Tag: venison

First Season: Young Hunter’s Milestone Marks New Chapter in NY Early Archery Season – Legal Crossbows

Posted on by Dave Barus
  • First-time youth hunters (12-13 years old) in NY must wear blaze orange clothing for safety. 
  • Woods Barmore, a 12-year-old first-time hunter, scored a doe and a mature 8-point buck with a crossbow near his home in Gerry, NY. 
  • Father and son processed the deer together, adding 75 pounds of wholesome family meals to the freezer.

By Forrest Fisher

New York’s southern zone early archery season kicked off on October 1, and it was special this year – not just because the woods became alive with fall color, but because it marked the first early archery season where modern crossbows are legal during the early big game archery hunt. This new law, which allows the use of crossbows during the early archery season, has opened up new opportunities for youth hunters, enabling them to start their hunting journey earlier and with more ease.

For one 12-year-old hunter in Chautauqua County, Woods Barmore, this regulation change has made all the difference. Under the close mentorship of his father, Forster, the young outdoorsman took his first deer, a doe, and then his second whitetail deer, an 8-point buck, both with a crossbow, marking an unforgettable start to what promises to be a lifelong hunting tradition. Using his Centerpoint 370 crossbow with 400-grain bolts that included a 100-grain broadhead, the youngsters’ practice hours paid off.

Father and son teamwork payoff – for 12-year-old Woods Barmore and his dad, the family has two deer down and a freezer full of venison for the year ahead. Forster Barmore Photo

Like all first-time youth hunters, the youngster followed New York’s youth hunting laws to the letter: blaze orange clothing for safety, direct supervision by a mentor with at least three years of hunting experience, and a valid big game license earned after completing the NYS hunter education course. This energetic young man enrolled in the online course and became certified in this most modern way available.

The boy had been dreaming of hunting for years, tagging along on his dad’s outings and soaking up every bit of woodsmanship. But this season, the deer tags would finally have his name on them. Early in the October hunting season, Woods harvested a doe, his first New York deer ever. His dad, Forster, said, “The deer was not a giant, but it was a healthy doe that we turned into burger and jerky.”

Then, about 10 days later, camaraderie and friendly competition kicked in when Woods learned through an article in the local newspaper that a school friend, now living out of the area, 13-year-old Lucie Katta, had harvested a 12-point buck. Woods’ mom and dad both hunt, and his mom, Autumn, said, “Woods was thrilled for Lucie, but her buck definitely lit a spark.” Even though a family move has put new schools between them, these two young hunters, who once shared a school hallway at Cassadaga Middle School, are now sharing the excitement of the early New York State deer hunting season.  It seems they encourage each other and celebrate the thrill of the hunt in friendly competition.

Young Lucie Katta, 13 years old, says the best part of her hunting success wasn’t the size of the buck, but the experience itself. She said, “I’ll never forget that day. I love hunting with my dad. I learned so much and I can’t wait to go again.” On the scale at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club, the deer weighed 222.2 pounds.  Darin Katta Photo

That spark turned into a focus on a late afternoon sit last weekend. Woods had already taken a doe, and listening to his dad, he was excited now to let the doe’s walk and wait for a buck. From a ground blind beside his dad, the young hunter steadied his crossbow and took his shot. His dad said, “It hit a bit far back, and the deer bolted into the timber.” That’s a scenario that tests every hunter’s patience and respect for the animal and the land. His dad added, “Rather than track the buck as it was getting dark, we made the call to wait until sunrise. At first light, my son and I took up the blood trail and soon found the 8-point buck lying not far from where it was last seen. It was a moment I’ll never forget,” said his dad. “The look on Wood’s face was pure pride and excitement. That’s what hunting’s about, respecting the animal and the land we hunt on.”

Forster and his son processed the deer together, turning the harvest into 75 pounds of wholesome family meals. His parents plan to have a shoulder mount done of the estimated 140-pound deer as a proud keepsake reminder of this first deer for their son, and the family teamwork that made it possible. This achievement is not just a personal milestone, but is in support of the future of hunting and the potential of all young hunters. It’s a cause for celebration and inspiration for all hunters.

