Day Two of the Great Alberta Moose Hunt

To bed last night at 10 p.m. and up at 5 a.m., Pam and I were on the road to the lodge to have breakfast by 5:45 a.m.  After yesterday and the day before, I was brimming with confidence and could not wait to get out into the fields of canola, wheat, oats and hay.  We torqued down our breakfasts and were the first ones out the door to the truck.  Even the guide was amazed at our eagerness.  He expected us older people not to move that fast.

This picture was taken the previous night as we were heading back to the lodge. Moon rise over Alberta and we just stopped and looked at it for a while as the earth turned and it came up higher in the sky.  The thought was maybe a moose will come out to admire the moon rise too, but to no avail. 

Down the roads we went.  It was just light enough to make out shapes heading toward the tree lines and standing woods packed with timber.  We could make out shapes and we saw a half a dozen bull moose heading to the shelter of timber. Several were of really decent size.  We also saw, as usual, a lot of cows.  Our guide told us that moose hang around a general area unless spooked.  At that point they never come back to the same area for some time.  Another fact that is interesting is that moose do not like wind and they will really hunker down in windy conditions.  It is hard enough to see them without them making themselves more scarce.

Mom and calf.  This is Pam's favorite picture and one of mine too.  We were about 100 yards off the road when Pam spotted them just standing there and posing for us.  She wanted that picture.  It is amazing they are so far away from the timber.  They must have been moving to another spot and froze for us. 

The animal is very black and the timber they hide in is very dark to almost black depending where the sun is.  Today was partially cloudy with very light breezes.  We hoped the big beasts would be out  roaming around looking for female company or some very fine canola to feast on.  If you are a bull moose in this section of Alberta, you have no problem finding female company.

Moving down the roads and through the oil patches, we did not see anything initially.  Then we came across two really young bulls.  The guide classified them as "forkys", but Pam and I classified them as girlie man bulls. They were really young and would have been a really easy shot.  I could have gotten out of the pick up, laid my gun across the hood and punched one of them.  They were not 30 yards off the road and standing very still.  It was an easy shot, but this was only day two and there was no reason to harvest a bull we really did not want.  Pam was worried I was going to take the bigger of the two.

I cannot see the girlie man bulls in this picture, but Pam said she saw them and so did the guide.  I was informed, "Do not shoot one of the girlie man bulls as they may be brothers."   I had no intention of it anyway, but earlier they were closer to the edge of the tree line. 

Edging down the road and keeping an eye on the stands of timber, we rounded a corner, and there stood a cow and calf not more than 75 yards off the road.  Just beyond the cow and calf was a really great looking bull.  He was just standing there like he was frozen and we moved down the road where we could get out.  Quietly we got out of the truck and did not slam the doors.  We were moving down a stand of timber and the cow and calf were on the next stand of timber.  There was only about a 30 yard stand of grass between the two stands of timber, and this is where Mr. Bull was standing.  (I hope you the reader can visualize or understand what is going on).  Mr Bull was in the open.  The two cows were on the edge of the next stand of timber.  This was a really really nice bull per the guide.

We got this picture out of focus, but what is a person to do considering we were driving slowly along the road to a spot out of sight to go and shoot the bull, providing he was still there. 

We crept along the timber line and I was almost in shooting position when the calf spooked and took off running down the road. The animal was immediately followed by the cow.  Mr. Bull (the dirty rat) dove for the timber.  I did not say it, but I thought expletive deleted. We were close to the timber and both the guide and I did not believe the cow or the calf saw us.  We could have been winded.

The three animals ran down the road and crossed to the other side.  We turned around and stopped about 100 yards where they had crossed.  The guide said, "He is not going to stay with that cow.  He will come back across the road and back to the tree line."  He did just that, and stopped just across the road on the edge.  THIS WAS A PERFECT SHOT AND NOT MORE THAN 150 YARDS AWAY.  Can you hear me?  As I type this I am screaming!

The first piece of bad news came: 1. He was standing just off the road.  That is against the law in Alberta to shoot an animal along the roadway.  It would have been my luck to have dropped him, and along would come the constabulary.  Who do you think would be going to jail? The American.  2. The lodge did not have permission to hunt this piece of ground, and it took about 10 minutes before the guide contacted the owner.  It was okay, but by then that magnificent piece of moose, had moved over to the stand of timber.

