February 3, 2023 Whistlers- Hunting Golden Eyes By: T.J. Rademacher Golden Eyes are great shooting often from the shore Goldeneye are typically a bonus bird for most diver hunters. They are typically more drawn to their own kind and are not as likely to fully commit to a spread of mixed blocks. Many shots are taken at passing ranges for folks more interested in the other diving duck varieties. For the Last few years I have ended up on waterways chasing divers on both the Mississippi and Central flyways. Out of necessity I was forced to figure out the goldeneye game because the other birds were stale or not moving as much. Here is what I know now after spending some time targeting these birds specifically. When scouting a hunt for these birds you are looking for where they are headed to eat just like any other diver. The process is really the same as anything you might encounter looking for bluebills or redheads. The difference is in my experience is you are looking closer to rocky shores or open water bordering this type of area. In my experience you encounter goldeneye in rafts smaller in size than other divers. They seem to end up strung out loosely in areas they are feeding or loafing in. they are primarily feeding on mussels, clams, snails, crustaceans and sometimes small fish from the birds ta hive inspected while cleaning them. Once you find a concentration you can either push them out gently and set up for their return or you can traffic them. The main thing is covering water and finding a few different spots to try out or make a strategy for future hunts Use any means necessary to get to the X Getting on the X is tough. The X is usually a place where the birds can’t be targeted in most of the places I hunted. Most if these waterways include large areas that are off limits and are waterfowl refuges. So you instead find yourself looking for the soft X. This is usually less predictable and changes daily. Most of the times I did find a concentration of birds it was a mid-day loaf spot. We would leave them be and come back later the next morning and set up after having a go at the more un cooperative rafts of other divers. Pushing them out seemed to do more harm than good on this type of spot because they were not actively using it as a feeding spot so the pressure of gently bumping them usually had them picking the next least pressured spot and not many coming back. We would typically set a spread of 8 or so oversized GE decoys and nothing else. This typically did the trick for birds returning to the area. For trafficking we would pick the best spot to get in their way. If shore hunting, we would try and get one point the they swing close to. The use a layout boat to get in their way in spots where they were moving to and from spots to eat and loaf has become the main way to consistently kill these birds. We also used up to 3 dozen GE decoys to get birds to decoy. We had very mixed results with having comb spread with the most success coming from GE only spreads. It’s a lot of work in general to layout hunt diving ducks but this technique paid off big time when the going got tough. We a were able to scratch out enough birds to fill in with our bluebills to make the effort more worthwhile. Here’s another thing I learned about Goldeneyes. They are not trash ducks. They are excellent table fare. I’m not talking about plucking the and preparing them with the skin on like puddle duck. We all know this is probably a silly idea given their diet. However, the typical breasting method turned out great poppers and stir-fry’s. I was careful to remove all fat and silver skin from the meat. I also typically brine the breasts as well. It seems help with the taste of the finished product. Another way to prepare them is by braising them down in a crock pot. The final product to a tender pulled pork type of protein that goes great on sandwiches and my personal favorite Korean barbeque sliders. Whoever tells you can’t eat goldeneyes or says they are not edible probably got ahold of some that were not prepared well. Prep is king with wild game meat especially with animals that have a specific diet. Scratching out birds in places you wouldn’t typically think of Learning to nail down a measurable amount of success taking goldeneye consistently was a very rewarding experience. Sometimes the adaptations we make to figure out a path to success when the conditions aren’t exactly ideal are what we look back on the most fondly. I remember being very frustrated at times during their navigation of this learning curve. As is the case with most types of water fowling staying persistent and making the best decision you can based on the info you are receiving from the environment around is what will typically make you a little more successful. Now go and get after the whistlers.
