Posted by Jonathan Proctor | Aug 13, 2021 | Stories, Wildlife Wilderness Camping in Bear Country One of the greatest things about living in British Columbia is the vast wilderness area available for adventure and exploration. In certain parts of the province, you can literally wander for weeks in the backcountry without seeing another person. Bears, however, are another matter. In the backcountry of B.C., you will almost certainly be venturing through the range of numerous black bears and, in many regions of the province, grizzly bears. For many people this is a scary proposition, but by taking a few precautions and being aware of your surroundings, you can mitigate the risk of a dangerous encounter. Location, Location, Location. We’ve all heard this saying regarding real estate, but it applies equally well when trying to decide where to set-up camp in bear country. When selecting a place to pitch your tent it is important to recognise a few things that might increase the chances of an unwanted nighttime visit by a bear. Firstly, look to see if there is a lot of fresh bear sign (tracks and poop) near a possible camping spot. Bears will often frequent a certain area for a reason and seeing lots of fresh bear sign indicates there is something about that spot they like. If you happen to notice lots of bear sign, move on to another area with less or no sign. Secondly, avoid camping on or near game trails. Although bears can and do travel randomly through almost any terrain, they will often choose to take the path of least resistance, which in many cases is a well-worn game trail. Camping on a game trail in bear country dramatically increases the chances that a bear will wander into your camp and during the hot summer months, bears travel mostly during the cool of the night. Lastly, avoid camping near obvious bear food sources. For example, camping in the middle of a prolific huckleberry patch or along side of a stream teaming with salmon increases the chances of a bear encounter. Food and Cooking Bears are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal on earth. If something has a smell, a bear will smell it – often from a great distance. Of course, not all smells will attract bears, but the smell of food certainly will. As such, it is important that you take some precautions with food storage and cooking when in bear country. The first thing I’d recommend is try and bring foods on your adventure that are in sealed packaging (like commercial dehydrated meals). The less smelly your food, the better. Even so, even the faintest smells may attract a bear, so it’s best to assume that whatever food you have has enough scent for a bear to detect. Also consider things like toothpaste and soap might smell enticing to a bear, so storing such items with your food is probably a good idea. The most important rule regarding food is NEVER STORE IT IN YOUR TENT. When not actively cooking, all foods should be stored together in a dry bag and kept 50 metres -100 metres away from camp. Storing food suspended at least 5 metres off the ground is ideal. Of course, some areas don’t have tall trees, or any trees at all. In that case, just hang your drybag on a shrub, but try and keep it off the ground to discourage rodents. When making meals, try and do your cooking downwind of and some distance from your tent. Even small bits of spilled food on the ground can attract a bear, so keep that in mind. Never cook in your tent. Also, if fires are permitted where you’re camping, consider burning any smelly food packaging that can be safely burned, but be sure to pack-out any residual material. Alarms and Barriers It’s difficult to fall into a deep sleep when you’re listening for the arrival of an unwanted visitor and getting a good sleep can be a challenge for many in bear country. For those who find it difficult to sleep, getting a perimeter alarm can be a game-changer. There is a product called the Pack Alarm Pro that allows the user to run a trip wire around the perimeter of their camp. If a bear or other animal walks through it, an alarm goes off and an LED light turns on. The alarm is very loud and not only is it guaranteed to wake you up, but it will likely scare away any bear who trips it. The other option is an electric fence. There are some lightweight options that can be carried by a backpacker and are large enough to surround a tent with a three-wire electric perimeter. Bears hate electric fences, and they work very well, however, even if your camp is surrounded by an electric fence, you should store your food as described earlier. What if the Worst Happens? Sometimes you can do everything right and things still go wrong. What then? What should you have to protect yourself and what should do? The first thing I would recommend is a bright headlamp with fresh batteries. If it’s the middle of the night and you suddenly find yourself with a bear in camp, you will want as much light as possible. Make sure you keep your headlamp near you in a handy location, so you don’t have to spend too much time searching for it in the dark. Next to light, bear spray is an essential item. Headlamp on and bear spray in hand, you are now ready to defend yourself if necessary. Bear spray will do you no good if you’re inside your tent and the bear is outside but attacking. The best thing to do is unzip your tent door and look outside. Yelling and shouting might scare the bear away, but often the bear will only retreat a short distance. If you are camping with others, try and group together and act as intimidating as possible. Bang together pots and pans if you have them. If the bear charges, unload all your bear spray directly into its face. Once the bear retreats and if permitted, build a fire, and tend to it the remainder of the night. In the morning, leave the areas as soon as possible and report the incident to the Conservation Officer. Is it Worth It? Absolutely! Although the prospect of a bear attack (especially at night) is horrifying, the reality is thousands of people spend countless days and nights in the backcountry each year and very few ever have a problem with a bear. Bears are an integral part of the wild places many of us love exploring and their presence adds to the wildness of our world. Be cautious in bear country, but don’t be afraid. Be mindful of the things you can do to minimize a negative bear encounter and get out and enjoy the beauty of wilderness!

