# Wondering what the poor people are eating



## sprucegum (Jan 12, 2021)

When I was a kid we ate well on inexpensive food. Often when mother put on a especially good meal from home grown and cheap ingredients my dad would say " that was good I wonder what the poor people had for dinner". It was kind of a little joke because we were not too high up on the income scale ourselves.

Often my wife's cooking reminds my of the old man's words but I think she outdid Mom this week. Saturday she cooked a medium size chicken that we raised last fall, we had it for dinner along with some home grown canned vegetables. Sunday she made chicken soup from the broth and some of the leftover chicken and more veggies. That was dinner Sunday night and lunch yesterday. Yesterday she used the remainder of the chicken to make chicken alfredo with spaghetti squash that came from last summers garden. It was a large spaghetti squash so the left overs will be good for lunch today. I wonder what the poor people are eating?

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

ran across these that came out during the canned goods shortage last year

very versatile, tastes great and we use in tortilla soups or with chicken amongst other things

Del Monte Mexican Style Vegetable & Bean Blends​

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## Mike1950 (Jan 12, 2021)

Mc Garbage

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## Mike1950 (Jan 12, 2021)

I always say most people would starve to death in our house-No pre-prepared food. Nothing you can just put in micro wave to heat up unless we made it. Pot pies- yes I cut she cooks. Much cheaper and much healthier. Grandma did it on a wood stove when I was a kid. she could fine tune that heat and make perfect golden hotcakes every time....

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## Wildthings (Jan 12, 2021)

sprucegum said:


> When I was a kid we ate well on inexpensive food. Often when mother put on a especially good meal from home grown and cheap ingredients my dad would say " that was good I wonder what the poor people had for dinner". It was kind of a little joke because we were not too high up on the income scale ourselves.
> 
> Often my wife's cooking reminds my of the old man's words but I think she outdid Mom this week. Saturday she cooked a medium size chicken that we raised last fall, we had it for dinner along with some home grown canned vegetables. Sunday she made chicken soup from the broth and some of the leftover chicken and more veggies. That was dinner Sunday night and lunch yesterday. Yesterday she used the remainder of the chicken to make chicken alfredo with spaghetti squash that came from last summers garden. It was a large spaghetti squash so the left overs will be good for lunch today. I wonder what the poor people are eating?


Hey Dave that struck my memory banks hard this morning. That was one of my FILs top saying and to this day I repeat it to my wife and grandkids. He also used to say "What town is this?" quite a lot... Thanks for the memory jarring this morning!!

"Wonder what the poor folks are eating?" and "What town is this?" Rest in Peace Pappasan!!

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## Gdurfey (Jan 12, 2021)

Struck my memory as well. Not quite the same way, but mom and dad were both farm folks and dad had very simple tastes. Discovered late in life that mom loved many more things, so one of the special things we would do after dad passed was to go get Mexican or Chinese food; something dad never cared for. But back to more of the memory, just mom's simple cooking, and yes, canned veggies from the garden that i maintained for so many years as a kid; watering, hoeing, picking, snapping, etc. One of the reasons I love reading the posts on gardening...…. Thanks Dave!!!

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## Mike Hill (Jan 12, 2021)

Food memories! Between the venison and the fish dad and I would catch - there was lots of pintos and corn tortillas. No fast food, until later, unless you count the Bill Millers BBQ sandwiches that would go on sale 12 for $1 or something like that. When we learned to seine shrimp we dined much better. Mom would can and freeze quite a bit. Now don't feel sorry, I left out the beef! Being in Texas and famdamily in the cattle business - we had lots of hamburger!

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

my father grew up poor, his dad broke his back mule logging stolen trees off government swamp bottom. also his dad had had a habit of only working for the railroad just often enough to keep his pension intact. at times they ate what ever my dad could catch, kill or collect as roadkill. 

therefore as a child i was expected to eat everything on my plate regardless. since my father was doing well at that time and we raised our own pigs and cattle. Dinner was often an over inch thick steak, pile of potatoes and broccoli or beats or peas, i dislike all of those vegetables so there were many whippings. 

i am fat to this day from my overeating habits developed at that time, provided by a father who thought he was giving us what his father had been unable to provide.

