Posted by Steve Hamilton | Mar 25, 2021 | Recipes An old school favourite that is a perfect way to introduce wild game to someone new. RECIPE SHEPHERD’S PIE 2 lbs of your favourite game meat (I used 1 lb bear, 1 lb deer) 2 lbs potatoes, mashed 1 medium onion, diced 2 medium carrots, diced 1 c frozen peas 3 tbsp Worcestershire ¼ c HP sauce 4 cloves crushed garlic 1 tbsp oil salt and pepper to taste Instructions Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat large fry pan over medium-high and add oil. Saute onions and garlic for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Add meat and cook until browned. Add sauces and veggies and cook 10 minutes or until softened. Put meat and veggie mixture into a large baking pan and push softly until slightly compacted and even. Pan should be roughly ¾ full at this point. Top with mashed potatoes and bake approximately 45 minutes until golden brown. Optional – top with grated parmesan cheese for last 10 minutes of cooking.

Posted by Jonathan Proctor | Apr 12, 2021 | Hiking In British Columbia, an interesting phenomenon of the Covid-19 pandemic has been an increase in the number of people venturing outdoors and exploring our amazing province. This should not be surprising, as we live in one of the most incredible geographic regions in the world. We have an ocean, a desert, rivers, lakes, expansive forests and of course, magnificent mountains. When it comes to the mountains, there is no better way to explore than to go hiking. It is invigorating, rejuvenating, and allows a connection to the landscape that cannot be described. I have been an avid hiker for decades – hiking short trails I can do after work, to multi-day adventures off-trail through challenging terrain. For this article, I am going to make some gear suggestions for day hikes that are several hours in length over moderate to challenging terrain. Keep in mind that these are my personal thoughts and feelings but should give you a good idea of what you may need. Take the time to find what works for you, and most importantly – be safe and enjoy the backcountry! Footwear The most important gear you will ever own for hiking is your footwear. Your footwear needs to offer support, keep your feet warm and dry and be comfortable and durable. Leather boots with a Gortex membrane are the best choice. There are several manufacturers that make excellent boots, and everyone will have their favorite. Do not try and save pennies when buying boots- you will pay for it in blisters and pain! Save up if you need to but buy once and cry once. Nothing ruins a hike quicker than sore feet! The high-end boots might last you a lifetime and many can be re-soled. Get a good pair of merino wool socks to go along with your boots. Backpack A good quality backpack is a must for hiking. Even for day hikes you will need a place to store your food, water, rain gear, extra clothes, bug spray, matches and fire starter, etc. Like boots, it is best to stick with quality. When selecting a backpack, always choose a size a little bigger than you think you will need. Also, if you ever want to do multi-day adventures, you will need more gear and many backpacks capable of that also serve as great day packs. I would also recommend buying a rainproof pack cover so your pack and its contents stay dry should you get rained on. Rain Gear If you are hiking in BC, you can be sure at some point you will be rained on. Getting soaked while hiking is uncomfortable and potentially dangerous if temperatures drop. Lightweight, breathable rain gear should always be in your pack. If you do not need it that trip, bonus- but one time you will! So bring it, the weight is minimal but the reward is maximum if the heavens open up. Rain gear with a Gortex membrane generally works well and is relatively breathable. Poles Hiking poles are getting extremely popular with hikers and for good reason. They make uphill travel more efficient and downhill travel safer and much easier on the knees. Collapsible, lightweight aluminum poles are the best. Once you get used to hiking with poles, you will not want to be without them. Hat When hiking you will either be exposed to sun or rain. A hat helps diminish the effects of both. I wear a Tilley hat as it provides excellent protection and can be rolled-up and stuffed in my pack when I do not need it. Find what works for you and become friends with it. Heatstroke is not fun and is a killer! Emergency Communication Device When venturing into the backcountry things do not always go as planned and you will not always have cell service. Should you or a member of your hiking party, or even someone you encounter on the trail suffer serious illness or injury while hiking, you will need help to arrive as soon as possible. There are a couple different companies offering devices that use satellites to send and receive messages. I use an InReach Mini. It is light, small and pairs with my cellphone. Hopefully, I never have to use it for an emergency, but it is comforting knowing it’s there should I need it. The above are just the basic items you will want to consider using to make your hiking trips safer and more comfortable. See you in the mountains!

