When it comes to rifle scopes, there are two options: an MOA-based or MIL-based scope. Both options are based on their own set of mathematics, and if you have no prior knowledge, you may be wondering which choice is ideal for you. Because both systems have distinct advantages and limitations, this article will help you decide which one you need to choose.

What Are MIL Reticles?

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MIL is an abbreviation for “milliradians” or “mils”. These scopes communicate ranging in meters and centimeters. They are most commonly used among law enforcement and military personnel.

When looking through a MIL scope you’ll see crosshairs as well as dots. The gap between these dots reflects a height of 10 centimeters or 3.6 inches on your target at 100 yards, which is a normal distance for sighting in a hunting rifle. The representative distance between your MIL-dots changes as the distance to your target grows or reduces

What Are MOA Reticles?

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MOA or “minute of angle” is an angular measurement within a circle. It is similar to a MIL scope in appearance but differs in size, with MIL being the bigger of the two. Additionally, MOA is a little easier to grasp than MIL.

Like a MIL scope, you will be able to see crosshairs as well as lines or dots through an MOA scope. Using the earlier 100-yard scenario, the space between these dots corresponds to a height of 1.047 inches. Because 1.047 inches is so close to one inch, it is typically rounded down. Therefore, one MOA is equivalent to one inch at 100 yards.

MIL vs MOA Scopes: What’s the Difference?

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Although MOA and MIL dot scopes look similar, there are a few differences that distinguish them:

• An MOA reticle scope is more accurate than a MIL dot scope.

• A MIL reticle is larger than an MOA scope.

• MOA adjustments are easier to adjust since they use yards and inches rather than centimeters and meters.

Which One Should You Choose?

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When comparing MIL against MOA, neither MIL nor MOA has an edge. Both are angular measurements. The best one for you is determined by your knowledge and comfort level with the system.

However, if you are unfamiliar with scopes, here are two variables that will help you make a decision:

• If you’re used to thinking in inches and yards and have expertise in MOA, you might want to stick with it. However, if you are familiar with the metric system or are starting from scratch and do not have MOA expertise, you may want to use MIL scopes.

  One option to explore for MIL scopes is the Hawke Vantage Riflescope, while for MOA scopes, the Vortex Optics Red Dot Sight is a noteworthy consideration.

• Another thing to think about is what unit your competitors or friends will be using. When a competitor gets off the line, you should be able to communicate and understand what he is saying.

How to Zero Your Scope Using an MOA Reticle or MIL Dot

If you’re new to zeroing a scope reticle, here are a few steps to get you started:

1) Set Your Target

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Begin by selecting an appropriate target like those from EasyShot. These targets are ideal for range practice or dry firing.

Once you have your target, set it on a solid stand 100 yards away from the shooting station. When it comes to your shooting station, ensure that your rifle is properly supported so that you can fire repeatedly.

2) Begin With the First Shot Group

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To zero your scope, start by firing three-shot groups. Set your scope’s crosshairs to the center of the aiming spot and take three shots.

3) Calculate the Corrections

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Examine the point of impact of your shot. This will determine how much you need to adjust your scope. Estimate the middle of the shots on the target and utilize that position for corrections. The relative center of the shot group shows the average impact point of the shots.

4) Shoot Three More Times at the Same Target

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Hold the sight reticle at the same shooting position as the first round and release three more shots. This shot should hit the target. You may need to make some little tweaks to get your fire cluster precisely where you’d like them. Carefully calculate the necessary modifications.

5) Check Your Settings and Adjust the Aiming Point

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Move your target and discharge three more shots once you’re pleased with your sight settings. Because you’ll need to reposition your rifle and scope, this will immediately inform you if your sight settings are precise and reliable.

Summary

An MOA and MIL dot reticle is best used for long-range shooting. When choosing between the two, keep your goals in mind. A skilled marksman can make the most of any rifle scope. After all, the greatest precision comes from time behind the trigger, not from reading reviews.

You’ve scouted and set up stands. You’ve sighted in your guns or practiced with your bow. Finally the buck you’re looking for comes in and the shot is made. How long will the trailing process take you? Will you find your buck?

Understanding how to track and find blood can make the difference between having meat in the freezer and a trophy to hang on the wall or coming home with nothing at all. You make a plan when you hunt to increase your chance of success, but if you attempt to track without a plan, your chances of success are greatly reduced.

I sell blood-detection products to law enforcement, and my business has given me a lot of information on what to look for and what a blood trail can tell you about the hit you’ve made on a deer. I’m often called to help look for wounded deer after all hope seems to be lost, because people know that I can find blood that is not easily seen.

POINTS TO PONDER

Blood trails can be misleading. A lot of blood does not necessarily indicate a mortal wound. Nor does a seeming lack of blood necessarily mean the animal isn’t dead. The reaction of the animal and the blood pattern will give us a better understanding of how to go about making a plan to recover an animal. Normally, deer do not bleed to death. An animal that weighs 160 pounds must lose 45-plus ounces of blood to die from blood loss alone. Deer will die faster from trauma than from blood loss, and a combination of both is by far the best scenario.

Most deer can travel very fast when wounded. They can hit 35 mph, and even if they die quickly after the shot, they can travel a long distance before collapsing. A wounded deer will not go far unless it is pushed. Therefore it’s always a good idea to sit still for at least a half-hour after the shot, unless you want to make the tracking job a lot more difficult.

Deer often travel in loose family groups, and those in the rear of the group can help by showing you where the wounded animal traveled. Spooking these deer could remove helpful clues as to the whereabouts of your trophy, so always use caution.

BE OBSERVANT

Pay attention to the reaction of the deer the moment it is shot, as this is your first clue to helping you know how to find it. The reaction can be deceiving, but it is still important. I have shot deer and had them look at me like nothing happened, only to watch them fall over where they stood. I have also had many hunters tell me that they knocked the animal down, only to watch it suddenly jump up and run off, leaving lots of blood. That’s the one that I hate to hear the most.

