebook page.

Our hopes at the end of all this is for me not to be charged/fined and for some things to change in our county/state for the better (for the animals). We came together as a community during a difficult time to help. We need to continue as a community to make these changes happen.

So…she immediately turned over the animals but that didn’t stop them from turning the “case” over to the local DA, who apparently doesn’t have enough to do with all the flooding and looting.

Hedges was summarily questioned and then arrested for her good deed. Two men were sent to arrest the 4’10” women and take her to the county jail.

The charges were broken down on a Facebook post.

  • 1 count of administering amoxicillin to Big Momma
  • 1 count of administering Tramadol to Big Momma
  • 3 counts of administering amoxicillin to a white Siamese cat
  • 3 counts of administering a topical antibiotic ointment (triple antibiotic from Dollar Tree) to a white Siamese cat
  • 3 counts of administering amoxicillin to a cat known as Sweet Pea
  • 1 count of administering amoxicillin to an unnamed black kitten
  • 1 count of solicitation to commit a crime (asking for donation of Tramadol (that was supposed to be a request for a vet)).

According to the Facebook page, 18 of the animals were surrendered to Hedges already in very bad shape. No vets were open due to the flood. Was it better to let them suffer or to do what they could to help?

According to the government, Hedges shouldn’t have just let these animals suffer…she should have let them drown in the floodwaters.

Revolting.

I’m sick of having to “ask permission” and pay fees to do the right thing, and I think a lot of other people are too.

Here’s who you can contact to help Tammy Hedges

If you want to make your voice heard, here’s the contact information for those involved in prosecuted Ms. Hedges for being a good Samaritan. Your best bet is to be courteous when contacting them, but with a big enough outcry, hopefully, they’ll decide these charges are too much of a hassle.

Craig Honeycutt, County Manager [email protected]

Larry Pierce, Sheriff 9197311481

George Wayne Aycock, Commissioner at Large.
[email protected]

E.B. Borden Parker, County Attorney, 919-735-7275

E. Ray Mayo District 1 [email protected]

Edward Cromartie District 2
[email protected]

John M Bell District 3
[email protected]

Joe Gurley District 4
[email protected]

Bill Pate District 5
[email protected]

Joe Daughtery District 6
[email protected]

Here’s an online petition you can sign, asking for the charges to be dropped: https://www.facebook.com/petition/?id=1007861992708808&__tn__=-UK-R&hc_location=ufi

Here’s a fund started for Ms. Hedge’s legal defense: https://www.gofundme.com/tammie-hedges-legal-battle

It costs nothing to stir up a fuss and send some emails. If you’re as bothered by this government overreach as I am, please drop these people a line and let them know.

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

via:   theorganicprepper


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Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival eBooks & PDF’s for 08-27-18

Free Kindle Survival Homesteading Books

Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks and PDF’s? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks and PDF’s!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks and PDF’s, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks and PDF’s are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

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Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival eBooks & PDF for 06-07-18

Free Kindle Survival Homesteading Books

Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks and PDF’s? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks and PDF’s!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks and PDF’s, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks and PDF’s are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

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Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival eBooks & PDF for 05-18-18

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Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks and PDF’s? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks and PDF’s!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks and PDF’s, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks and PDF’s are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

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Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival eBooks & PDF for 05-15-18

Free Kindle Survival Homesteading Books

Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks and PDF’s? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks and PDF’s!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks and PDF’s, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks and PDF’s are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

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Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival Kindle eBooks for 04-19-18

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Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks and PDF’s? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks and PDF’s!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks and PDF’s, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks and PDF’s are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

 

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Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival Kindle eBooks for 04-07-18

Free Kindle Survival Homesteading Books

Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

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Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival Kindle eBooks for 02-25-18

Free Kindle Survival Homesteading Books

Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

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Raising Pigeons for Food and Self-Reliance

I would like to make the case for raising pigeons for food as an urban livestock. Pigeons have lived alongside man for thousands of years with the first images of pigeons being found by archaeologists in Mesopotamia dating back to 3000 BC. Throughout human history the pigeon has adopted many roles ranging from symbols of gods and goddesses to sacrificial victims, messengers, pets, food and even war heroes. A pigeon is about 13 inches in length from bill to tail and weighs a little less than a pound. Males are slightly bigger than females.

