I just got a google hit for "deer testicles."

We won't wonder about why anyone would be searching for that particular subject, since I'm sure there are dozens and dozens of legitimate reasons. But it brought to mind our dinner conversation Thursday.

Yes, we were discussing deer testicles.

The "we" was my fellow members of the sage grouse group. Dinner was in a large propane-heated garage, with concrete floors. The menu was salad in a bag, corn from a can, the ever present apples, and a one-inch thick 1-lb steak grilled to your own preference (since you had to step outside and grill it yourself).

Sorry, no vegan alternatives, except the salad, corn and apples.

Anyway, we were seated around the standard folding table on the folding metal chairs, discussing evidence of sex.

Yes, that is a normal topic of dinner discussion, especially at the tail end of hunting seasons. The law enforcement part of the discussion was held by one of my wardens, and another biologist who a year ago at this meeting was also a warden (and who is currently looked upon strangely by other wardens, as if he had somehow managed to change species).

Anyway, they held that the folks who came through my check station with their deer field processed and its testicles in a baggie were complying with the law, so long as there was a smidgeon of edible meat attached to the gonads. And did not buy my argument that the "edible portion" so attached then became the standard size for determining the "edible portion" that cannot be allowed to go to waste.

Then my neighbor from the west (the one who knows he had a wolf) decided to trump the conversation by mentioning he ate his deer testicles last year.

Thereby making the sex organs themselves "edible portions" and rendering the whole argument moot.

The warden disguised as a biologist paled, and politely stated that "I hope I never end up in a plane wreck with you."

And there was no more discussion about testicles at the dinner table.