Most know that cleaning a firearm is a necessity for ownership. This not only helps prevent malfunction and missfire but can also help bullet path and accuracy. What most don’t know is that the average gun owner does not clean their firearm correctly which can lead to major headaches down the road 🙂
Here are a few great tips to set you straight
As an outfitter, we often hear how many people would love to hunt bear but have no idea what to do with all the meat or if they did keep it, how to cook it (Ontario is a no waste province, it is mandatory to take all of the meat with you upon departure.)
Below is an excerpt from a great story written by Jackson Landers and how he dealt with an unexpected amount of bear meat…..and what he learned.
Now I had heard all sorts of stories from hunters about what bear meat is like: that it’s tough, gamey, and unpleasantly greasy. But in my experience eating a fairly wide array of unusual species, I had found that meat that tastes “tough and gamey” is more often a case of bad butchering and sloppy handling than an intrinsic quality of a species.
To maximize the potential flavor of my bear, I dry-aged it for a week before I started experimenting. Dry-aging meat, for the uninitiated, is the process of letting meat hang out for a while at cool temperatures while allowing moisture to evaporate from it. Dry-aging accomplishes two things. First, natural enzymes in the meat begin to tenderize it by breaking down the collagen in the muscles. (Collagen is what makes tough meat feel tough, and more of it builds up in muscle tissue as an animal gets older.) Second, dry-aging allows water to evaporate out of a piece of meat, concentrating the flavor. High-end steakhouses all do this with their beef, and I have been dry-aging most of my venison in my fridge at home for years.
Once my bear was sufficiently dry-aged, the very first thing I tried was cutting some simple steaks out of a forequarter (the upper portions of the front legs) and from the backstraps (the cuts from alongside the spine that are referred to as “pork loin” in pigs). I wanted to keep the recipe simple so as not to hide the true flavor of the meat, but I also wanted to have some fun. So I just ran with the bear theme. I pan-seared the steaks in olive oil and drizzled just a bit of honey on them. A handful of blueberries went into the pan with them (bears love blueberries almost as much as they love honey). Then I transferred the meat to a covered dish to finish cooking in the oven and deglazed the pan with a splash of Toasted Head cabernet sauvignon, which I had chosen on account of the wine’s label having a black bear on it. I made sure to cook the meat to 140 degrees and hold it there for a while, since bears, like pigs, can carry trichinosis.
My girlfriend and I sat down to eat our first bites of bear meat, drizzled with that red-wine pan sauce. The texture was good, and the backstrap cuts were a bit more tender than the forequarter cuts. The flavor was mild; it tasted more or less identical to venison—which is to say a lot like beef, only with less fat and a blander flavor. There was nothing greasy or tough about it. It looked like a thick piece of filet mignon. Between sips of the bear-bearing Toasted Head wine (which paired very nicely with the bear meat, I should add), we soon forgot that it was bear meat that we were eating. By the end of the meal, it was just dinner, no more exotic than the artichokes we served along with it.
Heartened, I started putting bear meat in everything. And once I began running it through the meat grinder, the stuff became a household staple. Think bear tacos, spaghetti with bear sauce, lime-marinated bear stir-fry served over ramen noodles.
Bear burgers in particular were a big hit. I mixed one egg with 1 pound of ground bear meat and just a touch of onion powder and pepper and broiled them under high heat. Three minutes per side seemed to get me up over 140 degrees every time, without taking the burgers beyond medium-rare. I invited some friends over to eat them, and the unanimous agreement was that they simply tasted like very good beef burgers and that nobody would ever guess they were bear.
I began to take the ground bear meat so much for granted that I confess to feeding it to a dinner guest in a ragout over angel hair pasta without thinking to tell her that she was eating bear as opposed to beef. She ate every bite. I’m still not sure whether I should tell her what she ate.
Lately I’ve found myself worrying about the dwindling supply of bear meat in my fridge and freezer. I have one whole hindquarter in my chest freezer awaiting a special bear dinner with a group of friends, but other than that and a pound or so of medallions, all I’ve got left is an array of very unusual bones that my dogs have been chewing on in the front yard. What will I do when I run out?