First of all, body shots that do not hit the neck or spine will rarely make deer drop, and if the neck or spine is hit, the animal is usually disabled and will not be able to get up. Experience from the “dropped and got up and left lots of blood” situations tells me it was most likely a low shoulder or leg shot. The falling down likely means the leg was broken. Leg-muscle hits leave lots of blood in the first 100 yards, but then the blood trail fades fast. There will be lots of large spots of blood as the animal stands in one spot or leans against a tree. Even with a broken leg (or two), a deer can run very fast.

FINDING BLOOD SIGN

Another common scenario is this: “I thought I hit him, but there was no blood.” Anytime there is a wounded animal, there will be blood, even if it cannot be seen. Blood droplets, which are forced out of the body by gunfire, produce a high-velocity-impact splatter pattern. The pattern can be smaller than 1mm at the beginning of the trail. Shots taken with a bow leave medium-impact blood splatter patterns and will leave droplets around 3mm in size. Both can be difficult to see, even in the snow, so trust your instincts and follow the trail the deer took.

If the deer was hit, the blood will appear soon. If it was a high lung hit, it can take time for the body cavity to fill and blood to be forced out. Lung-shot deer often run right after the shot, and this causes blood trails to be harder to see, as the blood is spread over a larger distance. If there is no visible blood trail, wait and let the animal bed down. It will not go far and should die quickly.

Another common animal reaction is the hind leg kick. Although many lung-shot deer kick out after the shot – whether the projectile that hit them was an arrow or a bullet – this reaction could mean that the animal was hit farther back in the gut. The blood pattern and the color of the blood will be very important. Darker blood is from the stomach or liver. A liver shot is always fatal, but liver-shot deer are often hard to find because they can travel a long distance.

Green matter or food is from one of the deer’s four stomachs. A stomach shot is also fatal, but it could take 24 hours or longer for the deer to die. Give this animal at least three hours to bed down and follow up for the kill in the daytime. Make sure to circle ahead from the downwind side.

The low forward double lung shot is the best-percentage shot to take. By hitting the arteries and lungs, it will cause massive internal bleeding and drowning, causing death within about 150 yards. This pattern can start out with little blood, but it will increase as the animal starts blowing blood out the mouth and nose.

10 TIPS FOR BLOOD TRACKING

Always try to pinpoint the exact spot where your deer was standing when shot.If you deer runs off, always try to pinpoint the spot where it was last seen.Unless your deer goes down within sight, always wait a minimum of 30 minutes before taking up the trail.Use trail markers and a compass while following a blood trail.Working in pairs is best. Never have more than three people follow a blood trail.In addition to looking at the ground while following a blood trail, always look at the brush and foliage on either side of the trail.Bright ref or pinkish blood indicates an artery or lung shot.Blood with green or brown matter in it indicates a liver shot.If you think your deer is still alive, send a shooter around and ahead of the animal to try to dispatch it as you continue tracking.When all else fails, consider getting a tracking dog (where legal) or use a luminol-based blood-detecting product like Bluestar.:

Quartering-away shots cause the most damage, as the projectile will travel a longer distance through the body. Shots from a raised area (tree stand) generally give a better blood trail, as the exit hole will be lower and allow blood to leave the body cavity in greater volume.

Shooting for the tail is the worst shot anyone can make, and it often leaves only a wounded animal or spoiled meat. If the shot hits the back of the thigh, it will bleed well but the deer will not die soon, as the muscle will tighten up and help stop the bleeding. A deer shot in the anus will spread bacteria all over its insides, and the damage will be even worse if the bladder is also hit. This type of shot requires the animal to be cleaned immediately and thoroughly washed out in order to save any of the meat.

OTHER TRACKING TIPS

Blood trailers spend a lot of time looking on the ground but little time looking at the brush, where more than half the blood is usually found. Blood on brush can reveal how high or low the shot hit, helping in the recovery plans.

No hunter should be without a compass. Use it to get a bearing on the trail taken, using a marker like a unique tree to track toward. Working in pairs is best as well. One tracker should circle downwind and ahead 75 to 100 yards in case the animal is alive. The second person should take the trail. Repeat this until the animal is recovered. Remember to be safe when tracking because deer can be dangerous when wounded. Proper gun handling and line-of-fire rules must also be followed to avoid injury.

Timing is very important. Tracking too soon is the No. 1 reason why mortally wounded deer travel long distances and make recovery difficult or impossible. Tracking too slowly will cause the meat to spoil. Reading the clues properly will make the difference in how good the meat tastes, since recovery shortly after death is important. Meat with a gamey taste can be caused by slow recovery, not cleaning properly or hanging in warm weather.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE SHOT

Adrenaline runs high after the shot, and humans have a hard time controlling it. Relax, breathe deeply and take a few moments to reflect about what happened. The beginning of the trail is the most important place to get the facts about what happened and how to proceed.

The first thing we do at a crime scene is cordon off the area to keep people from altering evidence. Then we use only a few people to process the scene – again, to keep from altering or destroying the evidence. Walking on a blood trail will transfer the blood pattern from its original spot to somewhere else, or destroy it completely. Never put more than three people on a blood trail unless you think it is hopeless to recover your deer without extra people.

Unless the animal drops within sight, no trail should be taken within 30 minutes. The deer you just shot will be looking at the spot where it was wounded to see what happened. It will bed down soon and try to lick or heal the wound, usually within the first 40 yards if there is good cover. Don’t turn a 40-yard trail into a 400-yard trail!

I’ve often been asked to follow a blood trail that had a small amount of blood that suddenly had twice as much blood, then nothing. This usually means that the deer has turned 180 degrees and walked over the same trail twice, then cut off downwind at a 45- to 90-degree angle after it decided the trail it was following was not safe.

The blood left on the ground or brush is important, as it can tell much about the wound. Bright red or pink blood has lots of oxygen, indicating an artery or lung shot. Many deer trails I have followed were from shots that hit low in the shoulder or leg, leaving large amounts of blood. The blood is slightly darker with a very narrow trail 4 to 8 inches in width. This deer will likely need a second shot. Make plans to get a person ahead to dispatch the deer.