The feral pigeon that we see in our towns and cities today is descended from the Rock Dove (Columba livia), a cliff dwelling bird historically found in coastal regions. The word ‘pigeon’ is actually derived from the Latin word ‘pipio’ which meant ‘young bird’. The word then passed into Old French as ‘pijon’ and from that the English name ‘pigeon’ was derived and is now used the world over as a common name for the Rock Dove. Other common names include ‘domestic pigeon’ and the ‘feral pigeon’. In 2004 British and American Ornithologists officially re-named the bird the Rock Pigeon.

Since their initial domestication pigeons have been seen as a cheap source of good meat. The Romans kept pigeons for food as evidenced by the fact that they were familiar with the practice of force feeding squabs in order to fatten the young pigeons faster. Pigeons were especially prized because they would produce fresh meat during the winter months when larger animals were unavailable as a food source.

The feral pigeon mates for life, (but if one is killed the other will seek another mate) and can breed up to 8 times a year in optimum conditions, and will set on two eggs each time. Often older pigeons will lay more than two eggs in a nest. When this occurs the extra eggs should be discarded as two young is all the parents will be able to feed. The frequency of breeding is dictated by the abundance of food available to the parents. The eggs take 18 or 19 days to hatch with both parents incubating the eggs. Young dependant pigeons are commonly known as ‘squabs’.

A squab is a young pigeon from 1–30 days old. Both parents feed the young with a special ‘pigeon milk’ that is regurgitated and fed to the squabs. Each squab can double its birth weight in one day but it takes 4 days for the eyes to open. At approximately 2 months of age the young are ready to fledge and leave the nest. This much longer than average time spent in the nest ensures that life expectancy of a juvenile pigeon is far greater than that of other fledglings. When ready to leave its nest, a squab can sometimes weigh more than its parents.

Ten pairs of pigeons can produce eight squabs each month without being fed by the pigeon keepers. For a greater yield, commercially raised squab may be produced in a two-nest system, where the mother lays two new eggs in a second nest while the squabs are still growing in the first nest fed by their father.

Establishing two breeding lines has also been suggested as a strategy, where one breeding line is selected for prolificacy and the other is selected for “parental performance”. Pigeons are also quite territorial about their nesting area. Pigeons co-exist much more harmoniously when each mated pair has two nest boxes of its own. Because pigeons are also territorial about their perch, it is best to ensure that every pigeon in the loft has lots of places to perch.

Establishing more than one pen is a strong strategy for raising pigeons. Extra pens allow for the keeping of spare, unmated females and males which can be used to replace mated pigeons which might perish from disease or predation. Because it is sometimes difficult to determine the sex of a young pigeon, it is also handy to have another pen for pigeons that have been weaned but which have not yet given external indications of their sex. Unmated birds however should not be released to feed as they may mate with someone else’s pigeon and take up residence at their cote.

A pigeonnaire (dovecote) can be constructed on the urban compound in an area easily accessible to the garden for the use of the manure if care is taken during planting time as pigeons will feed on your freshly planted seeds. Plans for your pigeonnaire can be found at several on line sites and in “The Have More” book.

The major points being that it should have an entrance way that can be converted to one way entry only, room to exercise, usually 8×10 with 8 feet of head room, enclosed with wire mesh or hardware cloth that would prevent snakes from entering, and a small fountain for the pigeons to wash in. This basin would need to be either removable or coverable to limit use to specific times of the day to keep the pigeons from soiling the fountain..

Pigeons also have the advantage in that most urban dwellers ignore them/fail to see them as a food source. With the properly constructed loft pigeons can be released to forage during the day and they will return to roost and care for their young in the evenings.

Although pigeon poo is seen as a major problem for property owners in the 21st Century, it was considered to be a valuable resource in the 16th, 17th and 18th century in Europe. Pigeon poo was a highly prized fertilizer and considered to be more potent than farmyard manure. It was so prized that armed guards were stationed at the entrances to dovecotes (pigeon houses) to keep thieves from stealing it!

In England in the 16th century pigeon poo was the only known source of saltpeter, an ingredient of gunpowder and was considered a highly valued commodity as a result. In Iran, where eating pigeon was forbidden, dovecotes were set up and used simply as a source of fertilizer for melon crops and in France and Italy it was used to fertilize vineyards and hemp crops. It can also be used as a tanning agent for certain leathers.

So, self-feeding, easy to raise, with large amounts of fertilizer. Win, win, win!

 

Learn How to Raise Pigeons for Meat

Raising Pigeons

General Pigeon Information for Beginners

How (and why) raise pigeons

 


Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: thesurvivalistblog


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