Looking for wild sheep fat sample

[Shortround]

Hey all, bit of an unusual request here - I'm a sometimes-sheep guide from Alberta, though I'm gonna miss this season recovering from an ACL reconstruction. My wife and I were visiting some friends I'm California last week, one of whom is a PHD in Meat Science at UC Davis.

He mentioned he wanted to get his hands on a fat sample of a wild sheep - he'd seen a reference in a scientific journal that fat from wild sheep - but not domestic sheep - contains very high omega 6 compounds or something, and was extremely good for you - I don't remember the science details, there was tequila involved. So he wants to run some sheep fat through his lab equipment and see what it's like. He's a cool guy, I got him a grizzly fat sample a few years back cause he wanted to see if it could be used to make chocolate. Long story short, it could, but would be very expensive.

In a normal year I'd just get a sample from a dall or stone and freeze it and get it to him, but as I mentioned I'm out of the game this year. I could get another guide to get me one but then I'd have to mail it over the border, which is problematic legally speaking. Easiest would be if anyone here from California or nearby has a sheep hunt booked this year, just bring a sample back with your head and cape and then send it to him in Davis. He'd pay expenses of course.

Anyways, if anybody here is sheep hunting this season and thinks they could help out, let me know. One challenge is that it's best if the sample is frozen relatively soon after the kill and then stays frozen until delivery - which is obviously not possible on most northern hunts. I guess if anybody has a desert hunt going on this year that would be easiest. Even a lower 48 ewe tag would work well. I might get in touch with someone from California Wild Sheep Foundation too, they might be in a position to help out.

Pics just for proof of who and what I said I am, it's a dall from southern Yukon pre pandemic.

 

[adventure907]

That sounds like a good dude to know and an interesting thought on the sheep fat. If I can, I'll save a sample from this season can get it frozen soon enough. We often keep the caul fat on the sheep we harvest, it is fantastic for a variety of uses.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Great, sheep hunting will now become more expensive due to its fat being re-categorized as a super food.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

That sounds like a good dude to know and an interesting thought on the sheep fat. If I can, I'll save a sample from this season can get it frozen soon enough. We often keep the caul fat on the sheep we harvest, it is fantastic for a variety of uses.

What are some of the specific uses you mention?


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[Larry Bartlett]

Lots of studies out there proving wild ungulate meat contain Omega 6 and Omega 3 levels often double that found in domestic livestock. Mountain dwellers are at the top of the list.

A friend and colleague published her work on a similar focus:

https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.02180

 

[adventure907]

What are some of the specific uses you mention?


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Hey Ben. Mostly its rendered down to fry biscuits or other pastries, or sometimes it gets wrapped in a roast or other cut of meat. I am not the cook usually, but I'll ask my friend some of the other ways she uses the caul fat while cooking.