Fitty's Angling Ramble 7.0

[HairyScandinavian]

Iccy, I haven't had the patience to read it all yet but lovin' the camp pics and that whole setup. Congrats on that 1st bow kill also.

I've been hiking all over the canyons of West Texas, we camped with the new Alaskan Guide tent that I'm thoroughly impressed with. Nights were getting down to high 20's which is pretty chili for Texas but we were good. I saw lots of deer and watched a buck stand looking over a canyon for at least 30 minutes solid without a damn blink which was impressive. That's one cautious mofo and he had me on lock because I was just barely off the direction he was looking so couldn't risk moving. On several occassions I had a couple doe and a whole herd of Aoudad come in at 50 yards on Tuesday but it was pretty windy and I didn't trust shooting my fixed blade broadheads at that range in the wind so passed. Wednesday I had a decent 8 pt working his way down my trail into my shooting lane and that damn herd of Aoudad came crashing through and spooked him. Those things are freaking loud when they run in a large herd. Fried Bass nuggets for dinner most evenings and built a huge fire to stay warm until the booz kicked in so I could sleep. No kills but a good time.

noa, thx for the meatloaf recipe I'm going to save it. Also feel free to edit in paragraphs into this post... I know how it bothers you so much.

[Hartski]

Okay, so I'll wait until I buy a rifled slug barrel to put a scope on the shottie. I'll spend that money on the binoculars. Aside from a blaze orange vest and hat, I think I've got all the equipment I'll need. 2 weeks until Deer season!

[storm1507]

Okay, so I'll wait until I buy a rifled slug barrel to put a scope on the shottie. I'll spend that money on the binoculars. Aside from a blaze orange vest and hat, I think I've got all the equipment I'll need. 2 weeks until Deer season!

Do you have interchangable chokes for that shotgun? If so, you may be able to find a rifled choke tube. Not as good at the barrel, but depending on distances and your abilty it may serve the function.

[Hartski]

There's interchangable chokes on the ported turkey barrel, but not on the 18 1/2" barrel I'm using.

[GREENFEATHER]

Yeah with a Rifle at long range I'm okay with doing a little sloppy spotting until I hone in on my target. Embarassed the hell out of myself more than once!

I wouldn't want to have that buck fever pump of adrenaline surging through me when one is up close and I'm trying to find him in the scope.


Speaking of deer...

Driving back from the in-laws yesterday we came across two does that were just standing at the side of the road eating grass. Completely passive and not caring that we were there. My Wife drove by really slow (We took the Minivan) and we were so close if my window had been rolled down I could have punched one in the face with a good lean.

My wife's grandmother was in the back seat with the baby, she's an old country girl and former wilderness survivalist... She says "Nainoa... If you've got a knife and want to kill one now I'll help you gut it and we can hide it in the back!"

And people wonder why, when I go to these family things that I spend all my time with an 84 year old woman and/or a little baby!

I was driving down to the back field the other day to test the new chokes I put in the hammer and a doe walked out about 20 metres away and stood there. Didn't end well for her and I didn't have to go any further to test the chokes, lol. Goddamn hooved rats!!

[fishnbrah]

I was driving down to the back field the other day to test the new chokes I put in the hammer and a doe walked out about 20 metres away and stood there. Didn't end well for her and I didn't have to go any further to test the chokes, lol. Goddamn hooved rats!!

theres no limits where youre at? you must eat tenderloin everyday

[Nainoa]

Here's another potential Venison recipe. Just replace the "Beef" in this Bolognese sauce with venison... And then leave the ground pork as ground pork. But add a tablespoon of chopped rosemary.

Also while the recipe calls for Spaghetti (It's from an e-book I'm writing on classic Italian pasta and sauce combinations) I would personally use this for Fettucine instead.

