Hunter's Path XVI

as quickly as possible and slow down the
decomposition process. Skinning is best done
when the animal is still fresh, just after it has
been killed. The easiest and most comfortable
way is to hang it by its head or hind legs
from a tree. If it is too heavy, it can be skinned
on the ground. The main cut is made from
the middle of the lower jaw across the bottom
of the throat and chest or breastbone,
across the middle of the stomach between
the hind legs, around the anus to the tip of
the tail. The second cut should be between
the front legs, from hoof to hoof or paw to
paw across the chest. The third cut is from
one hind leg to the other across the groin
area. Then you can peel the skin from these
main cuts outwards towards the back. Most
animals, regardless of size, are handled basically
the same way, even frogs and reptiles.
Skinning can take a lot of energy and time,
so if you are not going to make use of the
entire carcass you can take the select parts,
such as the backstraps and buttocks, with
skin and all. The hide will protect the meat
from dust and flies.
GUTTING
When gutting, one of the most important
things is to be careful not to pierce the stomach,
intestines, or bladder. If these organs are
punctured the edible parts may be contaminated
with urine or feces, which will give the
meat an unpleasant taste. Open the carcass
by slitting the throat down to the chest and
cutting through the breastbone. Continue by
carefully slitting open the stomach muscle
from the chest to the anus. Then the entrails
can be pulled out by grabbing the windpipe
and pulling it towards the hind legs, while
cutting it loose where it is attached to the
backbone and inside of the ribcage. Do not
skin and gut any animals close to your shelter,
because this will attract predators and insects.
armpit. The hind legs can be separated from
the pelvis by pulling the leg away from the
body while cutting through the groin along
the pelvis. The neck, ribs and back can be
cut into smaller pieces by cutting between
joints. A panga or machete can also be used
to chop through the bones, but this will
create small bone fragments. If the whole
carcass is not going to be used, the prime
cuts are the fillets on the inside of the body
and the backstraps on the outside parallel
to the backbone.
EATING RAW MEAT
Raw meat can be eaten but will take longer
to digest. Your body will also use more water
to digest it, and that can result in thirst. So be
careful not to eat a lot of raw meat when you
do not have sufficient water. One particular
part of the carcass that can be eaten raw is
the liver of herbivores. It will not take a lot
of energy to digest because it is very tender
and also very palatable, with a sweet, pleasant
taste. Start by removing the gallbladder
carefully without contaminating the meat
with bile. Then pull off the thin membrane
covering the liver, squeeze out the blood by
pressing it between your hands, cut it into
small bite-sized chunks, and enjoy a lovely
wilderness sushi. Eating raw liver is a good
option when you do not have a fire, but it
does taste better cooked. You can place it
directly on hot coals, like the bushmen do.
Avoid the liver of predators and any with
obvious parasites or white spots.
Preparation
of Plants
LEAVES
The green, soft, young leaves and shoots of
some plants can be a substitute for green
vegetables, but some are hard, unpalatable
and difficult to digest. Try to collect young
leaves at the tip or growth-points of edible
plants like the pigweed (marog), Commelina,
baobab (Adansonia digitata) and cabbage trees
(Cussonia species). These are discussed in
more detail in the Survive installment dealing
with edible plants. The best way to cook
leaves is to cut them into small pieces, removing
all the hard parts like the stems, and
then to boil them until soft. You can change
the water a few times to get rid of the bitter
taste, and also add meat and bones to
improve the taste.
FRUIT AND FLOWERS
Wild fruit is usually more sour or bitter
than sweet, often there is not a lot of flesh,
and it usually is a case of more kernel than
fruit. Although wild fruit can be eaten raw,
boiling it will improve palatability and take
the sting out of the taste. It will also make
it more digestible, especially if you can only
Flower petals, such as those of water lilies, are edible.
CUTTING UP THE CARCASS
The carcasses of larger animals can be cut
up into smaller portions to make for easier
carrying and cooking. The shoulders can
be separated from the chest by pulling the
leg away from the body while cutting between
the shoulder and chest through the
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