His mom, Autumn, an experienced hunter herself, chose not to hunt this year until her son had his first chance. “This was his season,” she said with a smile. “Seeing him succeed out there means more to me than getting one myself.”

For young Woods Barmore, a 12-year-old hunter in Chautauqua County, NY, the new early season archery crossbow law made all the difference. Under the close mentorship of his father, the young outdoorsman took this mature 8-point buck with a crossbow near his home in Gerry, NY.  Forster Barmore photo

The young hunter’s outdoor roots run family deep. He’s been fishing with his dad since age four, learning patience, safety, and respect for the land and water. Now, at 12, he’s stepped into the next chapter of that outdoor heritage, one arrow (bolt), one lesson and one shot at a time.

As the family celebrates and prepares for a long winter of venison dinners, it’s clear that this milestone wasn’t just about the deer. It was about family, mentorship, and the enduring traditions that keep New York’s outdoor legacy strong. The new crossbow law and the kids? It sure seems like a great idea. Forster Barmore agreed, saying, “The new big game hunting law change to allow crossbows in the early season in New York State was the best idea that ever came from Albany.”

Here is to steady aim, safe hunts, and a few good stories to share when hunters meet as friends and family everywhere, because in the end, the best part of the hunt is the bond between us all that keeps it alive.

Gotta love the outdoors.

Prepare for Hunting Camp: Delicious Venison Gumbo – for 10

Posted on by Dave Barus

By Fern Fisher

The perfect quick-to-make meal for Hunting Camp, Football Sunday, or any other day. Most everyone has these simple ingredients in their everyday pantry.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs ground venison
  • 6 cups of diced (3/8 inch) white potatoes
  • 2 cups diced sweet white onion
  • 2 cups sliced celery
  • 2 cups sliced carrots
  • 2 TBS minced garlic
  • 1 TBS table salt
  • 1 TBS black pepper
  • 1 TBS basil
  • 3 TBS salted butter
  • Two 15 oz cans of black beans
  • One 15 oz can of cannoli beans
  • One 15 oz can of sweet corn
  • One (1) 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • One (1) 28 oz can of plum tomatoes
  • One (1) 24 oz can of spaghetti sauce
  • 16 oz box of Rotini noodles

Cooking Instructions: Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, 1 cup of diced onion and 1 TBS minced garlic to a 2-gallon cooking pot. Add enough water to cover the mix by 2 inches or so. Add 2 TBS of butter, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil. Set to simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are soft.

In a large fry pan, add the burger, 1 cup of onion, 1 TBS butter, 1 TBS garlic, a dash of salt and pepper, and about 3-4 TBS of water, and cover. Cook to a gentle steaming simmer until the burger is browned. Add the burger to the potato cooking pot.

Now add the tomatoes and sauce, cover. After reaching a gentle boil, add the black beans, cannoli beans, sweet corn and Rotini noodles. Bring back to a slow simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked and expanded. If not, simmer a bit longer. The noodles absorb the watery flavored liquids and add gentle chewy stock to the gumbo.

Serve: Spoon it out to a large coffee cup or soup bowl. Add a slice or buttered bread or a sliced roll.

Enjoy. Delicious!

Venison Meatball Rigatoni Mug

Posted on by Kitchen Kate

A tasty deer camp “Cup of Energy.”  Recipe by “Kitchen Kate.”

Makes 8 Servings, what you’ll need:

Noodle/Cheese Ingredients:

  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 1 box (12 oz) rigatoni pasta, cooked
  • 1 tsp chopped basil
  • One 12-ounce coffee mug for each serving
  • Olive Oil

Meatball Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground venison,
  • 1 TBS garlic
  • 1 TBS oregano
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Let’s Get Cooking!