Spaghetti Bolognese
You can walk down the aisle of the grocery store and find a jar of spaghetti sauce with meat. You can even find jars of stuff called “Meat Sauce.” When you get one home and pour it over a mound of spaghetti the experience can be a bit underwhelming. It’s not uncommon for people to take that jar of meat sauce and glam it up with extra meat or chopped vegetables. Still at the end of the day using a jar of meat sauce for your spaghetti dinner is like giving your Mom a firm handshake on Mother’s Day.
The iconic meat sauce for Spaghetti is the rich velvet smooth magic that is Bolognese. Bolognese is not a tomato sauce with wads of meat curiously suspended in it. Bolognese is a meat sauce with some tomatoes to help brighten the flavor. I’m not going to lie to you. This sauce is another one of those labors of love. To be done right Bolognese is slow cooked to bring out the deep stewed flavors of the meat and give it a smooth texture.
When it comes to choosing the meat, both ground pork and veal have a traditional place in the sauce. I personally favor 80/20 ground chuck and ground pork. You will want to allow at least three hours of prep and cook time before you plan to serve. While you could get away with using a sauce pan and a crockpot on its warmest setting, it is still better to use a Dutch oven with an enamel coating.
Equipment
Enamel coated Dutch oven, for preparing the Bolognese
Large sauce pot, for cooking the spaghetti
Colander

Ingredients
1 Large yellow onion, chopped
1 Medium carrot, chopped fine
1 Spear of celery, chopped
6 Cloves of garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
½ Pound ground beef or chuck
½ Pound ground pork
1 Cup of cream or half & half
1 Cup of medium red wine, Shiraz
28 ounces of diced tomato
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped
Spaghetti

Procedure
Step 1: Heat the olive oil a Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil shimmers add the onions, carrots and celery. Sweat for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add the minced garlic and sweat for approximately two minutes or until the garlic starts to take on a golden brown color.
Step 3: Add a half cup of the diced tomatoes and do not stir them at first. Allow them to sear a little bit onto the bottom of the pot, this will give the tomato added depth of flavor and body in the final sauce.
Step 4: Add the ground meat in small batches, crumbling it into the pot. Toss the meat as it browns.
Step 5: Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and add the half & half. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Add half of the tomatoes and the red wine. Simmer for 10 minutes allowing the wine to incorporate its flavor into the meat while also unlocking the alcohol soluble flavor compounds in the tomatoes.
Step 7: Add the remaining tomatoes and stir to incorporate.
Step 8: Keep the heat on low. You want to simmer this sauce at a temperature slightly hotter than a warm smile. This slow stewing will give make the sauce smooth like velvet while also building hearty flavors.
Step 9: Bring a gallon of water to a boil in a large sauce pot. Once it is boiling add the spaghetti. I find a quarter pound of spaghetti per diner to be about the right amount.
Step 10: Boil the spaghetti until it is 80% soft. Then strain the pasta through a colander. Return it to the pot on low heat. Ladle the sauce over the top of the spaghetti until you are happy with the sauce to pasta ratio. Allow the spaghetti to finish cooking in the sauce.
Step 11: Plate the spaghetti, ladle any addition sauce over the top. Garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
When it comes to side dishes I recommend something with earthy flavors. Sauteed mushrooms or broiled asparagus are perfect compliments to the bold meaty flavors of the Bolognese. For a wine pairing, while I recommend using Shiraz in the sauce to wake up the flavors, the beef flavor profile of the Bolognese would also work nicely.

[iccyman001]

Iccy, I haven't had the patience to read it all yet but lovin' the camp pics and that whole setup. Congrats on that 1st bow kill also.

Thanks!






Ok, so I just got back from Oklahoma and it was AMAZING, and sucky
I got to the WMA at 6:45, but it was too dark, so I waited for the sunrise and walked right in.
So I walked in at 7:30 and within 10 minutes found an amazing area. It's this gigantic rub line/scrapes. I had no clue what to expect, so I just stilled hunted around this ridge. Well I found this awesome funnel on one side of the ridge and as I walked past it I started getting snorted at.
I drew my bow back and the buck came out in front of me broadside and stopped......

I let the arrow fly and I saw it go right under him. Here's why it sucks. It all happened so fast so I didn't have time to range him. I went off the cuff and guessed 45 yards. He was at 52 and up a steep hill, which I forgot to take that into account.....

It was a clean miss, I am just bummed because it just so happened to be the biggest 10 pointer I have ever seen in my life.
It was also at 9:30 and only a short drag to my truck, that would have been an epic story.


Anyways, I am in an amazing area with tons of sign, so next time I head out it will be game on.