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While reading some great hunting articles last night, I came across a very overlooked topic. This is an article written by Tyrrell Hearn and is a great quick snippet on basic hunter safety tricks!
Over the years we have all heard of hunting accidents and how bad they can be. Hunting safety should be paramount in the mind on any hunter, especially those using high-powered rifles. It goes without saying that guns are designed to take life quickly and effectively, making it imperative that you treat them as such. If you are a hunter, here are a couple tips to keep you safe this season.
Blind placement– Keep in mind that there are people around you who may also be hunting in the mornings and evenings. Be mindful of other known hunting groups in your area. Having a chat with them about the direction of their firing lanes so everyone is up to date on their neighbor’s new hunting spots is a great way to stay safe.
Less powerful bullets– It is always a draw to buy the highest grain bullet for your guns, however, higher grain equals a faster and longer bullet trajectory. Pick something a little smaller but effective for the game you are targeting.
Hollow points– Buy hollow point bullets. Full Metal Jacketed bullets are not legal to hunt with in most areas anyway. Hollow or soft tipped bullets will break up even if they are only hitting brush and small trees. Lessening your chance of a bullet traveling way past your target.
Safety orange– Wear your safety gear so that even at a distance, the most novice of hunter will not mistake you for an animal.
Stay safe, think ahead, and have a great hunting season!
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We don’t often hear about hunting moose in the late season. An undeniable romance focuses on calling and attracting bulls during the peak of the rut; but what about when all that hormone-driven activity subsides? Where do the moose go and what do they do? More to the point, how do we hunt them in the late season?
For much of the year, bulls are reclusive by nature. They do their own thing, eating, sleeping, and moving on their own. As the rut approaches and peaks, physical antler-on-antler confrontations take place but as breeding winds down, their short-lived aggression fades back to a more docile demeanor. But as the rut concludes and moose are forced into winter survival patterns, bulls become more social, often opting to hang out in bachelor groups. At this time their focus turns to maintaining the necessities in life; eating, sleeping, and conserving energy. For the late season moose hunter who understands these dynamics, hunting can be straightforward. For those better acquainted with rutting bulls, the late season can be both uneventful and frustrating.
Seldom do you see bulls hanging out with cows in the late season.
More often than not, bulls will begin bunching up in small bachelor groups.
Use Vocalizations
While there was no need to communicate with the bulls, you will experience several more encounters during late season hunt when calling is used effectively. Bottom line – don’t be shy about calling, even in the late season. After the rut, formerly reclusive bulls will often group up as the weather turns cold and winter conditions set in. While seeing individual bulls is normal throughout the warm summer months and most of the fall, their social demeanor changes once breeding activity is finished. Vocalizations are common, even in November and December, as moose communicate with one another.
For late season moose hunters, this presents an outstanding opportunity. On several occasions I’ve been told experimenting with cow calls while hunting late season bulls they respond favorably.
Focus on Food
Just as it is a priority for other ungulates, food is always a priority, but during the late season, it’s at the top of the list. This usually means shifting to habitat areas offering the best food sources. While moose have a home range, they will shift within that range throughout the year based on their needs, i.e. to breed, or to find thermal cover and nutrient-rich foods.
During the warm-weather months when wetlands offer a smorgasbord of marsh plants, food is plentiful. At this time food is abundant and life is good. When sub-zero temperatures freeze these wetlands and snowfall covers an assortment of grasses, moose turn to the most accessible food, and that means bark, willows, and poplar saplings. With this in mind, willow flats surrounding frozen marshlands can be an ideal place to look for moose in the late season.
Consider the Cover
Cold, wind, and snow; these are often the conditions of late season. Just like you and I, they don’t like inclement weather. In defense, late season moose may take refuge in hills, valleys, or on leeward facing slopes. They’ll seek cover near food. This can mean different things in different types of habitat. In many areas thermal cover such as old-growth mixed forest is a first choice. In the absence of coniferous trees, alternative cover like thick willow clumps will be a top choice. Rarely will a moose hang around in open areas when the temperature and conditions are inhospitable.