Step One – Prepare and Cook the Meatballs:

  • Add all meatball ingredients (in order) to a mixing bowl and mix
  • Shape into evenly-sized balls
  • Place in the frying pan with 2 TBS olive oil to brown over medium heat until all sides are lightly brown and oil is relatively absorbed.
  • Add ½ cup water or organic chicken or vegetable broth
  • Bring to boil, turn to simmer, cover, 20 minutes.

Step Two – Bake Noodles/Cheese:

  • Pre-cook your noodles, as per box instructions
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  • Add a few drops of olive oil to the bottom of each coffee cup
  • Place ¼ cup mozzarella on the bottom of each 12-ounce oven-safe coffee mug
  • Cover the cheese with 1-2 heaping TBS of marinara sauce, then add an inch or two of rigatoni noodles.
  • Add a 1-2 heaping TBS of marinara sauce to cover noodles
  • Add 1 or 2 meatballs.
  • Cover with marinara sauce.
  • Add a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese
  • Add a small sprinkle of mozzarella cheese
  • Bake the mugs at 375 degrees for 20 minutes (The cheese top should be melted).

Step Three – Eat from mug OR invert onto a plate and add another meatball or two.

Enjoy!

 

Does Your Venison Taste Awful? How NOT to Let It Happen Again

Posted on by Dave Barus
  • DO carry a small, sharp, pocketknife, DO NOT use a bone saw of any type
  • DO make a good shot, DO field dress quickly, DO watch the temperature
  • DO thaw frozen venison slowly for best taste

By Jason Houser

When grinding burger, we add beef fat at a ratio of 3:1 (three pounds venison per pound of fat).

I hear people all the time say they do not like the taste of deer. Some people say that just because they know what they are eating and have a preconceived notion that it will not be good. Others have legit gripes. Mainly due to poor handling by the hunter from the time of the kill up until it was cooked.

This often results in gamey, tough meat.

Here are some tips to help combat bad-tasting venison:

  • Hunting in the real world is not like the Outdoor Channel portrays it to be. Hunters make bad shots from time to time and the deer has to be tracked for a while. Shot placement and the stress the animal received while being trailed plays a significant role in gamey meat. The faster a deer dies, the sooner it can be field dressed. This will reduce the amount of acid that builds up in the deer’s muscles. Concentrate on making a good shot with bow or firearm.
  • Hunters often fail to get the deer cooled as quickly as possible. The first step it to field dress the animal immediately. When possible, wash out the cavity with cool water, but be sure to dry the cavity out as the water to avoid creating a breeding ground for bacteria. If the temperatures outside are in the mid-40s or less, it’s OK to let the deer hang. Anything warmer and the deer needs to hang in a walk-in cooler, or it needs to get skinned, quartered and put on ice if you do not have a walk-in.
  • A whitetail deer is not hard to quarter.
    If at all possible, process your own deer to ensure it is handled properly and then you know you get all your venison back in return.

    Because of how joint and tissue are held together with a deer, a simple pocketknife will have a deer quartered quicker than you might think. However, if you use a saw of any type to cut through bone, it allows bone marrow and small pieces of bone shavings to get from the saw to the meat. Stick with a sharp knife and your meat will be free of small bone pieces that can contaminate the meat.

  • Growing up as a kid, I can remember how much my dad loved the taste of fat from a good cut of beef. The same DOES NOT hold true with deer fat. Simply stated, deer fat tastes awful. It is not red meat, cut it off before it is made into steaks or burgers. This includes all fat AND silver skin.
  • Recently, I began using cutting boards from John Boos & Company for this, particularly their Northern Hard Rock Maple cutting boards. The antimicrobial properties of these cutting boards actually kill bacteria, making them one of the cleanest and safest cutting boards on the market for hunters like you and me. A lot of home processors are concerned with contamination, by using this type of cutting board a lot of worries can be washed away.

