Keeping the freezer stocked during a pandemic

It is easy to forget, when fully stocked grocery stores are close by, that there was a time only a couple generations ago when most people in Northern New Mexico had to grow or hunt most of thewir food.

Hunting skills come through practice. It is an activity as old as homo sapiens. Tips and tricks for tracking an animal and harvesting it humanely with one shot are passed down through generations. So are the ways to properly prepare and store the meat.

Hunting is an egalitarian activity. It doesn’t matter your gender, race, political beliefs or job – if you can properly harvest an animal, you get props from other hunters. Each year, Taos News invites hunters to share their favorite hunts of the year. This is not meant to glorify killing. It is meant to acknowledge the hard work and traditional skill that goes into the people who bring home food they have hunted. Never was this more important than when a pandemic left people panicked and store shelves empty. Francisco Cortez, Sr., whose entire family has learned to hunt, gives his take on this year: “Elk meat is one of our favorites. A big-bodied bull elk like this will yield close to 300 pounds of meat and will feed our family and friends all year. We will get yummy steaks, roasts for jerky, roasts for the slow cooker, fajitas and several packages of “universal use” ground elk meat. Canned meat is also very good. It is always nice to have a freezer or shelf full of this prized protein during these hard COVID-19 pandemic times. There is no need to go to the the grocery store for meat anymore.”

Below: Daniela Cortez with the mule buck she harvested in Colorado in November. ‘Daniela has harvested several elk before, however this is her first deer,’ said her dad, Francisco Cortez, Sr. ‘Hunting deer is very different than hunting elk. Daniela really got hooked and is looking forward to hunting more deer in the future. She used my Ruger American Predator rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. She really likes this rifle and is planning to use it for her youth late season elk hunt.’ Below middle: Francisco Cortez, Sr., with the Merriam’s turkey gobbler he harvested in late April, 2020. ‘Spring turkey hunting is a blast!’ he said.

COURTESY FRANCISCO CORTEZ, SR. Left: A team is helpful when hunting. (Left to right) Santiago Cortez, Francisco Cortez, Sr., Uvaldo Mondragon and Francisco Cortez, Jr., with the bull elk Santiago harvested. Right: Gail Cortez in Game Management Unit (GMU) 51 this past October. She used her 30/06 to harvest this big-bodied bull with one well-placed shot at 269 yards.

COURTESY PHOTO Lyrik Montoya with his first deer harvest. He also bagged his first elk in 2020.

COURTESY PHOTO Jerome Martinez and his first bull elk, 6x7. He is a 15-yearold freshman at Taos High School. He was assisted on this unit 49 hunt by Robert Valencia, Jr., Joshua Valencia, Christopher Valencia and was also accompanied by Robert Valencia, Sr., and his dad.

COURTESY FRANCISCO CORTEZ, SR.

COURTESY FRANCISCO CORTEZ, SR. Santiago Cortez with the 6x5 bull elk he harvested in Game Management Unit (GMU) 49 in early October. Santiago only had one day to hunt. He made the most of it. Santiago harvested this beautiful bull with his favorite Remington Model 700, .300 Winchester Short Magnum.