[HairyScandinavian]

^Damn! That would have been so nice, eating lunch back at camp relaxing.

[iccyman001]

I just drove out just for a daytrip I left at 2AM from new mexico.....


Just got home a little while ago.

It still would have been nice.

I made a mock scrape next to the freshest scrape I could find and hunt my camera next to him. I want to show you guys a picture of how big he is before you see the one of him on the ground and my bow ontop of him

[GREENFEATHER]

theres no limits where youre at? you must eat tenderloin everyday

I eat a hell of a lot of venison. I'd rather marinate a backstrap and wrap it in bacon than eat a filet.

[Nainoa]

I eat a hell of a lot of venison. I'd rather marinate a backstrap and wrap it in bacon than eat a filet.

I always wanted to try a sort of chicken corona riff on Venison back strap.

Basically splay it... Stuff it with rosemary seasoned basmati rice, jalapeno, onion and cheese. Marinade with Teryaki sauce and minced garlic.

Then right before grilling on indirect heat, rub it down with a light amount of sea salt, a large amount of black pepper and wrap it in bacon.

Then grill indirect till it's medium rare... Roll it over the charcoal at the end just to give it some marks.

[iccyman001]

I eat a hell of a lot of venison. I'd rather marinate a backstrap and wrap it in bacon than eat a filet.

We will all meet at your house and cleanse the rest of that annoying population.

[Nainoa]

We will all meet at your house and cleanse the rest of that annoying population.

My truck needs an oil change...So I'll probably need you to pick me up on the way!

[iccyman001]

My truck needs an oil change...So I'll probably need you to pick me up on the way!

See you in 20+ hours!

[Nainoa]

See you in 20+ hours!

Well I only have tomorrow off from the baby... Then I've got her 3 days in a row, before getting a 3 day weekend next weekend... So we'll probably have to bring her with. She eats like an adult, so we'll just have to grill her up some steak and garlic mashed potatoes somewhere along the way!

[iccyman001]

Well I only have tomorrow off from the baby... Then I've got her 3 days in a row, before getting a 3 day weekend next weekend... So we'll probably have to bring her with. She eats like an adult, so we'll just have to grill her up some steak and garlic mashed potatoes somewhere along the way!

are you done hunting for the year or do you have more chances?

[iccyman001]

My girlfriend brought this home for me.....

[Nainoa]

are you done hunting for the year or do you have more chances?

Muzzle loader opened yesterday for a few weeks... When the snow flies they will bed down in my pine woods. I've been watching the trails that lead into it for tracks and scat... But nothing so far. First major snow is coming on Tuesday/Wednesday, so we'll see if that brings them down to me.

Once I see tracks leading into towards the pines I'm going to go get a license.

Otherwise I'll just spend the winter hunting rabbit.

With my wife's new job and her schedule she'll have 3 day weekends every other weekend... So next year I'll be able to actually take some trips up north where the hunting is better in both seasons.

Basically my home ponderosa is a total crap shoot.

[iccyman001]

Muzzle loader opened yesterday for a few weeks... When the snow flies they will bed down in my pine woods. I've been watching the trails that lead into it for tracks and scat... But nothing so far. First major snow is coming on Tuesday/Wednesday, so we'll see if that brings them down to me.

Once I see tracks leading into towards the pines I'm going to go get a license.

Otherwise I'll just spend the winter hunting rabbit.

With my wife's new job and her schedule she'll have 3 day weekends every other weekend... So next year I'll be able to actually take some trips up north where the hunting is better in both seasons.

Basically my home ponderosa is a total crap shoot.

Well I hope something moves in there!!! If you were fully surrounded by woods and didn't have to worry about other hunters, I would make some plots! Bring them to you!

[iccyman001]

making venison sausage wrapped in bacon and venison burgers.


nomnomnom

[HairyScandinavian]

My girlfriend brought this home for me.....

Love it, lol.

[Nainoa]

Well I hope something moves in there!!! If you were fully surrounded by woods and didn't have to worry about other hunters, I would make some plots! Bring them to you!

Tried that last year but it's sandy soil here and prone to a 8-10 week drought in late summer weather pattern. I spent a crazy amount of time (and ultimately money) running water lines out to the clearing.

