Moose Short Rib Japanese Curry

Japanese curry is something I was introduced to years ago and it has since become one of my easy favourites.  It is basically a spicy stew with a thick gravy.  You can buy the Glico Japanese curry blocks at most grocery stores these days, usually in the Asian food aisle.  

Ingredients

- 2-3 lbs of short ribs or cubed meat

- 1 pack of Glico curry.  (mild is shown here, but there is medium and hot as well)

- 1 pack of baby carrots

- 1 pack of mini potatoes

- 3-4 cloves of garlic

- 2 cups of Japanese short grain rice

Steps

1) Medium dice the onion and garlic.

2) Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the onion and garlic

3) Put the meat into the slow cooker

4) Half the baby carrots and potatoes and add to the slow cooker

5) Cut the curry blocks into small pieces and add to the slow cooker.

6) Fill slow cooker with water until the ingredients are just barely covered.

7) Turn on slow cooker on low and wait until it is ready (10-12 hours)

8) Once the slow cooker is finished cooking, make the rice.  First, rinse the rice until the water is clear.  Then add it to a rice cooker with 3 cups of water. If you want to make less rice, just remember the proportion of about 1 cup rice to 1.5 cups water.

Article: Backcountry rodeo: scientists and Indigenous guardians net caribou from the sky

https://thenarwhal.ca/backcountry-rodeo-scientists-and-indigenous-guardians-net-caribou-from-the-sky/

Vancouver Hunter: Great read. Happy to see collaborative management of Caribou between the Tahltan Nation and BC government biologists. We as hunters need to talk to our elected officials and ask them to find more funds for protecting habitat and wildlife.

The four-year-old caribou is still on her feet, kicking and bucking like a Stampede bronc, as Clements Brace and Conrad Thiessen scramble toward her through the late October snow. 

There’s a thin white mist drifting over the ground from the rotor wash of the capture helicopter, but from the open door of a second chopper hovering a few hundred feet above, we have a clear view of the action. With her head and forelegs tangled in a bright orange net, the struggling caribou twists and stumbles as Thiessen, a wildlife biologist with the British Columbia government, quickly closes in. Brace, a camo-clad Indigenous guardian from the Tahltan Nation, runs a few steps behind.

They dodge sideways to avoid a lunge of the caribou’s antlers before swiftly stepping to her side, tackling her by the head and shoulders and muscling her to the ground. The two men have her controlled within seconds, and then we’re banking and dropping, the barren mountains tilting precipitously on the horizon as our pilot spirals down to land.

Read the rest of the story here:

https://thenarwhal.ca/backcountry-rodeo-scientists-and-indigenous-guardians-net-caribou-from-the-sky/

Deer Heart

I can honestly say that I was apprehensive about eating heart.  I don't know why.  Perhaps it was because, other than liver, I have never really eaten much organ meat. After hearing so many people describe how delicious it is, I decided to give heart a try.  I was not disappointed.

The heart I prepared was from my last white tailed deer, a smaller 3x3 buck.  I followed the simple preparation outlined by MeatEater, both online and in their book, "The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering and Cooking Wild Game".

The result was the most tender and flavourful meat I have ever eaten.  It has the mouth feel of a perfectly cooked prawn, firm, but with a tender pop as you bite in. The flavour was like a perfectly cooked marbled steak.  After just a few bites, I realized how special and unique eating heart was.

Without any doubt, the heart it is one of the best parts of the deer to eat.  I would never pass up another chance at a heart.  It completely blew my mind.  How has it taken me this long to discover how awesome heart tastes!?

 

Ingredients:

-1 Heart
-Flour
-Salt
-Pepper
-Oil
-Ketchup

1) Cap and core the heart like you are preparing a bell pepper.

2) Slice into half inch thick cross sections.  Trim and clean up pieces.

3) Prepare seasoned flour for dredging with salt and pepper.

 4) Heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high heat in a skillet.

 5) Dredge pieces in flour and fry.  Do not crowd pan.

