Comments from Ken Sumanik, hunter, wildlife biologist…
Monday, June 1, 2020
Subject: Why Newfoundland Is Turning Its Moose Into Bologna - Gastro Obscura
“We hunt “for food, social and ceremonial purposes” and enjoy sharing the meat with others unable to hunt. It defines us as a cultural group of hunter-gatherers whose inherent behaviour is passed on from generation to generation. Wonderful times spent in the field and around a campfire relating the events of every successful result that is proudly hung on “the meat pole” is our means of making memories. The size, shape and numbers of antler points on the bucks and bulls is always the subject of discussion, and many antlers are often retained for preparation and placement where they serve as reminders of the experience. Unfortunately most politicians, particularly urban ones and their constituents have never had a hunting experience and lack the empathy and understanding of the social and economic importance of hunting and the need for managing our Game Species in perpetuity. This alienation has divided us and is reflected in the deplorable state of ungulate populations across the province. Game management that ensures the production and perpetuation the animals we hunt and trap no longer exists. The former abundance of moose, elk, deer populations is only a memory for older hunters and Game Mangers and the disappearance of caribou continues despite desperate efforts to prevent their demise. On the Island of Newfoundland, moose and caribou hunting continues unabashedly, where a moose license, one for every two animals is a provincial standard where 20,000 are killed every autumn, and caribou are still abundant enough to allow a generous harvest. The hunting culture is alive and thriving in the province at the other end of the country, where moose meat is available to others as Bologna. Such a wonderful means of sharing...made possible by hunter-gatherers that would be worth doing in BC, if only the moose, elk, deer and caribou were sufficiently abundant.
Ken
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/moose-hunting-in-newfoundland
Why Newfoundland Is Turning Its Moose Into Bologna
And salami. And pepperoni.