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In Memoriam: 2012 was a very good year in the outdoors
By Luke Clayton, Special to the Star Courier
When we spend time afield or on the water with our family and friends, we aren't just catching fish or hunting.
We're making memories; memories that last a lifetime and give us something good upon which to reflect when we're confronted with the curve balls life has a way of throwing at all of us.
When looking back over the past 12 months, I've stored up a king's ransom in good memories while out hunting and fishing. I bet if you spend much time enjoying the outdoor life, you have a list of fond memories at least as long as mine, hopefully longer.
While penning the words that give account of each of these events, I find myself right back there, reliving the experiences again. The outdoors can be a powerful place of solace, once we slow down and learn to enjoy each outing for what it really is: a change to briefly escape today's often fast-paced lifestyles.
Hunting and fishing trips should not be judged solely by the amount of fish or game taken but rather these more important little snippets of pleasure that have the potential to give great pleasure long after the outdoor adventure is over.
Sights such as the reflection of a flight of mallards mirrored on the still waters of a remote creek, lighted by a full moon or a look up into the heavens on a clear night after spending time in a bow stand are moments when time truly stands still; sights and sounds that you can keep with you forever if you take the time to really absorb them as they occur.
East Texas Quail Hunt
For the second year, I joined Billy Burnett at his Hidden Lakes Hunting Resort near Yantis and enjoyed a morning of hunting quail with four of my grandsons.
I was thankful to have Phil Zimmerman along, who shares grandpa duties with a couple of the boys along on the hunt. The quail were flying hard and we enjoyed hunting behind some of the best pointers and setters in the state.
At the end of the hunt, we set down to a great meal back at the lodge. Outdoor traditions become highlights of the year and this yearly hunt near Lake Fork is eagerly anticipated.
Hunting city deer
During the peak of the rut, I had the opportunity to enjoy a short bow hunt for deer with my friend Seth Vanover who is a veteran sergeant for the Longview police department. I saw a couple of good bucks but on the short, two-day hunt, was unable to put a tag on one.
For someone who grew up in east Texas back in the 60s and 70s when white tail deer were just gaining a foothold, it's amazing at just how good deer hunting can be in the eastern part of the state. Whitetails are very adaptive animals and hunting was as good close to town as it is on many remote ranches I've hunted.
Bear in the high country
A good friend and I lease a big ranch in northern Colorado for our archery elk and bear hunts.
Each year we or our clients encounter a few bear but this year was different. Thanks to a very heavy acorn crop in the area and wildfires that pushed animals from adjacent counties, it seems that every bear in Colorado had moved into the mountains on our ranch.
We and our hunters took a bear count and estimated that we saw between 30 and 40 different bears on a two week hunt. I will never forget photographing a big boar at a scant 18 yards. I was setting on the ground, calling elk for a client that had a ground blind set up next to an elk wallow.
The big boar walked within feet of the hunter then departed right up the mountain where I was on the ground attempting to bugle in a bull elk. When the bear caught my scent, he stalked closer, much like a bird dog on point. I can still vividly remember the size of that bear's paw and claws as he stalked way too close to me.
My list of fond outdoor memories goes on and one and I hope yours does as well. If it doesn't, there is no better time than the present to get out there and create a few of your outdoor memories.
Outdoor Tip of the Week
Many of the hunting seasons are closing and chances are good you have an abundance of meat in your freezer. How about putting it to use and creating some of the most tasty treats you can imagine?
Do you enjoy corned beef, the treat that is often served around Easter with cabbage or on rye bread with cheese as a sandwich? Last year I learned how to corn venison and found the process very simple and the end result quiet tasty. I made about 8 pounds of corned venison.
My friend Mike Pullen with Frisco Spices (friscospices.com) supplied the cure and all I had to do was defrost the pieces of lean venison ham and follow instructions. The process is simple: mix the cure with the appropriate amount of water, add the pieces of meat and place in a cool place for the prescribed number of days.
Once the meat is cured (it takes only about one day per pound of meat), it is rinsed and either slow baked in a covered pot or boiled. It's good both ways but I prefer it boiled, then sliced thinly and made into corned beef (venison) sandwiches or added to cabbage.
Curing pork hams is equally simple. Rather than curing the entire ham, I much prefer to bone out the meat, then cut it into 4-5 pound pieces. These will cure in a brine solution in less than a week. Once the ham is cured, I smoke it for about an hour, then wrap in foil to avoid moisture loss and cook it until an internal temperature of 160 degrees is reached.
Frisco Spices also offers a packet of seasoning that mixed with 10 pounds of ground venison and pork (50 percent pork, 50 percent venison) to make great tasting bacon. For the spices and a detailed instructions on making these products, contact Mike Pullen at 800-762-6689 or mike@friscospices.com.
Mike can walk you through the process, which I believe you will find extremely easy and fun. There is something special about setting down to a big breakfast of eggs, potatoes and bacon or ham you have made yourself.
New hog hunting magazine
X-Treme Hog Hunter Magazine has been available for over a year now. Its pages are chock full of how-to articles on all facets of hog hunting and exciting hog hunting articles. For more information and to read a recent issue online, visit: xtremehoghunter.com.
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