Posted by 1campfire | Apr 23, 2021 | Recipes This one will steal the attention of any meal. An absolute must-try. INGREDIENTS One wild turkey breast (can substitute with domestic turkey) 4 liters of water 1 yellow onion 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup salt 4 cloves garic 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 bay leaf Thick-sliced bacon Instructions To make the brine, add 4 liters of cold water to a large pot, then add the sugar, salt, sliced onion, crushed garlic, lemon juice and bay leaf. Heat on the stove until all of the sugar and salt have dissolved. remove from heat and let cool completely. Place the turkey breast in a non-reactive container and add the brine. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the breast and rinse with cold water. Pat dry the breast and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Wrap the breast with bacon using wooden toothpicks to secure the bacon in place. Transfer to smoker. The breast will remain in the smoker for about 4 hours at ~230 fahrenheit or until the internal temperature hits 165 fahrenheit. It’s important to only actively produce smoke for about 2 hours or the breast might taste too smokey. Many woods will work, but I prefer milder flavours like maple, cherry or apple. Once the breast reaches 165F, remove from the smoker and wrap in aluminum foil and cover with a towel to hold in the heat. Let rest for about 30 minutes. After resting, remove bacon (but keep it to eat – it’s fantastic!) and slice thinly against the grain of the meat. Serve as is or with a condiment like lingonberry sauce. Enjoy!

Posted by Jonathan Proctor | May 13, 2021 | Recipes This is a very simple way to prepare a larger trout or char. First you will need to catch (or buy) a fish. This recipe works well for fish in the 3-6 pound range. RECIPE BAKED TROUT/CHAR RECIPE 1 trout or char 1 lemon (optional) 1 small onion Olive oil Fresh or dried dill Salt and pepper Instructions Preheat your oven to 400 fahrenheit. The first thing you will need to do is thoroughly rinse your fish. Using a butter knife to scrape the skin from the back of the fish to the front while rinsing under a stream of cold water will remove the slime. This step will improve the flavour of the fish, so don’t skip it. Once the fish is clean, pat it dry and lay it on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Using a basting brush, apply a generous amount of olive oil to both sides of the fish and inside the body cavity. Liberally apply salt, pepper and dill to both the outside and inside of the fish. Lastly, thinly slice the onion and place the slices inside the body cavity. Place the fish in the centre of the oven and bake for 20-35 minutes depending on the size. Check for doneness with a fork. Do not overcook! Once the fish is fully cooked, remove from the oven and serve immediately. Drizzle lemon over the meat if desired. ENJOY! *Note – I always cook trout and char with the heads on, as the cheeks are amazing! They are literally like little scallops.

Posted by Ellen Marshall | May 28, 2021 | Recipes RECIPE Black Bear Ham GET INSPIRED BY THIS WHOLESAME AND DELICIOUS RECIPE. Supplies: Netting Elastic Stitch Netting Application Scale, that measures to the 2nd decimal point is preferable Meat Thermometer Meat Injector Large non metal bowl / FoodSaver bag Cooking pot Measuring utensils Gloves Knives Smoker Calculator Apple wood chips Ingredients For Brine: Bear meat Water #1 Cure Kosher salt Maple Syrup For Steam Bath: 500ml stock (used half bear stock, half potato stock) For Honey Mustard Glaze: 60ml butter 120ml honey 15ml grain dijon mustard 30ml plain dijon mustard 1.25ml ground cloves 3 cloves garlic, minced *NOTE: The brine is based on water volume not meat weight – Interestingly enough it is only a difference of about 1% – That being said, it does make a difference is colour and saline taste Instructions For Maple Brine: 1. Place meat in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover meat 2. Remove and measure water (for this ham the was 1.2 litres) 3. Calculate formula: Water + 7.5% Kosher salt + 7.5% Maple syrup + 3.7 grams #1 cure per litre of water 1.2L Water + (0.09 L) 90ml Kosher salt + (0.09L) 90ml Maple syrup + 4.4 grams #1 cure 4. Heat up brine until the salts are dissolved. Add any other spices and seasonings at this time. Let brine cool in refrigerator before injecting into meat 5. If needed, incase ham elastic netting by placing netting over a netting applicator (about $120) or improvise, used here was an old hard Tupperware container 6. Drop meat into container. Gently pull netting up and over top of ham 7. Then turn container upside down while pulling on end of netting and ham, incasing the piece of meat. Trim excess netting 8. Place ham in a FoodSaver bag that is about 15cm longer than the ham 9. Remove as much air from bag and seal 10. Brine for a minimumm of 3 days, or 1 day per pound of meat. Turn bag once a day 11. Remove ham from brine and pat dry, keep in fridge uncovered for about an hour. Dry smoke at 140F for 10 hours (my smoker does not get any hotter). Heavy smoke with apple chips for additional 2 hours. Total smoking time 12 hours 12. Internal temperature only reached 125.8F with smoker at 140F. 13. Preheat over to 275F. Add stock to pot, place ham on rack above the stock and cover tightly. Steam bath for about an hour or until the internal temperatue reaches 160F for at leasst 3 minutes 14. Let ham rest 15-20 minutes. Glaze can be brushed on every 10 minutes and after slicing if desired This ham hit 165.1F it was not in the least bit dried out. by Ellen Marshall

