November 15th is a revered day for Michigan deer hunters, and it is when the majority of deer are harvested statewide each year. It also represents a very busy timeframe for meat processors and good venison has a very succulent nature which is a primary meat source for my family that we all enjoy. I was a state meat inspector for almost 12 years, working on various “kill-floors” in slaughterhouses, where I did ante-mortem (making sure animals to be slaughtered were in a healthy state) and post-mortem (performing an autopsy of sorts) inspections to assure … Read More
Your Wild Game Harvest Pairs Well
Preparation is most important…which begins the moment you harvest your game. Proper field dressing, retrieval and storage/transportation to your favorite ‘meat processor’ is key. Then the fun begins again! Meal preparation! …which includes beverage pairing. Because of our revered Michigan four seasons, we also seem to seasonally celebrate…thus, Halloween! My personal recollection involved enjoying a seasonal whitetail deer harvest with my wife paired with our favorite adult beverage. Today’s “woods to table” bountiful harvest is a venison roast slow cooked with accompanying vegetables. Bon Appetit!
From Forest to Table – It’s All Good
Few things bring people together more than food. The table is where conversations start and relationships begin. In families, this simple pastime is too often bypassed as a result of crazy, busy lives with little relief in sight. Yet this act of bonding is actually biblical, as frequently demonstrated by none other than Jesus! And how about the spirit of celebration He ignited through His first miracle! So we’ve established, food brings us together. How might that conversation be heightened when there’s a story behind the food, as in the challenge and victory of the … Read More
“The Rut” changes all the rules
Mid-October days are some of the hardest days to be at work when you’re a bowhunter. The leaves are changing color, and the temps are dropping but, duty calls and you can’t afford to hunt if you don’t go to work. Yet those vacation days that you have saved up for deer hunting are calling to you saying, “take a day off and go to the woods.” It takes so much willpower to get up and go to work when your mind keeps telling you “There’s just bound to be a big buck on the … Read More
The Fish Dimension
You’ve heard of the 5th Dimension, which has been defined an extra dimension of space. It has also been defined as a state of being where you are ready to do things for others, working toward the higher good. (Thank you, fish!) If you’re old enough, you may even have heard of the vocal group from the 60’s by the same name. What I’d like to propose to you is the “Fish Dimension,” many spaces occupied by fish that challenge humans on various levels, with the outcome being an occasional meal beyond what could be … Read More
Hunting Michigan’s Wild Roosters
The annual opening of Michigan’s pheasant season on October 20th is a revered day for me, and has been since I was a kid. My first memories of hunting are of being in the fields of our farm with visiting pheasant hunters and their bird dogs. There were the sounds of dog whistles, shouts, cackling roosters rising and gunfire followed by the pungent scent of burnt gunpowder in the crisp autumn air. Yep, folks, to say this great outdoor experience is deeply engrained into my being to this day is an understatement. I feel blessed … Read More
Bow Season! …it is finally here.
The first day of October represents the start of Michigan’s archery deer season, and it is a long-awaited timeframe for a lot of avid bowhunters, me included. Often referred to as being “bow season”, it is an outdoor pastime I have enjoyed for over 60 years, and I have a lot of fine memories, as well as I’ve been able to witness an evolution of sorts, especially regarding gear and employed hunting techniques. My first bow and arrows were something I crafted when I was a farm kid, using a green limb from our orchard … Read More
They’ve Arrived!
Oh blessed event… Though 2 weeks post dates, our little snappers have arrived. It was Saturday morning, September 14, 109 days after Mrs. T so gracefully deposited her eggs deeply into the sand before returning to the creek, leaving her latchkey offspring behind. This task was completed 2 days after Memorial Day. If you read the previous article, The Legend of Mrs. T, then you learned about this yearly happening that I was privileged to witness for the first time. The odds are against them, but somehow, a few survive to carry on their legacy. … Read More
Southern Michigan’s Limited Firearms Zone is celebrating its 10th anniversary
By the early 20th Century, there were very few whitetail deer found in southern Michigan, which resulted in closing the annual deer season in that region for quite a few years to allow the deer population to rebound. The first reestablished deer season for southern Michigan occurred in 1948 when, due to possible safety concerns, only shotguns would be allowed creating what would be known as the “Shotgun Zone”. During the first couple years, deer hunters could only use buckshot, but shotgun slugs were eventually allowed as well as .22 rimfire rifles, which … Read More
A Night’s Tail
Only in backwoods living would such a story be told. Most would not admit it happened in their home. However, in the interest of full disclosure and finding the humor in something disgusting, this story follows. So I admit, we sometimes have a mouse problem since our move to the woods of Atlanta. We had set two traps in the kitchen. Recently, upon awakening at about 4:50 a.m. for nature’s call, as I entered the kitchen for a drink of water, I noticed that one of the traps had migrated to the left by 3 … Read More