    The antimicrobial properties of John Boos & Co. Northern Hard Rock Maple boards actually kill bacteria.
  • Every year before deer season begins, we call the local butcher shop for an order of beef suet. Even though we removed all of the deer fat, we need to add some sort of fat, whether beef or pork, when grinding it. If this is not done the lean venison will quickly fall apart when making burgers, meatloaf, etc. We add beef fat at a ratio of 3:1 (three pounds venison per pound of fat).
  • If you have the means, the time and the knowledge I recommend processing all your deer yourself.
    Good venison starts immediately upon the harvest.

    When you take a deer to a meat locker, you cannot be sure how the meat is handled, or if you even get your own deer back. For all you know you could be getting someone else’s deer back that was gut-shot and not properly handled after the shot. If you have to take a deer to a processor, research the facility by talking to other hunters who have used it, and also speak with the workers. Hopefully, they will be honest with you.

  • Do not overcook venison. Cooking deer for too long causes it to become chewy and dry. Venison is best prepared to medium-rare, but the outside needs to be cooked. To accomplish this, the grill must be hot enough to quickly sear the outside and lock in the flavors and juices. Turn your venison only once, and if there are no grill marks on the steak or burgers after three minutes or so, the grate is not hot enough.
  • Freezer-burned food, whether it is venison or other food, does not taste good. Some people use a vacuum sealer, but if you go this route, buy a good one. A cheap one will not seal properly and then will not keep the food fresh. When we butcher our deer, we make wrapping the meat a family affair with all involved. We put one-pound portions of burger in sandwich bags and the steaks and roasts are wrapped with plastic wrap (air isolator). After the plastic wrap, it is then wrapped again with good freezer paper and taped closed. We write on each package what cut of meat, who killed it and the date of the kill.

I hope this advice helps you have a meal that tastes great. A couple of other quick tips is the younger the deer, the better, more tender it will be. But this might not settle well with trophy hunters.

KEY POINTS:

  • What many cooks do not know is to thaw venison slowly to prevent toughness
  • Serve venison hot and keep the remainder hot to prevent it from getting a waxy taste.

Best Tasting Venison Burgers, Ezy-Peezy & Fast

Posted on by Fern Fisher

By Fern Fisher

This is the easiest, fastest, most tasty and quick recipe for delicious venison burgers.

Everyone that visits our humble abode says they love it, so I’m sharing it with you all. Please let me know what you think.

Hand-form the burgers, place on foil, to get ready to make a “foil bag” to place on grill.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground venison
½ lb lean ground beef
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, adjust with the addition of water to mix for proper burger forming/consistency
1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
Hellman’s Mayonaisse

Red, yellow or green pepper – slice ¼ inch wide to place on top of burgers before cooking, as noted below

Combine all the ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl.

Mix ingredients.
Combine all the ingredients as noted above except for the pepper slices. Add ½ – 1 cup water to make mix pliable and to allow the ingredients to exchange flavor. Hand form 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick burger patties and set aside.

Cooking:
Place the burgers individually in aluminum foil. Lightly coat the area with olive oil where the burger will be placed. Add a thin layer of Hellman’s mayonnaise to the top of each burger, as shown, then add 2 strips of your sliced sweet pepper.

Then close up the aluminum foil making it a bag-like compartment, making the foil almost airtight. Leave one end slight open and add 2 oz of water to the bag. Close the open end and place the foiled burgers on the outdoor grill or in a 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes to 20 minutes (when the meat reaches 165F minimum).

Add a thin layer of Hellman’s Mayo, two slices of sweet pepper – your choice of variety, fold and form the top of bag and ends of the bag to form a pouch. Add a few ounces of water to one end of bag, place on a hot backyard grill. Done in 15-20 minutes. Soooo good.

The foil keeps the moisture in and allows the meat to cook in its own juices. It’s a mini-pressure cooker and cooks very fast. The water inside does not escape and so this helps to keep it from burning and over-cooking.

This is easy and using your backyard grill, you can cook 30 burgers for a small army or visitors group all at once in this manner. Other options include adding a full slice of onion and a sliced mushroom before sealing the foil.

Once cooked, add a leaf of lettuce, a slice of tomato, a slice of cheese and your favorite condiments.