 6) Cook until golden brown on both sides.

7) Serve with ketchup.  Enjoy!!!

Resources for New Hunters

From time to time I get asked by friends who know someone who is interested in learning more about hunting to recommend where they should start.  If you know where to look, there are lots of great resources for new hunters and hunting curious people.

I'll break this down into 3 categories, hunting curious people, hunter education, and new hunters.

 

 

Resources for Hunting Curious People

If you didn't grow up around hunting, you may have negative preconceptions or concerns about hunting.  I know I did. Also, the whole idea of hiking through the woods and shooting an animal might seem completely scary or foreign, not to mention the whole idea of gutting and butchering.

Why do you hunt?

Why I hunt comes down to food and being outdoors. It is very hard to explain how, in spite of camping and hiking for my whole life, it wasn't until I became a hunter that I really felt I fully appreciated BC's nature and beauty.  Learning about animals and their habitat, and then spending the long weeks in their world that it takes to have a chance to harvest one is unlike any other experience.  The best part of it all is being able to cook and share meals with friends, while telling the story of the adventure that made that meal possible.

Venison Osso Buco

There are many reasons why people hunt.  For some tradition plays a role, for others food is a great incentive, but I think for all hunters, it is because they love being in nature and how rewarding the whole experience is.  One thing is for sure, it's hard to put it in words. 1Campfire does a great job of distilling all of that into a couple of short videos.

 1campfire.com

What is hunting like?

Many people have concerns about hunting that stem from when the worst of the worst ends up on the 6 o'clock news.  Yes, there are slob hunters out there who are just yahoo-macho-rednecks with guns.  They make us all look bad and, unfortunately, a lot of hunting TV is targeted to them. So, please don't let most hunting TV shows give you the impression about what hunting is really like.  However, there are a couple shows which portray hunting in a way most hunters I know aspire to emulate and practice.

MeatEater on Netflix - The best of the best.  It shows hunting for what it is at the highest level of ethics, conservation, and passion about nature. This is the way everyone I know strives to hunt.  If you want to get an idea of what it's like to go hunting, check out this show.

Other notable shows: Solo Hunter

Do you care about animals?

It may seem reasonable to assume that because hunters kill animals that they don't care about them.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Hunters are the loudest and most persistent advocates for protecting and restoring habitat and wildlife populations.  After spending months or years of one's lifetime in nature, close to animals, it is impossible not to develop a deep passion for protecting the beauty and wildness of untouched places.  A lot of hunters put a lot of time into conservation, political advocacy, and boots on the ground work to restore habitat and help scientists.  A great example is the new Faces of Wildlife podcast.  It highlights important conservation issues and just so happens to be hosted by hunters.

Faces of Wildlife Podcast

Are There Rules You Have to Follow?

It's not obvious to many non-hunters that there are rules that hunters must follow.  Broadly speaking, there are two sets of rules that hunters must follow.  These are the hunting and trapping regulations and Canada's firearms regulations if you plan to hunt with a firearm rather than a bow.

Download here

Canada's firearms licensing and regulations are complex and more information can be found here: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/firearms

Hunter Education

Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE)

To become a hunter, you must take a course called the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) program.  This course teaches all the basics of the current hunting regulations as well as basic outdoor safety and survival.  Additionally, this course teaches you where to find and look up the latest changes in the regulations.

Many organizations and groups offer the CORE program.  You can find a local examiner or organization through the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF)

https://bcwf.bc.ca/core/

It is also worth checking out EatWild.  They offer the CORE and PAL course, as well as many other outdoor education and hunter skills courses.

https://www.eatwild.ca/

Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL)

Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL)

The Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) is the licence a person must obtain to own firearms in Canada.  Many organizations offer the firearms safety course required to apply for a PAL.  I recommend that you take a course that includes not only non-restricted firearms (rifles and shotguns), but also restricted firearms (handguns and some specifically restricted rifles).  The addition of the restricted firearms to the course is only a few additional hours and marginal increase in cost, but it will help you become more versed in firearms safety and also means that you don't have to take the whole course again if you decide to take up target shooting with handguns.

