Autumn Hunting Season

 Autumn Hunting Season

The Hunter's Moon is the full moon that follows the Harvest Moon, traditionally it occurs in the month of October. Its name comes from its historical use to provide extra light for hunters to track and kill game for the coming winter. This moon is also known for rising soon after sunset for several nights in a row, giving the impression of more consistent moonlight, and can sometimes be called the "sanguine moon" or "blood moon" (though this is different from a blood moon caused by a lunar eclipse). The name is rooted in the need for extra light to hunt animals that had "fatted up" during the summer so that their meat could be preserved for the winter. Native American tribes and other cultures used the full moon cycle as a calendar for important events like planting and harvesting. Another name for the Hunter's Moon is the "drying rice moon." 

It’s been a tradition for men (and sometimes women) to have the first day off for the deer hunting season as a legitimate, excused day off from school to go hunting with others in their family in an attempt to secure food for the winter larders. The tradition was the “coming-of-age” for many young boys and if the youngster was able to kill a deer, it was his initiation into manhood.

Pennsylvania deer hunting requires a general hunting license and the possibility of an antlerless deer license with specific seasons for each and regulations that include wearing of fluorescent orange. The 2025-26 season dates vary by weapon and location, and hunters should be aware of the requirements for hunting in state parks and state forests. Key requirements for all hunters are a valid license, fluorescent orange gear during specific seasons, and adherence to the one-antlered-deer-per-year limit.

Deerhaus

12 ounce ground deer liver 16 ounce deer meat 12 ounce bacon 2 ¼ quart water

2 tablespoon coarse black pepper 1 1/3 tablespoon salt 3 cups cornmeal

Mix deer liver, deer meat, bacon, and water. Cook until well done. Add the black pepper and salt. Brain the meat off. Slowly stir the cornmeal into the broth. When done cooking, add meat back in and cook until very thick. Stir while cooking. Pour into bread pans. Good warm or cold. Best browned in skillet on both sides.

Deer Jerky

½ cup soy sauce ½ Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp accent 2 tsp seasoned salt

1/3 tsp garlic powder 2/3 tsp black pepper liquid smoke few drops

Stir mixture well. Slice deer meat very thin and marinate in mixture overnight. Use dehydrator or oven to dry meat. (Above recipes are available in CRHS cook book)