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Sunday 26 June 2011

Bison Versus Buffalo


Plains Bison Americanis
(Bison bison bison)PUBLIC DOMAIN IMAGE
The highest point of the hump is directly over the front legs. The legs of the plains bison are shorter than the legs of a wood bison and the plains bison have thick chaps on the front legs. Note:The plains have a thick pendulous bird, full neck mane which extends below the chest-sharply demarcated cape line behind the shoulder and a thick bonnet of hair between the horns. Cape is usually lighter than that of the wood bison. The animal it self is about 1/3 smaller
There is no such animal as an indigenous American Antelope or Buffalo; and there are no indigenous European Antelope or Buffalo either. Bison are not  buffalo; and Prong Horns are not even in the same family as antelope. While the Elk is the national animal of Norway; the Wapiti (which is not an elk) isn't  to be found anywhere in Africa, Asia, Europe or anywhere else, outside of North America that is.
File:Bison bonasus (Linnaeus 1758).jpg
European BisonBison bonasus 
or 
European Woods Bison

As one local legend has it, the most successful population of wild wisent currently lives in the area around Chernobyl, where nuclear fallout from the 1986 disaster has kept humans away, allowing wisent to thrive. The population continues to grow, though (like many royal families) it’s pretty inbred.

File:Wood-Buffalo-NP Waldbison 98-07-02.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wood-Buffalo-NP_Waldbison_98-07-02.jpg Wikipedia identifies themselves as a source of reliable reference; an encyclopaedia. While admittedly in their defence; it is a very poor image, as you can plainly read and observe, the above image has been identified as a Wood Buffalo which it is not. it is not a buffalo. Also observe the head; horns covered by dense woolly bonnet, notice the flat back, the forelock and what appears as a thick pendulous beard. The animal is, also, not a woods bison.
While the legs are longer, a woods bison has virtually no chaps on the front legs. The horns are not covered by bonnetbeard is thin and scraggly The mane is short and does not extend much below the chest and the cape grades smoothly back towards the loins-little or no demarcation, Forelock lies forward in long strands over the forehead and the woods bison is usually darker on the head.
Wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) are North America's largest land mammal.
Like an Aurora Trout, http://cookingforsurvival--yourdownbutnotout.blogspot.com/2010/09/some-of-canadas-fresh-water-fish.html
the 
North American WOODS BISON(shown side view, directly above); which migrated East and West rather than North and South like the Plains Bison; IS A TRUE CANADIAN; 
very few were found south of the Canada, United States of The Americas border. 
They are one of the largest species of beef cattle in the world, surpassed only by two species of buffalo; all of which originate in Asia. Again, there is no such animal as a North American Buffalo.

Buffalo
 (Synerus caffer)
As has happened, and is happening, world wide; more American legions, myths, and beliefs, or outright lies have been proven untrue.
1. Contrary to popular and American belief "Buffalo" were never "Home- Home on the Range; and didn’t roam with the deer and the antelope, in that mythical place called" America" and they were never a major food source to any of the indigenous North American peoples— for they, do not, and so far as we know, never did exist in North America; but then neither do antelope, which like buffalo, are an African, or Asian, species. See antelope above.
2. As you can see, there are two general types of Bison in the world; the European and the North American.
3. Obviously then, Bison were not unknown animals to the first European settlers in North America, so there are absolutely no excuses, other than: a paranoiac belief that anything non-American has to be life threatening, pure obstinate stupidity, an irrational desire to create yet another fictitious myth, or a compulsive need to be contrary, for the peoples of the United States to refer to bison as buffalo.
4. The North American animal, Bison Americanis of which there are again two types, the woods (Bison bison athabascae) and the prairie (Bison bison bison) originally inhabited the Great Plains of the United States and Canada in massive herds ranging from Great Slave Lake in Canada's north to Mexico in the south, and from the Rocky Mountains almost to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Wood Bison, found mostly in Canada, migrate from East to West rather than North too South. They are the larger of the two sub-species and are one of the largest species of cattle in the world, surpassed in size only by the massive Asian-gaur, and wild Asian water buffalo, both of which are found mainly in India and Southern Asia; but, bison were never a major food source of the more southerly North American Natives -any more then reindeer, (Another animal which did not truthfully exist in North America. Reindeer have recently been introduced-partly to enable Santa Claus to get around at Christmas time and partly in order to bolster dwindling caribou herds), or musk ox were a major source of food to the Inuit-which is why there were so many -until after the white man introduced the rifle, and more importantly the horse.
No tribe or culture (like the North American native) depending strictly on foot travel, ever in the history of the world counted the larger grazing animals as a major food source, because the hunting and killing of them, plus the handling of the meat, involved more risk and problem than benefit. Also, bison, caribou, and musk ox are migratory; so were not always available.