Posted by Steve Hamilton | Jun 25, 2021 | Foraging, Recipes One of the first signs of spring that pops up is the dandelion. Some see them as a weed that they remove from their lawns, but for the new forager- the dandelion is a great way to get started. It is easy to identify, found everywhere, and the uses are endless. Oh- and you can get the kids involved which is fun for them as they get their feet wet in the foraging world. One of our favourites that can be made very quick is dandelion jelly. It tastes like honey with just a hint of lemon. Give it a try and you will add it to your foraging bucket! RECIPE DANDELION JELLY RECIPE 2 cups dandelion petals, lightly packed 4 cups water 4 cups sugar 2 Tbs. lemon juice 1 box powdered pectin Instructions Pick your flowers in an area that is clean, not near the side of the road, where pets are walked or a risk of herbicide use. Once you have filled a nice bowl of dandelion flowers, cut off the green part. Steep the dandelion petals to make a tea. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the petals. Let it sit until it cools, cover, and place it into the fridge for 24 hours Strain it well through a cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible Measure out 4 cups of the ‘tea’ and pour it into a large pot, add 2 Tbs. of lemon juice and 1 pouch of powdered pectin bring this to a boil. Add the sugar, stir well, and return to a boil. Boil the jelly HARD for 1 to 2 minutes to activate the pectin and remove from the heat. Pour the jelly into hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Tap lightly to remove any air bubble, wipe the edge of the jar clean and place the lids and rings on finger tight. Place the jars in a water bath and process for 10 minutes or according to your altitude. Any jars that don’t seal properly, place in the fridge and use first.