He has put some distance between us when we finally got the go ahead to shoot him.  In the meantime, he moved over to the timber, and we lost sight of him.  We attempted to locate him, but we both felt he took off for better and safer areas.  With the wind at our back, we never would have caught up to him.  There was a lot of activity going on at this time and we are lucky to have got this picture at all. 

We took off trying to get into a position where we could spot him, but the wind was on our backs, and he just kept moving ahead of us.  Finally, after being soaking wet from sweat, I gave up.  The guide, God bless him, wanted to keep moving, but I was worn down.  Pamela sat in the truck and took a plethora of pictures of everything that happened, and as I typed this blog, she was right there to make sure I did not forget anything.

The good news was that the two other hunters each had dropped their moose.  One was a really nice boy and the other was a meat moose along the line of the "forkys" or to quote Pamela, "girlie" moose.  We did not share that with anyone at the camp.

Caught in the act.  The bear had pulled open the door to the bin holding oats and was woofing them down to his heart's delight.  Then we came along.  

It was a small bear and when we came by again later, there he was, chowing down. 

The evening was uneventful, although we did see, as usual, a lot of cow calf groupings.  We were both beat from the day and did not even stay for the soup in the evening, but went right back to the 49 motel.

A harvest of a really nice moose came close.  Close is only good in horseshoes. That night I slept like a baby and cried all night.  Read the next post on January 1st, and always remember to never give up.

Click on the Lulu link and buy my book for a good quick and entertaining read.  Makes a good gift for someone who has everything.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck. Hank

The Great Moose Hunt is On

It was finally going to happen!  After a three day drive from Council Bluffs, we arrived in Grand Prairie, Alberta Canada.  Next morning we met the chief guide at our motel and followed him up to Spirit River and to the lodge.  We then met the staff and everyone was shown to their rooms except for my wife and I.  We were staying at the 49 Motel in Spirit River.  The lodge had adequate rooms, but there were only two bathrooms and one shower.  Not so good for my wife but Mike told me hunters bring their wives all the time and stay at the motel.  It was only 20 minutes from the lodge.

The lodge was full of mounts of all kinds from bear to elk to a multitude of mule and whitetail deer.  Look at the pile of horn lying in the bottom of the picture. 

Next was licensing, a really big lunch, and then guidelines on how the hunts would take place.  There were five hunters in total and three guides.  Pam and I teamed up with the chief guide by ourselves.  The other two guides had two hunters a piece.  One thing the guides stressed at our initial meeting was to keep shooting as long as the moose was still standing.  More than likely it would take several shots.  They stressed that these are really big animals and it takes a lot to bring one down.  It was also common for one to get up after being shot.  We were instructed to shoot again and again until he goes down, stays down, and his head is down.  Next we went out to the range in back of the lodge and shot our rifles to make sure they were zeroed in.  Then it was off to hunt till it got dark.

This is farm country with gently rolling fields of canola, wheat, oats, and hay.  It is also oil country and the land is peppered with large swaths of forest land containing a multitude of pump jacks.  We were able to hunt this ground, although the roads were dirt and not maintained well. We could hunt the farm ground too and Mike's Outfitting has obtained permission from a lot of land owners yielding plenty of acreage to hunt.

This is pasture ground and the crop fields are scattered throughout the area.  Notice the timber at the top of the picture.  This is made up of Spruce, Aspen, Poplar and other smaller native woods.  When it gets light the moose hide in the swatches of timber.  Keep in mind they are black and blend in really well with their surroundings. Our three guides had eyes like that of an eagle and could spot moose in the timber at great distances.  All of us hunters complained about the same thing.  They were seeing things and we could not see squat.  That is the difference between a young man's eyes and ours. 

The farm ground had massive fields but they were bordered by stands of timber running for miles and about 15 to 20 yards wide.  The timber was a mix of spruce, aspen, poplar, and a tall plant that had a dark look to it.  The reason I bring this up is that the stands of timber were almost black looking.  The moose we were hunting were black except for their horns and legs.  The legs were white.