Posted by Steve Hamilton | Aug 19, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food This is a very simple recipe that yields amazing jerky. Any red meat will work, but wild game is best! RECIPE First, you will need to make the marinade. For each pound of meat use: 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons black ground pepper 3 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (hickory is my favorite) 2 teaspoons Everglades Heat (optional) Instructions Mix all the ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl. Next, slice the meat into thin strips and add to the marinade. Tip: it’s easier to slice the meat if it’s still partially frozen. Mix the meat with the marinade until all the meat is covered, then cover the bowl with plastic food wrap and set in the fridge overnight. The next day, remove the meat from the marinade and place on the dehydrator racks (you can also place on oven racks if you don’t have a dehydrator). Make sure the meat is spaced relatively evenly and the pieces aren’t touching. Set your dehydrator to ~155 fahrenheit and let it do its thing for about four or five hours. If using an oven set the temp to about 250 fahrenheit for about the same amount of time. You know the jerky is done when it cracks, but doesn’t fully break when bent. Remove from dehydrator (or oven) and allow to fully cool. Once cooled place in freezer bag or container and place in fridge. Jerky prepared this way will theoretically last a few weeks in the fridge, but in reality it won’t survive more than a few days before its all gone, especially if kids are around.

Posted by Steve Hamilton | Oct 6, 2021 | Recipes There is no better feeling than to be able to provide for one’s family from Mother Nature. This recipe is quick, easy and tasty HOW TO MAKE Ingredients 4 cups saskatoons 3 cups sugar 1/4 cup water Juice and grated peel of 1/2 lemon Instructions Crush the saskatoons in a large saucepan. Leave some closer to whole than completely crushed to give the jam a little bit of texture. Heat the berries on a medium heat until the juice starts to come from them. Add sugar and the water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once to a boil, add the lemon juice and the lemon peel. Bring to a boil again and cook, stirring until thickened, about 15 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims thoroughly. Seal and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.

Posted by Chef Jade Berg | Oct 25, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food Created by: Chef Jade Berg “Kuma Niku” is Japanese for Bear meat. Katsu is essentially a ”breaded cutlet” that is fried and served with rice and shredded cabbage. In this traditional Japanese recipe I am simply using bear instead of pork or chicken. But any wild game would be a delicious substitute. I used bear backstraps ( loin) which I trimmed down into steaks and than pounded out very thin, sandwiched between two sheets of saran wrap to ensure a quick even cooking and a nice golden brown crunchy panko breading. I typically like to season the pounded bear cutlets with salt and pepper about an hour prior to cooking and let them rest in the fridge to allow the salt time to penetrate to the middle of the meat. Tonkatsu Sauce This sauce is easy to throw together, you can buy authentic pre-made Tonkatsu sauce from a Japanese supermarket or specialty store, but I find this world just as well This sauce is good on anything type of fried cutlet, I like to make sandwiches the next day with this and some shredded cabbage and Japanese pickles. Ingredients 1 tbsp Ketchup 2 ½ tbsp Soy Sauce 1 ½ tsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp Brown Sugar 1 tbsp Mirin 1 ½ tsp Worchestershire Tsp Fresh Ginger grated 1 clove crushed Garlic Combine ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, worcestershire, ginger and garlic together in a bowl and stir well to mix. I prefer to make this a day ahead of time or even a few hours ahead of time to let the flavours blend well. As always with any recipe use this as a guideline and adjust to your own taste preferences. Kuma Katsu Recipe The key to these is making sure they are pounded out or cut to a uniform thickness to ensure the meat cooks evenly and reaches a temp of 160f without overcooking the breading. The breading process is very simple, i prefer to keep my left hand for dipping the cutlets in eggs and then my right hand for breading panko, e.g. Wet hand Dry hand. That helps to prevent your fingers from becoming overly coated in panko and flour. Although I’ve seen many do this part with chopsticks or even a skewer to keep their hands clean. Ingredients 4 pieces of black bear backstrap cut into 4” long sections Salt and pepper ½ cup flour 2 -3 eggs beaten 3 tbsp cold water 1-2 cups panko breading Vegetable oil Shredded cabbage Cooked sushi rice Tonkatsu sauce Japanese pickles ( optional) Take each bear steak and lay one sheet of saran wrap down on the counter and cover with another, gently but firmly pound the steaks out until they are approximately ¼ inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. I prefer to use 3 bowls for the breading process. One with flour, one with eggs and water mixed together, and lastly one with half of my panko in it. Coat each bear cutlet evenly with flour in the first bowl and then dip in the egg/water mixture and let excess runoff back into the bowl before transferring to panko mixture making sure to fully coat in panko, sometime you may need to use your dry hand to press the breading in firmly but gently. You may need to switch your panko out for new panko halfway through breading if it seems to be clumping together in your bowl due to excess egg wash. