'Twas the Night Before Duck Season

Blogging live from the road! We are headed to Stuttgart, Arkansas for the 2011 season opener! We will be hunting with the guys at Backwoods Duck Club and Lodge, and the reports from up there are outstanding. Anyway, I wrote this post a few years ago when Mille was only a year and a half old and on her first real hunting season. You have to read it from her perspective. I really enjoyed it then and I hope you do now!

'Twas the Night Before Duck Season

by Millie McKinnon

'Twas the night before we went hunting, and dad's in the house,

Packing the gear and buggin' his spouse.

I'm out here freezing and it's getting late,

I'm stuck outside because he says I must 'acclimate'.

I'm all nestled outside in my bed,

with visions of woodies flyin' in my head.

With me in my bed and dad warm in his,

I was just getting sleepy, but I got up to wiz!

Then out on the driveway, there arose such a clatter;

I sprang out of the bed, I KNEW what was the matter!

Dad flipped on the lights and grabed MY camo coat;

it was Mr. John and his new duck boat!

The moon shone bright on all I could see,

I hope when he packed, he wouldn't forget me!

We pulled out the driveway and headed for the woods,

Man, I've been waiting for this, I hope he shoots good.

When what to my studying eyes did I see,

As the sun came up, hundreds of woodies!

I'd been here before, I knew I must'nt whine,

Because if I did, he would leave me at home next time.

As the birds started to fly I heard boom, boom, boom!

So I paid attention hoping one would fall soon!

This was it, it was my moment to shine,

Maybe dad will shoot better and hit one next time!

So we waited and waited and some ducks finally fell,

The only problem was, at me dad started to yell.

I think I jumped the gun, but I just couldn't wait,

If I made the retrieve, how could he hate?!

Dad whistled and shouted and called me other names,

But I didn't care, this was my game!

He yelled, "Millie, you crazy black mutt, you left too fast,

You better get back here, or I'll bust your.....butt!"

I made the retrieve as best as can be,

Look at this face, he can't spank me!

Though it took a while, when I got back,

Dad gritted his teeth, but a smile he did crack.

Sometimes he does get kinda frustrated with me,

But in the woods without me he can't be.

When I'm hunting with dad, I'm his pride and joy,

Kate can be his little girl, but I'll be his "boy"!

We finished shooting that mornings limit,

And headed to the truck, so I could get warm in it!

Hunting ducks is always fun,

But most mornings it's freezing having ice on your bum!

As dad cranked the truck and I got in,

I was already hoping for another morning of shootin' again.

As we left the swamp, I heard him exclaim,

"Next weekend I'll get you ducks, and dinner won't be so plain!"

Pan Fried Deer Medallions

Those that know me, know that I rarely cook the same thing twice. I enjoy being creative with my ingredients and seasonings and generally make things up as I go. This recipe is one that I remember. So, in honor of the opening of deer gun season in many state, including our home state of Alabama, I decided to share what has become one of my favorite deer recipies. I must admit that is did not come up with it totally by myself, but I have combined a few recipies that I've seen done elsewhere to make this one my own. It's somewhat unconventional because it's not deep fried or grilled wrapped in bacon; you know, the usual suspects. This recipie has a little bit of a gourmet twist but is rather easy. Even my two year old likes it!

Ingredients:

-1 deer back strap

- approx. 1/4th cup virgin olive oil

-buttermilk

-fish fry batter

-spicy mustard

1. Clean the back strap of any fat or gristle

2. Lay the back strap out long ways and slice at an angle creating about half dollar size medallions.

3. Combine the buttermilk and spicy mustard with a wisk until well blended.

4. Dunk the medallions in the buttermilk/ mustard blend until coated thoroughly.

5. Cover the medallions in the fish fry batter.

6. Pour the olive oil into a large sautee pan and heat until the oil sizzles.

7. Place the battered medallions in the pan. Allow each side to brown well and the meat will be cooked to medium.

The Good on Anything Sauce:

-lemon juice

-mayonnaise

-cajun seasoning

The sauce is simple. Combine the mayo and lemon juice so that the lemon juice thins out the mayo and becomes more like a liquid. I've found that the consistency of a salad dressing is ideal. Then sprinkle teh mixture with the cajun seasoning to your preferred taste. You can use the sauce as a dip, or drizzle it over the meat.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles:

-Fresh asparagus

-bacon

-olive oil

The side we chose for this meal is really simple as well. Simply take about 5 fresh asparagus spears and wrap them in bacon creating small bundles. Brush with olive oil and bake until the bacon appears to be done.

ENJOY!

-Clayton

Illinois Bow Hunt

This past week, my Dad and I had the privilege to bow hunt some of the best land the mid-west has to offer. We left early Saturday morning for Harpoles Heartland Lodge in Pike County, Illinois. From the minute we walked in the door to check in at the lodge, we were greeted and welcomed with open arms. We took our time unpacking and shooting our bows to make sure nothing had been bumped during our flight. Once we settled in, we were introduced to Allen Ballinger, who was our guide for the week. Allen is not only an excellent guide, but just a down to earth good guy. After finding out he was from Mentone, Alabama and listening to his game plan for the week, we knew we were in great hands.

First Day:

The first morning was quite eventful, to say the least. I had not been on my stand more than a half hour and i was already seeing deer. I was fairly aggressive with my calling knowing that dominant bucks were in the area. At 7:00 am, i hit the horns and did a little grunting. Within 2 minutes, I spotted a doe walking to me at a steady pace and a good buck was right behind her. As tough as it was, i let him go. I had no doubt he was a shooter as he walked less than 25 yards from my stand, then out of site. About 15 minutes later another doe came busting out of the thick brush and here he comes again. She came and bedded down 5 yards from the base of my tree for 20-30 minutes. This big buck paced back and forth refusing to leave her. During this time is was able to get several good looks at the deer to confirm that this is what i came to Pike County for. Once i made up my mind that this was the deer i wanted to put my Illinois tag on, i knew that i was going to have to calm my nerves in order to make a good shot. I had several chances to shoot this deer at 30 yards, but with patience,the good Lord presented me with a 15 yard nearly broadside shot that put this stud on the ground. And as a bonus, i self filmed the entire hunt and kill on video. Needless to say, this was an incredible start to a 5 day hunt!

Second Day- Fifth Day:

Due to the fact that i filled my tag on the first morning, i decided i was going to spend the remainder of the week filming my dad. This trip was one that he and i talked about for the past decade (no joke). Therefore, i wanted to spend as much time with him as possible on and off the stand. Over the course of the hunt we saw several good bucks and a couple shooters at a distance out of bow range. Overall, the deer movement was very good. Bucks were really on the move and searching for does. With that being said, the weather was not so good. We had nearly 30+ mph winds blowing every day, along with 2 days of constant rain. The tough weather conditions were something completely out of our control. As hunters, all we can do is adapt to the situation and hunt hard.

Although Dad never filled his tag, it does NOT mean this hunt was a failure. This trip was much more than a mission to kill two monster bucks. This was about my Dad and me walking away with some incredible memories that will last forever. My dad is the reason i fell in love with hunting and the outdoors. Therefore without him, this trip never would have taken place. We had an awesome time at Heartland Lodge. If you are interested in a great hunting experience with huge deer, wonderful staff and accommodations, and fantastic food, you need to call the guys up at Harpoles Heartland Lodge. You will not regret it. My buddy Matt Brunett can assist you in any way, so be sure and call them to schedule your next hunt.

-John