Use the Snow
Found in every Canadian province except Prince Edward Island, moose are also thriving in many northern states like Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Minnesota, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire – all places that get snow, and sometimes lots of it. It doesn’t matter if you’re hunting in the foothills, mountains, rolling aspen parkland, or boreal forest, more often than not the common denominator with hunting late season moose is colder weather and eventually snow. And with snow comes the added bonus of tracking. Locate a fresh track and, particularly in soft snow, you’ve got an exceptional chance of walking a bull down. If you find a fresh track, get on it, and slowly follow keeping a keen eye looking ahead. Chances are within a short distance you’ll catch up with him.
Rut sign like this rub confirm that moose live in the area.
Follow these tips and that daunting late season hunt will be a breeze!! Don’t put down your weapon as soon as the snow flies…embrace it as another opportunity
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The lure of archery hunting has been an age old tradtion. From the evolution of spear to projectile, a sport was born!
Many people (including myself) have been daunted by the task of choosing their first bow. From draw length to pull pounds, this choice can be pivitol to a successful purchase.
There are many manufacturers and models being introduced yearly boasting a wide array of different accessories, colors, cam numbers and composites but in general, most compound bows come equipped with the same basics.
Study the image to the right to help learn the parts of the compound bow. Click on a compound bow part for glossary definition.
With this basic outline, you can build your understanding and move forward into the purchasing stage. Remember, before attempting to harvest any animal, practice practice practice! More times than not, an amateur archery hunter will skip this step and either miss or wound an animal needlessly 🙂
If you are anxious to use your bow immediately, join an archery club…not only will you learn the skills needed, but you may even meet others that are looking forward to hunting and may request your company 🙂
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Winter can be a great time to hunt ruffed grouse. Okay, anytime is a good time to hunt grouse (maybe – maybe – no so much in the early season) but winter can be particularly good. If, as always, you find where the birds are.
Many hunters have trouble finding ruffed grouse during late season, even with the aid of snow. Since ruffs are usually grouped around the available food sources, it might take a bit of walking to find them.
It is usually to a late-season grouse hunter’s advantage to hunt at a fast pace until tracks in the snow indicate a group of grouse has been feeding in the area, and then slow down and hunt that territory thoroughly.
Since the fruits and greens favored by grouse earlier in the fall will have all but disappeared by December, the birds will be feeding mostly on buds and catkins. Grouse will pick away at a variety of edibles, but the catkins of hazel are their favorite early-winter food.
Ruffs definitely prefer the larger catkins of hazel plants that grow in areas exposed to the sun, so look for the best hazel thickets to be in open areas and on woodland edges. Overgrown cattle pastures are almost always good, especially when close to more typical ruffed grouse cover.
Ruffed grouse also feed on ironwood and birch buds during December and, as winter progresses, aspen buds. Grouse also eat highbush cranberries, and unlike many other woodland fruits, the colorful red berries remain on the stems through the winter, or until hungry grouse pluck them.
Examine the crops of the birds you kill because that will help you determine what they are feeding on.
On cold days grouse will often feed only in the late afternoon, forgoing their breakfast, but will usually be loafing within a quarter-mile of their favorite food source. If the snow is deep the birds may be roosting under a blanket of powder. Otherwise grouse often will hunker next to logs or tree trunks in a sunny spot out of the wind, or may relate to evergreens such as balsam fir or spruce.
Once flushed, late-season grouse often land in a tree.
While hunting in the snow can be good, it can also be tough if the snow is crunchy: The birds will hear you coming and boogie off. If you can get out after a new snow, hopefully not on top of an icy layer, it’s particularly good.
And remember: If you track a grouse to a tree, it will flush from the opposite side.
Follow some of these tips and you should have a bountiful harvest and a full dinner plate!
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Hearty Moose Chlli Con Carne… an old time family favourite.
Served with fresh (your choice) Bread, Hearty Moose Chilli Con Carne makes a satisfying meal. An easy to prepare recipe, which can be frozen for latter.
This is one of those super easy recipes that a child could make. Assign one of the kids to make this when they get home from school so it will be ready in time for dinner.
I will often make a large batch of Moose Chili Con Carne (frozen) to take along when we go moose hunting; just heat and serve. Your hunting partners will appreciate the meal, and it does seem to be somewhat appropriate to be eating moose meat while hunting moose!