In a 4WD, 4 Door, F250 we prowled the roads examining the stretches of timber and searching for moose.  I have never seen such amazing eye sight as our guide had.  The other hunters had the same experience with their guides.  It was amazing how they could spot game in the timber line.  I want to also add that this country had deer roaming all over it and we saw whitetail as well as mule.  They also have elk, and offer bear and wolf hunts.  This is definitely a one stop shop hunting lodge.

Timber was to the left with a harvested Canola field to the right.  We studied the tree line and glanced out to the open ground.  The main concentration was the tree lines.  Notice how thick it is and dark.  A perfect place for a moose to hide. 

On the first day our guide did not see a bull moose, but did see plenty of cows and cows with calves.  That is the difference between a young man's eyes and mine and my wife's.

As it got toward evening, one of the hunters had a 250 yard shot and unfortunately missed.  He was disappointed, but he had hunted here before and was looking for a meat moose.  It was a respectable animal, but he was not too disappointed as he knew there was a young boy out there for him.

That is a calf.  The cow was deeper in the timber, and the calf did not even spook.  We stopped about 50 feet from her and just watched as she took her time nibbling away at the stand of timber.  I could not see the cow, but our guide did and said it was a big mature girl.  Now where are the boys?

As it got dark, we headed back to the lodge.  Our two main meals were breakfast and lunch.  Lunch was the big meal for the day.  In the evening it was generally a soup or a soup and sandwich combination.  There was always home made dessert and was outstanding.  After supper my wife and I would head back to the Motel 49 in Spirit River.  This was not New York City, and the Motel 49 was not the Waldorf, but it was very clean, comfortable, and met our needs perfectly.

We were to be at the lodge by 6:15 for breakfast and then it was off to hunt.

The next day we hit the roads at 7 a.m. and in the dim light, we could see big moose heading back to the stands of timber lining the fields.  They love the canola fields and this was where we concentrated.  We also moved into some of the oil country timber but saw nothing.  Our best luck on spotting moose was the stands of timber.  We were constantly seeing cows with a calf. That was a good sign as wherever the girls are the boys are soon to follow.  It wasn't long.

A father and son team had just harvested two moose.  One was a really big boy, and the other was acceptable, but needed some growing.  Both hunters were pleased.  For them, this meant they would get their game to the processor, wait a day, and go back south to the U.S.

Both men were smiling ear to ear as we pulled into the lodge and went to see their results.

We got back to the lodge after all the loading, gutting and preparation for the processor.  Two guides did all of this and the hunters were really pleased with their harvest. It would take a day to have the processing and freezing done.  Then they would go back to New Mexico the following day. 

Two really nice bulls.  Father and son were really pleased

After another great big meal and being stuffed, we waited an hour then went back out to prowl the prairies and oil patches.  We hunted until late in the day, but did not see a decent bull.  There was an opportunity to harvest a young spike, but it was early in the hunt and if I got to the last day, I would take it. 

Back to the 49 Motel and repeat the same process next day.  The story continues on December 15th. 

Click on the link and buy my book about the hunting trips taken. 

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck, Hank 

Delta-01.Agate Fossil Beds, Chimney Rock, Boot Hill

Minuteman III Missile Delta-9 (Dummy Missile)

After the Badlands we headed over to visit the 3 parts of the Missile Site at Delta-1.  The three sites consist of the visitors center, Delta-1 where we would go underground and see the control room that two officers in the Air Force would be stationed 24 hours a day, and viewing the actual silo at Delta-9.

Our first stop was at the visitors center.  At this location an excellent history of the cold war was presented and the need for the missile defense that was built at the various locations across South Dakota and other plains states.  Since my wife grew up in Sidney, Nebr. she has first hand experience of living among the missile silos which were scattered across the farm lands of the area.  For me growing up in Council Bluffs, IA., Strategic Air Command (SAC) was just a few miles from our home.  Talk of nuclear war was always a subject of conversation as both of us drilled in school in an attempt to save ourselves should we be attacked.  

Visitors Center

If you visit the area it is important to spend some time at this center managed by the National Park Service. Exhibits and an excellent film about the time these missiles were part of the country's Nuclear Triad.