READING THE SIGN

Trails of blood more than 2 feet wide are complete pass-through shots and increase the chances of recovery greatly. Blood trails that have squirts of blood on the side of the trail 2 feet or more indicate arterial shots in the neck, heart or other major artery. As mentioned, brown or greenish blood, or blood with green or brown matter, is always a gut or liver shot. In either case, the deer will need extra time to die before you attempt to recover it. A liver shot will kill faster, but may still take two hours or more. Blood with green matter should dictate a minimum five- to six-hour wait before tracking. The tracker should attempt to put a shooter ahead to dispatch the animal in case it is still alive.

Many visual blood trails disappear when the animal’s heart stops and the blood pressure drops, as the blood is no longer being forced out of the body. Most animals can still travel 30 to 45 seconds and cover 65 yards or more before dropping, and the blood trail will be almost impossible to find without blood-tracking aids.

Many times I have found animals within 40 to 50 yards of the stand. They died close by after having run 250 to 300 yards in a long, arching circle, trying to get back to the spot where they were safe before the shot. Knowing the bedding areas on your property helps a lot if you cannot find an animal. The wind is important to a wounded deer. They will always try to get downwind of the hunter.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

There are tools we can use in tracking. Dogs are now legal in many states, and a dog can be great tool if there is no rain or snow. However, most people do not have dogs or have the time to train them, nor do they have the money to pay a dog tracker. Dog tracker fees vary but often end up costing in excess of $150. Lights made for finding blood do not work very well, as blood absorbs light. Regardless of what you see on TV, law enforcement officials do not use lights to find blood.

There are a few luminol-based products (Tink’s and Bluestar, notably) that make blood glow in the dark. I prefer Bluestar because it was first made for forensic use. Bluestar picks up hemoglobin. Hemoglobin transports oxygen to the cells. It contains iron, which is a basic element of earth and is nearly impossible to destroy without fire.

Much time was spent to produce a product like Bluestar that investigators could use with little or no training, and much time was spent developing a product that could tell the difference between blood and other items containing iron. Bluestar is sold in tablet form, and you simply add water. This is the best tracking agent I have found on the market today. At a cost of $19.95 to track up to four deer, the cost is very affordable. You can usually cover 100 yards in 10 minutes or less, and the time saved will be worth the money spent.

Small and lightweight and sold in packs of four, Bluestar gives the hunter enough product to cover even the longest trails. Bluestar also will work well in evergreens and moss. Because the reaction with blood is so much different from “false positives,” anyone can tell the difference.

ALWAYS PINPOINT THE SPOT

Hunters often have difficulty finding the beginning of a blood trail. Before you leave your stand, use a waypoint to know where the deer was standing when shot. Also, try to pinpoint the last spot where the deer was seen after the shot was taken. A compass is perfect for this, using a marker such as a tree to find the spot.

Many times I use Bluestar only to find the start of a blood trail. To do this, spray while walking across the trail as soon as you find the blood. See if you can follow it with your eyes. If not, continue to use the Bluestar. I often use it to regain a trail when an animal changes terrain, going from leaf litter to grass fields, for example. Bluestar will work in the rain or snow. You’ll learn a lot about trailing deer when using Bluestar since you’ll see the whole trail every time you use it. Another advantage of Bluestar is that total darkness is not needed. It works well in low light just after shooting light has faded.

Since Bluestar glows bright blue in the dark, even people who are colorblind or whose eyes are “not as good as they used to be” can follow the trail without any help. No glasses or lights are needed – just water and a spray bottle. Water can be taken from streams, lakes and ponds, along with any tap or bottled water. In extreme cold, you can use window washer solvent. When using, mix a set of tablets in a sprayer and spray on the ground where the deer was standing. If the deer was hit, there will be a bright blue glow.

Last but not least, always use trail markers. This will help if you need to leave the trail for any reason and will help anyone who is trying to join you later on. This also lets you see a pattern of travel. Most likely that pattern will be an arch traveling back to the bedding area downwind of the stand. Bedding areas are thick with a good view, and they always take advantage of wind direction. They provide a perfect area for a wounded animal to seek refuge in.

No matter what happens before or after the shot, these simple tools mentioned above cost very little and will save you lots of time. More importantly, they help us all remain ethically responsible by recovering game quickly and efficiently.

We recently sat down with Q’s Kevin Brittingham to get an update on the highly anticipated launch of 300 Blackout’s “bigger brother” – the 8.6 Blackout. Our last update on the round was in February 2020, just before the pandemic. While we recently released the full audio of the conversation, we wanted to pull the highlights of that recording as it pertains specifically to 8.6 Blackout, and where it stands as we enter the summer of 2021.

EDITOR’S NOTE – Our January 2022 Update on the status of 8.6 Blackout with Kevin is now live on ARBuildJunkie.com.

Kevin Brittingham, Q – It would be in production if it were not for the whole ammo crisis. We have production brass now. We are making millions of shells and now it’s a matter of loading time at Hornady, and some others. Primers and powders are also becoming a problem. But we have the cartridge squared away. It’s going to cost about what a 6.5 Creedmoor costs…before COVID, that was $1.10 to $1.20 a round.

8.6 is still a 6.5 Creedmoor shortened case, blown out for a .338 bullet…For supersonic, the lightest bullet is going to be between 150 and 160-grain. Out of a 12″ barrel, we’ll be able to get somewhere close to 2,400 feet a second with that. We’ll have subsonic up to about 360 grain.

One of the first two offerings of this for supersonic is going to be a Barnes 210-grain bullet. It’s about 2,000 feet per second out of a 12″ barrel. It’s a 1-3 twist, so we’ve settled on the twist. We’re using some of the energy that is wasted, converting that to kinetic energy now by spinning the bullet faster. So in supersonic, it is more kinetic energy on target by spinning the bullet fast.

Discreet Ballistics did a great video that did a split screen where the only difference is that one is a 1:7 twist and the other is a 1:3 shooting gelatin. You can see that the 1:3 is two to three times the initial wound cavity…same muzzle velocity, same barrel length. Everything was exactly the same.