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

one of my grandfathers success though came when persimmon trees were used for baseball bats. he would talk the farmer out of that messy tree in the yard for next to nothing, and often got $1200 for a good persimmon log

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## DLJeffs (Jan 12, 2021)

My wife and i have this conversation often. One of the best deals around is the $4.99 rotisserie chicken from Costco. You get an entire chicken. Their rotisserie process tastes excellent. For the two of us, we get at least three or four meals - enchiladas, pot pies, some sort of chicken in sauce on noodles meal, and then the soup from the carcass. I bet none of those meals costs more than $3 - $4 each.

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## Mr. Peet (Jan 12, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Food memories! Between the venison and the fish dad and I would catch - there was lots of pintos and corn tortillas. No fast food, until later, unless you count the Bill Millers BBQ sandwiches that would go on sale 12 for $1 or something like that. When we learned to seine shrimp we dined much better. Mom would can and freeze quite a bit. Now don't feel sorry, I left out the beef! Being in Texas and famdamily in the cattle business - we had lots of hamburger!



So "pintos" was referring to beans, not horses?

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## Mr. Peet (Jan 12, 2021)

Dave,

That hit hard, as my father said the same, "I wonder what the poor people are eating?" Another he had was," As I would lay there covering up with sticks and leaves I looked up and said, "Mom, what do the poor kids use?" " That line was rare but so much the same, I often wondered?

My kids are repeating me now, "Eat the worst first, save the best for last". I always figured it was better to leave the table with the flavor and feeling of the most pleasureful food at the time.

Trev,

Dad loved stewed tomatoes, none of us kids did, even the dog refused the under table offering. I was stubborn. The 2 oldest siblings would clean their plates after mother's begging, brother would pocket it or bag it David Copperfield style and spent the night cleaning, hiding and disposing. Sister would give in and eat them. Next brother would sneak some back in the serving dish, get spanked, and eat the remainder. Not me, sat there for hours, rarely spanked more than twice for not eating them, and often fell asleep there awaiting bedtime. Brushing teeth at that point was the next challenge, not because on my wants, just staying awake enough to do so. 

Roadkill is still apart of our diet, not for need, but for honor of animal and conservation. I'm picky about it though, must be fresh, and mostly a clean kill, enough to justify time handling. Also, mostly limited to deer and turkeys.

Doug,

We enjoy those pre-made meals, often after church. The $4.99 are too small, as I would eat that for lunch myself, but the $8-10 birds work well for the three of us. Always plenty of grease to flavor a gravy or stir-fry. I broil the skin to render, and enjoy the crisps.

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

Mr. Peet said:


> Dave,
> 
> That hit hard, as my father said the same, "I wonder what the poor people are eating?" Another he had was," As I would lay there covering up with sticks and leaves I looked up and said, "Mom, what do the poor kids use?" " That line was rare but so much the same, I often wondered?
> 
> ...


my father always stated the roadkill was raccoon, possum, squirrel and the like. he did poach a number of deer also though. one time he had shot two deer, carrying each in turn a couple hundred yards then returning for the other. in the midst of that a mountain lion jumped off the road side embankment right in front of him. dad dropped the deer and bolted, fortunately the mountain lion was startled by finding more than a deer and bolted the other direction

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

the nastiest dish my grandmother (dad's mom) would make, my mother referred to as boiled billyeow. 
consisted of a whole chicken boiled to death from frozen including the neck gibblets and gizzards, not much seasoning, and then what should have been dumplings (cooked on top) rather stirred into the boil making soggy slimy dough balls (which would pick up small bone pieces) not even close to good old fashioned noodles. the smell filling that house would illicit a gag reflex every time i went there.

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## Mr. Peet (Jan 12, 2021)

vegas urban lumber said:


> my father always stated the roadkill was raccoon, possum, squirrel and the like. he did poach a number of deer also though. one time he had shot two deer, carrying each in turn a couple hundred yards then returning for the other. in the midst of that a mountain lion jumped off the road side embankment right in front of him. dad dropped the deer and bolted, fortunately the mountain lion was startled by finding more than a deer and bolted the other direction



I was a small kid and our freezer was low on stock, as was a neighbor's. Neighbor and Pop went out to gander at the back field. Seeing a doe, father fired a shot. Neighbor said, it dropped, great shot...oh it just stood back up. Bang, staggered and fell. The standard wait a few minutes and proceed. They stood up, seeing it was now several yards left. Back on their bellies, fired once more. Down is goes. Now using a .22 has some issue, they can easily glance off...but trying to keep quiet. Dusk was quickly coming so they stood up and walked the 40 yards over to the deer, realizing that there were 3 laying with 30 feet of each other. It was a long night I was told, but 2 freezers were working with reason the next morning.

