Last night we worked on the pig lot too late in the evening for Lisa to prepare the supper she planned. She wanted to have a supper that Great-Great-Great-Great Uncle Daniel Boone would appreciate, in honor of his birthday. Daniel Boone was known as a great hunter, a provider of food for many hungry people, and someone who could live off the land of Kentucky. His birthday was yesterday.
Our supper was excellent tonight and all the children helped prepare it! Daniel would have been proud. We had scrumptious squirrel and dumplings, delicious deer nuggets, marvelous mashed turnips, creamy corn, magnificent mixed greens, and heavenly homemade doughnuts for dessert. Most often we drink water with our meals so tonight's quince juice was a treat. (Can you think of an adjective better than "queenly" that begins with a "Q"? I couldn't and "queenly quince juice" just didn't work for me.) It tastes sort of like lemonade and is made from the quince fruit off of our own quince bushes. The squirrel was from our land in Pure Water Hollow, as well. The deer might have been a part time Pure Water Hollow deer also, but a neighbor killed it over the hill on another ridge and shared with us.
Speaking of deer, a recent local magazine article surprised me with this statement:
"Kentucky's deer herd numbers around 900,000 this year; far more than when Daniel Boone first entered the state more than 200 years ago."
My first thought was, "Wow! That is some statement to make! That can't be true!" After all, there were no white men in Kentucky except Boone and 5 other men. Many Indian tribes hunted in Kentucky, but they were few and far between compared to the land area. It seemed to me that the deer population would had to have been larger in a virgin Kentucky wilderness forest without roads and cities and man to contend with!
But then I thought some more and remembered that Daniel Boone saw and hunted much large game that are no longer in Kentucky in great numbers. He hunted elk, cougar, bobcat, panther, black bear, buffalo herds, and probably others that I am missing. With predators like bears and cougars to feed on white tail deer and with elk and bison competing with them for the food, I guess there may have been fewer deer in Kentucky 230 years ago! (How in the world could they know how many deer were around back then anyway?)
I am glad there are deer in Pure Water Hollow, except when they were in our garden last summer. They are a beautiful, graceful creature to watch, and also a good source of food! I hope I don't offend any hunters out there, but I just cannot see hunting and killing such a wonderful creature just to get a trophy. I do not agree with hunting as a sport if the purpose is not to feed hungry people! For some reason I cannot picture Daniel Boone hanging a deer head on his cabin wall and leaving the meat out there to rot. I wonder what Daniel would think about today's sport of hunting in Kentucky if he were still here?
I'm glad he isn't seeing it. Happy Birthday, Daniel!
3 comments
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sheryl on November 9, 2006 at 4:54 pm
Hi!
I am new on the blog and just found your page today. I live in Northeastern KY. I am also related to Daniel Boone. It is through the Webb Family. Sheryl
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lambechops on November 10, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Hi! I am new to this site and am finding my way round, reading blogs with similar family situations etc. We too have 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls! We live in Northern Ireland, and are committed Christians. We belong to the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland. I hope to read more of your blogs, and I have really enjoyed reading it so far.
Karen.
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Chris on November 12, 2006 at 1:35 pm
How about quintessential quince juice? Your feast sounds grand, but not the kind of fare I am used to here in New England. Are you really related to Daniel Boone? I'll have to read more of your blogs, maybe the story is buried there somewhere? Hope your Mac is treating you right this weekend. -Chris
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