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper Heat a skillet big enough to fry these one at a time over medium heat. Once the pan is hot add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan and allow the oil to start to ripple before adding your first breaded bear cutlet. Cook each cutlet for approx 2-3 min on the first side or until a deep golden brown, flip and allow the other side to brown as well. Set each cooked piece aside on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Ensure they have reached an internal temp of 160f with a meat thermometer or if you are comfortable break on open with tongs and ensure it is fully cooked. Chop into thin slices on a cutting board just prior to plating. Note: you may need to top up the oil in your pan in between cutlets and/or wipe it out with a paper towel to avoid burnt bits of panko from sticking to your meat, use your best judgment. You can’t really mess this up. To Plate Place a scoop of cooked sushi rice on a plate, and place the sliced bear cutlet on top. Serve each with shredded cabbage and your homemade tonkatsu sauce and if you like some Japanese pickles on the side!

Posted by Steve Hamilton | Nov 1, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food If you are looking for a dish with leftovers, this surely will not be it! RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 lb. of your favorite ground venison ½ lb of your favourite wild game fresh sausage 1 ½ cups cooked rice ½ tsp. oregano ½ tsp. thyme 1 tsp chili powder 1 ½ tsp. sea salt 1 ½ tsp. fresh cracked black pepper ¼ cup water 2 cup tomato sauce 1 onion, diced 4 cloves crushed garlic 6 bell peppers with tops cut off & cored (reserve tops and chop)- par boil peppers for 5 minutes. 1 cup shredded cheese (your favourite) Instructions Preheat the oven to 375F. Start by heating a heavy frypan over medium heat and toss in 1 tbsp of oil- Add onion and diced pepper tops and cook till slightly caramelized. Remove sausage from casing and add to frypan. Cook for 5 minutes Add the ground venison, garlic and all seasonings. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and cooked through. Add water, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes until well combined. Remove from heat. Spread remaining sauce on bottom of baking dish and put the peppers in. Stuff with the filling until they are over full. Put in a preheated oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes, covered loosely with foil. Remove foil, add cheese and then return to the oven until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Posted by Holli Norberg | Dec 6, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food This is a simple but delicious recipe that will work for trout, char or salmon. The first step is to remove scales and slime from the fish. I find this is easily accomplished by using a butter knife and scraping the skin against the grain of the scales (back-to-front) under a stream of water. Once this is completed, filet the fish and cut into chunks. RECIPE Ingredients 4 cups brown sugar 1 cup kosher salt 1 tablespoon garlic powder Preparation For smaller fish with thinner filets, you might want to reduce the salt to 1/2 cup to avoid the fish tasting too salty. Next, in a non-reactive container, place a layer of fish on the bottom and cover with a generous amount of the brine so that all the dish is covered. Continue to layer the fish, alternating with brine until the container is full. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for around 12 hours. The salt and sugar will draw the moisture out of the fish and create a briny liquid. After brining, rinse the fish under cold water (don’t skip this step or your fish will be way too salty). Next, place the fish on the smoking racks and let dry until a tacky pellicle is formed. Using a box fan significantly speeds this process up. Once the pellicle is formed, you can start smoking. I actively smoke for two hours at 140 degrees fahrenheit. In my opinion alder is the best wood to use, but other mild woods will work too. After two hours, stop generating smoke, increase the temperature to 180 fahrenheit and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the fish hits 135 fahrenheit. I use a remote meat thermometer inserted into the centre of a thick chunk to ensure the fish isn’t undercooked. The time it takes to cook the fish will depend on the thickness of the fish pieces, but expect around six hours. Once the temp hits 135, use a basting brush to baste the fish with warmed honey. Increase the temperature of the smoker to around 220 fahrenheit and continue cooking the fish another 45 minutes or so. After the fish is done, remove from the smoker and place on the counter to cool. Once cooled, the fish can be refrigerated or vacuum sealed and frozen. Tip: Smoked fish tastes better after being in the refrigerator for at least a day. Enjoy!