Fast twist also gives you the big, long, slow subsonic bullet. It gives you several things. The first being better accuracy because when the bullet is long and slow, you need to spin it faster. For expanding subsonic bullets…it is more reliable expansion at lower velocities, which is great for hunting with subsonic. This is going to be the first subsonic, sub-MOA cartridge, and that’s due to the fast twist. You’ll be able to shoot groups at 300 meters that are sub-3″ with the subsonic…the first offering in subsonic will be a 300-grain Sierra Match King 338 bullet, loaded to 1,050 feet per second out of a 12.5″ barrel.

After that will be the target supersonic and the expanding subsonic. It will go from there, and you’ll see other manufacturers as capacity opens up…Basically, the way to describe (8.6 Blackout) is that it is double what 300 Blackout is. It’s double the range. So, if you are comfortable with shooting a deer at 150 yards with a Honey Badger, you can shoot at 300 yards with a 12.5″ 8.6. It’s super quiet in subsonic as well. We’ll offer two silencer lengths, a short one for hunting and a full-sized one as well.

Another advantage of the lower velocity supersonic is it’s incredibly quiet as a supersonic when the bullet is going 2,000 to 2,400 feet per second, compared to something shooting 3,500 feet per second or something like that.

Q: My brother built a .338 Federal AR for hog hunting and he raves about it. Can you address to readers who might ask why not simply choose .338 Federal?

Kevin Brittingham, Q – Let me use .260 Remington vs. 6.5 Creedmoor as an example. .260 Remington is a great cartridge, and it really spawned 6.5 Creedmoor, which everyone knows is incredibly popular. The reason .260 didn’t become popular and 6.5 did is because the .260 case is too long. .260 was originally a 110 or 120-grain bullet. If you load a 140 or 150-grain bullet, it doesn’t fit into a magazine or into a short action if you seat the bullet correctly.

So, they shortened up the case, used different powders, a different shoulder, made it more efficient, and you can get almost everything out of a 6.5 Creedmoor that you can get out of a .260, and with a big, long bullet, you can seat it correctly in the throat, and you can get full performance. You can’t do that with a .260. The case is too long.

After we did 300 Blackout, Ethan and I did a few guns in .338 Federal, Model 7s…The problem with that is if I want to load a 300-grain subsonic bullet and seat it correctly…you don’t get all the efficiency. So, you’re limited on your subsonic and your big, supersonic bullets.

With that being said, .338 Federal, inside 300 meters is superior to .308. It’s an incredible cartridge. But if you want subsonic capability, and you want to load big, long bullets supersonic and subsonic, and you want to fit them into a magazine, you have got to shorten the case. So, we didn’t do it to be different. We wanted to start with .338 Federal, but you can’t get everything out of it – have full mag capacity, long bullets, have it cycle in a gas gun, and fit into a short action.

People ask about 375 Raptor…it does not work full mag capacity in a gas gun super and subsonic. You can’t feed it in an AR reliably. It may be enough for people who tinker or are not serious about it, but it could never be a military cartridge. We’re trying to cover as much as we can with this.

Q: Where do we stand on an 8.6 gas gun currently? I recall a mention of using a POF-USA Revolution as a start, or something similar?

Kevin Brittingham, Q – Since we spoke, the owner of POF was killed. So, that’s kind of dead in the water. I do need to reach out to them. We’re going to get some of those guns and do it ourselves…8.6 in a 9″ is way more effective than 300 Blackout. We can build a 9″ gas on their Revolution or Rogue or whatever they call their gun, that weighs almost what our Sugar Weasel weighs…and you’d have twice the capability.

So, we’re not currently working on it, but we have prototype guns. The very first one that we did was a Noveske. It cycled at full mag capacity super and subsonic, and locked open on the last round.

This isn’t just a bolt gun cartridge, or a subsonic cartridge, and it’s not just a super. It’s all of it, just like 300 Blackout, barrel change only.

But, yeah, there will be gas guns. That was a huge consideration in the development of this. The first things you’ll see are probably barrels offered, or we’ll build The Fix in a 12.5″ as a pistol or SBR. Eventually, we’ll have 16″ barrels available as well for our rifle. Whether it’s SAAMI-approved or not, we’ll share the chamber drawings and everything where people can build barrels for Remington 700s and also Stoner-based guns (AR-10s and SR-25s)

We may also have a gas gun that is available in it as well. Initially, we’ll partner and support companies like Noveske, LWRC…Todd Huey of Lone Star Boars has a 12.5″ LWRC. He’s a good testimony to the Barnes 210-grain. He called me and said he shot a pig with it and he had never seen what he saw. He described it as basically he hit this pig, and it did a flip.

The very first animal I shot was a white-tailed doe in south Texas. I shot it at about 50 yards with The Fix with a 12.5″ barrel and the Barnes 210, she was broadside, and it also did a flip. I could send you a picture of the wound. It’s horrific.

Q: Let’s wrap up with timing…

Kevin Brittingham, Q – I have no idea. I’ll say we’ll be getting the first million shells in here pretty soon. We got the first production run of shells here last month. Powder and primers are the problem.

So, the first 100,000 rounds and maybe the first million will be utilized for marketing, and this year, you’ll see ammo available. There are loading dies available through Hornady now. You’ll see shells, brass available. We stopped at a 1:3 twist so you can use current Barnes .338 bullets. All the bonded bullets that we’ve tested so far…a non-bonded bullet will come apart out of the muzzle with a 1:3 twist, but bonded and solid coppers that we’ve tested stay together out of the muzzle. We’re going to put out load data, chamber drawings, all of that stuff.

As production capacity becomes available with Hornady, Discreet Ballistics, Gorilla, and some of the other companies, you’ll start to see ammo available. This year, we’ll also have barrels for the Fix available, and we’ll also have gas gun barrels available, or you’ll see drawings and us partnering with those gas gun companies, and they’ll be able to do it. But, considering the state of ammo in the industry right now, what you’ll probably see is people that who are into it will probably have to load most of their own ammo.

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It’s no secret that wild game meat can be tougher than farmed meat.

Wild animals use their muscles much more than their domestic counterparts thus leading to tougher meat.

However, on the flip side, you usually end up with a healthier and more flavorful product.

