Hunting Haggis

[GM7RQK]

From the BBC Tourists dream of hunting haggis


Tourists dream of hunting haggis


The haggis was thought to be an animal
A third of US tourists who were quizzed about their trip to Scotland said they believed the haggis was a creature.
The survey also revealed that almost a quarter of those questioned thought that they could hunt and catch the country's most famous dish.

A thousand people considering a trip to Scotland were questioned about why they wanted to visit and what they expected to see.

One in three of those polled said they believed haggis was a creature and one tourist believed it came out at night and looked like grouse.

In a way it is a fantastic compliment for Scotland's most famous dish that it has achieved this level of notoriety

Anna Finlay
Hall's meats
Another said the apparently fox-like animal preferred cities.

Haggis maker Hall's, of Broxburn, in West Lothian, teamed up with a US tourism website to question 1,000 Americans about their holidays.

Anna Finlay, of Hall's, said: "It's amazing in this day and age that the myth of the haggis roaming the glens continues to resonate with overseas visitors.

"In a way it is a fantastic compliment for Scotland's most famous dish that it has achieved this level of notoriety.

"However, instead of hunting haggis we'd encourage tourists to attend haggis tastings or order the dish in one of the country's fine restaurants."

The recipe for haggis varies but it can be made using a sheep's stomach bag which holds a mix of sheep's liver, heart and lung, oatmeal, suet, stock, onions and spices.

It has not been known to make a dash for freedom when coming under the knife.

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To keep it on topic, what would you use for hunting the Haggis then? ( no shotguns please the shot get's stuck in my teeth)

Stephen

 

[Stickjockey]

GM7-

Isn't a bit early for Haggis hunting? I mean, I thought the season didn't start until after Boxing Day in order to be ready for Bobby Burns day.

That being said, I'd probably go with a custom Holland & Holland or Purdy double rifle in a smaller caliber like .243. (Do they make them that small?)

 

[Iain]

Living in the north of England the occasional haggis has been seen. Of course the advice is to never approach a haggis and to retreat to your home and call the police.

(Am I just feeding some misconceptions?)

 

[Triad]

I think a .50 BMG would stop one. Tenderize it too.

 

[tex_n_cal]

Hmmm...okay, now I know the meaning of "haggi"...

When I first read the thread title, I wondered if haggi was a new slang term for Iraqi & thought it seemed in poor taste. Apparently somebody thinks haggis are in good taste.

Oh, just to keep my post gun related, I would use my Field's Patent .500-450 #1 Express, were haggis a huntable creature.

Some years ago the company I worked for had a joined venture with a Japanese company. One group of Americans went there, and their Japanese hosts treated them to a "delicacy" of chocolate covered bumblebees after one dinner. When it was the Japanese' turn to visit the States, the hosts searched long and hard, and eventually did find some chocolate covered bees. At dinner they presented them, expecting the visitors to be pleasantly surprised by the Americans' thoughtfulness.

The Japanese businessmen quickly informed their hosts that they really didn't eat that in Japan, it was just "for tourists".

Something tells me haggis fall into the same catagory as chocolate covered bumblebees.

 

[kentucky bucky]

While visiting Scotland and the Border Regions I learned all about haggis. Believe me there is not many a furry creature afoot that I wouldn't rather eat than haggis. It's neary as appetizing as head cheese, but not nearly as attractive. It's sort of left over parts of the sheep that they didn't know what to do with, so they stuff it in the sheep's bladder or something and boil it. YUM

 

[Detritus]

It's sort of left over parts of the sheep that they didn't know what to do with,

Or more accurately the parts the lord of the mannor/castle/etc didn't take. many a "national delicacy" is really just semi-appetizing ways to cook, the slops that the peasants were left with after the nobility took all the "good parts".

 

[nemesis]

I presume you are referring to free range haggis, well known for its superior flavor, and not the more common farm raised haggis. While farm raised is much cheaper, it lacks the sweeter flavor of the grass fed, free ranging haggis.

By the way, I'm a heathen; I prefer it baked to boiled.

 

[jaysouth]

Years ago, while researching the highland clearances(the crofters were the ultimate beneficiaries), my heriditary clan(there is no such animal) and the proof of "nessie"(she lives!!), I discovered the highland haggi. This variety, free ranging and fed on barley and spring water is definately superior to the city versions such as those served at McHaggis in the food court at Waverly Station shopping emporium in E-town.

When consumed with single pot whisky, the highland haggis gets better with each sip. I do declare that the only thing that could improve highland(or any other) haggi would be sun ripened anchovies.

 

[BluesBear]

I prefer to sneak up on them and then shoot them in the eye with a .22 rimfire. If you use the Aguila subsonic you can sometimes get two before the haggle spooks. (haggle is the correct term for a flock/herd of Haggi)

 

[Preacherman]

Haggi? Wasn't he a Biblical prophet? (And yes, he did haggle a bit, as I recall...)

 

[Black92LX]

It's sort of left over parts of the sheep that they didn't know what to do with, so they stuff it in the sheep's bladder or something and boil it. YUM

well if you haven't tried it you are truley missing out. i get to eat some tonight. I am a member of the Caledonian Society here in cincy and tonight is our big St Andrews dinner/ ball. If my girlfriend can do (and enjoy it) you can too.