Posted by Steve Hamilton | Dec 8, 2021 | Hunting, Stories, Wildlife I recently brought a full mount lynx home to adorn my basement. A room that is turning into a stereotypical ‘man cave’, if you will. Now, depending on your point of view- this is either a room of indescribable memories, filled with adventure, laughs and stories that will be passed on for generations- and honestly, some that bare no repeating (never know who’s reading and how old they are) OR- a room of death, and despair. I prefer the former. Let me explain. Emotional management seems to be taking over the social media channels. Everywhere you look, there is a campaign to ‘Save the bears’ or ‘Save the wolves’ or ‘Save whichever fuzzy animal you choose’. I completely understand the motivation behind it. Hunters and the ‘save the ______’ campaigns have so much in common. Et tu Brute? Et tu? Before anyone that knows me thinks I have given up my ‘knife’, I will delve into this a bit. Absolutely we do. We want sustainable use of the environment, we want to ensure that waterways and habitats are preserved in perpetuity, and we want to make sure there are ample wildlife populations for all to enjoy. So, what is the crux of the argument? Emotion. Hunters realize the importance of science and evidence-based management when it comes to wildlife. Now, I am not saying that those on the fence about hunting or against it completely are anti-science, I am just stating that the lions share (Sorry Cecil) of the argument pushed on social media is the emotion sells. Refer to that old adage- Sex, controversy, and violence sell! What is better to raise attention for your cause? Well, a little controversy. A controversy we as hunters has not waded into very well. We scream for science but let emotion take the argument. We shoot ourselves in the foot before we even leave the starting blocks. We are on the same team here. Instead of anger, use empathy. Really listen to their thoughts. I would bet that there is something you can connect on. Something that you can use to bridge a gap to understanding. Not necessarily acceptance, but an understanding. Explain your point of view, and more importantly, listen to understand theirs- do not listen to respond. We only have one world, and we are going to have to share it. Back to the lynx mount. For those that have the first reaction of ‘how can you do that?’ or similar- understand that Lynx are in no way endangered, and part of sound wildlife management is to harvest all species. We saw well over 10 in the year I took this one and have seen countless in the years since. We are a part of nature, and as such- we need to do our part to ensure healthy populations by managing. Lynx are a species that requires a tag to be purchased, and within 30 days of the kill- you are required to fill out a form that the biologists use to further study and in turn, set seasons based on harvest rates. Part of being a hunter is the desire to just be outside. It becomes spiritual and primal. Something comes alive as you settle into your call set, your hike, or your stand. Your senses tune in, and a connection that cannot be described, but must be felt is there. We sit and enjoy watching more animals than we take. I cannot tell you how many animals I have just watched without even the thought of raising a scope. Those who know… know…those who do not- I hope one day you know that connection in the way a hunter does. Feel free to ask questions about hunting- or how I choose to get my food to feed my family. I am more than happy to discuss it. Oh…and for those dying to ask- Yes, this one was delicious.