The good news is it’s also easy to tenderize wild boar meat, and there are a few methods of doing so.

Marinade

One of the most common methods of tenderizing wild boar meat is by marinating it.

One of the great things about using this method is that not only does it tenderize the meat but it flavors it also.

Marinades vary according to your desire. There are many options to choose from for both flavor and tenderizing effects.

For a marinade to tenderize hog meat it must have an acidic or enzymatic ingredient.

Common acidic ingredients are vinegar, citrus juice, wine, and yogurt.

Common enzymatic ingredients include pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and ginger.

Both of these types of ingredients can make wild boar meat tender, but they do it in different ways.

Using acids in a marinade denatures proteins, meaning it causes them to unfold by changing the pH level.

Enzymes, on the other hand, break down proteins into smaller fragments.

Best For:

• Tenderloin
• Backstrap (loin)
• Chops

Steps:

1. Choose a marinade that contains either an acidic or enzymatic ingredient
2. Mix marinade ingredients together
3. Place wild boar meat in a vacuum bag
4. Pour over marinade and seal
5. Place in fridge for 4 – 12 hours

Brine

Brining meat is not a new technology and has been around for thousands of years.

Yet, it’s still one of the best methods for tenderizing wild hog meat.

Typically brines are used for the preservation of meat like wild boar ham or bacon.

However, they have also been known to tenderize meat and are often used to do so before smoking.

While brining isn’t as effective as marinades for breaking down meat, it can still tenderize meat through osmosis and diffusion.

As the meat sits in the brine, osmosis causes the meat to absorb some water and salt.

The salt then causes the protein to denature (unwind), and hold more water, thus making the meat more tender.

Every brine must include salt and water, however, it’s also a good opportunity to flavor the meat by adding in other ingredients.

Other ingredients could include, sugar, spices, herbs, or curing salt for preservation.

However, if using curing salt you need to ensure the balance between curing and kosher salt to prevent making the meat too salty.

Best For:

• Hams
• Bacon
• Large muscle groups (shoulder, hind leg)
• Chops

Steps:

1. Weigh the meat and determine the correct salt and water ratio
2. Dissolve the salt in the water
3. Add the wild boar to the water
4. Place in the refrigerator
5. For small cuts like chops or steak brine for 2-4 hours
6. For large cuts like whole loin or rack brine for 12-24 hours
7. For curing brine for 1.25 days per pound

Aging

Aging is another century-old technique for tenderizing meat.

While this method of tenderizing wild boar meat is a bit more effort, it’s very effective at tenderizing.

There are two methods for aging meat, (1) Wet aging, and (2) Dry aging.

Wet aging is the easiest of the two options and can be done at home with little more than a vacuum packer.

Dry aging is a little more involved and will need a dedicated fridge with proper airflow and humidity management.

One of the great benefits of dry aging is not only is it effective in tenderizing meat but it also intensifies the flavor of the meat.

Aging wild boar tenderizes the meat by enzymatic breakdown.

The enzymes are naturally present in the muscle tissue of the wild hog, and by managing the temperature you can use them to tenderize the meat without the bacteria spoiling the meat.

Best For:

• Loin
• Tenderloin

Steps:

Dry aging:

1. Clean the meat surface and pat it dry with paper towels.
2. Prepare a dedicated refrigerator or cooler. Ensure it can maintain a consistent temperature just above freezing (around 34°F or 1°C).
3. Maintain a relative humidity of around 80-85% within the refrigerator.
4. Ensure good airflow within the refrigerator, possibly using a small fan.
5. Place the meat on a wire rack to allow airflow all around it. Ensure it doesn’t touch any walls or other items.
6. Regularly check the temperature and humidity levels to ensure they remain consistent.
7. Allow the meat to age for the desired period, typically ranging from a few weeks to several months, depending on preference.
8. Inspect the meat periodically for any signs of excessive mold growth or spoilage.
9. Once the aging process is complete, remove the meat from the refrigerator. Trim away the hard outer crust and any moldy or oxidized portions.

Wet aging:

1. Place the hog meat in a vacuum-sealable bag. Using a vacuum sealer, remove all the air and seal the bag tightly. This anaerobic environment aids in the aging process while preventing unwanted bacterial growth on the surface.
2. Store the vacuum-sealed pork in a refrigerator set just above freezing, typically around 32°F to 34°F (0°C to 1°C). The cold temperature slows the growth of harmful bacteria while allowing the enzymes in the meat to break down muscle fibers and enhance tenderness.
3. Age the hog meat for 5-14 days. While some of the benefits of aging will be noticeable after just a few days, a more extended period can result in a more pronounced change in tenderness and flavor.
4. Periodically check the vacuum-sealed bags to ensure they remain tightly sealed with no leaks. A compromised bag can expose the meat to harmful bacteria.
5. After the aging period, remove the pork from the bag. There may be a distinct smell initially, but it should dissipate after a few minutes. If the odor remains strong and unpleasant, it’s a sign of spoilage, and the meat should be discarded. The pork should also be inspected visually for any signs of off-color or mold.

Meat Mallet

One of the simplest methods of tenderizing wild boar meat is using a meat mallet.

This is a method that I use often, particularly for German wild boar (schnitzel).

The tenderizing here is happening in two ways, (1) connective tissues and fibers break, and (2) the meat gets thinner.

Beyond this, there is no chemical reaction like the other methods mentioned above.

This method is perfect if you are in a hurry or are only looking to tenderize the meat a little bit.

If you have a particularly tough cut of meat you should choose one of the other options as this method is limited in its tenderizing ability.

Best For:

• Chops
• Schnitzel

Steps:

1. Lay the meat flat on a chopping board
2. Cover with plastic wrap
3. Using your meat mallet, gently pound the meat from the center out
4. Continue until you reach your desired thickness

Slow Cooking

The slow cooker is one of the best methods for tenderizing tough cuts of meat.

This is my go-to method for the toughest cuts of meat such as shanks, ribs, neck, etc.

The slow cooker uses low heat and time for tenderizing meat. It’s fantastic for stews, roasts, or rib dishes.

The meat will literally fall off the bone as it did in my Korean ribs dish, if you leave it long enough.