Posted by Shawn Hanson | Jun 27, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food This one is for the BBQ lovers. Impress your visitors at the house with this simple yet delicious recipe that will quickly become a favourite for many. This dish’s presentation is visually pleasing, and the ingredients needed are easy to find at your local supermarket. Halibut is such a versatile meat to use. This recipe will highlight how delicate yet versatile the white flesh of halibut can be and showcase what can be done with fresh ingredients from our Pacific waters. RECIPE Ingredients Halibut Fillet (enough for 2 people) Chopped into ½ inch cubes Prawns (Uncooked or Cooked): Enough to put 2-3 per wrap (8-12) ¼ Purple Onion (Large) – Finely Diced ½ Cup – Cilantro (Chopped) ¼ Cup – Lemon Verbena (Chopped) Can substitute Lemon Grass, but would need to be “finely chopped” 1 Lemon (Zest rind into small bowl, add juice from lemon) Sea Salt (I use Hickory Smoked, but any flavor or plain is delicious as well) pinch sprinkled over each to taste 4 Cedar Wraps (Soaked in water for 30min) for added flavour add some white wine to the water hydration mixture 8, 8 inch pieces of Cotton Twine (Soaked in water for 30min) Preparation (layout and prepare like rolling sushi) Lay out Cedar Wrap Place 1tsp diced onion through center of Cedar Wrap Put Halibut cubes across full length of Cedar Wrap Pinch of Lemon Verbena, Cilantro and Lemon Zest spread across top of Halibut Drizzle of Lemon Juice over Halibut Pinch of Sea Salt to your preferred taste Place 2-3 Prawns over Halibut/Lemon/Herb mixture Roll Cedar Wrap and tie off with 2 pre-soaked Cotton Twine Cooking: There are 2 options for cooking, both on the BBQ. If cooking directly on the grills, heat BBQ to 350-380F. I prefer cooking on the warmer rack so the Cedar Wraps don’t burn, but instead steam the fish/prawns and allows the flagrant scent/flavor of the Cedar wood get into the fish, so I use a higher heat to allow the fish to be steamed/poached more controllably and not on direct heat. Preheat BBQ to 350-380F or 500F, depending on your method of cooking (as per above). If cooked directly on the grill, cook time will be approx. 5-7min, turning the rolls over halfway through. If cooking on the warmer rack, cook time will be approx. 7-9min, turning the rolls over halfway through. Can be served with a side of fresh garden greens (Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, Beet Tops), or with a Seafood Rice Pilaf in the colder months.

Posted by Shawn Hanson | Jul 15, 2021 | Recipes If you find yourself sitting in camp waiting for the rain to stop and you have a little extra time to cook proper breakfast for your mate, we might have exactly the recipe you need to impress your hunting buddies. To be fully honest, anything with a venison backstrap is gonna be tasty. So try this one and let us know how your friends enjoyed this delicious Wild Omelette. RECIPE The Wild Omelette Ingredients 1 Blacktail Sirloin, cooked & sliced 1 Cup: Oyster Mushrooms, Chopped 1/2 Cup: Smoked Aged Cheddar, Grated Coarsely 4 eggs – 1/8 Cup: Milk/Cream Hollandaise (packaged is fine, unless you’re proficient at making from scratch). Preparation Pre-cook Blacktail Steak (rare-med, anything more is sacrilege). Chop Oyster mushrooms, Grate Cheese & set aside. Make Hollandaise and set aside. Whip eggs and milk/cream. Warm non-stick, or well-seasoned cast iron to low/medium heat (low and slow cooking). Pour eggs into the pan, and wait till bubbles start to slowly rise & settle. Sprinkle 1/2 of the Oyster Mushrooms into the cooking eggs, and cover with a lid for 2-3min (allowing convection and ensuring moisture remains to not dry out the omelette). When able, flip the omelette and remove from heat (and turn element to Lowest setting). Keep pan off element, add remaining Oyster mushrooms on 1/2 of flipped omelette, then add 1/2 of sliced Blacktail Steak, 1/2 of the Smoked Cheddar, cover again and place back in the low heat element for approx 2-3min to allow the cheese to melt. Remove from heat, fold undressed half of omelette overdressed side and remove from pan. Slice in half for 2 portions, dress with remaining sliced Blacktail and Smoked Cheddar and add as much Hollandaise as your doctor allows.

Posted by Shawn Hanson | Jul 19, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food Here is an interesting take on the traditional pickled veggies. A great way to mix the love of the ocean with your home kitchen. RECIPE Bull kelp must be picked fresh from the ocean (not washed ashore). Cut on the bull kelp into slices and soak in warm water for a few hours to leach out the saltwater from the seaweed. Pack into jars and add a tsp of pickling salt and a tablespoon of pickling spice to each jar*. Instructions Preheat your oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Fill the jars 1/2 full with white vinegar and top up with water. Process in a big canning pot and bring the water to a boil. Keep it simmering for about 20 mins – this cooks the seaweed and turns it into a bright green color. Put sterile lids on and wait for the lids to “pop” (to ensure they seal). Store for a couple weeks before eating. Refrigerate once opened. *Pickling spice recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231256/homemade-pickling-spice/

Posted by Shawn Hanson | Jul 26, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food This is always a great way to end the day at camp. Pour sauce inside salmon, then stuff with sliced lemons and fresh basil. Wrap up with tin foil and cook on the BBQ. Instructions Citrus White BBQ Sauce: 1 cup of mayo 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire 1 tsp of hot sauce 1 tbsp of lemon juice 1 tbsp of vinegar 1 tbsp of mustard Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp of granulated garlic 1 tsp of Lemon pepper 1/3 frozen orange juice concentrate Mix thoroughly. Use 1/2 of sauce to cook with the salmon. Use the other half to serve over top of the salmon once it is cooked.