Posted by Sue Tidwell | Dec 8, 2021 | Stories, Wildlife By Sue Tidwell Grrrrrrrr, hiiiiiiisssss! Ear-piercing snarls slashed through the tent walls as I lay like a sacrificial lamb. Alone. Rick had stayed up talking with Rod, leaving me to brave the beastly symphony on my own. Surely, I thought, I could handle a measly hour without my almighty protector by my side. Besides, he was close. Surely he’d come to my rescue if I needed him. After dodging our quota of bat feces for the evening, Sue and I had decided to call it a night, leaving the menfolk by the fire to combat the guano attack on their own. While Rick’s calm, competent presence always filled me with a sense of ease, it gave me even more peace of mind in Africa. You know, a place where death “takes a thousand forms” as Capstick put it. Without Rick in the tent, I was a bit more on edge. Just moments before the terrifying screeches surfaced from the riverbed, I had been lying on my cot, exhausted but vigilant, listening to the familiar sounds of the night — bellows, chirps, cackles, hee hees, grunts, whistles, squeaks. Slightly comforting was the lack of Simba’s easily recognizable umphhs. That part of the serenade typically didn’t come until later. Then, out of the blue, the harrowing high-pitched vocals of two cats — two large cats — shattered the relative peace. Instantly, I knew two leopards were engaged in a fierce battle. Surely it could be nothing else. A similar ruckus had exploded just outside our bedroom window in Idaho a few years back. Thinking two mountain lions were actually fighting 10 feet from my bed, I peeked cautiously through the curtains to investigate. Instead, I saw Jinx, our panther-sized tomcat, savagely driving off a newcomer. If I hadn’t seen the battle with my own eyes, I would have never believed that two domestic cats could create such blood-curdling sounds. Once I grasped the situation, I pounded on the window, distracting Jinx, allowing the small intruder to make a run for it. Not only did the scuffle put a whole new meaning to the words cat fight, it answered why our humble abode wasn’t plagued with stray or “dropped off” cats like so many country homes. Jinx was the answer to that mystery. As loud and fierce as that battle was, it was nothing compared to the skirmish taking place outside our tent in Tanzania. I jumped up, ran to the zippered screened door, screaming for Rick. No way was I stepping outside my canvas sanctuary. Rick, however, didn’t show. Instead, my urgent pleas brought Joel scrambling towards me from his sleeping area behind the dining hut. Through the screen, I watched our unarmed host advance hastily towards me. Seeing that he had nothing to protect himself, I frantically cried “Joel, go back, Go back! Leopards are fighting!” My calls only slowed him a bit. Even more urgently, I again screamed “Joel! Stop! Go back! Go get help!” As Rick’s Grandma Alice used to say, he listened like shit on a barn door. In other words, he didn’t listen one teensy-weensy bit. He continued his approach, bypassed our tent, and skulked carefully towards the sounds of vocal murder. By that point, I was panic-stricken. I was sure that Joel, who I had absolutely fallen in love with, was going to be ripped to shreds right in front of my very eyes. Like a ping pong ball, I bounced between screen windows in the tent. One opening gave me a view of what was sure to be a leopard making mincemeat out of Joel. The other window gave me a view towards the patio as I continued to scream for Rick at the top of my lungs. I’d dart to one window, peek at Joel; then bolt back to the other screen to yell for Rick. Nothing. Back and forth again. I was beside myself; terrified to step one foot from my little refuge but horrified at the possibility of watching our enchanting storyteller and comedian get torn to smithereens. Sweat, resulting from my maniacal tizzy, rolled off of me like the water over Niagara Falls. Finally, Joel’s shoulders relaxed, he turned, and ambled towards my tent: “Ahhh. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s only honey badgers fighting.” Well, gee-whiz, that was just swell. The medium-sized member of the weasel family is known for its super-sized attitude. Basically, the only thing sweet about honey badgers is the fact that they love feeding on honey and honeybee larvae. Other than that, they are pure nastiness. Despite its small size, the honey badger has a reputation for being, pound-for-pound, Africa’s most fearless creature. Still, I was quite happy to know that honey badgers were brawling in the riverbed — not leopards. Badgers are a handful, but at least they were less likely to transform Joel into scraps from a woodchipper. During this whole nerve-racking ordeal, I saw neither hide nor hair of my knight in shining armor. At least, not the one I married. Still, it baffles me that no one but Joel heard my frantic screams. After all, I’ve never been accused of having a delicate voice. Yet, somehow, Rick and Rod — tranquilly smoking cigars, reliving the day’s events, and dodging volleys of popo feces — were clueless. The garish cries of a crazed woman and two battling beasts had melted in with the rest of the sounds of the night. A typical evening under Africa’s moonlit skies.