Next we headed over to see the missile silo holding a dummy missile silo.  From 1963 until the early 1990s the missile silo at Delta-09 contained a fully operational Minuteman Missile with a 1.2 megaton nuclear warhead.  The Delta-09 millile silo was one of 150 spread across western South Dakota.  In total there were 1,000 Minuteman's deployed from the 1960's into the early 1990's.  The site is open daily and there is a self-guided cell phone tour available year-round.  Visitors can use their cell phones to listen to a ranger recorded tour.

Looking down inside the silo. 

The launch facility consists of a silo 12 feet in diameter and 80 feet deep made of reinforced concrete with a steel-plate liner.  The door to the silo has been welded and fitted with a glass roof and an unarmed missile placed inside.  There are no tours inside the silo.

The lid that would be slid back to allow the missile to fly. Also backside of tourist. 

Antenna to receive signals to the missile silo. 

After spending time at the silo, it was time to head to Delta -1 to view the underground launch control facility. To visit Delta-01 you need a reservation through the National Park Service.  It is advisable to make this reservation several months in advance of when you think you will be there as the tickets are very scarce.  The reason for this is that only six people can fit into the elevator that will take you underground to stand in the capsule.  Also, in case of elevator failure, you must be able to climb a 30 foot ladder.  To make a reservation contact the park service at the following website. (https://www.blackhillsvacations.com/things-to-do/national-state-parks/supplier/698193-Minuteman-Missile-National-Historic-Site)

The launch control facility, known as Delta One (D-01), is about 10.5 miles (16.9 km) away, to the east-southeast in northwestern Jackson County.  It occupies approximately six acres (24,000 m²) about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) north of I-90 at Exit 127. It consists of an above-ground building containing a kitchen, sleeping quarters, offices and life-support equipment. Below this building is the actual launch control center, buried 31 feet (9.4 m) deep, connected to the building by an elevator. Guided tours are conducted underground here, but are limited to six people at a time due to the very small underground launch control center ("capsule") and are a half-hour long. 

Entrance to Delta-01

The above ground facilities at Delta-01.  Air Force personnel were housed here to help maintain the complex.  Each control center managed 10 missiles and there were 100 centers scattered throughout the plains. 

Two missileers worked and lived on 24 hour alert duty shifts within the LCC. There was an eight ton blast door that had to be opened from within before an oncoming Missile Combat Crew could enter the LCC. The two person crew would spend most of their time monitoring the status of their 10 missiles. Among their other work duties was authenticating message traffic, remotely monitoring maintenance at the silos and assisting with the dispatch of security police if any motion sensing alarms were tripped at the silos. When the missileers were not performing work duties they would pass time by reading, watching television or studying for master's degrees through a special Air Force educational program. There was also a bunk provided for one missileer to sleep while the other crewmember kept an eye on the weapons system. As one former missileer once said, missileer duty was "hours and hours of sheer boredom, punctuated by seconds of panic."

The metal door into the capsule.  Notice if they sent a missile, it could reach its target in 30 minutes. 

This is the commanders station in the capsule.  

Second in command took this position. 

Once the order was given and verified, each officer would simultaneously insert their key into the switch and turn it to the launch position at the same time.  At that point in time they would have released hell and sent 10 missiles on their way. 

Next morning our first stop was the Agate Fossil Beds. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is nestled in the Niobrara River Valley in Nebraska 65 miles [110 km] east-southeast of its headwaters in the Hat Creek Breaks of Wyoming. The park preserves a unique unglaciated area of the High Plains. Wetlands stretch out from the river and meet terraces that lead to the breaks and buttes. The buttes contain important information about the life of mammals in the Miocene Epoch, some 20 million years ago.

Entrance to the Monument

Fossil hills where the Prehistoric bones were found. 

During the Miocene the land now known as Agate was a grass savanna comparable to today's Serengeti Plains in Africa. Twenty million years ago animals such as the Dinohyus (giant pig-like animal), Stenomylus (small gazelle-camel), and Menoceras (short rhinoceros) roamed the plains. There were also carnivorous beardogs wandering around, and the land beaver Paleocastor dug spiral burrows that remain as today's trace fossils (Daemonelix) into the ancient riverbanks. There are remnants of the ancient grasses and hoofprints of prehistoric animals in Miocene sediments preserved in the park, as well as layers of fossilized bones.

Museum housing artifacts found on site. 