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## Mike Hill (Jan 12, 2021)

Mr. Peet said:


> So "pintos" was referring to beans, not horses?


Horses are more filling and don't produce as much gas!

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## Mike Hill (Jan 12, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> My wife and i have this conversation often. One of the best deals around is the $4.99 rotisserie chicken from Costco. You get an entire chicken. Their rotisserie process tastes excellent. For the two of us, we get at least three or four meals - enchiladas, pot pies, some sort of chicken in sauce on noodles meal, and then the soup from the carcass. I bet none of those meals costs more than $3 - $4 each.


Costco rotisserie rules! Walmart's pigeons don't hold a candle.

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Costco rotisserie rules! Walmart's pigeons don't hold a candle.


and if you ever saw the cooking equipment that comes out of walmart when they replace them, you would never eat anything made there. i have bought many rotisserie machines deep fryers and the like from walmart FFE auction they are always so gross and must have never been cleaned properly, they must use them till the health department says it's condemned

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## Mike1950 (Jan 12, 2021)

Yep plenty of venison in diet. even into my 20's I would go visit and gramps would say- freezer is low. Out back I would go and fill his freezer... a much different world.

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 12, 2021)

Good thing there is a a statute of limitations guys!

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## Mike1950 (Jan 12, 2021)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Good thing there is a a statute of limitations guys!


OMG the game warden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Good thing there is a a statute of limitations guys!


rural times in the 50s were a whole different situation

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

vegas urban lumber said:


> rural times in the 50s were a whole different situation


you could catch a case today just for looking at a deer or a liberal wrong

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

Mike1950 said:


> even into the 20's I would go visit and gramps would say


was that into the 1820's or 1920s

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 12, 2021)

vegas urban lumber said:


> was that into the 1820's or 1920s


sorry freezer would preclude that to be the 1920's

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## trc65 (Jan 12, 2021)

Growing up, we were farmers with a large garden to boot. Need meat, haul a barrow or steer to the local locker plant. Loved the cured/smoked pork more than anything. The local guy used to win best cured meat at the Illinois State Fair almost annually. Just can't find that quality of meat anymore.

Still maintain a large garden, and eat fresh, frozen or canned vegetables year round. Only veg we purchase is occasional head of lettuce, celery and carrots. Can't grow decent carrots, too many nematodes around here.

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## Mike Hill (Jan 12, 2021)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Good thing there is a a statute of limitations guys!


Thought that was one of those statues that were torn down last year! oh......wait.....sorry!

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## William Tanner (Jan 12, 2021)

Recently made cornbread and chicken livers like my mom used to make. My first time making the liver.

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## Wildthings (Jan 12, 2021)

Daggum this has been a great thread....at least until the Game Warden showed up!!

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## sprucegum (Jan 13, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> Daggum this has been a great thread..


My work here is done

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## Mike1950 (Jan 13, 2021)

Wildthings said:


> Daggum this has been a great thread....at least until the Game Warden showed up!!


somebody has to be the party poop!!

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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 13, 2021)

Well the SOL is over so y'all can tell your stories. I can't tell mine though

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## sprucegum (Jan 13, 2021)

Hey keep it going "what free food did you find today" ?

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## Mike Hill (Jan 13, 2021)

Well, I opened up the office refrigerator and found all kinds of free food!

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 13, 2021)

My dad was poor. I never was (until I grew up, and then I GREW UP). My gig with poverty was situational and entirely self imposed, not that it matters. 

At 16, my maternal grandmother informed my soon to be maternal grandfather that the rumble in the rumble seat had resulted in something in the oven. They did what was expected and got married and he took a job with the highway department shoveling asphalt all over East Texas. She was the camp cook and as such they were afforded the luxury accommodations of sleeping in the cook tent. My grandfather had a Remington Mod 12 22 s/l/lr and he would collect pennies from the crew to buy 22 shorts. He'd go out most mornings that he had ammo and get a mess of squirrels before he started work and the fried or stewed squirrels complimented the flour, lard, and beans which made up most of the meals for the crew. 