While I mostly use the slow cooker for ribs and stews, etc.. If you want to tenderize prime cuts of meat such as the loin by slow cooking, you can do this by using a sous vide.

The principle is the same, the meat gets tenderized by low heat over a long period of time.

Best For:

• Ribs
• Shanks
• Roasts

Steps:

1. Brown the meat on a hot pan
2. Place in slow cooker along with other ingredients
3. Cook for 6-8 hours
4. Plate and serve

Velveting

One method of tenderizing wild boar meat that is often overlooked is velveting.

This is an Asian technique that is used to tenderize thing cuts of meat quickly.

Best For

• Any thinly sliced meat

Steps:

1. Place meat in a nonreactive container
2. Pour over baking soda or cornstarch
3. Rest for 20-30 minutes
4. Rinse meat and pat dry

Allow 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda for 1lb of meat.

Man, that’s a big pile of buck crap right there.

I’ve heard it a dozen times. You’ve heard it too, or even said it. We all have. But the deer biologists in goggles and gloves who study deer poop for a living (and other, more glamorous things) say it’s actually pretty difficult to distinguish buck and doe droppings.

While the myth of the buck turd is mostly false (more on that momentarily), there are still plenty of things we can learn from deer scat.

1. Fawns poop when does tell them to.

Since a major part of fawn survival hinges on scent reduction, they don’t poop where does hide them. Does will take fawns to neutral areas – well away from daytime hideouts – and let them nurse and poop all at once. Fawns can only defecate after their mothers stimulate them while nursing, according to Duane Diefenbach, wildlife ecology professor and leader of the PA Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Weird as it is, does often consume their fawns’ feces, too. This process reduces scent and helps protect the fawn from predators.

2. Adult deer are very regular.

During fall and winter, most whitetails empty their bowels about 10 to 15 times per day. In spring and summer, this frequency spikes, fluctuating between 20 and 30 times. Interestingly, their bowel movements are so predictable that many wildlife agencies often guestimate deer population densities based on the number of poop piles they discover within a designated area. You can do the same: Hunters who take trail camera surveys seriously can use this method to verify population densities.

3. It’s nearly impossible to distinguish between buck and doe poop.

The commonly held belief is that large, tubular excrements belong to bucks, and small, pelleted piles belong to does. But according to Buckmasters, research shows that it’s virtually impossible for hunters to distinguish between buck and doe poop. Both sexes produce both scat shapes. When comparing tubular scat, bucks can have longer stool pieces, but that’s not always true. The bottom line? Unless you see the deer that dropped it, scat shape alone won’t indicate a deer’s sex.

4. Bucks sometimes drop more pellets, though.

Male deer can, however, produce more pellets than female deer. When comparing pelleted scat, a buck drops 70 to 80 per session on average, while does generally produce 50 to 60. Seriously though – what hunter is going to stop and count? If you’re after a mega-giant though, maybe you should bring a latex glove and a No. 2 pencil, and count to 80.

5. Color and moisture suggest how long the scat has been there.

The coloration and moisture level of a pile helps determine the age of deer poop. Droppings that are still dark, shiny and wet are likely less than 12 hours old. If there’s no moisture and droppings look lighter in color, there’s a good chance the scat is at least 24 hours old, if not several days. Droppings become more fibrous over time, and scat that’s cracked, crusty or broken is usually at least a week old.

6. Digging through poo gives clues.

Learn what deer are eating, and when, by examining scat. A forage’s water content will dictate its composition and shape. Mounds of firm, pelleted dung suggests woody browse (buds, leaves, twigs), grain (corn, oats, soybeans) and hard mast (acorns and nuts). Long, singular, squishier poop indicates recent consumption of broadleaf plants, forbs, grasses, and soft mast (apples, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums, etc.).

7. Handle deer droppings with care.

Prions – malformed proteins shed by CWD-positive deer – are commonly found in deer urine, feces and saliva. While it’s currently believed that humans can’t contract this disease, who really wants to become a lab rat? If you’re going digging, carry gloves or use a stick.

8. Concentration indicates high-traffic areas.

The best lesson you can learn from deer poop is that a lot of it indicates a good hunting spot. Hunters who stumble on extensive piles of poop should take note. Often, excessive scat is located near preferred food sources, water sources, and bedding areas. If you find a bedding area that’s full of it, go mobile and get as tight as you dare on that deer.

Juniper is a versatile plant with plenty of uses: in the kitchen, in gin-making, in the garden as a hedge or even as a decorative bonsai.

Juniper (Juniperus) is a decorative woody plant that has a unique look, aroma and healing properties. Here you will find out how to plant and care for juniper plants and why juniper berries are technically not berries at all.

Juniper: blooms, leaves and other characteristics

The juniper genus (Juniperus) belongs to the cypress family (Cupressaceae). The genus contains about 80 species, of which only two occur naturally in Central Europe. The other juniper varieties are almost all distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere – from the Arctic to tropical regions. Evergreen juniper trees or juniper bushes grow upright, creeping or horizontally and give off a strong fragrance. Their leaves are needle-shaped or scaled, often soft and slightly flattened, but sometimes very pointed. Juniper flowers are often white or pink, very small and inconspicuous. Juniper is better known for its cone fruits, which are often called berries. Until the female cones have reached their blue colour, they have to ripen for up to two years. Juniper is dioecious, which means separate male and female juniper plants are needed for fertilisation.

But how big does juniper grow? Size varies greatly from species to species and ranges from a one metre tall shrub to a ten metre tall juniper tree. The common juniper (Juniperus communis), which is often planted in milder European climates, reaches an average height of about five to eight metres.

As well as being used as ornamental plants, juniper fruits are used to make gin, essential oils and condiments. They are also high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory in nature – juniper berries are often used as a natural remedy to treat bronchitis.

Tip: Juniper is a traditional grave decoration, as their evergreen foliage and spire-like growth was thought to represent eternal life.

How to plant junipers: the right location and method

The Juniperus genus is very undemanding and robust, which is why you can plant any juniper in just about any location.

