KG
Whether you pulled the shot or the Buff turned into the shot.
Don't matter..
Buff is dead.
And you had the integrity and guts to post specifics about the shot....
Plenty of members on here wouldn't have had the stones to open themselves up to criticism about how the shot went down if it was them.
I appreciate this sentiment a bunch and thanks to you and the others folks who made similar comments in regards to my words here about botching the shot. Before we left the field the day of the kill, both of the guys told me not to worry, as they wouldn't mention it on any 'Fire post on the hunt. I told them both I appreciated their loyalty, but that I'm neither a bullshytter nor a liar, even one by way of omission and that I was going to write it up as it happened. I might take a little time to get there, but that it was going to happen.
A few answers to questions posed:
The bison's weight on the hoof we figure was north of 600 lbs for sure but likely not 700 lbs. A little guy, really, but no complaints here. None at all.
I gifted Rost495 and VernAK with a quarter. I would have left more tasty parts, but we weren't going to butcher the animal until back in Anchorage. It was still in meat bags in the back of SD's rig when we left the following day.
I gifted another quarter to SD, as well as perhaps 20 lbs of cut meat and the heart. I left Dan in Alaska a block of backstrap as a small token of thanks for letting us use his badass vacuum chamber sealer. That thing works like a charm and can handle large portions. He was also super generous in that he gifted me sealed bags of black cod, halibut, moose and caribou to take home in addition to all the bison meat. Very grateful to him for his help and kindness.
Yes, that is a pool table I have the meat laid out on in my basement. Prior to my trip out to AK, I made it a point to completely empty one of the other dedicated freezers in the house to accomodate meat that I'd hopefully be bringing home. Everything I did haul back home --with not a little struggle-- fit in it perfectly, but with zero room to spare.
I'm a Medallion flyer on Delta, so can check two bags totalling 140 pounds at no charge domestically. I paid $150 to check a third bag, plus, I filled my carry on with as much meat as I could stuff in it as well. SD was kind enough to get the gear I brought over into a box (with Rick Bin's name on it
), and it's on its way back to me via snail mail. Shipping frozen stuff across the country on an overnight or even 2 day basis costs a bloody fortune. I know this from experience.
I'll be sure to post up some pics of the meals to come. The meat smells like a sweet beef. Very excited to get working with it. Yesterday out of curiosity I checked what the local market gets for a pound of ground bison meat: $11.50. For ground! So, I guess one could figure the meat I brought back would sell locally for more than $2K, if it was all ground. Lots of it is much higher quality than cuts destined for a date with a grinder.
Thanks again to all for reading and commenting. It was an amazing experience, and I feel so very grateful to all the players in Alaska who helped make a little boys dream become a reality.
