The Call of the Caribou

"Caribou are usually quiet, but they may give a loud snort. Herds of snorting caribou may sound like pigs. Especially vocal are the bands of cows and new-born calves, constantly communicating with each other."

In the past week, I've eaten caribou twice: in steak and stew form. This consumption of red meat has emphatically ended my years of vegetarianism. It's been a slippery slope lately. I went to wing night a couple of weeks ago, and, well, did what one does at wing night (besides drink lots of beer) and ate wings. I also ate an arctic char a couple of weeks after I arrived, along with a number of other fishy friends since then - none of which were caught by me, despite my efforts.

Considering the resources used to ship fresh vegetables up here, I don't feel all that bad switching to more local sources for food. (If you ignore the chicken wings.) I would like to take a moment to thank the caribou of the north for helping to fill my belly lately.

Also this week, I learned that caribou taste better when you shoot them while they're calm, rather than when they're running, such as when they're chased by a skidoo. Apparently, the acid builds up when they're running and it ends up affecting the taste of the meat.

I have as of yet, however, not put this knowledge to the test.