Only shade should be avoided: junipers need a lot of light to thrive. A place in the sun is ideal, while partial shade is tolerated too. Juniper is not overly sensitive to drought and even chalky soil is no problem for this hardy plant. Make sure the soil is well draining, though the juniper will also tolerate a location that is occasionally moist.

Tip: If you want to harvest juniper berries, plant one female and one male juniper plant.

Spring is the best time for planting junipers, but it is also possible to plant in early autumn. Spacing between juniper and other plants depends on the species and its growth characteristics. Place the root ball of the juniper in a bucket of water to soak. Then dig a planting hole in the desired location that is about twice the size of the root ball. If your garden soil is very heavy, you should dig the hole deeper. Mix the dug up soil with plenty of sand to improve water drainage. Then place the juniper in the hole, fill with soil and press down. Make sure to water the freshly planted juniper well.

Potted juniper: You can also keep some small junipers in pots and place them on your patio or balcony. Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’ or Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’, for example, are suitable for this. Add a drainage layer of clay shards to the bottom of the pot to ensure good drainage. High-quality potting soil, such as our Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost, is perfect for potted juniper.

Tip: Junipers can be used to form an excellent hedge. To do this, reduce the plant spacing and place two juniper plants per metre of hedge. The columnar juniper Juniperus scopulorum, is one variety suitable for this job.

How to care for junipers: the right location and method

There is not a huge amount to consider when caring for junipers. Although the plants grow slowly, they do not require any additional care. Only young junipers require watering and, depending on the time of planting, winter protection can be helpful.

Juniper care: watering and fertilising

Since junipers cope well with drought, there is no need to water larger, well-established plants. However, you should water freshly planted, young junipers regularly to support healthy growth. In the first few years however, watering is only really necessary when it is dry. Likewise, junipers do not usually require fertiliser, given they are planted in a suitable location. Nonetheless, in sandy soils or in pots, apply a little slow-release fertiliser occasionally. Junipers need a nutrient balance that is low phosphorus and high in magnesium. Because of these special requirements, our Plantura Rose Food is actually ideal for junipers. You should also be sure to repot your potted junipers every so often, as fresh soil stimulates healthy growth.

How to prune juniper

Juniper tolerates pruning well, which is why it is often used in topiary. Bear in mind, however, that juniper grows slowly and takes longer for new shoots to form. Although it is not strictly necessary to prune junipers, it does encourage branching. When pruning, avoid cutting into the old wood: After heavy pruning, older junipers barely produce any new shoots. A large, healthy plant can be pruned back a little more. Although, it is not guaranteed to regrow. To avoid this risk, simply remove visible dead branches in spring and regularly prune back young junipers slightly. Since juniper needles are very sharp, always wear gloves when pruning.

Common juniper pests and diseases

Although juniper is very robust, there are still some pests and diseases that plague the sturdy plant.

• Phomophis blight (Phomopsis juniperivora): Also known as conifers dieback, this disease results in brown discoloured needles and small black fruiting bodies of the veru fungus that causes the disease. To treat, cut all affected parts of the plant back extensively.

• Juniper ermine moth (Argyresthia trifasciata): If the shoots turn brown from the tips, you may have an ermine moth infestation on your hands. You should seek advice from a plant protection service on how to best combat this for your individual plant.

• Rust fungi (Gymnosporangium): Hawthorn rust, pear rust or juniper rust are caused by various rust fungi. You can recognise them from their yellow, tongue-shaped fruiting bodies and swollen shoots. Cut off any infested parts of the plant and dispose of them in your household waste. These fungi can spread to other plants, such as pear trees.

Juniper propagation

The best way to propagate junipers is from cuttings. To do this, take a young shoot from the main shoot in late summer. This should be slightly woody, but still green at the base. Cut off the stem bark with a sharp knife and remove the tip of the shoot and the lower needles. Then plant the cutting into a mixture of all purpose soil and sand and place the whole thing in a bright place with high humidity at around 20°C. Keep the soil moist at all times. By spring, roots should have formed and the juniper is ready to be repotted or transplanted outdoors.

Tip: When propagating, be sure to use a cutting from the juniper’s main shoot because the conifer shoots will “remember” their growth direction. A side shoot, on the other hand, will not grow straight up after propagation.

Are junipers winter-hardy?

A well-established juniper does not need any extra protection in winter. Though young plants should be protected with a layer of mulch. For potted juniper, place it on a wooden block and wrap it with some jute or a hessian sack to be safe.

Harvesting and using juniper berries

Of all the varieties, common juniper (Juniperus communis) is the one most commonly used in the kitchen. The cone berries of the female juniper are ripe as soon as they turn dark blue. This happens two years after pollination. The berries are used, among other things, in juniper tea or for making gin. Other species, such as the savin juniper (Juniperus sabina), are poisonous in all parts. Juniper wood contains essential oils and are also often used to flavour meat.

Tip: Savin juniper was also used in the past for medicinal purposes. It was used, among other things, to clean wounds, for respiratory problems and abortion.

Are juniper berries poisonous?

Juniper species are slightly poisonous in some, sometimes in all, parts of the plant. While common juniper berries were used in the past for medicinal purposes, they also contain substances which, in excess, can cause irritation in the gastrointestinal tract or on the skin. Juniper should not be consumed during pregnancy or if you have kidney problems. Excessive juniper consumption is also poisonous for pets. Savin juniper is even classified as poisonous and can cause severe irritation and skin blistering from skin contact alone. Vomiting, diarrhea, and blister pain are among the most common symptoms of savin poisoning.

Juniper and heather shrubs are happy to share the same sunny, dry and sandy locations. And like juniper, the type of heather “cross-leaved heath” is very popular in gardens too. Learn all about how to care for it in our article on cross-leaved heath.

My favorite skincare ingredient is animal fat. Yeah, us homesteaders are an odd bunch…

As homesteaders, we brave the elements to pursue our passion and at times those conditions can be a bit unforgiving on our bodies.

We care for animals in the dead of winter and tend our gardens under the scorching summer sun. In time, these things can take a toll on the body, and they can leave us with dry skin and cracked, callused hardworking hands.

