Domestic Diary 17/9/46
Barnhill, Isle of Jura
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Have bought carcase of deer from the F.’s as arranged. Don’t know price yet, but the market price is about 10d. a lb. dead weight (ie without guts but with hide & antlers), & this one should be 150 lb. or more, so price will probably be around £6. He was left at the new stable (shot yesterday), & D.D. brought him back this morning. The usual complications. The tractor, which is remaining here until it is possible to cut the fields, had been backed into the stable in front of D.D’s cart, & as he could not get it started, he could not get his cart out to fetch the stag. Had to drag it on a hurriedly-constructed sledge which broke when he was still about a quarter mile from home. This afternoon watched him skinning it. We shall each have a haunch, then put the rest into brine for the winter. It is important to clean out the carcase thoroughly, split it open right down the front & wedge it open, remove the windpipe & lugs, & cut off the portions of flesh along the edges of the belly, which become soiled when the animal is first gutted. After skinning it is hoisted into the air (without pulleys this needs all the strength of 4 people) & hangs for 24 hours before being cut up. There was more meat on the carcase than I would have expected to find in a wild animal.
Took about half the hide, as much as I thought I had curing material for, & shall cure it in the same manner as the rabbit skins. A whole skin would make a nice large hearth rug. D.D. cut off the ears & was careful to put them in a place where the dogs could not get at them. It is something to do with taxation - at any rate, the ears of every deer shot have to be produced for inspection at need.
Tonight raining again, on & off.
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