New Hunters

Vancouver Hunter

Haha! You're already in the right place!
My most useful posts for new hunters are likely:
First Hunting Trip and Gear List Part 1: Looking After Yourself
First Hunting Trip and Gear List Part 2: Hunting Essentials
Choosing Your First Hunting Rifle

Conservation Groups

For several years I tried to get involved with conservation and meet fellow hunters through various groups.  I tried my fish and game club, the BCWF, and the Wild Sheep Society of BC.  For whatever reason, it never seemed to work out that I could get involved with something my speed until I went to a pint night with the BC chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. The BCBHA holds monthly pint-nights across BC which is a great way to get connected with other hunters, make friends, and dip your toes into conservation with a very low barrier to entry.  To quote Jenny Ly (BHA and Chasing Food Club), "I found my people" when I joined the BCBHA and started attending their monthly pint nights. 

The Region 2 (Lower Mainland) pint night is always the last Thrusday of the month at 7:00pm.  It is usually held at the Burnaby Lakes Rugby Club unless there is a special event (like this January 2020) because they have space to have a meeting while also having a pretty selection of beer. Come check it out and meet hunters!

This month the BCBHA has organized a live podcast instead of the usual pint night.  The event is Jan 30, 2020, 7:00pm. See the event poster and click the link below for tickets.

Click here to buy tickets

Podcasts

Podcasts are downloaded radio programs that you can listen to on your smartphone while you're driving or working. There are many great podcasts that I listen to regularly to stay up to date on hunting issues.  In fact, there are too many to listen to them all.

My top favourites are:

Rookie Hunter Podcast - Hunting from a new hunter in BC perspective
EatWild Podcast - Conservation and hunting education in BC
Faces of Wildlife Podcast - Conservation in BC 
MeatEater Podcast - Conservation and hunting topics mostly in the US
Cutting the Distance Podcast -Tips and Tactics for hunting from an Expert
Cal's Week In Review - Conservation news from across North America

https://www.themeateater.com/listen/cutting-the-distance

YouTube

I use YouTube for learning to call moose and elk, as well as tips for field skills like field dressing game. Type in the skill you want to learn and you'll likely find a very helpful video.

Books

Between the CORE program course manual and the Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game book by Steven Rinella, you have most of your hunter skills covered in great detail.

It is also worth purchasing the Backroads Mapbooks for anywhere you plan on hunting.

Magazines

https://www.bcoutdoorsmagazine.com/

BC Outdoors magazine is probably the best and most useful magazine when it comes to resources for hunters.  There is also:

Backcountry Journal https://www.backcountryhunters.org/tags/backcountry_journal

Journal of Mountain Hunting https://journalofmountainhunting.com/

 

 

Other Blogs and Instagram

 

Blogs and Instagram are another great way to learn abotu hunting and get involved.  Definitely check out these:

Chasing Food Club

Chris Pryn on Instagram

Final Thoughts

Everyone is connected to wildlife, whether or not they are aware of it.  Roads, power lines, pipelines, train tracks, and all of our houses exist in the habitat of BC's fish and wildlife.  Becoming a hunter makes you acutely aware of our impact and connection with nature.  I hope more and more people are able to experience and enjoy the outdoors in BC and gain an appreciation for this special place we live.

Have your say on BC Wildlife by Jan 9th at 4pm!

 https://engage.gov.bc.ca/wildlifeandhabitat/

The comment deadline is January 9th at 4:00pm

Vancouver Hunter responded with the following commentary:

1) Deadlines for action to protect habitat and begin restoring fish and wildlife populations are too far in the future, beyond 2021 and some even after 2025.  This pushes the start date to take action until after the next election.  It is not sufficient just to continue to make committees and monitor declines in wildlife and fish populations which are in crisis.