That was in 1932. In 1932 my father was 2 years old in Crossett, Arkansas. Soon after, my paternal grandfather got a job with the Humble Co. in Benavides, Texas. So, they moved there to be poor, but, he had a job... which was more than a lot of folks. They creaked along until December of 1941 when my grandfather got a raise. The US Army evidently paid a little more than the Humble Co. During the next four years my dad trapped and shot meat for the table to and from his way to school. It certainly had an effect on him and his brothers because all of them decided that they weren't going to be poor any more. They all went to Texas A&M, via the Corps of Cadets and hard work (there was very little money from home) and became successful in their chosen fields. 

From my birth until I was 21 I never knew a day when I was wanting for food, clothing or shelter, or much else for that matter. #1 wife and I decided that we were going to quit school, get married and live off the land................ well, that works a lot better IN the Mother Earth News magazine than it does in real life. It took us 12 years to dig out of "The Land", finish school and start doing things right. It WAS a great educational experience though. 

During those 12 years we had very little that was not given to us. My job (ranch work for somebody else) produced $1.65 for every hour that I worked and for overtime I got $1.65/hour. I had to provide my own transportation to and from so I burned up about two hours work every day in gasoline just going to work and coming home. We did eat a lot of deer meat, some of which was obtained just outside of Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations. After we graduated from the "Mother Earth News" Academy, we still ate lots of deer meat and homemade sausage with three strapping boys to feed. Since they left home I have moved to pork chops. They taste better and are easier to chew AND skinning that plastic wrap off of them is a lot easier and quicker than starting on the outside of a pig.

But, with all that said, given the choice between sitting down to a plate of Purple Hull Peas, Cornbread, a nice big sweet potato, Mustard Greens, Pork Chops, and a glass of Iced Tea, 

Or

a dinner at the finest restaurant on the planet ...........

I will choose the former EVERY time!

Good food is good food and that last piece of cornbread that has soaked up the slurry of everything else on the plate is by far better than ANY fancy recipe a famous chef can put together!

Alan

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## Mike Hill (Jan 13, 2021)

Well done Alan! 

Dad did it a little different, he went to Texas A&M first, left before graduating because they couldn't wait to get married. Then had me. It was more than nine months, but not much more! He went to A&M first, then worked for the Highway Department for pennies. He picked up soda bottles for the return money to buy milk for me! He started to do a little better and found a Model T pickup on somebody's ranch, bought it, and set it in the back yard - Had loads of fun playing in it! That is until he sold it to pay for my youngest sister. She was a surprise! Still remind her that I'm not all that sure that it was a good trade! 

Mother Earth News - boy that brings back memories. Always had that dream, but never did it. Have every issue from the first until they went commercial. Did not like it after that. Boy, I had fun going through that mag!

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## Gdurfey (Jan 13, 2021)

Okay, sort of applies to this thread since the game warden showed up......

My dad told a story that when they lived outside of Wichita Falls, TX they neighbor knocked on the door late one night drunk and said he needed help. Dad went out and saw a young deer in the trunk of the guys car. My dad was scared, he was a rule follower, but they took it into the garage and dad helped him butcher it. Mom and dad did say that was the best, most tender venison they had ever had. And at that time in life, yes, it really made a difference in that weeks food budget.

Mom told a story of when I was young, my brother was around 16 or so. Well, the Sunday night roast was supposed to provide leftovers for 2 or 3 days. My brother had his best friend over for dinner and they demolished that roast.....you remember how we used to eat at that age. Well, after dinner mom was almost in tears wondering what she was going to do for dinner for a few days.....

Lastly, @Alan R McDaniel Jr , I have my dad’s 22, same one you mentioned above. After he left the ranch he was in Ft Worth before the war. He and church friends would wonder the hills west of town shooting squirrels with that gun. He always smiled about those times. Not sure if that was to keep him fed at that time or not, that was a long time before mom, but now you got me thinking.

Thanks for the trips down memory lane. Yes Dave, you did good work on this thread.


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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 13, 2021)

Yep, Mother Earth News had plans of how you could build a house out of rolled up newspapers soaked in concrete slurry... I thought about that, and after I had thought about it for a while, I decided that there weren't enough old newspapers around and concrete wasn't free. Building anything out of salvaged lumber and second hand nails was likely a better option. I spent a lot of evenings beating nails straight again. I probably still have some of those somewhere. 

One of the hardest things to change from my stint in situational poverty was throwing things away. I still have a hard time tossing things that are basically JUNK into the trash. You know, I might need it someday.....


Alan

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 13, 2021)

I still have that Mod 12 too. It had actually belonged to his dad. IT's very special to me. I killed a lot of rabbits with it myself. 