Antelope Versus Pronghorn

Antelope and Pronghorn
Many people believe that the misnaming or changing of name by the U.S.A.(US colloquialism) does not matter but to religious and other groups; it can matter greatly
SURPRISE PEOPLE: ANTELOPE MEAT IS BEEF. 
An Interesting Note: According to both  the Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English and Webster's Dictionary, beef is defined as "the flesh of a cow, steer, or bull used as food". According to this definition, veal, calf, or baby beef is not "beef"if cut from a female member of the bovine family--however, the  meat of an alligator  crocodile, elephant, moose, seal, walrus or even a whale would be; just so long as the meat is used as food for something--animal, insect, or plant.

The animal that we in North America call a "Prong Horn" is not an antelope. But then, it CAN NOT legitimately be called a prong horn either--because it DOES NOT HAVE HORNS.


THERE IS NO SPECIES OF ANTELOPE THAT IS NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA. 


Antelope which belong to the family Bovidae and occur naturally only in Eurasia and Africa. There are about 90 species, most of which; like buffalo, are native to Africa, where the largest herds are also found. All male antelope are noted for their horns which are permanent; unlike the annually shed antlers of deer, or outer sheath of the prong horn, and often take on extravagant shapes such as arcs or or helices.




THESE IMAGES OF THE PRONGHORN ARE PUBLIC DOMAIN and can be found at:


 Prong-horns on the other hand belong to the family Antilocapridae. THE MEAT IS NOT BEEF.Though the females are much smaller, both sexes bear a pair of horn like extensions on the top of the head, which are made up of an outer hair like sheath that grows around a bony core; the outer sheath(much like the antlers of the deer family) is shed annually (horns are not shed). Prong-horns have a distinctly musky odour and are closely related to the Musk-ox of the Canadian Arctic.

Saskatoon or Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)-


 Saskatoon or Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)-
Also called Canada Serviceberry, June berry or Shadbush in New England. 
The Haida name means ""sweet berry". 
The Saskatoon is the berry most commonly used to make North American Style Pemmican. 


Cautionary Note: I recently read a post on another website that claimed "while Saskatoons are highly edible and perfectly safe; Serviceberries should always be cooked to neutralize the poisonous cyanide compounds found in their seeds. Under ripe berries can cause digestive upset or even be poisonous and should be consumed only in very small quantities".Saskatoons and Serviceberries are the exact same berry. Yes, They do contain CYANIDE. If you are not sure of your facts, if you can not definitely  positively, identify, a berry, fruit or plant beyond a reasonable doubt, you would undoubtedly be best not to use it; but if you must and there might be times when you have little choice, be sure to follow the rules I have laid out in my posting PLANT EDIBILITY TESTS.
 Although I never saw it done, it is claimed that some early Canadian Pioneers boiled or steamed Saskatoons in pits and, or, in bark, gut, or hide, vats. 
The cooked fruit was mashed, formed into cakes, then dried over a slow fire (like hard tack). It is claimed that these cakes could weigh as much as 15 pounds each.
In the past, many Canadians would add saskatoons to soups and stews. Today, they are popular in pies, pancakes, puddings, muffins, jams, jellies, sauces, syrups and wine, much like wild blueberries.
Somewhat surprisingly; but historically documented, Saskatoon juice was taken to relieve stomach upset.