Venison Reuben, from the kitchen of Charlie Killmaster – Georgia State Deer Biologist

Posted on by Dave Barus

Each year that goes by, I search for recipes that are worth sharing because they meet the rules of “Easy-To-Make” and “Delicious-To-Eat.” Charlie Killmaster from Georgia has several great game recipes. Here is one of them and there are more at this site: https://georgiawildlife.blog/2018/12/12/oh-deer-7-venison-recipes-youve-gotta-try/.

Charlie Killmaster’s photo of his delicious Venison Reuben.

Ingredients:

  • Venison roast, preferably shoulder/neck, 1 to 3 lbs.
  • Thick-cut rye bread
  • Spicy brown mustard or Thousand Island dressing, your preference
  • 1 tablespoon pickling spice
  • Morton’s Tender Quick, or your salt/sugar brine of choice
  • Sauerkraut
  • Swiss cheese
  • Crock pot

Charlie says, “I always prefer bone-in roasts from the front of the deer for this recipe. Start by making a brine using the directions on Morton’s Tender Quick or any other recipe for a salt and sugar brine. Make enough brine to totally submerge the meat and mix in the pickling spice. You can marinate anywhere from 1 to 5 days, but I find 3 days to be ideal before it gets to be too salty.

Whenever I’m processing a deer I harvested, I like to go ahead and brine 3 or 4 chunks of meat before I freeze it so I don’t have to wait on brining each time. Just thaw and cook when you’re ready. Next, rinse the meat and cook in a crock pot with plain water for about 8 hours. Shred the meat and assemble the sandwiches with the mustard or dressing, sauerkraut, cheese, and toasted bread.

To prevent a soggy sandwich, I like to heat up the sour kraut and squeeze with a paper towel to soak up excess moisture. Serve with fries or your favorite side dish and enjoy!”

 

 

CWD Testing More Important NOW Than Ever

Posted on by Jim Low
  • MDC will conduct mandatory CWD sampling in 25 counties Nov. 11 and 12.
  • Check the fall deer and turkey booklet to see if your county is included.
  • Hunters can get deer tested for free throughout archery and firearms deer seasons.

By Jim Low

The thrills of deer hunting – not to mention the pleasure of eating venison, are worth taking precautions to protect.  Jim Low Photo

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) needs help from hunters to keep the deadly deer disease called chronic wasting disease (CWD) from spreading to more deer in more areas of Missouri. In light of recent developments, hunters might want to take advantage of free testing for personal reasons, too.
MDC will conduct mandatory CWD sampling of hunter-harvested deer in 25 counties during the opening weekend of the fall firearms deer season, Nov. 11 and 12. Counties included in this year’s sampling effort are: Adair, Barry, Benton, Cedar, Cole, Crawford, Dade, Franklin, Hickory, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Macon, Moniteau, Ozark, Polk, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Warren, and Washington. These counties comprise Missouri’s CWD Management Zone. It includes counties where MDC conducted mandatory CWD testing last year, plus St. Clair County, where a new outbreak was detected earlier this year, and five adjacent counties.

Concerns about possible exposure to CWD can be addressed by taking advantage of free testing. Jim Low Photo