Posted by 1campfire | Aug 9, 2021 | Hiking, Stories, Wildlife 3500 pounds. So much for packing light. The wagon was loaded, horses were standing in the trailer ready for the drive, the girls grabbed their backpacks, I shut the door and my husband Bruce put the truck in gear and headed west. We had been planning this trip with our friends for a year. Going into the back country where no motorized vehicles were allowed took a bit of organizing. We had found the perfect wagon to make the trek just recently and a few years back we bought two Percheron draft horses so that part was easy enough. I’m a chronic over-packer so after making a list to arrange all my other lists I finally had the food and gear down to a manageable size for a weeklong trip. There were 10 of us going, 8 adults and our two girls Aven and Monroe, aged 10&9. We had vet supplies in case of horse emergencies, clothes, coolers, 3 wall tents, collapsible stoves, guns, horses and tack, and tools in case of wagon repairs. Hence the 3500 pounds. The phrase ‘heading west’ has always connotated a romantic notion of finding adventure, a rustic journey, sunsets, and promise. This horse pack trip was no different. It was a four-hour drive to the staging area where we would leave our vehicles and head out on the horse-drawn wagon. We wasted no time unloading trucks and hitching up the horses. Riders saddled up, our packhorse was loaded with panniers, and smiles were as big as I’d seen. We left cell phone service behind and headed into the Clearwater. The trail was narrow, the trees were tall, the mountain flowers were abundant, and the moss and ferns covered the ground as far as I could see off the side of my wagon seat perch. Horse sweat and the smell of pine was heavy; it was intoxicating. Every step the horses took brought us closer to the Forty Mile Cabin at the base of the mountains where we would make camp. After crossing streams and bridges and going up and down rocky paths, four hours later we said whoa to the horses and moved into where we would make camp. How do you describe a remote paradise with words? It’s not letters strung together. It was the impression the mountains made in your mind, the song your ears heard as the river rushed by, the feel of the soft cushion of pine needles underfoot, the scent of vast purity, it was a priceless moment. Wall tents were set up, cots unfolded, the horses were hobbled and had their bells on to let us know where they were while out grazing, fire lit, supper made, and a drink poured. There was that pleasant feeling of a hard day’s work weariness from being on the road all day and the laborious task of getting horses put up for the night and then camp set up. But it fell away as the fire crackled, and the stars came out one by one. Upon waking, the chores of looking after the horses came first. The girls untied the halters from around the trees where the steeds spent the night and took them to the river to drink. Seeing my daughters walk their animals through the grass to graze the meadow at the foot of the mountain range did something to me. Listening as the bells tinkled with the horses as they moved along, I looked around and nowhere could I see evidence of man. I could see above me to the tree line just about to the peak and I felt small and humble. We were the only people around for miles and being completely vulnerable to Mother Nature was formidable. My girls were enveloped in a space that many have not had the privilege to trek. They have heard true silence. How many people can say that? The serenity brought forth in that moment will be enough to draw on for years to come. After a campfire coffee and breakfast, the horses were saddled for the day’s ride. Fresh shoes on all of them, they were anxious to go. Across the river, through the trees, tight on the sides with branches brushing your arms, the trail finally opened to Lost Guide Lake. It felt like an untouched oasis was just discovered. Immediately the girls started climbing on the rocks like bighorn sheep, up and over, around the natural curve of the land to the waterfall. They dipped their heads into the lake giggling at how frigid it was and immediately took off again to explore. They found wild strawberries as small as the tip of your tiniest finger, eating them as fast as they could pick. The others threw a rod in the water and pulled out five of the prettiest trout. Nature provides the house in which we sat, the nourishment we ate and the fuel to start the fire. Eating the fish that night after cooking them in a cast iron pan drenched in butter, I couldn’t remember a finer meal. As the blue sky made room for the pinks and oranges of the evening, it solidified my belief that nature is the best medicine. It was Monroe’s birthday that day, she was thrilled to be having her party in the Clearwater. She claimed she was the luckiest kid to be where we were to welcome her to 9 years old. I couldn’t agree more. Being embraced by the mountains, kissed by the breeze and having your soul warmed by the sun in a space where only the deer and bears have walked made us memories that will leave a mark in my young girls they can feel and keep with them. My husband, my girls and I went west. The romance is real. We felt it and came home more in love with Mother Nature than I gave credit to myself for being able to feel.

