CLARKSBURG -- Darrell and Sharon Pierce learned a lot about deer Nov. 12: what diseases to look out for, what parts not to eat, and even which spices taste the best with venison.
"We like venison," said Sharon.
"And we do want to find out more about slaughter, so we might, we might do some in the future," added Darrell.
The Pierces own land outside of Clarksburg, and say they don't hunt much, but want to be well-informed and good tenants to their land. "She's actually the hunter," Darrell admitted. "I've hunted once and killed once, but she's the one who usually hunts. She has her mother's gun."
Extension Agent Becky Mowbray and others held a captive audience while they touched on topics like herd health, canning, and even the gross parts, like field dressing and separating the cuts of meat.
"How it's cut up and how it's configured, we just didn't know that," said Sharon, wincing.
"The people who have come in have been very excited about the class," shared Mowbray. "This is the first time we have done this in Harrison County, so we may be doing it - if the demand is there, we'll be doing it again."
Taking a deer to be processed can cost about $65. But those teaching the do-it-yourself method say the at-home result can be much more rewarding.
"You can get someone else to do it, but some people just have that kind of pride of processing it themselves," shared Mowbray, "And I think that's the key."
If you're interested in the Venison 101 Class, you can reach the Harrison County WVU Extension office at 304-624-8650.
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