MDC also has added four counties along the Arkansas border in southwest Missouri to the CWD Management Zone. CWD has not been detected in any of these counties yet, but a serious outbreak of the fatal deer disease just across the border is cause for extra vigilance there.
Hunters who harvest deer in these 25 counties during opening weekend must present their harvested deer at one of the Department’s 56 CWD sampling stations so staff can collect tissue samples to test the animals for CWD. You can find a list of sampling stations at www.mdc.mo.gov/cwd, or in the 2017 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations booklet, which is available wherever hunting permits are sold.
In addition to the mandatory testing, MDC offers free testing for hunters who wants their deer checked for CWD. This is particularly important considering recent news about the susceptibility of some monkeys to the brain-wasting disease.
In a study led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, macaques that were fed venison from CWD-infected deer developed the disease. The researchers noted that there still is no known case of CWD affecting humans. However, the apparent susceptibility of physiologically similar primates led them to conclude that, “the most prudent approach is to consider that CWD has the potential to infect humans.”
I am not an alarmist person by nature, and I am not going to let the small risk of shooting a CWD infected deer or the equally small risk of contracting CWD from eating infected meat, deprive me of a sport that I love and the pleasure of eating venison. However, with free testing available, I certainly will take every deer I kill to one of the eight MDC offices and 55 taxidermists around the state who are participating in the voluntary CWD sampling program. I put venison in the freezer, labeled with the date I shot the deer, and wait for test results before consuming it. That just seems sensible to me.
I also do what I can to avoid spreading CWD. For years, I put corn around my trail cameras to get better deer pictures. I stopped several years ago, when it became clear that anything that unnaturally concentrates deer and increases the potential for CWD transmission. I stopped putting out salt licks and mineral blocks for the same reason. The prions that cause CWD are shed in deer urine, so I also have stopped using urine-based deer lures.

Baiting the area around trail cameras brings deer up close, but it also increases the likelihood of disease transmission.  Jim Low Photo

After field-dressing deer, I usually take them home and process them myself. In the past, I got rid of carcass by putting them in the woods behind our house and letting scavengers dispose of them. No more. Now I put them in heavy trash bags and send them to the landfill, just in case they had CWD. If you take your deer to a commercial processor, you’re covered. In Missouri, they are required to send all their carcasses to approved landfills.
MDC’s regulation guide has more ideas for reducing the spread of CWD, along with tips for making the sampling process quicker and easier.
-end-

Poached Venison Burgers – so simple, so delicious

Posted on by Fern Fisher
We all look for better ways to share in the bounty of fat-free deer meat found on our lands across this great country, here is one easy recipe that will make old, new or tough deer meat, as tasty as can be.  Joe Forma photo

By Fern Fisher

Many of my outdoor guide friends in the mid-west and northeast use this recipe, or a recipe quite similar to this one, to share in the bounty of fat-free deer meat found and harvested on our lands across this great country.  It’s easy, tasty and healthy.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground venison
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, adjust with addition of water to mix for proper burger forming consistency
  • 1/4 -1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • ¼ cup tomato ketchup
  • 3-4 tsp Olive oil for coating alum foil
  • 1 can Campbell’s mushroom soup
  • 1 large fresh Portabella mushroom
  • 1 fresh sweet pepper, color of your choice
  • Salt, Pepper, ground Chives

Mixing ingredients: Add the beaten egg, garlic, sweet onion, ketchup, a ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of black pepper to the ground venison.  Add enough water to make the mix pliable, the ingredients will combine to a delicious flavor.  Add enough Italian bread crumps to keep mixture from becoming too watery.  Form about 4-5 burger patties by hand that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

Poaching – Can use Grill or Oven: Cut some aluminum foil large enough to fold around two burgers so a seam can be made on the top for two burger patties. Coat the area where the burgers will be placed with a few drops of olive oil.  Place the burgers.  Add one full tablespoon of undiluted Campbell’s mushroom soup to the top of each burger. Top with slices of Portabella mushroom, top with thin slices of sweet onion and thin slices of red, yellow or green pepper.  Then close up the aluminum foil making it a bag-like compartment, making the foil almost airtight.  Before closing completely, place 3-4 Tbsp. of water inside the folded foil with the burger (for steam).

Place the foiled burger in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes, or on a grill (low) for 20-25 minutes.  The goal is for a finished burger that is done, but not over-done.  Remove from heat just when the water you added has been boiling for 2-3 minutes (you can hear it if you’re on the grill).

The foil keeps all the moisture in and allows the meat to cook in its own juices.  It’s a mini-pressure cooker!  This is easy and if you prepare ahead of time, you can cook 30 – 40 burgers for a small army of visitors all at once.