Posted by Tommy Paiement | Aug 9, 2021 | Stories, Wildlife Sustainability is a constant factor in today’s fisherman’s conversation. We’ve all heard the old tales stories of our parents and grandparents about the good old days when you could quickly fill the bottom of the tin boat with fish and go home happy. They were never even thinking twice about if our precious resources would ever get impacted by our actions. With an increasing number of recreational anglers across the country enjoying the outdoors and more access to lakes and rivers becomes available to the general public, we, as a community, need to pay attention to how we may impact the world-class fisheries we have. We can no longer play ignorant and tell ourselves that fish are an endless resource. We need to look at the data the various conservation agencies put together and listen to the directives on catch limits, slot sizes and specific periods of the year when a species might be better off left alone. Either during their spawning activities or when the water temperature gets too warm. Proper catch-and-release techniques are key It cannot be emphasized enough. The survivability of fish is exponentially higher when anglers practice proper catch-and-release techniques. It’s been proven over and over again with many studies. Simple things such as limiting the amount of time a fish is out of the water can significantly impact its survivability. Using barbless hooks on your lures and pinching in the barbs on traditional lures is an easy way to mitigate sore mouths and potential injuries to fish. Injured fish might not have the capabilities to hunt and feed themselves properly, driving them to an early demise. The use of fish-friendly nets made of soft rubber instead of the old-school nylon mesh nets will significantly help keep the slime coating on a fish’s skin, keeping them healthier and free of parasites, bacterias that can be harmful. But by far, the most significant factor of a fish’s survivability of a fish is to properly handle them by keeping them in the net submerged in the water. At the same time, remove the hooks, get your camera and phone ready for pictures BEFORE grabbing the fish out of the water for a quick photo for bragging rights. If the water temperature on the body of water you are fishing on exceeds 80 degrees, please refrain from bringing the fish out of the water as heat exhaustion caused by the fight and the handling in shallow warmer water is one of the biggest causes of fish fatalities. Yes, they might swim away looking OK, but a lot of those fish won’t have the energy to properly recuperate and eventually collapse to the bottom of the lake out of exhaustion. Quotas and catch limit On the lake I guide on, we welcome over 2 million recreational anglers a year. Hypothetically speaking, over a few days trip, every angler uses their catch limit of two walleyes a day to cook a shore lunch and brings home another two walleyes to feed their friends and family. The number quickly adds up to several millions of fish coming out of the lakes every year. Our regional conservation agency estimate around 15 million walleyes gets taken out of the lake each year. These numbers prove the immensely healthy fishery we are blessed to have, considering it is a natural lake with no stockings done whatsoever. It would be foolish to think that we are not putting a tremendous amount of pressure on this incredible fishery, but yet it keeps bouncing back year after year. However, the amount of sizeable, large mature specimens is on the decline by listening to the tales of older guides on the lake. Considering those same anglers will likely catch and release, on average, an additional 15 to 30 walleyes, the importance of proper catch-and-release becomes much more significant. In Canada, we have the opportunity to have access to world-class fisheries by simply buying a very affordable fishing license. All the proceeds go directly to conservation efforts towards our precious resources. We must follow the rules and regulations to keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable for the next generations to enjoy. A few Youtube videos and articles can easily be enough to educate yourself on the subject of proper catch-and-release techniques. Properly implemented, those techniques paired with a bit of common sense will ensure the sustainability and health of our lakes and rivers. Tight lines!