The good news is that these minor skin irritations caused by tough homesteading conditions and weather can be fixed with a little self-care and animal fat (that’s right I said animal fat). Rendered animal fat (especially tallow) has been used for generations in different household items including skincare products.

So let’s take a deep dive into the DIY world so you can learn how to use tallow to create your own body butter to help with that cracked dry skin that the homesteading life has left you with (which I firmly believe is a small price to pay while pursuing our homesteading passions).

What is Tallow?

Tallow is most commonly rendered beef fat, but it can also be made from other ruminant animals. Tallow can also be made from goat fat, sheep fat, and even deer fat.

Rendering animal fat is a natural process that causes the oils to melt away from the tissue when heated. Tallow is the liquid oil left behind; as it cools it becomes solid and appears as a hard oil block.

If you are interested in rendering your own fat rather than buying the finished product, you can learn How to Render Tallow right here.

Using Tallow Throughout History

Our ancestors traditionally let nothing go to waste, including animal fat that was rendered into tallow. Throughout history, tallow has been used for cooking and also for making many household products. As time went on, tallow and other animal fats were deemed bad for cooking, and so they disappeared from both our kitchen and our other household items.

Learn more about the history of animal fats in my Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast episode here.

Tallow was used for:

• Cooking Oil
• Candles ( Learn How to Make Tallow Candles)
• Soap (my Tallow Soap Recipe is simple and a great DIY project)
• Skincare Products

Using tallow to create these natural DIY products is another step you can take toward self-sustainability and independence. Plus, it’s both fun to make your own household products and empowering to learn how to use all the parts of an animal so that there’s no waste.

Using Tallow for Skincare

Tallow is animal fat that has been used in cooking for generations, but perhaps it came as a surprise to you to learn that it can also be used as a skincare product.

Allow me to assure you here that you are not moisturizing with cooking oil and you won’t smell like beef fat if you use natural tallow skincare products. Tallow is a great moisturizer that naturally rebuilds your skin with many extra benefits.

Tallow Skincare Product Benefits:

• Does not clog your pores
• Is a natural moisturizer
• Rich in vitamins and omegas
• Has a similar molecular makeup to skin cells
• Is completely natural
• Has a long shelf life

If you are interested in learning more about using animal fat for skincare, you will love listening to this episode from The Old Fashioned on Purpose Podcast: How to Opt-Out of Toxic Mainstream Skincare.

By the way, if you are not interested in making your own tallow body butter, you can always buy some tallow balm from my friend Emily’s store (see podcast episode link above to listen to me and Emily talk about skincare). Check out Toups & Co. Organics Tallow Balms here.

One skincare product that can easily be made in your kitchen is tallow body butter. Tallow body butter a simple DIY project that takes a few ingredients and very little time.

How to Make Tallow Body Butter

Ingredients Needed to Make Tallow Body Butter:

• 16 oz of Tallow – Grass-Fed Sourced or Bought Tallow is fine or you can render your fat (learn how to render tallow here)
• 4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (other liquid oils will also work; avocado oil is also a great choice) Note: It must be liquid oil that does not harden at cool temps.

Extras:

• Essential Oil (Optional) Adding essential oil isn’t necessary but it can help make your tallow body butter smell nice. Start with just a few drops of essential oils and add a few more drops at a time until you like the scent. Make sure you are using a good-quality essential oil company. I personally prefer using doTERRA essential oils.
• Arrowroot Powder (Optional) – Tallow body butter can sometimes feel slightly greasy, and adding arrowroot powder can help reduce the greasy texture and the skin absorb the butter. Add the arrowroot powder 1 tsp at a time until you like the texture.

Equipment Needed to Make Tallow Body Butter:

• Sauce Pan
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Wooden Spoon
• Hand-Held Mixer (any mixer will work, but a hand-held one is best)
• Glass Jar(s)

Making Tallow Body Butter Instructions:

Step 1: If you are using stored or bought tallow, you will need to heat it in a saucepan until it is all in liquid form. Stir the tallow as you heat to help melt down large clumps. Once in liquid form, pour it into your mixing bowl.

If you are using freshly rendered tallow that is already in liquid form, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve (it helps remove any random bits) into your mixing bowl.

Step 2: Allow the liquid tallow to cool to room temperature, but not to the point it has started to harden again. Once cool, add your olive oil (or other liquid oil).

Step 3: Stir with a wooden spoon to combine the tallow and oil mixture. After a few stirs, place the mixture into the refrigerator until solid.

Step 4: Remove the solid tallow mixture from the fridge, and let it warm up a bit at room temperature; this will make it easier to whip.

Step 5: Using your hand-held mixer, whip the tallow and oil mixture until it appears fluffy. It will resemble whipped cake frosting.

NOTE: This is when you can add the (optional) arrowroot powder, which helps reduce the possible greasy feeling/texture of your tallow balm. If you’re adding it, add the arrowroot powder 1 tsp. at a time. After adding 1 tsp. of it, whip the mixture again until the powder is fully incorporated and then test the texture of the product on your skin. Add up to another 1 tsp. of powder if so desired, and make sure you whip the mixture again until everything is fully mixed.

NOTE: This is also when you can add the (optional) essential oils. Start with just a few drops of your favorite essential oils, then whip it until fully incorporated, and then test the scent of your tallow body butter to see if it needs more.

Step 6: Scoop the tallow body butter into glass jars for storage. You can store your body butter for up to 5-6 months in a dark, cool place. Be sure to label your jars.

When you are ready to try your tallow body butter out, keep in mind that a little goes a long way.

Nourish Your Skin with Tallow Body Butter

Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your animals and garden. Homesteading is hard work and it can be hard on one’s body. Remember a little self-care can go a long way and you can use all-natural homemade products to help.

Do you have any other self-care tips or DIY natural products recommendations for the hardworking homesteader?

Also, don’t forget to check out Emily Toup’s skincare products! Toups & Co. Organics: http://toupsandco.com/ Make sure you check out her Tallow Balms section! I love her products SO much.

More DIY Skincare Ideas:

• Honey Lip Balm Recipe
• Homemade Hand Cream Recipe
• Whipped Body Butter Recipe