Hunting with Mike

Just wanted to add a little something to the last blog I did on venison.  I just ran across a real good receipt I have for venison tenderloin, and I wanted to pass it on.

4 Venison loin steaks                                                                                                                                                        3 Tablespoons butter or margarine                                                                                                                               2 Tablespoons olive oil                                                                                                                                                     1/2 Cup chopped vidalia onion

1 Garlic clove chopped                                                                                                                                                     1/2 Cup of red wine                                                                                                                                                          1 Cup sliced mushrooms                                                                                                                                                  1/2 cup of heavy cream or skim milk

1 Medium tomato coarsely chopped                                                                                                                              4 Fresh basil leaves chopped                                                                                                                                          1/4 Teaspoon salt                                                                                                                                                             1-1/2 Teaspoons ground black pepper

Dry steaks and rub pepper on both sides.  In a large heavy skillet heat 2-tablespoons of butter and olive oil.  Add steaks and cook to your liking.  Place steaks in a warmed dish and cover.

Add remaining butter to skillet along with onion and garlic.  Saute’ for 1 minute.  Add wine and heat till boiling, stirring to get any browned “bits” mixed in that had stuck to the pan.  Add mushrooms and cook stirring frequently until soft.  (about 3-minutes)  Add cream, tomato, and basil and simmer until mixture thickens. (1-2 minutes)  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.  Makes 4-servings.

This may sound complicated, but it’s not, and believe me the effort is worth it.  Once you try this you’ll want to do it again, and again!

Mike

Venison figured into the human diet long before the first pilgrims reached these shores. Ir was the staple food for all Americans up till the late 19th. century. Of all the game animals found in the United States, nothing sustained the settlers like venison. The whitetail deer was hunted so much,in fact, that the combination of “market hunting,” poor conservation practices, no closed seasons, and no bag limits led to a dramatic decline in whitetail numbers! Actually, in the first half of the 20th century, very few Americans knew the joy of a tasty venison roast!

All of that has changed over the past two generations, thanks to one of this countries greatest wildlife comebacks. Today whitetail numbers are at record highs, and over much of the nation deer hunting ranks at the top of the list of favorite hunting pursuits. Most of this countries population lives within a short drive of public deer hunting property. Hunting has proven to be a valuable management tool, as deer numbers continue to climb from coast to coast. A hunter who is fortunate enough to put a couple deer in his freezer will have some scrumptious fare for many months. You and I can enjoy the benefits of this animal as it is served upon our tables, but the whole process of getting it there, is “mighty” fulfilling isn’t it?

Mike

This is ole “straight shootin” Dick Baldwin from Marquette Michigan. He is the Patriarch of one of the most successful hunting families I personally know. His son’s Gary and Greg, grandson Matt, and son-in-law Dale make up the usual deer camp hunters. They hunt the beautiful, and rugged hills around their camp, and know the area like the back of your hand! They usually incorporate most hunting methods during the season such as standing, driving, and sneaking. If there is snow on the ground, one of them may “cut a big track,” and follow it for hours! Their buck pole seems to always have a deer or two hanging by opening day evening, and more often than not, it’s Dick’s buck.

Well this year “poor old Dick” turned 80, and you might think he’d slow down a little. “NOT!” Those two beautiful 8-pointers, in the above picture, were both shot opening day by “the man” Dick Baldwin. Not only did he accomplish a feat most of us only dream about, he did it with exacting precision. Both of those mature bucks were dropped, in their tracks, by a perfect heart shot! Dick is the epitome of a true woodsman/hunter in every sense of the word. Part naturalist, conservationist, and environmentalist; Dick is the complete package. He truly cares about all our natural resources, and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to wildlife, and the habitat they live in. Congratulations again Dick-you do the hunting fraternity proud.

Gary Baldwin said the camp motto this year was 2-eights-at-80, and he couldn’t be prouder of his dad. Dick wasn’t the only one to connect, as Greg and Gary also took bucks, but not as big as their dad’s! Matt and Dale had several opportunities at “lesser” bucks (spikes to small eights) but passed them up. Sometimes you have to “let em go to let em grow!” Hey maybe they’ll be big enough for Dick next year when he’s 81. You’ll have to think up a new motto for that scenario “boy’s!That’s me on Dicks lap with Greg, Gary, and Matt. I’ve been trying to get Dick to adopt me, but no luck yet!

Mike