The Elusive mince
Mince meat has been a rare delicacy for generations. Our early ancestors would eagerly a-wait hunting season each year, looking forward to the precious bounty that is…the Mince. Mince and moose both belong to the rodent family. Mince are the smallest members; moose the largest. Mince also happen to be the R.I. state rodent, however they can only be found in Maine. Hunters train for months to fine tune their reflexes and ability to target the Mince (typically weighing under.5 oz each).
The avid hunter must travel to Norway for 2 weeks every year to ensure proper training and protocols are followed in the wilderness. While Norway also does not have a Mince population, most of the Mince connoisseurs call this their home and have setup dummy Mince mazes to practice hunting during the off season. They travel many miles to the Maine border, typically by rowboat, to partake in the brief hunting season. Flying is strictly prohibited by this culture.
These little creatures live very secluded sedentary lives. They typically hibernate 363 days out of the year. Due to their prolonged sleep habits, Mince season is one of the most elusive hunting seasons of the year. The Mince season is only at night, from 9pm to midnight two days before Christmas. That way there's sufficient time to remove the tails and make the pies in time for the holiday. Small flashlights (AAA batteries) are used and shotguns, also very tiny. The trick is to sneak up on them from the south and temporarily blind them with the light from the flashlight in order to successfully club them with the shotgun. No ammunition needed. It would damage the meat.
Perhaps the most important fact about Mince hunting is how to store the meat. Mince, being so rare, are heavily regulated during hunting season by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation. The “one pocketful” rule is highly enforced. Once the Mince are clubbed with the tiny shotgun, each hunter is only allowed to keep what will fill in one of their pockets (which are typically double lined to ensure maximum capacity). Through the exasperating 2 hour annual Mince season, you are only allowed that much.
The avid hunter must travel to Norway for 2 weeks every year to ensure proper training and protocols are followed in the wilderness. While Norway also does not have a Mince population, most of the Mince connoisseurs call this their home and have setup dummy Mince mazes to practice hunting during the off season. They travel many miles to the Maine border, typically by rowboat, to partake in the brief hunting season. Flying is strictly prohibited by this culture.
These little creatures live very secluded sedentary lives. They typically hibernate 363 days out of the year. Due to their prolonged sleep habits, Mince season is one of the most elusive hunting seasons of the year. The Mince season is only at night, from 9pm to midnight two days before Christmas. That way there's sufficient time to remove the tails and make the pies in time for the holiday. Small flashlights (AAA batteries) are used and shotguns, also very tiny. The trick is to sneak up on them from the south and temporarily blind them with the light from the flashlight in order to successfully club them with the shotgun. No ammunition needed. It would damage the meat.
Perhaps the most important fact about Mince hunting is how to store the meat. Mince, being so rare, are heavily regulated during hunting season by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation. The “one pocketful” rule is highly enforced. Once the Mince are clubbed with the tiny shotgun, each hunter is only allowed to keep what will fill in one of their pockets (which are typically double lined to ensure maximum capacity). Through the exasperating 2 hour annual Mince season, you are only allowed that much.