Add a slice of fresh sweet onion, a fresh leaf of lettuce, a fresh slice of tomato and your favorite topping condiments.  My family simply enjoys the flavor without any additional toppings.  Another option, of course, is to add a slice of your favorite cheese.

Of course, all of this on a hard roll of your choice, unless you’re watching the carbs.

So good, bet you can’t eat just one, enjoy!

 

Yummy Venison Nacho’s for Super Bowl Sunday

Posted on by Fern Fisher

venison_nachosThis is a great time to relish the satisfaction of delicious meals that can result from the success of MSG-free sportsmen pursuits of hunting wild game and fishing.

There is something very special about the culinary delights that connect us to conservation practices, the purity of organic food from wild harvest, and the reality of incredible taste from this healthy food source.

venisonnachos_ingredientsGreat tasting healthy food helps to justify the cost of the license and gear, and all the time we spend learning about how to be successful.

A few years ago, my family started looking around for proven recipes that would provide even more range on how we prepare the wild bounty from our lands and lakes around us.  We discovered the “Wild Harvest Table” from Cornell Cooperative Extension nutrition educator, Moira M. Tidball, a culinary aficionado who enjoys cooking all kinds of wild game and offers free, proven, advice.  The result has been delicious and nutritious!

For this Super Bowl weekend, we are preparing a crowd-pleasing recipes that has become one of our favorites: venison nachos.  They are awesome!  Let me share with you that there is never any leftovers from either recipe.

For the venison nachos, health consumers today all appreciate that using the venison instead of beef lowers the fat content of typical nacho recipes, that’s all good.  This recipe is quite simple.

In a stock pot, add one tablespoon of olive oil and brown the venison over medium-high heat.  Add one medium to large chopped white sweet onion and cook 3-5 minutes more until the onion is translucent.  Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic and 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder, cook another minute (don’t let the garlic get brown). At this point, adding one teaspoon of oregano and one teaspoon of cumin is optional, if you like those flavors (I do).  Then add one tablespoon of brown sugar and one 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes (or one quart of home canned tomatoes) and gently stir the entire mix in the pan.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, once there, lower the heat and simmer the chili about half an hour until it thickens and starts to smell “so good!”  Then add one 15-ounce can of red kidney beans or black beans, your choice, but drain and rinse before adding.  Then cook 20 minutes or so until heated through and the consistency is thick.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

We then pour the mix into a wide baking dish, sprinkle one cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top and place it in the oven preheated to 400 degrees.  Heat some tortilla chips in the oven at the same time.  Remove when the cheese melts (about 6 minutes or so).  Spoon some of the mix right into the warmed tortillas, add some sour cream topping and dig in!

Nutritionally, a one cup serving is about 360 calories, offers 25 percent of daily adult needs for Vitamin A and Calcium, 30 percent for Vitamin C and 20 percent for iron, with 24 grams of protein!

This recipe makes six to eight one-cup servings.

Simple and Delicious Venison Steak

Posted on by Fern Fisher

venison_steak

Simple and Delicious Venison Steak
… Easy and Fun from Freezer to Dinner Plate

venisonsteak_ingredientsThis simple venison steak recipe we mostly use for the backyard grill, but it can also be easily cooked in the broiler of your kitchen stove, on a griddle-plate or in the colas of a wilderness hunt campfire a hundred miles from civilization.  It’s easy and delicious!

First, trim your steaks of any obvious fat as venison fat is not sweet, it is tart when cooked.  On both sides of the steak(s), rub in a dash of salt, pepper and any of your own personal favorite garden herbs.   Then, on a sheet of heavy aluminum foil large enough to allow fold-over and enclosure of the steak in the middle, spread a drop or two of olive oil on the bottom where the steaks will be placed.

Position the steak(s) in the center of the foil (can place two small steaks side by side), smear the top of the steak with a tablespoon or two of Campbell’s mushroom soup, right from the can.  Carefully place a semi-thick slice of sweet onion on top of that, add a thinly sliced collection of red or yellow peppers atop the onion, drop in a quarter teaspoon (or so) of minced garlic and carefully start to fold the aluminum foil around the steaks to form a sort of sealed envelope package, being extra careful to leave a small opening on one top end.

