Preserving and Seasoning: Hunting Season

The hunting season, usually autumn or winter, was a time during which large numbers of people left their settlements, sometimes for several months. The hunters followed the game and provided a substantial amount of meat for winter. Extended hunts were complex, often requiring the establishment of one or a series of temporary hunting camps. Runners carried processed meat and hides to permanent encampments and then brought fresh supplies of food and equipment back to the hunters. Hunts were generally planned and executed by a large number of a tribe’s men, but it was also customary for some women and children to participate, both as hunters and as cooks. Solitary hunts were of shorter duration, requiring the hunter to haul his prey home alone. Because a dressed deer may have weighed more than 100 pounds, transporting the kill required considerable strength or the decision to transport only the choicest parts. In either case, women were generally responsible for the processing—butchering, drying, and cooking.