The park was created to preserve the rich fossil deposits and their geological contexts amidst today's natural ecosystem. Numerous mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds inhabit or pass through the park, undisturbed and protected. Many species of native grasses and shrubs grow across the park's landscape, as well as some undesirable non-native plants (e.g., Canada thistle) that the park does its best to control. 

Next morning we were heading home and stopped of course at a landmark used by the wagon trains as they made their way across the prairie. Prior to exploration and settlement by European immigrants, the Native Americans of the area—mainly the Lakota Sioux—would refer to this formation by a term which meant "elk penis".

The name "Chimney Rock" probably originated from early fur traders. The first recorded mention of "Chimney Rock" was in 1827 by Joshua Pilcher. Pilcher had journeyed up the Platte River valley to the Salt Lake rendezvous of the Rocky Mountain fur trappers. The formation went through a variety of names before becoming Chimney Rock such as Chimley Rock and Chimney Tower, as well as euphemisms based on the original Native American name, such as Elk's Peak and Elk Brick.

Since my wife is from the area, and we have seen the formation a number of times over the years, it appears to be slowly eroding and was probably much taller when the wagon trains came up the valley. 

My wife's home town is Sidney, Nebraska and we stopped there to visit Boot Hill. The City of Sidney was founded in 1867 by the Union Pacific and named for Sidney Dillon, a railroad attorney. The city grew up around the Sidney Barracks, a military outpost with a primary function of protecting the Union Pacific Railroad track layers against the threat of hostile Indians. The post was initially a block house on a bluff with soldiers residing in nearby tents. In 1869 the post was relocated to the present site and the following year it was renamed Fort Sidney.

In the 1870s Fort Sidney became a major strategic point as the initial supply depot on the 267-mile Sidney-Blackhills trail which allowed military and civilian traffic to reach Fort Robinson, Red Cloud Indian Agency, Deadwood, SD and the Black Hills gold fields. By 1875 the fort contained quarters for three companies, five officer's quarters, a hospital, guardhouse, bakery, laundry, stables and other structures.

During Sidney's boomtown years, it was a colorful mixture of settlers, freighters, cowboys and soldiers and was also the center of the cattle industry.  The colorful mixture is lying in Boot Hill on the north side of town. 

Madam Boots must have been a lady of the evening. 

It looks like Charles met an untimely demise.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

www.outdoorswithhank.com

Across Beautiful South Dakota

South Dakota State Bird

South Dakota is one of our favorite states.  For us they have it all from fishing, hunting to national parks and the beauty of the plains.  With some spare time we took off to do a quick tour through the state of some of the interesting sites.  On the top of the list was a tour of Delta 1, an ICBM base that was fully operation during the cold war, and we went underground to see how our service men and women lived during this tense period. 

Out of Council Bluffs and a mere 2 hour and 45 minute drive straight north along I-29. Northeast of the city is a state park, the Palisades.  Palisades State Park is one of the most unique areas in South Dakota. Split Rock Creek, which flows through the park, is lined with Sioux quartzite formations varying from shelves several feet above the water to 50-foot vertical cliffs. Scenic overlooks and rushing water make Palisades a popular getaway. The park is popular among campers, photographers, sightseers, picnickers, rock climbers and hikers.

The facilities at the park are so typical of South Dakota.  They are just excellent whether you are a camper or wanting a cabin overlooking the stream.  We stayed a good two hours and were able to soak in all the sights enjoying the beautiful South Dakota weather. 

Next stop was Mitchell.  Besides having a Cabela's store, the town is famous for a tourist attraction, the corn palace.  The World’s Only Corn Palace is Mitchell’s premier tourist attraction. Some 500,000 tourists come from around the nation each year to see the uniquely designed corn murals. The city’s first Corn Palace was built as a way to prove to the world that South Dakota had a healthy agricultural climate.

Eight years before the turn of the 20th century, in 1892 (when Mitchell, South Dakota was a small, 12-year-old city of 3,000 inhabitants) the World's Only Corn Palace was established on the city’s Main Street. During it’s over 100 years of existence, it has become known worldwide and now attracts more than a half a million visitors annually. 

By 1905 the success of the Corn Palace had been assured and a new Palace was to be built, but this building soon became too small. In 1919, the decision to build a third Corn Palace was made. This one was to be permanent and more purposeful than its predecessors. The present building was completed in 1921, just in time for the Corn Palace Festivities.

