October 19, 2004
Dead Cow Walking
Execution day here at The Outpost. After a final meal of oats and crushed corn, our four Herefords chewed their last cud.
Here's a photo moments before the "processing" began:
The renegade who is standing outside the fence didn't escape. In fact, he got to go first.
Here are Dennis and Bruce, our local butchers:
White Front Meats is a little shop right in downtown Cokato with, as you might guess, a white front. Wizards, these people. Amazing what they can do with a mammal and a sharp blade.
Bruce showed me the shells they would be using to put the cows down. The smallest, the .22, is for shooting cows at the "fish in a barrel range." The largest, the .22-250 is for hunting a Hereford like a wild animal. Our renegade got a taste of this one.
Then Dennis and Bruce get to work. It's amazing. It really is a matter of minutes from live cow to this:
to this:
As Bruce says, "I like these Herefords. Nice size. Easy to skin."
We watched the whole process. The Senator was particularly impressed. I thought he might be a bit turned off by the gore, but he was facinated. When Bruce cut open the stomachs and the grass spilled out, it was all I could do to restrain The Senator from getting down and poking around in the innards.
About an hour and half after they arrived, Bruce and Dennis took off with our cows. The unusable stuff will get sold to a rendering plant. The skins are sold to a tanner. And pounds and pounds and pounds of beef will be packaged in neat, white butcher paper and making its way back to my freezer in a week or so.
Ahhhh.
I think I need a cigarette.
Posted by Cathy at October 19, 2004 02:43 PMDo you think these guys would follow me around in Colorado to take care of the elk I "harvest". It sure would make it easier.
Posted by: DaveP at October 19, 2004 04:33 PMI always thought that they were slaughtered by having there throats slit.
Posted by: Matthew at October 19, 2004 07:43 PMMatthew - You're correct too. Shot first, then they go out and slit the throat. Followed by be-heading and then general dismemberment.
Posted by: Cathy at October 19, 2004 08:01 PMHow much does a shot do? Do you get them right in the head at close range?
I gather slitting the throat then is for draining blood purposes? What do they hack the head off with?
I bet your wondering why this is of such interest to all of us?
Interesting stuff. Seems like a better death than being hauled off to some slaughterhouse.
I know I'm gonna hear it from the VP and from my other half, but I could have done without the commentary on this one. Or at least without the pictures. I prefer to remain blissfully ignorant and just get my beef from the grocery store fridge and not think too hard about where it came from. However, I'm sure the butchers could offer me some advice on shooting deer for the next time I have to do it on duty (I try to make the guys go to these calls).
Posted by: Sis at October 20, 2004 12:08 PMI'm fascinated by the whole process! I've eaten home grown beef my entire life. My grandparents raise cows and then have them slaughtered when we need meat. Though I must say that from your pictures, it looks like these guys can handle a lot of meat fairly easily. I guess that's why they've been doing it for so long...
Posted by: yayaempress at October 20, 2004 03:20 PM"Just bear in mind that a person who eats meat is on the same moral level as the butcher." -- Dr. Ira Johnson from R. A. Heinlein's "To Sail Beyond The Sunset"
Posted by: aelfheld at October 20, 2004 03:42 PMCathy,
Do you sell any of your processed meat? Sign me up!
Posted by: Gmoney at October 20, 2004 04:42 PMI assume you celebrated the "day of bovine death" appropriately--with the last gin and tonic of the season -- Beefeaters, of course.
Posted by: Professor at October 20, 2004 05:54 PMHi Everyone -
Jo - The shot pretty much does them in, if it's an accurate shot. The throat slit is just as you thought - to drain the blood. The head and ankles gets cut off with a long-blade knife. It looks something like a machete. (If I spelled that right)
G. Matthew - all the beef this round has been spoken for, but we do this every couple of years, and we usually ask around among friends to see if anyone wants a 1/4 or 1/2 side of beef. I can certainly check with you on the next batch!
Sis - Sorry. I knew you wouldn't like the photos. I deliberately left off the shot of the sliced off head with the tongue sticking out. :)
Posted by: Cathy at October 20, 2004 10:34 PMSure looks yummy! We just helped our friends butcher 2 caribou and we got 1/3 of the meat. It's just not quite the same though, we have to add beef fat to the burger and pork fat to the sausage. The meat is rather "game-y" but I'm not complaining...
Posted by: Emmy at October 21, 2004 01:32 PM