Man vs Deer: Road Kill Backstraps

Ah, nothing says "spring" like the squealing of tires, the smell of fresh hamburger, and watching the antics of animals.

It was just another day at the office, with editors cramming up against the windows of our glass building watching real life happen outside (in this case a flock of white pelicans streaming up the Illinois River at a time of year when snow is still falling) when they all witnessed a woman in a speeding minivan in a busy intersection below slam into a big whitetail deer, somersaulting it into the air and waiting for police to arrive.

After a long, hungry midwest winter watching deer running around outside our offices, I knew it was time to act. Those backstraps weren’t going to cook themselves. 

I, Skip Knowles, do hereby solemnly swear, that I respect and safeguard the rights and liberties of my coworkers and citizens, and that upon feeding them free-range organic asphalt-free roadkilll, I abide by and protect their well being conscientiously.

Yup, that’s right. Lifted those loins, and fed them “venison a la Ford Windstar”, right here at Petersen’s HQ. Cool thing is, they liked it. Hey, I moved to Illinois in November with no place to hunt, I have to take what I can get.

In truth, it felt really good to salvage an animal that would otherwise be wasted after coming to an undignified early end. 

Yes, it's perfectly legal. You don't want to miss this one. The video below is the story of how backstraps tenderized by Ford Motors made it into the mouths of babes.