Posted by Sue Tidwell | Dec 8, 2021 | Stories, Wildlife By Sue Tidwell Umphh. Umphh. My eyes blinked open in alarm and confusion as the unfamiliar sound pierced the night air, instantly forming a knot in my gut. It was no human sound. At least, not one that I had ever heard. No, it was a low-pitched guttural cry — something raw, distinctive, and primal. Umphh. Again, the primal call cut through the darkness, sending another wave of chills up and down my spine. As I laid paralyzed in fear, the fog of my slumber gradually lifted, allowing pieces of reality to slip into place. Rick and I weren’t snuggled side by side on our king-size bed. No. He was sleeping in a narrow bunk, similar to mine, six feet away. The new sleeping arrangement wasn’t behind the secure walls of our rural Idaho home. We were behind the canvas panels of a wall tent. But unlike most of our outdoor excursions, we weren’t in Idaho’s backcountry wilderness. The distinctive umphhbelonged to none of the wild critters we were familiar with. Instead, we were in a remote expanse of the Tanzanian bush: an exotic land where the people, terrain, and animals were far different than anything we had ever experienced; a place where lions, hyenas, leopards, and elephants roamed freely throughout the landscape. Three days of international travel and sensory overload had turned us into little more than zombies when we crawled into our beds earlier that first night. Accordingly, we expected to fall asleep as soon as we hit the sheets. That didn’t happen. The second the generator spit to silence and the staff vanished into their quarters, the din of camp life was replaced by an unfamiliar barrage of primal voices. Whoop whoooooop whoop followed by eerie chortles, heeheehees, and cackles. Then another whhhoopp whooop. “Hyenas.” Rick whispered from the darkness across the tent. Fisi, I thought to myself. The animal’s Swahili name had been used at dinner in the retelling of a gruesome story, a tale that might have been better left unsaid, especially with a fearful reluctant greenhorn like me gobbling up every word. Lying wide-eyed, I listened to Fisi’s insane chorus – an ensemble of squeals, roars, growls, and a maniac-like hysteria – as it seeped through the canvas barrier from every direction. Next, a deep bellowing oozed through the tent’s walls. With this new vocal came Rick’s best guess, “Has to be a hippo.” The next few hours continued like that, with Rick doing his best to decipher each new dialogue. A conglomeration of chittering, chattering, cooing, cawing, shrieking, growling, grunting, and crying. A symphony, so to speak, of bestial serenades. Then about 2:00 a.m., the umphh cut through the tent walls; the bestial grunt sounded nothing like the king of beast’s ferocious roars from MGM movie introductions. Still, there was little doubt that the foreboding sound belonged to anything other than a real, live, honest-to-goodness African lion. Simba, a simple but potent Swahili word. The dread I felt told me that it could be nothing else. We were, after all, in the heart of lion country: a fact that gave Masimba Camp its name. The canvas walls, with eight mesh windows, offered little in the way of soundproofing. Even more alarming, the fabric provided laughable protection against deadly predators. Suddenly, our tent which had felt cozy and secure in the light of day felt vulnerable and exposed. Tense energy filled the air as we listened to the lion’s guttural calls. After a few moments, Rick whispered, “Our first lion.” With my gut twisted in a knot, a meek “aha” was all I could muster. Neither of us moved a muscle. We stayed frozen in our separate bunks with our ears focused on the unfamiliar sounds. Eventually Rick’s hushed revelation, “Honey, we aren’t in Kansas anymore” was the straw that broke the camel’s back. “No kidding!” I quietly hissed as I slid out of my cot and climbed into his. Cramped. Uncomfortable. Overflowing. It mattered not. Finally, after years of anticipation, my African dream was coming true. It was nothing like I had envisioned, but nestled in a tent, hours from civilization, there was absolutely no turning back. Nor did I find myself wanting to. Even though apprehension filled my entire being, it became crystal clear that Rick’s version of the dream was far more than anything I could have imagined for myself. No doubt, there would be difficult and unsettling moments. Rick would very likely be harvesting some of the creatures that I had treasured since childhood. It was also clear that our adventures would be partnered with aspects of danger. I couldn’t help wondering how my romanticized view of Africa, after dreaming about it for so many years, would stand against reality. Even with uncertainty gnawing at me, my feelings of apprehension and exhaustion floundered as other emotions trickled to the surface. Fascination. Excitement. Awe. Astonishment. Curiosity. And thankfulness. Lying wide-eyed — covered in goosebumps listening to the chortles, bellows, growls, squeaks, whistles, cooing, cawing, whoooops, and umphhs of the African Symphony — I realized that I had never felt so terror-stricken and yet, at the same time, so alive and exhilarated by the promise of the days to come.