The Palace is redecorated each year with naturally colored corn and other grains and native grasses to make it “the agricultural show-place of the world”.  

The front of the corn palace

Pushing west along I-90 our next stop was Wall Drug at Wall, SD.  This was a night stop over for us and so we had the time to tour the Drug Store. 

Wall Drug has a rich history in the state of South Dakota. Nestled in the city of Wall in the western part of the state, Wall Drug has grown from its humble beginnings in 1931 to a thriving oasis. Wall Drug offers dining, activities, gifts and souvenirs, visitor information and, of course, free ice water. 

    Today, Wall Drug continues to offer the same amenities that made it a must-stop destination all            those years ago, and visitors still stop to stretch their legs, eat a delicious home-style meal and           drink some free, rejuvenating ice-cold water.

   The city of Wall, South Dakota is home to 800 year-round residents and, thanks to Wall Drug, one       of the most popular attractions in the state, drawing in more than 2 million visitors each year.     

There it is and it occupies a square block with all kinds of stores from food and clothing to curios placed just at the right height for the young people to fasten their eyes on and plead with their parents to buy it. 

What movie was this from?

Next morning it was off to visit the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. 

    The Lakota gave this land its name, “Mako Sica,” meaning “land bad.” Located in southwestern          South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes,                    pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. It        is desolation at its truest, where you can look for miles and see no sign of civilization.

    This land has been so ruthlessly ravaged by wind and water that it has become picturesque. The          Badlands are a wonderland of bizarre, colorful spires and pinnacles, massive buttes and deep              gorges. Erosion of the Badlands reveals sedimentary layers of different colors: purple and yellow       (shale), tan and gray (sand and gravel), red and orange (iron oxides) and white (volcanic ash).
   Badlands National Park also preserves the world’s greatest fossil beds of animals from the                   Oligocene Epoch of the Age of Mammals. The skeletons of ancient camels, three-toed horses,             saber-toothed cats and giant rhinoceros-like creatures are among the many fossilized species found     here. All fossils, rocks, plants and animals are protected and must remain where you find them.           Prehistoric bones are still being uncovered today by park officials.

   The Badlands are home to the largest mixed grass prairie in the National Park System and                   is surrounded by the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Wildlife roams the park's boundaries as             well. Bison, pronghorn, mule and whitetail deer, prairie dogs, coyotes, butterflies, turtles, snakes,       bluebirds, vultures, eagles and hawks are just some of the wildlife that can often be seen by                 visitors.  In 1994, the near-extinct Black-footed ferrets were reintroduced into the Badlands prairie.     These nocturnal animals are rarely seen by the visiting public.

Mighty fine looking boy.  The buffalo were everywhere on the grass lands. 

Center left is a nice fat coyote making his way to wherever. 

It surprised us to be so close to a couple of Big Horn Sheep.  They must see cars all the time.

This visit took care of day one and the morning of day two.  This afternoon we go to Delta 1 the Minuteman Missile underground for a tour of the facility and to Delta 9 to see an actual missile silo.  Inside was a dummy missile.  Next blog read about the experience with pictures of the underground and an exciting visit to another beautiful National Park. 

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

www.outdoorswithhank.com

Country Fried Wild Game  (Deer, Elk, Caribou, Moose, Buffalo)

• ¾ lb. to 1 lb. of game chops/steaks (2-3 big or 4-5 small pieces)
• 8 ounce package of sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 1- 12-16 ounce can of either beef or mushroom gravy
• 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup green onion, chopped
• salt, pepper and seasoning salt
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 4 tablespoon of butter or margarine
• Tusker Beer

