The Deer are HERE!!

Deer Hunting Season Underway in NH!

 Keeping an open eye for a big one!

     So much hype leads up to deer season for me in Northern, NH. I start my ventures in the woods in early October, looking for birds, bunnies and other small game. During this time, my excitement for the woods that dwindles during the summer is fully restored and my anticipation of big game hunting is restored. Unlike hunting in the west, southern states or even southern NH, Whitetail deer hunting in Northern NH is a lifestyle and a whole game of its own. The likeliness of even keeping tabs on a deer's pattern here are very slim. This along with a cold climate, very thick brush, high presence of predators, and steep/changing terrain make this hunt a very, very challenging task with often little success. Most hunters that I speak with have large gaps between their Whitetail successes and passing up a buck hoping for a trophy is basically unheard of. Put it this way, I am on my 4th year Whitetail hunting and only last season did I see a buck in the woods on closing day with no possible shot. By the end of the season, I'm frustrated and questioning why I do the hunt, but every year the month of October rekindles my fascination of being a self-sufficient predator in the woods. I prepare my gear, stock up on new products to try, get all of my packs together, and finally I vow to wake up early each possible day! (My biggest struggle when the wind is howling and it is 15 degrees out and I am about to climb a mountain with 30+ lbs of gear on).

A sitting area where I wait to scope out some deer.

Growing Confidence

    Unlike hunting in many flat-planed areas or with a guide, I have had to learn my ways of the woods over the years to gain the confidence I have today. Honestly, if I had seen a buck the past 3 seasons, I probably would have frozen and choked. So many factors go into being a successful huntress and having the necessary confidence comes down to being familiar with your gear and your surroundings. My first few seasons, I had sub-par gear, using cheap hand-me-downs to get me by before investing hundreds of $$$ into a hobby I wasn't sure if I enjoyed. The next season, I got nicer gear, but was still using an unfamiliar fire-arm I had shot maybe once or twice. This left me nervous as to whether I could aim it and get a fair shot off or if I would choke in my unfamiliarity of the firearm as I am a very conservative shooter and will not take a shot without guarantee of my success. Next, I began hunting in a very condensed wooded area that is very, very easy to get lost in. I stayed with my hunting partner 24/7, never splitting up - this downed both of our chances for success very significantly. I wanted to split up many times, but within a few minutes of eerie silence and no directional sense I just couldn't do it unless I would sit. After a few years of this, I finally am familiar with my landscape, how to take care of myself alone in the woods and my equipment is proper and I am confident and familiar with it, giving me the best pre-season feeling as of yet! It is very true when they say being alone in the woods you can truly tell you are no longer the top of the food chain. Overcoming that paranoia was big for me as I hunt in coyote dominated land and they are not afraid to confront a lone hunter if there are enough of them. 

Good Luck!

     So as I begin my deer season with a black-powder muzzleloader, a side arm for predator protection, new-found independence - confidence  and my research completed, I wish you all luck and hope that you know becoming a good Whitetail hunter comes with time and success, even if you are the best hunter, comes down to being in the right place at the right time and being blessed enough to have a good shot. 

Pinterest!

Pinners Welcome!

     Before we get too far into some blogging, I have created a Pinterest to link with this blog for you savvy pinners wanting everything right at your fingertips! Check it out at at this link: Hunt 2 Home on Pinterest! Now, these pins are not necessarily things I have done myself, but they are ideas I would like to do in the future or possible ideas I may incorporate into my hunting or my cooking and will report in a blog post what I think of them specifically! Be sure to check them out and re-pin the pin linked right here to my blog! The more following I receive, the more I am able to write. Happy Pinning!

Here is a photo of a wild Turkey, for your viewing pleasure and to get ready for Thanksgiving!

A Wild Goose Chase!

Canadian Goose - Fun to Hunt, Easy to Cook, Delicious to Eat!

    As a Dental Hygienist, I get the luxury of having good conversation with many people daily! Living and working in a rural area, many, many people are avid hunters. I love to surprise them and mention how I, myself, am a passionate outdoorswoman that has great success! I often hear "Wow, who would have thought they could talk hunting with their Dental Hygienist!?" Well - I do love to talk about it, and I love to cook and eat it too! This is usually where I get the reaction "YUCK!! Isn't that really gross and gamey?!". My response? No, actually.. cook it correctly and you will want to eat it every day. If I had the option, I'd eat and prepare only wild game and never buy grocery store meat again. 

The Hunt

    I'm not the typical hardcore hunter wanting to wake at 3:30am and be out hunting by 4am. Truth is, I like sleep on my days off! My career is tough on my body so I relax when I can. Goose do not run on a time limit like other game. They spend their days on the river eating, floating, sleeping - you name it. There are many different ways to hunt geese: from a blind off shore, from a row boat, and my preferred way [which many people think I'm crazy for doing] out of a kayak! I find that I can get a peaceful float in with my kayak and the goose think I'm doing just that, and only that. This gives me an element of surprise on them, allowing me to maneuver to very close range before taking a shot. My shots need to be well planned and I have to be very conscious about my weight distributions so that I don't flip. My biggest reason for kayak hunting is that as a small-framed hunter, I can drag my kayak onto shore and through the woods to access smaller hunting holes. Also, I can paddle into small, shallow canals that are often safe havens for waterfowl. I made sure to purchase a smaller kayak to allow for easier transport. Kayak hunting is a whole other touchable topic we can reach upon in another post. Let's get to some meat preparation!

My Emotion Comet 8 Kayak

Cleaning the Goose 

   If you've ever had a down blanket, jacket, vest... you name it, you know how big of a mess it will make. Many people like to pluck each feather out to leave the skin for natural grease with cooking. However, if you are impatient like I am, you will do it my way. Step 1 - remove the head/neck and the wings from the bird. Get creative, do what you have to do. Step 2- rip a few feathers off of the breast to expose some skin, now you will know what I mean about messy... Step 3 - use a knife to slice the skin and skin the bird like you would any other animal, leaving only the meat on the body. Step 4 - take out the innards and chop off the legs. Give a good rinsing and ta-da! You are now ready for the oven!!!

Let's Make a Meal!

     My All-Time favorite recipe for goose can be found here. I make a few modifications to it. First off, I use a roaster pan to do this in to contain the goose, veggies and liquids - this is more of an informational tid-bit than a modification. As for changes I make, I use a whole small bottle of the Holland House White Cooking Wine and enough chicken stock to cover the bird 1/3 of the pan deep. The more juice the better! My next biggest modification is wrapping the entire bird in bacon. This will replace fats from the skin we removed, give a nice flavor and good moisture to the meats. Also, its super tasty to eat once cooked. For the veggies, I also dice up some potato and add that in and I don't measure my vegetables - I throw in what I see fit to fill the bottom of the pan. In addition to stuffing the goose with apples, I like to throw in some extra bacon, pears are great, and some broth and veggies as well. Other than these slightly changed measurements and additions, follow the recipe EXACTLY. You will be so pleased with the outcome! The goose should be medium-rare once done and it will be all dark meat with a steak-grain appearance to it. Slice as if carving a turkey, but avoid eating the legs - they will be tough and not worth your time. The breast meat is the true gold here. When you try this you will notice that the rosemary and thyme will leave your home smelling like heaven and that alone makes it all worth it. This dish will feed 2-4 people depending on the size of your goose. 

Questions??

   If you want to know more about goose hunting, harvesting, or cooking, subscribe and then use the contact me form to send in a question! I may address it in an entire blog posting or if there is enough varying questions, in a special Q&A blog. Stay tuned for more Hunt 2 Home topics!