We still have a big garden and have had one every year for the last 45 years. It's hardly a necessity to keep our ribs apart but it IS a necessity for our mental health and wellbeing. The rewards vastly outweigh the work that goes into it.


Alan

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 13, 2021)

What poor people eat today?

Well, If I brought a bunch of "poor people" out to the place and told them to pick, clean, cook and eat as much as they wanted out of our garden,.....

They would still be hungry and would still be poor. They wouldn't want it and likely wouldn't know how to do any of it anyway.

My paternal grandmother had grown up (until marriage) in a fairly affluent family in central Arkansas. In the late 20s that changed and like many, many, others they went from affluence to poverty in a matter of days. 

Yet, having nothing did not make her Poor. She was an exceptional woman and refused to submit to poverty. Her house was immaculately clean and straight, her table was set for every meal, and the Good Lord was continually thanked for any and all of her blessings throughout each and every day. I never once, in my memory, heard her utter a cross word. She was never "Poor" for one single day of her life. 

While raising her four sons, and while her husband was away dealing with a little problem with the Japanese, she still found time to start a school cafeteria in Benavides, Texas so kids would have a meal at lunch. During that time she also had to make two trips back to Arkansas on bald tires and saved up gas ration stamps, by herself with the boys. 

Poverty had a whole different meaning then. They were in it with everybody else. It's one thing to be poor in a rich country, something else to be poor and everyone around you is in the same shape.

Alan

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## Mike Hill (Jan 13, 2021)

Alan R McDaniel Jr said:


> Benavides, Texas


Oh Wow! Just noticed this! Heck we were almost neighbors in the 70's and early 80's. Dad and my uncles had a deer lease down near Bruni. We went through Freer to get there, so went around Benavides. Just about 50,000 acres with just 5 guns on it. Took us some time to figure out how to hunt it, but it served us well - got my biggest there - when I was 16. Needless to say - Javelina and rattlesnake country. Saw plenty of both walking the cenderas (however you spell it) to and from the blinds. But perhaps the best thing about it, other than in the middle of nowhere (which was how I liked it) was the quail. I shot 4 types - and never needed a dog. Supposedly there was a 5th on the property - Mexican Quail, but not sure and whatever they were. . I got Bobwhites, Blues, Gambels, and Scaled. Was always hoping for a Mearns, but they were generally further northwest near Del Rio

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## Mike Hill (Jan 13, 2021)

William Tanner said:


> Recently made cornbread and chicken livers like my mom used to make. My first time making the liver.


You lost me on the chicken livers. Gizzards yes, chicken livers - No.


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## Mike Hill (Jan 13, 2021)

Alan R McDaniel Jr said:


> I still have that Mod 12 too. It had actually belonged to his dad.


Dad gave me a Ted Williams Lever Action single shot 22 (he did work for Sears by that time). Still have it and cherish it. However, my most cherished gun is a Winchester 25-35 model 1894. My grandfather bought it for my grandmother a long time ago - in the 30's. I got to use it for my deer hunting. Got a lot of deer with it even my biggest - all with iron sights. Didn't need no stinking scope!!! Gotta know your tools!!!!!

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 13, 2021)

We only had Bobwhites and Blues around our place. The quail sure took a hit in recent years. We’re starting to see a few coveys in live oak county but not a huntable population. I sure miss those days to. I’d go out in the afternoon and get five or six and that made a good meal. My grandmother would fry them for breakfast with biscuits and gravy.

Alan


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## Wildthings (Jan 13, 2021)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Well the SOL is over so y'all can tell your stories. I can't tell mine though


You know I couldn't figure this out at first...SOL (Shi* out of Luck) Then it came to me SOL (Statute of Limitation) Dang Game Wardens!!

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## DLJeffs (Jan 13, 2021)

I have two brothers. My grandpa had a small farm / property and a big chicken coop. After kindergarden I'd go in with my grandma and collect eggs. She'd carry a sawed off broom because the little banty rooster would defend that henhouse like a demon. Grandma would smack that rooster across the henhouse. He learned that when he saw us coming, he'd run in, and get above the door and dive down on us. Pound for pound the toughest and the meanest animal I've ever known. But that's not what I came to talk about... One year Grandpa set up some pens and got three turkeys, three geese, three rabbits. He said there was one for each my brothers and I. Funny thing was every holiday one turkey, goose or rabbit mysteriously got out and disappeared. I don't know if we ever made the connection between the escape and what was served on the table that afternoon.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 13, 2021)

Reminds me of my sisters and “Stinky” the pig.