In this opening, add four to five tablespoons of water.  Now close-up that foil opening nice and tight, place on a medium heat grill (300F) or in an oven for 15 minutes.

The foil envelope forms a sort of mini-pressure cooker.  Once cooked, you’ll be able to hear the water boiling, be very careful when you open the foil.  The steam is super-heated and looking for a quick escape, so use your oven gloves.  If you don’t have steam exiting, you may have cooked it too long or did not add enough water, remember that for next time.

Remove the steak from the foil wrapper and to your plate to serve with the other preparations you wish to eat.  We like whole sweet potatoes, green beans or carrots and a small salad with a glass of red wine.

The steak is so tender it will literally fall apart.  You can add your favorite steak sauce if you like, but most of my family simply eats right out of the wrapper from the grill.

So simple, so delicious, so good for you.

In Georgia, Time to start filling the freezer with venison!

Posted on by Dave Barus
  • Georgia allows hunters to harvest up to 10 antlerless deer and no more than two antlered deer.
  • Deer of either sex may be taken with archery equipment at any time on private land during the deer season.
  • To pursue deer in Georgia, hunters must have a valid hunting license, a big game license and a current deer harvest record.
  • All harvested deer must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours.
Shane Turpen with a Carroll County Buck (2019). Courtesy of GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info.

By Forrest Fisher

The statewide archery deer hunting season begins Saturday, Sept. 10, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).

Last year, 83,000 archery hunters harvested over 44,000 deer. Statewide, hunters can use archery equipment throughout the entire 2022-2023 deer season.  

“Archery hunting season is nearly here, and bowhunters get the ‘first shot,’ pun intended,” said state deer biologist Charlie Killmaster. “While it may seem too hot to hunt the early part of archery season, it is an excellent time to pattern deer. Persimmons are a highly prized natural food source during the early season, but don’t overlook the trails between good cover and a food source to locate mature bucks.”

Public Hunting Opportunities
Georgia WRD operates more than 100 public wildlife management areas (WMAs). These areas offer hunting dates throughout deer season and even some specialty deer hunts, including youth, ladies, seniors, and disabled and returning veterans license holders. Maps, dates and more info can be found at GeorgiaWildlife.com/locations/hunting.

Hunters can find additional hunting opportunities on Voluntary Public Access, or VPA, properties. These properties are available thanks to a USDA grant that allows for the arrangement of temporary agreements with private landowners for public hunting opportunities. More information at GeorgiaWildlife.com/VPA-HIP.

“Interested in eating from locally available, sustainable sources?” questions Killmaster. “Venison is a nutrient-rich, heart-healthy lean protein, and there are so many amazing ways to cook it. Check out our blog at GeorgiaWildlife.blog and type ‘venison’ in the search bar – you won’t be disappointed!”

Hunting Need-to-Know Info
State law allows hunters to harvest up to 10 antlerless deer and no more than two antlered deer (with one of the two antlered deer having a minimum of four points,  one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers) or a minimum of 15 inches outside antler spread. For most hunters in the state, the deer season ends on Jan. 8. However, some specific counties (Barrow, Bibb, Chatham, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Decatur, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Muscog, Paulding, Rockdale and Seminole) offer either-sex archery deer hunting through Jan. 31. Additionally, deer of either sex may be taken with archery equipment at any time on private land during the deer season.

To pursue deer in Georgia, hunters must have a valid hunting license, a big game license and a current deer harvest record. Licenses can be purchased online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by phone at 1-800-366-2661, or at a license agent (list of agents available online).

All harvested deer must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours. Deer can be reported on the Outdoors GA app (which works regardless of cell service), at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, or by calling 1-800-366-2661.

For more on deer hunting, including finding a game processor, reviewing regulations, viewing maps (either sex day or the rut map), visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info.