Warning: As is true of Choke Cherries and many other "safe" wild berries, the leaves and seeds contain poisonous cyanide like compounds; which can be deadly, especially to horses.
(c) 2005 Steven J. Baskauf - Terms of use
           (c) 2005 Steven J. Baskauf - Terms of use


 Berries when ripe are purplish-black, sweet, and juicy; they are eaten raw or cooked. They were and still are, in many parts of Canada, an extremely important commodity. There is a well documented history of extensive management through techniques such as fire, weeding and pruning to encourage the healthy growth of this very important berry.

The berries, flowers and leaves are also eaten by bears, deer elk, wapiti, mountain goats rabbits, squirrels, other rodents, and birds. During the winter and like rose hips the buds and dried berries are stapled food for the ruffed grouse. Due to this wide appeal to all animal, not just man, this is one of the first shrubs to be eliminated or drastically retarded on ranges mismanaged or over used by MAN-- OTHER ANIMALS DO NOT ABUSE.
            The bushes grow 3-15 feet high, in along river banks, in ravines, in sandy, rocky, wooded areas, and open country. The flowers are white
©Al (Ale-Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved.

Sunday 12 June 2011

Gopher- Ground Squirrel



          1. You may singe all the fur off, or skin the gopher
         2. Clean gopher. Cut into 4 parts, split it in half, or leave it
           whole.
3. It can be broiled on a stick over a fire, braised in an oven; or it can be stewed.         
Special add Notes: The original Brunswick Stew (next older post) was made using ground squirrels (gophers); which Canadians claim offer greater nutrition and therefore prefer over tree-squirrels. VERY CLEAN AND STRICT VEGETARIANS--LIKE THE MUSKRAT, GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE A VERY GOOD FOOD CHOICE, AVAILABLE TO ALL THE TRULY HEALTH CONSCIOUS IN CANADA.© Al (Alex, Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

Brunswick Stew

Traditionally, the characteristic Brunswick stew is made with ground squirrels. The following is an original authentic recipe. Feel free to use the variation I mention at the bottom of the recipe.

2 ground squirrels (gophers)

1 Tbsp. salt

1 minced onion

2 cups Fresh Lima beans

6 ears corn

1/2 lb. salt pork

6 potatoes

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. sugar

4 cups sliced tomatoes

1/2 lb. butter

1. Cut squirrel into serving pieces.

2. Add salt to 4 quarts of water and when boiling, add onion, Lima beans, corn cut from the cob, pork, potato, pepper and the squirrels.

3. Cover and simmer 2 hours, add sugar and tomato, and simmer1 hour more.

4. Ten minutes before removing from heat, add butter cut into pieces the size of a walnut and rolled in flour.

5. Bring to a boil. Serve in soup plates for 6.

Variation

Chickens and rabbits are frequently used today in place of squirrels ©Al(Alex, Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.
©

PIN CHERRY (PRUNUS PENSYLVANICA)



PIN CHERRY (PRUNUS PENSYLVANICA)

Distribution

Prunus pensylvanica can be found from Newfoundland and southern Labrador, crossing Canada to the west and reaching British Columbia and the southern Northwest Territories. Additionally it is very common in the Great Lakes region.
The Pin cherry is rather short lived, having a lifespan of only 20–40 years following a rapid maturation. It's root system is shallow, with roots tending to grow laterally. It is an important food source for many animals. Winter moose browse it in the Great Lake states and boreal forest region.

It’s a small tree, growing up to 12 metres in height and 25 centimetres in diameter.  The fruit of the pin cherry is bright red and is 6 to 8 millimetres across, and it ripens from late July to early September.   They are edible but very sour.

In the spring, the pin cherry tree is covered in white blossoms about 5 millimetres long that grow in bunches.  In nature, the seeds of the pin cherry can lie dormant in the ground for many decades, sprouting in great numbers after some kind of disturbance like a wind storm or fire removes the forest cover. For human consumption, it is usually made into jams or jellies
  
Size:  12 metres high, trunk is 25 cm in diameter
Moisture:  Can tolerate different moisture levels
Shade:  Needs full sun
Soil: Grows in a variety of soils