Season game chops (to taste) using your favorite seasoning salt. Place flour, cornstarch, and touch of salt and pepper into large Ziploc bag (do not over season). Put game chops individually into the bag, shake to coat well. Once all chops are coated, remove from bag to a plate. Press coating into chops then let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to help the flour stick to the venison. Meanwhile, preheat a large (16”) cast iron skillet (preferred) to med-high heat. Also, preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and sauté until almost transparent. Add package of sliced mushrooms (season with salt and pepper). Allow onions and mushrooms to sweat and caramelize. Just before onions and mushrooms are finished, add the minced garlic stirring to incorporate, about 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn, as it will taste bitter. Once onions, mushrooms, and garlic are done remove to a plate. With the skillet still at medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Place game into melted butter and brown on each side. This will sear in the juices, not cook the venison completely through. Once browned, drain oil then return onions, mushrooms, and garlic mixture to the pan. Also add in entire can of beef or mushroom gravy. Make sure chops are mostly covered. Place the uncovered skillet* in the oven for 10 minutes to finish the dish. Remove from oven, garnish with freshly chopped green onions and serve. Great with mashed potatoes or a bed of butter and garlic pasta! *If your skillet is not oven safe, removed browned chops and place them, the mushrooms/onions/garlic, and gravy into a metal baking pan and follow remaining steps.

Goes very well with Tusker Beer. 

North to Alberta for Moose

Pam and I are heading down that long grey ribbon to Spirit River, Alberta to hunt moose the week of October 23rd.  The moose hunt was set up in January and I was disappointed that I was placed on a standby list for this year, but confirmed in 2019.  We came home one evening and there was an e-mail from Mike Ukrainetz stating the the person he was holding for the week of October 23rd this year had backed out and I could have the spot.  That was an easy decision as we did not want to wait over a year to make this hunt.  So, we are confirmed to make the trip up to Spirit River for a first class moose hunt with Mike's Outfitting. 

Friends ask me who is going with you on this trip.  This can be a dangerous animal.  When I tell them my wife Pam, is going along and her job is to keep herself between me and the moose.  After all she has gone gator hunting with me, elk hunting with me, and this will be the first for both of us.  This is a three day drive and we will be going up I-29 to Fargo, then across N.D. to Dickinson our first overnight stop.  Next stop will be  Lethbridge, Alberta.  We will leave the easy driving of the interstate and move north and then west to stay on the prairies of Montana and avoid the 4 lanes of I-94 that weave through the mountains of western Montana.  Boring and not real scenic as the westerly drive would be, it would also keep us out of the elevations and mountain weather.  We are not interested in the sites, but making time across Montana.  Anyway, we have been in the state before on our travels. After Lethbridge we overnight in Grand Prairie and meet Mike at the motel the next day and it is off to the lodge.  It will be three days total driving.  Just as a sidelight and they pay me nothing,  but we like to stay in Comfort Inns and they are plentiful on our trip and have a free breakfast.

What I know of this animal is that they are really big and can get really mean.  Now that is interesting as I enjoy shooting dangerous game.  The main element of  the animal is they are number 1. on the wild game meat menu with Caribou number 2, and Elk number 3.  I have shot numbers 2 and 3 and so it is time to sample number 1. There is a plethora of information about the animal on the net and so additional research began.

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The moose (Alces alces) is the largest species in the deer family.  They are distinguished by the broad, flat antlers of the males.  Other members of the family have twig like configuration.  Hunting and other human activities have caused a reduction in the size of the moose's range over time.  Currently most moose are found in Canada, Alaska, New England, and Russia.  Their diet consists of both terrestrial and aquatic vegetation.  The most common moose predators are the gray wolf along with bears.  Unlike most other deer species moose are solitary animals and do not form herds.  Slow - moving and sedentary, they can become aggressive and move quickly if angered or startled.  Autumn features energetic fights between males competing for a female.

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Moose populations have declined dramatically in some of the temperate climates of North America.  They remain stable in arctic and subarctic regions.  Besides wolf predators, moose can be infected by bacterial infection by parasites from whitetail deer.  The whitetail deer populations have grown and moose have not developed a natural defense, to liver flukes, brain worms, and winter tick infestations.

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Canada has the largest population with an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 moose.  Newfoundland has an estimated 150,000 that was descended from four that were introduced in 1990.  The United States has an estimated 300,000 with Alaska have about 200,000 as reported by the state's Department of Fish and Game.  The balance is scattered throughout the Rocky Mountain states with Wyoming having the largest share in a 6 state area.  The Northeast has an estimated 50,000 in 2007. The balance is scattered throughout the upper Midwest.  (Source Wikipedia)

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An adult moose stands 4.6 feet to 6.9 feet high at the shoulder which is more than a foot higher than the next largest member of the deer family, the elk. The bulls will weigh from 800 to 1500 pounds.  That is a lot of meat.  Before we go, I will call the processor to see if he has additional coolers to help me bring meat home.  The trip back will be a race against time.  However, I have taken as long as 2 full days coming back from an elk trip and the meat was still solid.  My coolers are supposed to keep things solid up to three days with dry ice.

