Forest and Farm

At this point in time I felt pretty on top of my small game, well, game, I guess.  I successfully have harvested grouse and jack rabbits, challenges I felt proud of meeting, and food I was so happy to put on the table.  When we planned a trip to Hawaii, to visit my family, I decided I needed to make hunting a part of the trip. In the mountains of the Big Island of Hawaii, there are herds of feral sheep, happily grazing on the fertile volcanic grass that covers the slopes of Mauna Loa, above my birth town of Kona.  These herds can prove to be problematic for many landowners, and most do not mind hunters helping to control their population.  Until I was a young girl, my grandfather's ranch extended upwards of 10,000 feet in elevation, on the slopes of Mauna Loa.  He sold this land when I was young, but I have been told stories all my life of the adventures had there, many of which included sheep hunting.  This trip, we were fortunate to be extended an invitat...

Today was a pretty special day. Our kids are on fall break, and although we tossed around different plans for epic adventures, we ended up deciding to keep it simple and hang at home for most of the break. I,  however, was craving a family day in the mountains. We loaded up and headed into the woods. It always takes a little time away from electronics for our kids to detox and return to their wonderful selves,  and today proved no different, but we soon settled into a relaxing mood that included watching the aspen leaves fall and scanning the hillsides for grouse.  As you may have read in a previous post,  A Walk in the Woods , I have been out searching with my husband for some grouse, but have yet to actually find one to even attempt shooting.  I have been after my first grouse for some time now, having decided it was time to step into a more active role in our family’s food production. For years I swore I would never hunt.  Hunting is a part of our f...

Every time Nick harvests an elk, we are usually left with a lot of meat that is hard to clean and prepare because of all the sinew. We set it aside and label it “stew” or “shank” and it sits in the freezer. I have been so fed up with this waste of good meat, so Nick and I decided it was time to step out of our comfort zone and do SOMETHING with the lower leg meat. We were given some advice from our friend and New Mexico Senator, Martin Heinrich, who claims this is his favorite cut of meat. He told us to cover it in red chile and cook it overnight. So I took that advice and ran with it! The result was absolutely fantastic! I will definitely be experimenting with more ways to use this cut of meat from now on!  Shredded Elk Shank Carne Adovada About 2 pounds elk shank ( Lower leg) Salt and pepper to taste  1 tablespoon garlic powder  3 tablespoons red chili powder  1 teaspoon cumin  1 teaspoon coriander  half a teaspoon paprika  Abo...

Following my hubby through the woods. I bought a hunting license this year. That statement may not be shocking to most of you, but it is if you’ve known me in my younger years.  I grew up in a family of ranchers, although we stopped ranching when I was a little girl, and beef was always on the menu.  Hunting, however, was a foreign concept.  There were certainly members of my extended family who hunted, but it was not something I was ever exposed to.  In high school I became very attached to one of the steers we were raising for meat, and I swore off red meat.  Several family members love to tell the story of Chrissy the Vegetarian, but I was far from it.  I never gave up chicken or pork.  Especially not bacon, because, it's bacon.  Enough said. When I met my husband I had no understanding of why someone would hunt, and although I didn't really think it was wrong, I didn't think it was something I would ever really support, let alone partic...