DDD, I’m still hanging in there trying to catch up on my todo list...getting there...but much slower than I would like. Porch construction is half way there and cancelled for the Winter.
Thanks for the postings Ducker. With all the work you put in, Hairy One’s canoe should be good to go for at least the next 10 years.
We’re way behind on our moose hunting accounts but hopefully we won’t have any more interruptions ( medical or otherwise) in 2022. With that said...let’s return to the second season moose hunt of 2019 and continue with the story.
Just to recap...Heather and Dale had gotten this one midweek of season one.
It was a cold, wet, and miserable first week...re wrapping the meat was a challenge.
As the first week’s team was packing to leave, Eric’s team arrived and started setting up their tents.
ERIC ‘S TEAM
The weather finally took a turn for the better over the week-end. We were actually able to set up a few picnic tables outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Eric’s team would have two days to check out the spots and decide who would go where. Eric had promised to prepare the two main meals of the week-end in order to give me a break.
He decided to do something quick and easy on his first night: venison stew using bottled meat With all the drinking and socializing, it wasn’t the best time to get into some serious cooking. He would more than make up for it on Sunday night when he made his Surf & Turf. The most elaborate meal ever prepared at Tent Town...and probably the best. Photos and account to follow...
I was exhausted by the end of the week so Robert, Philip, Don and Heather had gotten up early and done a thorough job of washing and sorting out all the cookware and dishes. Everything was in place for Eric to take over.
With both crews there on Saturday + a refreshed bar due to Pete’s visit and Eric’s arrival, Saturday night was party time: lots of music.. reminiscing... and camaraderie.
Good to hear your doing well David. Take things easy stuff will get done sooner or later. Besides it time your kids and grandkids took over the big jobs!
Good to hear your doing well David. Take things easy stuff will get done sooner or later. Besides it time your kids and grandkids took over the big jobs!
Just got these photos from Ducker. Last year's licensee ( Mitchell ) just bought a mega sausage stuffer. Him and Ducker just finished making 60 lbs of sausages: 30 lbs Smoked Andouille and 30 lbs of breakfast sausage. I've reserved 4 lbs of the Andouille.
So far I've received bottled moose meat, steaks and jerky from the gang. I can just imagine how good those Andouille sausages are going to be. Ducker has a lot of experience smoking game meat. He's really good at it.
We had made our traditional turkey dinner on the eve of the first season hunt.
But at our planning session at Eric’s house weeks before the hunt, Eric had indicated that he would prepare the Sunday meal for the second season hunt.
Based on what he had asked me at that meeting I knew that he was planning something pretty special for this meal. “Will you have a grill ?” he asked. “Yep, we’ll have a grill”, “What about large pots ?” he asked. “Yep, we’ll have plenty of large pots”. “A chopping board ?” “Yes we’ll have plenty of chopping boards”...and several more questions about our cooking set up. I'm sure that he made mental notes on the few things that we wouldn't have for his preparation.
So, Sunday afternoon Eric took charge of the galley. I basically just tried to stay out of his way while recording his actions as he progressed through the different stages of the preparation. What a joy it was to watch him...!! No trepidation...no second guessing...no hesitation. It was obvious that this wasn't his first rodeo. A true culinary craftsman..!!
Dovetailing is a term that refers to simultaneous multi-tasking in cookery. Eric is a pro at dovetailing. While he had his pasta simmering in one pot, he was preparing his Alfredo sauce in another and all the while rotating to his chopping board to chop garlic and prepare the seafood and pork tenderloins. He was also checking on the grill to make sure that it was at the right temperature.
Once his pasta was started, he emptied his cooler containing the seafood and pork and placed everything close to the chopping board.
Let’s take a closer look...
His first task was taking care of the tenderloins. He wrapped them in paper towel to made sure that they were all dry. You can't grill wet meat..!!
He sliced them all...
Massaged them with oil... And added his seasoning
I'm sure that Eric never suspected that the following evening, under a full moon, he would again be multi-tasking...but altogether on a different level.
Once all the seafood and pork medallions were ready, Eric moved to the grill...
First the scallops...
Then the shrimp...
These were put in a bowl along with the smoked haddock...
. This, along with the drained pasta, was added to his Alfredo sauce ( cream, butter, fresh garlic, a few fine herbs).
It was around this time that I decided to offer Eric a chef's hat and apron.
He had already grilled the pork medallions and baguette slices.
While the crew was lining up to eat, Eric opened a container of parmesan cheese for the pasta dish.
Finally, Eric could take the time to enjoy a well deserved drink...
"SURF & TURF"... MOOSE HUNTING FARE to be sure..!!
After a meal like that, who cares if we get a moose or not..??!! And, I didn't hear any complaints about not having our traditional pre hunt turkey dinner...LOL
Dave if only that grill could talk!!! It’s cooked all sorts of wild game even frog legs and fed many hungry mouths on its adventures! Eric’s meal is no exception it makes me sad I wasn’t able to stay a few extra days on that cold wet trip.
Pictured bellow is the gang eating freshly grilled frog legs at 3Am.
Dave if only that grill could talk!!! It’s cooked all sorts of wild game even frog legs have been cooked on it and fed many hungry mouths on its adventures! Eric’s meal is no exception it makes me sad I wasn’t able to stay a few extra days on that cold wet trip.
LOL...It's hard not to smile and salivate when you look back at some of the preparations on that grill...Best contribution ever to our moose hunts..!!
MOOSE, BEAR, & VENISON SEAKS...
BEAKFAST TIME...
CORN MEAT HASH
NOW THIS HOW YOU MAKE NACHOS..!!
FISHCAKES...
HOMEFRIES...
AND ALL THE GRILLED TROUT...GREAT MEMORIES...AND HOPEFULLY, MANY MORE TO BE MADE...
DIFFICULTY GETTING BACK TO THE MOOSE HUNTING STORY WITH THIS DISTRACTION...THE OTHER TEAMS HAD HUNTED THE HONEY HOLE EVERY DAY FOR ONE FULL WEEK ( SEASON ONE ) WITH NO RESULTS.
ERIC WAS SUCCESSFUL ON THE FIRST DAY OF SEASON TWO...MORE TO FOLLOW...
Eric had a big advantage over the first season licensees...
Pete had been with us since 1995. He started coming with us the year after our first moose hunt in 1994. He was our first (AND BEST) caller. Allain and I would scout and find good moose hunting grounds and he would be the work horse cleaning the trail to get there. He did that, along with building stands, for 20 years. He was also the first of our team to learn to call.
He had called in Joeys’ moose at the Honey Hole on Monday ( 2009)...(This was our first kill at the Honey Hole)
And he had also called in my moose at Don’s Bog on Thursday of the same season (2009)...
We lost him seven years ago when he moved to Alberta.
When he found out that we were going to be in the highlands for 2 weeks he decided to fly down from Alberta for the second season hunt and surprise me. I was the only one that didn’t know...What a wonderful surprise..!! It felt like old times again...
He rented this jeep at the Halifax Airport...and drove to Hunters Mountain.
He came with a mission...call in a moose at the Honey Hole.
It didn’t seem to faze him that we had not received any responses there for a whole week. He had entertained and video taped this bull at the Honey Hole Bog for almost an hour in 2013...and that’s where he wanted to call.
The team would be split between the Honey Hole and Don’s Bog.
Pete would be calling from the bog with Eric on the stand while Alex watched the pond. Joey would be with Wayne at Don’s Bog.
No responses at all all day long at both sites. As dusk was approaching, Pete made one last round of calling in the bog and returned to the stand. No vocal responses at all, but within minutes, a bull pop out of the edge of the bog right here:
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