Austin Ayres (center) of the KBIC Natural Resources Division instructs camp participants on how to skin the deer and prepare them for slaughter. (Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Newspaper)
L’ANSE – The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC), the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) Natural Resources Department partnered to host the fourth Waawaashkeshi (Deer) Camp on November 9 to new people to teach hunters of all ages how to gut, skin and process harvested deer.
The camp went into detail about slaughtering deer to support themselves with meat carving skills. Two deer were shot by KBIC members the morning of camp and this year they were processed in front of the crowd of more than 80 participants. The camp was established to teach new hunters the skills of deer harvesting as the number of hunters in Michigan has declined in recent years. KBIC wants to provide the resources to train potential new deer hunters, as there are many parents who cannot find the time to pass on the tradition.
Kyle Seppanen of KBIC’s Natural Resources Department said the camp reassures young hunters that processing a deer is something anyone can do.
“That’s the most intimidating part: cutting down a deer,” he said. “A lot of people can’t get their deer processed because the processing is expensive. It costs $100 plus to have someone process it. So if we can show these people how to do it, they can do it themselves and not have to pay too much money to make a living.”
In addition to learning the skills of deer harvesting, KBIC Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Blake Chosa said the camp is also a way to keep native hunting traditions alive and teach new hunters to honor the spirit of the animal.
Camp participants prepare to turn parts of the deer carcass into various cuts of meat, such as steaks, strips, etc. (Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette)
“It is a spiritual, emotional and expert experience with the animal because Waawaashkeshi was there for us in the creation story as a food source that kept our people alive,” Chosa said. “And we honor that animal. We appreciate it for what it has done for us, what waawaashkeshi gives us as a people: it allows us to survive and teach our next generation the same traditions that we learned.”
The camp also touched on some cooking methods that participants could try at home with the deer they brought with them. Chosa shared one of his favorite venison recipes, which he encourages successful deer hunters to try during the current tribal deer season and the upcoming regular firearm deer season.
“Take the back strap, unfold it and let it marinate overnight in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar,” he said. “Then take it out, pat it dry, add a little seasoning (salt and pepper or whatever you like) and spread some cream cheese on it. Then chop up some jalapeños and lay them out, roll it up, wrap it in bacon, sear it, then throw it in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. If you try that, you won’t want to eat it any other way.”
Chosa and Seppanen wish new and returning deer hunters the best of luck this year and take the stress out of being courteous to all who hunt in the woods. Chosa said every hunter must respect each other as neighbors and remember that many will share the same land while hunting.
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