2) Dedicated funding from allocating 100% of hunting licence fees to conservation was a campaign promise by the NDP in the last election and they have not followed through.  I would support a reasonable increase in licence fees once 100% of fees are dedicated to conservation.

3) We need to end the professional reliance model where resource companies get to hire their own experts to sign off on resource extraction.  This is a conflict of interest which leads to wildlife populations suffering.

4) We need quarterly and annual reports with facts and figures, showing objectives and funding, successes and failures, as we try to reverse the declines of wildlife populations.

5) We need per capita funding comparable to US states which are enjoying wildlife population increases due to well managed habitat.  This means finding funding to grow the provincial budget from approximately $34 million to between $150 million and $250 million spent on conservation, habitat improvement, and wildlife management.


B.C.’s diversity of wildlife provides many environmental, cultural, social, and economic benefits to all British Columbians.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has adopted a four-phase engagement process to develop a new and improved wildlife management and habitat conservation strategy for British Columbia. The ministry collaborated with Indigenous peoples, rural communities, wildlife organizations, natural resource development industry stakeholders, and the public to develop the draft strategy, called Together for Wildlife.

The first phase of engagement was held from May 22 to July 31, 2018. We received over 1,100 comments through the website discussion and close to 50 written submissions. You can read the archived public comments, written submissions, and “what we heard reports” on this site.
The second phase of engagement focused on collaborative policy development from December 2018 to October 2019. During this phase, we worked closely with a newly established B.C.-First Nation Wildlife Forum and stakeholders from a range of sectors to identify priority policy options for the government to consider. This phase of engagement involved monthly meetings with the B.C.-First Nation Wildlife Forum, and a series of webinars and workshops with stakeholders.  You can read more about the results of this engagement on the Phase 2 Engagement page.

During the third phase of engagement, we are checking in with all First Nations in B.C., as well as with stakeholders and the general public, to make sure that the right actions are identified in the draft Together for Wildlife strategy. This phase began with workshops with the B.C.-First Nation Wildlife Forum and stakeholders in October 2019, and is continuing with broader engagement in fall 2019.  You can review the draft strategy and provide input on the Current Engagement page. 

The fourth and final phase of this initiative will be implementation of the strategy. Although full implementation is targeted for Spring 2020, aspects of the strategy are being implemented throughout all phases of this initiative.

Don't Laugh, But Crocs are the Best!

I love my Crocs so much that they deserve their own post.  I'm not going to lie and claim that I came up with Crocs as being a critical piece of hunting gear.  No, that honour belongs to the Rookie Hunter Podcast.  Fuck! They were right!

Not only do I use my crocs around the house for taking out the trash or doing home renovation, but they are part of my critical kit whenever I am camping or hunting.

After a long day in hunting boots, it is great to take off the boots and pad around camp in a pair of Crocs.  They let your feet and boots air out, reducing moisture and the chance of blisters, and give you space to let your toes wiggle while you're sitting around the fire.  With a pair of wool socks, they are plenty warm for even sub-zero nights sitting around a fire, and as a bonus, they are quick to slip on for a midnight pee.  I've even used them to wade through a river crossing.  They weigh nothing and make no noise so you can strap them to the outside of your pack on backpack hunts.

There is one downside of bringing Crocs hunting.  You might get teased relentlessly.  Trust me, they are just jealous.  You won't be disappointed with having a pair of Crocs, and before you know it, others will be wanting their own too. 

BC Gov. Wildlife and Habitat: What We Heard Summary Reports

https://engage.gov.bc.ca/wildlifeandhabitat/what-we-heard-reports/

What We Heard Summary Reports

During phase 1, we asked Indigenous peoples, stakeholders and the public to share their concerns and ideas for new approaches to improve wildlife management and habitat conservation. We received hundreds of e-mails, thousands of on-line comments, and met with over 100 Indigenous communities and 50 stakeholder organizations. The following reports summarize what we heard.

Stakeholder What We Heard Report

Indigenous What We Heard Report

Public What We Heard Report

Phase Two Engagement Progress Update