By Blake Jackson
Residents of Boone County will have an opportunity to learn traditional skills for using deer tallow during two upcoming workshops offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). These hands-on programs will demonstrate how to render deer fat and transform it into practical, everyday items.
For generations, hunters relied on nearly every part of a harvested deer. Beyond providing food, deer tallow was commonly used to make candles and other household necessities.
The MDC workshops aim to revive these practices by teaching participants how to process fat into usable tallow and create products such as heel balm, body butter, candles, and fire starters.
During the sessions, MDC staff will supply some deer fat for demonstrations. However, attendees are welcome to bring fat from their own harvests. To prepare it, hunters should skin the deer, remove the firm, waxy fat found along the back and around the kidneys, and freeze it in a container or sealed bag until the event.
Two workshop times are available:
Both sessions will take place at the Boone County Nature School, located at 8989 South Tom Bass Road in Columbia. The programs are open to participants ages 14 and older. For additional information, contact Conservation Educator Kathi Moore at kathi.moore@mdc.mo.gov.
Photo Credit: pexels-jim-fawns
Categories: Missouri, General