The moose is a herbivore and most of it's energy is derived from terrestrial vegetation consisting of forbs and other non grasses, fresh shoots from trees such as willow and birch.  They also consume a good quantity of aquatic plants.  They lack upper front teeth, but have eight sharp incisors on the lower jaw.  They also have a tough tongue, lips and gums, which aid in the eating of woody vegetation.  The upper lip is very sensitive, to help distinguish between shoots and harder twigs.   have been known to dive underwater to find plants on lake bottoms.  They are not grazing animals, but browsers like giraffes.  They eat relative low fiber foods and unlike most ruminants, they cannot digest hay and feeding it to a moose can be fatal.   The animals varied and complex diet is expensive for people to provide and free-range moose require a lot of forested acreage for sustainable survival. That is probably one of the reasons it has not been domesticated.

I have never had an elk or a deer charge at me but as I read more about the animal they are not usually aggressive towards humans.  However, if provoked or frightened they will attack and according to one source, they attack more people than bears and wolves combined.  During the mating season is when the aggression is at it's peak. The Anchorage Visitor Centers warn tourists that "a moose with its hackles raised is a thing to fear."

I have been told moose tastes like tender beef, with perhaps more flavor. It is comparable to red meats of beef, deer, and elk.  With a low fat content it has a high protein content similar to elk and deer.  Because there are just two of us, we like to have our burger  put into half pound packs rather than pound.  If you need a pound use two packs.  We take the back straps and the tenderloins but the rest of the animal we have ground into burger.  We used to do roasts, but it just did not work out and our friends and family we give meat to prefer burger.  When I told Mike this fact, he wants the roasts if we do not want them and will have some roast moose for us to savor at the lodge.  He said you will change your mind.

As I have now finished this article, it is time to take out of the freezer some elk steak to be tenderized and marinated for tomorrow night's dining extravaganza. 

When Pam and I get back in November there will be full report of our experience.  

Good Hunting, Good Fishing, and Good Luck,  Hank

Buy Hank's book and hunt with hank.  Great and fun read. Click on the above link. 

 Moose Chili (You can also use Elk)

• 1/4 cup of coconut oil (or what ever oil you prefer)
• 1 - large onion - chopped
• 5 - cloves garlic - chopped or crushed
• 2 - pounds of ground moose meat
• 2 - 14 ounce (398 ml) tomato sauce
• 1 - 28 ounce (796ml) can of diced tomatoes
• 1 - small can tomato paste
• 1 - 540 ml (14 ounce) can white kidney beans - drained
• 1 - 540 ml (14 ounce) can black beans - drained
• 1 - 540 ml (14 ounce) can chick peas (garbanzo) - drained
• 8 - medium fresh Mushrooms

• 1/2 - green bell pepper - chopped
• 1/2- red bell pepper - chopped
• 3 - red chili peppers - diced
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 - tablespoon diced parsley
• 1 - tablespoon diced thyme
• 1 - teaspoon of coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup Red Wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tusker Beer

Preparation

In a 5 quart or larger Lodge Dutch Oven add your cooking oil (in our case coconut oil) and heat over a medium heat. Add onions and sauté them until they are opaque and softened. At this point add the garlic and continue to sauté for a few minutes. Be sure to not burn the garlic.

Add the moose meat to the Dutch oven, cooking and stirring until the meat is browned.

While the meat is browning, in a blender combine the tomato sauce and mushrooms and blend to a finely chopped consistency (not purée).

Once the meat has browned, combine the tomato sauce mushroom mixture, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, black beans and chick peas. Increase the temperature and heat until boiling.

At this point you will want to add the: green pepper, red pepper, chili peppers, parsley, thyme, salt & pepper, sugar and wine.
Cover and simmer for at least one hour.

While simmering, make up a batch of cornbread and brown basmati rice to serve with your moose dish. 

Drink the Tusker Beer.