On another hunting related note.

Went and repaired a knocked down section of fence tonight. The sun had set behind the drumlin (Giant gravel hill deposited by the retreating glaciers) so it was hard to understand everything that happened to knock down the fence, but I did see what looked like coyote prints.

Hard to tell if it was my 3 legged pal from the "Donkey-Highlander-Incident" But I think I know my hunting mission for this winter.

[iccyman001]

Tried that last year but it's sandy soil here and prone to a 8-10 week drought in late summer weather pattern. I spent a crazy amount of time (and ultimately money) running water lines out to the clearing.

On another hunting related note.

Went and repaired a knocked down section of fence tonight. The sun had set behind the drumlin (Giant gravel hill deposited by the retreating glaciers) so it was hard to understand everything that happened to knock down the fence, but I did see what looked like coyote prints.

Hard to tell if it was my 3 legged pal from the "Donkey-Highlander-Incident" But I think I know my hunting mission for this winter.

Kill it and all it's little friends too. Maybe then you'll see some deer growth in your area within a few years!

Look into your state laws and see if you can night hunt them or bait them.


A nice frozen bucket of meat or a frozen hung carcass will do wonders.

[GREENFEATHER]

I always wanted to try a sort of chicken corona riff on Venison back strap.

Basically splay it... Stuff it with rosemary seasoned basmati rice, jalapeno, onion and cheese. Marinade with Teryaki sauce and minced garlic.

Then right before grilling on indirect heat, rub it down with a light amount of sea salt, a large amount of black pepper and wrap it in bacon.

Then grill indirect till it's medium rare... Roll it over the charcoal at the end just to give it some marks.

That sounds really good. I get so tired of eating venison by spring that I could scream.

[Hartski]

Well, I have an elk roast thawing. I might put it in a ziplock and dunk it in cool water tonight to rapid thaw so i can fix it tomorrow. The question is, should I toss it in the crock pot with some taters and veggies and let it slow cook all day tomorrow?

[44hunter]

Love it, lol.

The best part is his yard. No mowing necessary.

[Nainoa]

Kill it and all it's little friends too. Maybe then you'll see some deer growth in your area within a few years!

Look into your state laws and see if you can night hunt them or bait them.


A nice frozen bucket of meat or a frozen hung carcass will do wonders.

Up here the #1 thing yotes are after is rabbits and I used to have a slew of them living in my pines.

So I'm guessing he's looking for a place to hole up for the winter.

There is a protected state forest not far from me. It tends to pump out random animals. Sometimes it's cool stuff like Mink, Red Tailed Hawks, Owls and Eagles... Other times it's Coyote and Possums.

[Nainoa]

Well, I have an elk roast thawing. I might put it in a ziplock and dunk it in cool water tonight to rapid thaw so i can fix it tomorrow. The question is, should I toss it in the crock pot with some taters and veggies and let it slow cook all day tomorrow?

Sear it off in a pan with a little olive oil and sea salt. Rotate it through until it's brown on all sides.

While it's searing line the bottom of the crock pot with halved and peeled russet potatoes, or just halved reds.

When it's done searing remove the roast to the crock pot.

Reduce the heat on the pan to low... Put half a can on diced tomatoes in it.

Sear the tomatoes for 2 minutes. Then pour a cup or a dry red wine like Cabrenet Savignon in it... Scrape down the pan and deglaze. Pour all of the juice into the crock pot.

Add an aggressive amount of fresh cracked black pepper.

Then rough chop a large RED onion add it along with 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 handfuls of baby carrots, 2 spears of chopped celery 2 tablespoons of bruised and chopped fresh rosemary and a tablespoon of beef bouillon. Add just enough water so that the top inch of the roast is rising above the broth.

Let is simmer for 6 hours.

Remove the roast...

Reserve some juice and build a gravy using a whole milk and corn starch slurry.

Service with a side of frozen fresh peas cooked in butter an black pepper.

Fresh baked bread to sop up some gravy would be a nice touch.

The same dry red you used for deglazing the pan will go pair with it perfectly.

[Hartski]

Damn, that's complicated. Not something I can toss in the pot before my 14 hour day, and come home to it perfectly done....