Moose Chili Con Carne:
Ingredients:
Directions:
One little secret we have found is the first day, or should I say the day you cook the chili, it tends to be a little runny. After refrigeration though it thickens up quite nicely and will serve well on toast.
Serve Moose Chili Con Carne with Fresh Bread
Enjoy
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Are you planning to put in for a tag in the moose dense 15A or 15B?
Are you sick of setting up a stake camp and coming back each night cold and damp only to have to set up a fire and wait to cook and warm up?
Why not stay in clean, warm cottages with heat, hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing and kitchens?
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There is nothing more fun for a hunter than taking a long road trip with the guys and getting away from it all. The difference between the average ‘getting away from it all’ and a hunter’s ‘getting away from it all’ is that the hunter’s version often times includes a stand and some great harvest stories. This rang true for Dave, Tim and Jason.
On September the 7th they arrived at my front door with weapons in hand and excitement in their eyes. Though it was Dave’s second hunt with us, it was both Tim and Jason’s first time hunting a bear. Dave had acquainted them with what to expect and the basics of our operation and much to the boy’s excitement, we were providing them all with baits that seemed to be jam packed with bruin.
The first night came with all guys coming to camp empty handed but Dave letting us know that his bait was just a Bear Highway….they were everywhere! Tim had heard a bear and Jason had yet to have any sign of.
The next morning as the boys began to prepare their bears, Jason prepped and began that drive to his stand. Thoughts raced through is head as to what his day would hold and how he was going to handle harvesting that bear. Early that evening, I spotted the truck pulling in, my heart was wild with anticipation….had he gotten his birthday bear? As Jason emerged, his face was pulled with a frustrated look and the color was drained.
“I missed!” was all he said.
After a few minutes of silence, Jason filled me in on the adventure.
“I was just opening my pb and j and having a bite. I saw a set of ears pop up and slowly put the sandwich on my lap. I lifted my gun just as the bear emerged to my right and he stood and sniffed the air…I think he wanted my sandwich! He dropped and began to lick the tree directly broadside and I fired……the bullet went low and right below. No hit but just hit the ground. I have NO IDEA what happened! The bear took off like a bat out of hell and that was it. I sat for about thirty minutes and had to get out of there. I am so frustrated that I know I couldn’t shoot proper a second time. Tomorrow I am taking my .270.”
With that we both agreed that this could happen to anyone and that it’s better than wounding and wasting a bear. I knew tomorrow he would have a different plan.
The next day Jason came in for his coffee and sat quiet. The thought of the day’s play could be read in his eyes and it was obvious that today he woke up with serious intention. Dave and Tim decided to load the boat and spend the day kicking back while Jason set out as tightly wound as he could be.
The day wore on and not a truck in sight. As the night fell, Jason arrived with a tired, defeated look in his eyes.
“Nothing. I didn’t see a thing today. It was a long day.”
I knew that the events of the day prior had made today seem much longer but I knew that his determination hadn’t left.
The following morning, Jason met with Terry and they came up with the new game plan. It was a variation of the original but the outcome was planned the same….Come home with a bear!
As Jason left for the day, we all settled back into our daily routines, me in the lodge, Tami back to marketing and Terry back out to the baiting.
At 3:12pm a black truck made a hasty entrance to the resort and straight over to cabin 6. Jason was back! He was energized as he exited the truck and fists pumped the sky!
“I got it! It’s down!”
With a couple of high fives and congratulations I could just see the pride in his eyes. He had finished the group with 100% success rate! As he tied the tell-tale orange flag for the other two on the lake to see, he began to load the truck with retrieval supplies.
As they all arrived back with Jason’s bear, the camaraderie was thick. Each were successful and each just as happy for each other as themselves.
It often amazes me what people do in their stands while in wait. Some nap, some eat, some even make shadow puppets….not Jamie, nope not Jamie.
Jamie’s hunt began just like everyone elses, with optimism and excitement. He knew what he was waiting for and he was prepared for what to do when it got there…..boy did it take its time!!