July 1, 2022 Kitchen Craft: What Do You Need for the Best Wild Game Recipes? By : Justin Hunold When you pop open your freezer and see Ducks frozen whole, Goose Breasts, Major cuts of Venison, a few Rabbits and all your fish from the spring and summer you’re actually looking at the summation of a whole lot of fun and hard work. So, with that in mind, why make cooking game meals hard or boring. That would make for an awful outcome to an amazing story. Good food makes us feel good. There is much speculation that our ancestors’ ability to cook food led to the rapid growth of their brains. We long ago mastered fire and spit roasting. For some reason, even though people have been cooking game meat longer than anything else, people suck at assembling the meals from what they take from nature. What do you need to cook game meat? What will help you bring the field to the table full circle? Here are some tools I use when the cut of meat I have deserves as much peonage as the story I will tell about how it got to my plate. Cast Iron Skillet- A good Cast Iron Skillet will last longer than you and your kid’s if it is well taken care of. They are inexpensive, transfer heat consistently and actually help you stay healthy (helping your iron intake). This is the one tool on this list I wouldn’t give up, if given one choice for a pan this is the only one I would own. They can be used as a frying pan, a broiling pan and a roasting pan. A cook can sear a nice cut of meat in a cast iron pan and then immediately transfer it into the oven to raise the internal temperature. They can be put in the coals of a campfire, on a grill top or used to deep fry fish and this will only help their long-term seasoning. That is the downside of cast iron if it has any, maintaining the seasoning. Once you’re used to the maintenance it becomes a non-issue. Plus, they are super inexpensive, so next time you’re walking through Walmart or Target poke into the camping section and grab yourself a 9” Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. They are US made and about $20. Crockpot- This is my drama pick. There are two camps for crock pots, the old school pot and lid style you put in the oven or the self-contained electric style. I fell into the second. I use a crockpot that has multiple settings, with sear, stew, slow cook, bake, steam, and roast being applicable for meat and fish. I like the one-unit versatility that this tool brings. A cast iron pan might be able to be used with a lot of types of heat, but a good crockpot is a self-contained, one appliance kitchen. I have also used my crockpot to deep fry, and to make Asian hot pot style meals. Some folks say that slow cooked crockpot meals from a traditional enamel pot taste better, but I have to say my crockpot meals never seem to lack flavor or texture. Maybe I will get a traditional crockpot in time but for now I will be leaning heavily on the multitool of the kitchen, that is my electric crockpot. Instant Pot- Can an instant pot and crock pot really be that different? The answer to me is simple – Yes. There is an old adage- fast, cheap, and well pick two because you can’t have all three. An instant pot disproves this theorem. If you can add some goose breast in with a multitude of ingredients including rice, stock, onions, and then set it and forget it for less than an hour and you will have meals that you thought impossible with a meat you used to relegate to jerky. The best part about it is its one pot clean up and totally contained. Oh, and did I mention it’s fast, good and pound for pound pretty cheap? The support of this cooking tool is amazing. People use these for all sorts of recipes that are available all over the web and it’s a staple in busy homes and with folks who meal plan. Sous Vide- This is cheating plain and simple. Sick of overcooking Duck, Goose and Venison? “Game meat is so dry” goes away with one of these simple tools. And just because you might not know how to say it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it. In principle it’s a bait aerator with a heating element. You put a sous vide into a large container full of water, set the temperature and then immerse a plastic bag full of seasoned meat into the water. Now you can walk away, and the immersed food will cook to that exact temperature all the way through. A sous vide can run for eight hours, and that meat will never get hotter than the surrounding water which is set to the temperature you require. It’s cheating but it tastes oh so awesome and the presentation looks nicer than shooting a double in two shots on video. There used to be a debate about the BPA’s and other toxins in the bags, and as a father I totally understand that. There has been a sub industry to address this with bags, containers, and other tools to assist in healthy use of a Sous Vide. If I am introducing someone to game meat, I use my sous vide. If I do my part to season and sear the cut properly and the bags don’t let the water in, it will turn out perfectly and they will like it. Air Fryer- Now I like frying cutlets and fish in a deep fryer or a pan with two inches of oil as much as the next guy, but I have to say an Air Fryer is every bit as good in a lot of ways. Plus, an air fryer is a lot cleaner. They can be used indoors and don’t provide nearly as many viral videos of decks and garages bursting into flames by people who have no business trying to use a vat of oil and incendiary rings of pressurized propane. The ability to make perfect golden fried walleye cheeks and sweet potato chips all with one kitchen tool can turn anyone into a great one trick pony, but it’s a hell of a trick. Don’t let the simplicity fool you. An Air Fryer is great at one thing and as anyone who tries to master any one thing will tell you, to perfect one thing is no simple feat, and therefore this kitchen tool is tough to beat. If you use it right, the batter dipped fish or the panko crusted goose will keep guests wanting for more and they won’t care that it’s coming out of a basket with paper towels. In fact, that’s the endearing part, right? That is the fish fry aesthetic. And it’s what people want in an authentic outdoor meal meant for summer nights and light beers. These are five tools I use to add some pizzazz to my field to table cooking. Yes, I can be very technical and cook with a pan, layering flavors with aromatics and reductions but when I want a good meal without all the BS that comes with trying to be a chef these are the appliances and applications I reach for. We are all very busy, and a lot of these gadgets allow for a set it and forget it mentality in your cooking. And in a way they can add to the experience. Yes, there is an experience of really cooking like you’re trying to earn Michelin Stars. I would venture a guess that your guests would much rather spend time sharing drinks and conversation than sitting at the table missing the host who needs to be solely present in the kitchen for the preparation of the meal. If you can layer a few of these tools together you can present a hell of a game dinner while truly entertaining the guests and making them listen to the hunting and fishing stories that go with each dish. When done right, the food will make them ask for a next time. Don’t worry, next time they’ll ask you to play chef and stay in the kitchen. Or if you, did it really well, they may ask to join you in the field to try their hand at field to fork.
