Venison

When Colleen Ballantine, Cheryl Sanders and Bradley Kennedy size up meat for their freezers, they're thinking three things: free-range, low-fat, clean of antibiotics. The three women are deer hunters, and their market of choice is the woods of Maryland. With consumer demand rapidly growing for animals raised humanely and meat free of things not found in nature, supermarkets are stocking bison and pasture-raised beef at premium prices. But hunters -- especially women -- say white-tailed deer are nearby and plentiful, healthful and economical.

Charles Samuel "Sam" Poole Sr., a Carroll County butcher whose Sam's Deer Processing in Finksburg has been a destination for lucky hunters for decades, died Saturday from complications after heart surgery at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. The longtime Louisville, Carroll County, resident was 65. The son of a butcher and a homemaker, Mr. Poole was born in Gaithersburg and raised in Sykesville. He attended Sykesville High School. Mr. Poole began his butchering career when he was 16, working at small grocery stores and butcher shops.

Suggesting to farmers that they raise deer is a little like asking the owner of a candy store to start an ant colony.To most farmers, deer are an uninvited wild herd of 30 or 40 devouring cash crops. But a Taneytown farmer is hoping to persuade other farmers and state legislators that domesticated species of deer would make money, not eat it."They take a look at the wild deer here and think these are the same, but these animals, the way they're grouped up and treated is just the same as beef or dairy cattle would be," said Leonard Miller.

In Washington County Venison-meal charity seeks Md. meat processors HAGERSTOWN -- A charity that turns donated venison into meals for the poor is seeking additional processors in Maryland to cut, package and freeze the meat for distribution to food banks next season. Hagerstown-based Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry said last week that it wants to add processors in Anne Arundel, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Somerset, St. Mary's and Talbot counties.

Maryland hunters are expecting one of the most bountiful deer harvests in history this year, with a near-record kill reported for the first day of the modern firearms season, traditionally the key indicator of the season's total take. Unofficial predictions are that 1994 will surpass the 1992 state record of 35,100 wild deer harvested.This year, the deer hunt will also help the hungry through a statewide effort to donate venison to Maryland food banks and soup kitchens. A ton of deer meat was collected in the early archery and muzzle-loading rifle seasons and the expectation is that some 30,000 pounds will be donated to 12 large central food banks for distribution throughout the state this month.

Venison stew, venison loaf and ground venison may soon beef up the menu at Maryland shelters and soup kitchens.The state's two-week firearms season for deer starts Nov. 28, and at least two sportsmen's organizations say they will urge hunters to donate all or part of their kill to benefit the Maryland Food Bank and the Salvation Army.The Maryland Deer Hunters Association, with support from the state Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Division, is preparing to launch "Hunters Harvest-share."

Most $10 wines are strictly for early consumption, but this full-bodied Spanish red has the structure and intensity that make me suspect it will be even better in five to 10 years. There's no need to wait, however, to enjoy its vibrant blackberry and black-currant fruit and meaty, earthy flavors. It's a little tight when the bottle is first opened, but it develops added complexity and a smoother texture in the glass. Ludovicus is a skillful blend of grenache, tempranillo, syrah and cabernet sauvignon.

Suggesting to farmers that they raise deer is a little like asking the owner of a candy store to start an ant colony.To most farmers, deer are an uninvited wild herd of 30 or 40 devouring cash crops. But a Taneytown farmer is hoping to persuade other farmers and state legislators that domesticated species of deer would make money, not eat it.``They take a look at the wild deer here and think these are the same, but these animals, the way they're grouped up and treated is just the same as beef or dairy cattle would be,'' said Leonard Miller.

The modern firearms season for deer in Maryland opened yesterday, and before the two-week season closes Dec. 11, state game managers expect another record kill from a herd that numbers more than 160,000.But, while shotgun and rifle hunters probably will kill some 35,000 deer, Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division director Joshua Sandt said that about 77 percent of successful gun hunters will take only one deer, even though the herd size could withstand a larger harvest.Sandt said that many hunters take only one deer because one is all they need for their family table.

Buck Fever! The Hunting Show will take place from July 29-31 at the Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship.The show will be open in the Exhibition Hall from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. July 29, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 30 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 31.The show will include trophy deer display seminars, big buck awards, muzzleloader clinics July 30 and 31, compound bow and broadhead tuning clinic 9 a.m. to noon July 31, taxidermy display and an National Rifle Association...