Posted by Steve Hamilton | Dec 17, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food This is a very simple jerky recipe and works awesome with turkey. Ingredients: 1/2 cup soy sauce (regular, NOT low sodium) 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce 2 or 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 large wild turkey breast To make the brine thoroughly mix the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, garlic, and onion powder in a large non-reactive container. Slice the turkey into strips no more than 1/4 inch thick. It’s much easier to slice meat if it’s partially frozen. Place the turkey strips in the brine and mix together well, ensuring that all the turkey is in contact with the brine. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours. After the brining period remove the turkey strips and place them directly on smoking racks. Set the smoker to 180 Fahrenheit and actively smoke for about 2.5 hours. I used pecan wood, but that’s simply personal preference. After the active smoking period, continue drying in the smoker for another 2 or three hours until the jerky is dry (it should crack when bending but not break). After the jerky is done, cool and stores in the fridge or freezer.

Posted by Steve Hamilton | Dec 23, 2021 | Recipes, Slow Food Did you know Scotch eggs were actually invented in England? These things are a staple every year in our house and are very easy to make. If you are not into game meat, give it a try with your favourite pork sausage! Ingredients 12 large hard-boiled eggs, shelled 1.5-2 lbs. sausage meat (deer or moose is great) 3 tbsp dried and chopped parsley 2 tbsp dried chopped chives 1.5 tsp fresh cracked pepper 1 tsp salt 3 eggs, beaten 2 cups fine breadcrumbs Flour for dusting 2 litres vegetable oil

Posted by 1campfire | Dec 29, 2021 | Stories He sat staring across the rolling hills of prairie grasses and sagebrush, the warm breeze tousling his dark hair. There was an unfamiliar intensity in his gaze, his face almost hawkish, eyes barely blinking as he scanned the horizon. He was searching, hunting for something, his right hand tightly squeezing the top of a fence post, his left hand at his side clenched into a fist. Through the truck camper window, I sat quietly and watched my father. I would periodically look across the miles of prairie to see if I could find what he was looking for so earnestly. Eventually, he turned to walk back towards the truck and, it was then that I noticed his eyes were brimming with tears and the intensity had given way to sadness. I have come to believe that it was somewhere in that long moment, looking out over the sun-soaked prairies that my father accepted he was dying. A quiet exchange with the wind and the sun to find the strength he would need to say goodbye to his family and make peace with the life he was given. There is a little bit of that day I carry with me and as I get older, an understanding that I have fewer sunrises and sunsets ahead of me as I do behind. It has allowed me to live in those moments fully, be present and appreciate each experience as it happens. In the words of Thoreau, I have learned to “live deliberately” and claim each day as one worth living without regret. It is in my days in the field hunting that I am reminded the most of my father and that summer afternoon. There is a certain comfort and clarity that comes with being alone in the woods, mountains or prairies as you look across the landscape in search of something that eludes you. It is in these pursuits that I find I am living the most as I connect to earth’s natural rhythms of order and balance, one life will be taken so others may continue. What I often wonder was if my father saw the loss of his own life as a necessary exchange for his family’s? Was that the thought behind that afternoon’s silent dialogue that was spoken in his tears. To hunt is to search determinedly for something and by that measure I have spent my entire life searching, hunting for a connection to a father who left my life too soon. For the rest of my life, I will keep looking towards the sunset, searching and scanning the horizon and maybe someday I will see what my father saw and will know the hunt is over. Don Willimont