Papaw can we give the breakfast scraps to Stinky?

Stinky’s not out there any more girls.

Where is he Papaw?

Well, you just got through eating some of him when you finished that bacon!



They wouldn’t touch another bite of any kind of meat after that without asking if it was “Stinky” first.

it’s not that they liked the pig so much as it was where the pig lived in the pig sty and how it smelled.

I will say though that when it came my turn to raise hogs I kept them in a little cleaner accommodations than the traditional hog pen.

Alan

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## trc65 (Jan 13, 2021)

While growing up, we were all in 4-H, and raised steers to show and sell after the last fair. We all knew from a young age what was going to happen to the animals we raised. Along with our project animals, we raised and fed an additional steer that was never halter broke. That one was butchered and went into our freezer. 

We never received an allowance while growing up despite all the work we did daily on the farm. Our allowance came from the calves we picked to raise as our projects, and the corn we got from the bins to feed them. When the steers sold, we kept the money although most of that went to help pay for college.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 13, 2021)

Hunting blue quail.

Ride along in the truck until we spotted them running. Bail and run after them as fast as I could until one or two would flush, slam on the brakes and shoot. A retriever would have been nice because we would find them mostly in or around prickly pear flats. They wouldn’t hold for a dog.

Oh, and there was no shame in tainting a few of I got the chance...

Alan


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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 13, 2021)

I got an allowance. $1/week. I think the hourly wage worked out to about $.03/hour.

i had the outside chores and I also got to mop. My sisters swept and vacuumed. Everybody had a turn at KP, and of course the fine print, “other assigned duties”. When I went off to college I was amazed at how much free time I had. Probably was not a good thing as I think about it.....

Alan

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 13, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> I have two brothers. My grandpa had a small farm / property and a big chicken coop. After kindergarden I'd go in with my grandma and collect eggs. She'd carry a sawed off broom because the little banty rooster would defend that henhouse like a demon. Grandma would smack that rooster across the henhouse. He learned that when he saw us coming, he'd run in, and get above the door and dive down on us. Pound for pound the toughest and the meanest animal I've ever known. But that's not what I came to talk about... One year Grandpa set up some pens and got three turkeys, three geese, three rabbits. He said there was one for each my brothers and I. Funny thing was every holiday one turkey, goose or rabbit mysteriously got out and disappeared. I don't know if we ever made the connection between the escape and what was served on the table that afternoon.


we also had loose/wild banty's when i was a kid. unfortunately every early spring when dad would lite the burning pile (waste from the christmas tree farm) like clockwork a banty hen (on fire) would burst out from under the brush, off her nest, about 15 minutes after the fire was lit. Our cocker spaniel would always catch it and dispatch within about 25 foot on the pile.

for most of my childhood there were four banty roosters (brothers from one clutch) they didn't seem to bother us at all, but they sure gave the barn cat hell

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## Mr. Peet (Jan 14, 2021)

We had one bantum that wandered off as we stopped having chickens. The good layers went to other homes and the rest were canned. That lone rooster lasted about 10 years in the wild. He'd disappear for weeks, assume he was dead, and then he was back. Some times looked real bad, but pushed on.


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## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Jan 14, 2021)

I had a couple of banty roosters many years ago. They were mean little fellers. One was kinda game type looking and the other was one of those with feathers on his feet. They were both mean and would fight anything except each other... They had a particularly bad habit of coming from behind in their attacks. I did find out that if I I kicked one as I could ...... it didn't hurt them at all.

I had game hens also to set eggs and a couple of game roosters. They had to be penned up all the time. A big Rhode Island Red or Barred Rock rooster was no match for one of those game roosters. If my RIR and BR hens would have set eggs I wouldn't have kept the Game chickens at all. I'm kinda glad those days are gone.

Alan


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## Mike Hill (Jan 15, 2021)

Grandmom was a short feisty gal. She was about 5' 2" at the most, yet she played basketball. Apparently she was rather good at it - she played on some team in San Antonio. Just two weeks ago, my sister uncovered a photo of the team. All the members of the team were the same height. Grandmom had a penchant for banties and kept a few on their acreage on the North side of San Antonio, until she was losing more to varmints than it was worth. Chicken was cheap at the PX! She claimed she liked the eggs, but in my heart it was their feistiness. I never understood about the eggs - they're so small Little Mikey had to eat a dozen to feel full!


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