As he sat scanning the forest around him for any sign of movement, he spotted something from the corner of his eye. I little red squirrel was climbing down the tree that was just six inches from his left. Slowly this little red fellow crept while keeping a watchful eye on Jamie. He made his way slowly onto the branch directly by his face and looked him in the eye. Jamie gave little notice at first until he realized that this critter wasn’t leaving…he was perfectly happy to size up this human that was hanging around one of ‘his’ trees!
There they both sat in silence for a minute or two looking eye to eye, sizing each other up. Finally Squeekules retreated and carried on down his tree to visit the forest floor. He scurried around the moss and even over to the bait to check out its bounty. Jamie watched as the little red fellow ran from one log to another and halfway up one tree and down to the next. It amazed him that his new buddy was always in view. It was really nice to have a distraction while waiting for his prey.
As the day came to a close and not a bear had been spotted, Jamie retreated down his tree to the sound of Squeekules chattering him a good bye.
The next day started much the same with that slow climb and area inspection. It didn’t take long for his little buddy to return and fill him in on the mornings events. There the unlikely pair sat, looking at the bait and scanning the horizon. The clouds started to close over and the winds picked up. As the cold rain began to fall, with one last look, Squeekules climbed his tree to find some dry cover. Jamie wasn’t so lucky. There he sat in the rain as the temperatures dropped faster and faster. It was cold and dark but he sat vigilant. By the end of the day, he was cold, wet and it had appeared that the bear had won again. He climbed down his stand and made his way out thinking about the time that he had spent up in that tree and his optimism was beginning to wane. Would it be just as cold tomorrow?
As the sun rose the third morning of the hunt, the temperature was still crisp and those mid forty chills were setting in. As he dressed for his hopefully short day in the stand, Jamie decided that he would change his weapon of choice. Retired was his bow and up next was his muzzle loader. He wanted to ensure that he would have a longer range if so much as one black ear made an appearance.
He made his way to his familiar perch and was happy to see that little Squeekules had already arrived. There they both sat for a couple of minutes scanning the horizon for any sign of interruption. The bait had not been hit and the area seemed quiet to any noise other than the rattle of the leaves. Squeekules gave one last look before heading out for his morning routines. Jamie sat in wait, the day stretching on. He could see the little critter bouncing from one tree to the next and back again. He seemed to be circling the bait and climbing the trees only to come back down again. As Jamie stood to stretch his legs, here came Squeek, right up his tree and right beside him. He seemed to just be checking in and making sure Jamie wasnt leaving his post and as Jamie sat again, that little squirrel jumped right onto his leg and ran down back to the bark of the tree! Boy this little buddy was getting bold.
The day was dragging on and his friend had decided to take up space all over Jamie’s tree. He would leave to take care of his tasks and return to keep Jamie company, at times right behind his head and even right behind his back and against the tree. The company was welcomed and the stand was becoming more bearable.
As his attention began to wane from his bait, Jamie began to search for his camera. He desperately was hoping to catch a picture of his new friend. As he shuffled through his bag, Squeek had began to make his way back to his tree and climbed up halfway up only to be interrupted. Something was there….it was close and the squirrel knew it. As Jamie’s attention was focused on that camera, Squeekules had run to the east side of the bait. He made his way halfway up the tree and sat firm on a branch watching the trail. Suddenly his tail stood firm and Squeek gripped his tree as he let out a loud chattering war cry. Jamie looked to his direction and there it was….
That bear ambled in slowly but determined directly below Squeek. That squirrel stayed braced to the branch and looked to Jamie for acknowledgement. The two friends knew that the time had come. The bruin was within range of the bait and began to deviate directly toward Jamie’s tree! With a knowing look to the branches, Jamie’s eyes met those of this boar, its massive head making those beady eyes look even more pointed. His hands held steady on his gun as the bear slowly turned and began back to the bait. He had decided that Jamie was not a threat and his need for a snack was much more pressing.
A shot rang out and Squeek made a hasty retreat as that bear took its final breath. That was it, the hunt was over and Jamie was proud of his 450lb harvest. As Jamie brought his bear back and spoke of the hunt, it seemed that the hunt itself was a minor detail in the story of his unlikely friendship with a little red warrior that spent his days keeping him company and making that wait BEARable!
ON TARGET in CANADA 