Hunters from Prince Albert donate hundreds of kilos of moose meat

Vince Brittain had to be mindful the frostbite-threatening temperatures did not freeze his trigger finger as he and a group of others hunted for moose kilometres into the bush. The group were determined to harvest the meat for local organizations.

He was among a group of hunters from Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) that sought out moose in the forests near Porcupine Plain, Sask., with hopes of bringing back meat for the Prince Albert Food Bank and the local Salvation Army.

Porcupine Plain is located about 238 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

"What we'd like to do is do this annually, for sure," Brittain said. "Giving back to the community of Prince Albert and surrounding areas."

The group left before sunrise on Jan. 13, with temperatures in the area hovering around -26 C and the wind chill rated at -30, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

One member of the team spoke about moose being more active in the cold to keep their bodies warm. 

The group returned to Prince Albert at about 1 a.m. CST the next morning with a moose in tow.

When asked who took down the animal, PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said it was a group effort. Another hunter laughed and said that in weather that cold, they're a team.

Hardlotte explained some of the traditions involved in the aftermath of the hunt.

"When we harvest an animal, the protocols that we have to do, part of the inside of the spleen you have to hang up and the reason for that: you want to be successful again," Hardlotte said.

"And of course the tobacco, tobacco that we put in the gut pile. We're saying thank you to the animal and saying thank you to the creator."

A lot of the moose organs and fat are considered delicacies. Hardlotte said those were brought to elders in the community.

The rest, he estimates 270 to 360 kilograms of meat, will be split between the two organizations.

That meat could feed about 500 to 600 people, according to Kim Scruby, executive director of the Prince Albert Food Bank.

"The timing was perfect, our freezer was getting pretty low. Plus moose meat, anything like that, is very popular here," he said.

The harvest has to follow safety guidelines, like being processed through a butcher, before it can be handed out at the food bank, Scruby said.

Scruby said it's not the first time members of the PAGC have dropped off moose meat. Hardlotte is hoping it becomes an annual hunt for organizations like the food bank.

"We know there's a high cost of foods within the cities and, all over, the rise of food costs is just crazy," said PAGC vice-chief Joseph Tsannie.

"We want to make sure that our people, or whoever that needs traditional foods, can come to the food bank and grab some moose meat to feed their families."