Ode To The Haggis

 

[mete]

There are many things out there to startle the tourists. North of the border they have the ice worm (read the poem The Ice Worm by Robert Service) and south of the border they have a similar maguey worm.

 

[Gewehr98]

Haven't hunted Haggis yet...

But I dispatched some freshly-caught Bubble & Squeak, and a rather feisty Steak & Kidney pie a few years ago.

 

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

Now I know why the British Empire started. Everyone on the island was trying to escape from the food.

 

[Detachment Charlie]

Best Shot

On opening day of last haggis season I spoted a perfect saber-toothed, feral boar haggis across the moor. Measured distance was 20,000 meters. Because I was a Reserve SEEL sniper, when not on tactical 24-hour call for my Mall Security job, I elected to use my sooper modified (A Skunkabilly autograph model) 4.3mm incredibly short nuclear magnum OOOOZI with a double-dazzle light duct tapped beneath the Buffy the Vampire Slayer solid silver bayonet. Using my double-duty Roy Rogers guitar strap/shooting sling, I dropped him with one shot -- off-hand, standing on one leg, while reciting Robert Burns' Ode To A Dead Haggis. DRT
Went to deep fry it, but burned down the manor house.
Yeah, that's the ticket.

 

[Kamicosmos]

I was in Edinburgh this summer, saw quite a bit of this stuff in the pubs.


I passed, settled for fish and chips and shephard' pie instead.


Um....keeping with the thread though...Are we hunting Haggis in county? Cause then we're limited to gun club shotguns...

Otherwise....I'm thinking of handgun hunting this wiley creature. And to make sure it goes down with one shot...Desert Eagle .50AE.

 

[Dionysusigma]

If you are ever in the British Isles, stay away from anything that might not be what it seems as far as the food goes. I was rather enjoying some sausage, when my parents though it was finally time to tell me that "White" sausage is oats and kidney, and "Black" sausage is blood. I love Ireland for the people, the scenery, and the history, but not for the food.

10ga slugs work well for the Alpha Male haggis... the rest of the haggle will respect you if you kill the leader, and will ask that they not be eaten.

If you eat another haggis, you will recieve the Curse of the Haggis, which includes a gut-wrenching four hours of puking, along with a dash of psychological damage.

If, however, you let the rest of the haggle go free, you will be visited by the Official Scottish Haggis Fairy, who will inform you of one of the Nine Truths of European Food: "Most British food is based on a dare."

 

[4v50 Gary]

Beats eating worms, beetles and other crawling or slithering slimy crittters. Haggis - yummmy.

 

[semf]

I was attacked by a rogue Haggi while on a Snipe hunt many years ago

 

[Matt G]

So very, very, very. . .

. . . off-topic.

 

[HABU]

semf stole a little of my thunder. I was gonna suggest that perhaps haggi is thier version of snipe.

 

[smokemaker]

Being that haggis is old school scottish fare, I'd have to go with old school artillery to deal with feral rabid mange having haggi on the hoof: 2-bore muzzleloader (that's right, each ball weighs one half pound) with about 400 grains of Fg powder. Should make about 17,000 foot-pounds (according to October Country). If I'm going to shoot a haggis, I'm damn well gonna make sure there's not enough left of it to eat when I'm done
I would have to go with a 40mm mag fed bofors AA gun for haggi's on the wing

Sorry, won't eat lung, don't care how much gravy you dump over it.

Betcha the scots think rocky mountain oysters are sick too. I knew a german frau who came to the states to study, um, something or other. She would not touch a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... thought that it was just disgusting.

 

[Mannlicher]

For those that are interested, I have a, pardon the expression, 'killer' haggis recipe. The preperation is not for the faint of heart,(another pun), but it is authentic, and works.

The eating of haggis is kinda rough on the unsuspecting, but a good dollop of Highland Nector helps.

 

[H&Hhunter]

OH NO...............I just can't help myself.........

The day had been a trying one Angus the tracker had been hard on his trial. The haggis had sliped through the well planed stalk on four different occasions to this point. The wiley yet dangerous animal had been alterbating between the higher heather and the bogs as the day progressed. Several times the beleagured hunter and tracker had been within mere feet of the haggis when they heard his heavy thickly mucsled body break from tall cover and charge into the bog.

Finally as the sun was making it's last stand in the western sky the spoor had lead to a thick tall tuffet of bog grass. A faint breezecarried the strong musky scent of the haggis to the hunter and his tracker. And a faint smattering of blood was evident in the huge deeply imprinted hof prints. Evidence of the drama that had unfolded just 24 hours prior when the American client had wounded this trophy haggis with a hasty shot to the gut.

The hunter, P.H. MacApstick knew that in all the world of hunting there is notthing nastier than a gut shot haggis. He swalloed back a rising volume of fear induced bile as he cautiously entered the the tall bog grass. This he well knew was where the haggis would kill or be killed the last stand of a fine feroucious beast.

Thw first indication the hunter had that the haggis had back tracked the hunter was a dull thud and the momentary glimpse of Anguses body fliping ragged through the air. Angus was just able to scream "Shiite the buggers gotten me" before he slamed into the ground limp and unconcious.

MacApstick was just able to turn and fire as the enraged haggis charged by intent on deadly action to Anguses prostrate body. The 600gr solid patch bullet had however taken it's deadly tole and the haggis slumped to the ground eminating a death growl as he expiried in the sweet Scottish rain..........