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October 2005 NewsletterJim Casada
Web site:
www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com Ode to October For hunters, October must be reckoned the best month of the entire year. To be sure, it brings a time of temporary death in nature’s endless cycle. But even as that happens there is rebirth and reawakening of the human spirit as the sportsman harkens to the thrilling, enduring notes sounded by the Horn of the Hunter, as the great Carolina writer, Robert Ruark, entitled one of his books. In my part of the world October brings turning leaves, an invigorating chill at daylight and dusk, and the season’s first frosts. It’s the time of the hunter’s moon, hanging huge and orange in autumn fullness against the evening sky. It’s acorns and hickory nuts, walnuts and pecans, hazelnuts and chinquapins, ripening and falling to the ground. It’s a prowling ‘possum looking for the season’s first ripe persimmons and a ‘coon feasting on ripe, juicy fox grapes. It’s a fox with purple markings, front and back, from dining on pokeberries. It’s coveys of quail, broken up by a rampaging hawk, whistling at nightfall as they try to reassemble. The cusp of the year between summer and fall means grey squirrels working high up in the limbs of an ancient hickory, busily cutting on nuts as the tell-tale shaking of limbs and falling shells tell the hunter of its whereabouts. Their cousins in the bushytail clan, fox squirrels, sport buckskin-colored bellies thanks to cutting through the tannin-laden hulls of walnuts to get to the rich treat waiting within the nut. It’s a time of purple asters, goldenrod, and cardinal flowers abloom; of sumac and sourwood leaves wearing shawls of scarlet; of dogwoods and sweet gums sporting rich hues of maroon; and of assorted oranges and yellows, reds and bronzes, decorating maples, oaks, hickories, and poplars. It’s flocks of nearly grown wild turkeys chasing grasshoppers in a pasture’s edge; it’s doves dipping and diving, with a strong wind at their back, as they cross a field of bush-hogged corn. It’s those who still cling to the traditions of small game hunting looking ahead in eager anticipation to coming seasons for rabbits and quail. Perhaps most of all, October means magic in the world of the whitetail. Early in the month, big bucks spar, leave scrapes to mark their territory, and dine heavily on nature’s bounty in anticipation of the upcoming rut. As the nights lengthen and times of chill strengthen, the necks of big bucks swell and pre-rut behavior gives way to the full-fledged madness of the rut. In the Carolinas the peak of the breeding season comes in the final 10 days or so of October and the first few days of November. There’s no better time to kill a really fine buck, because they are less wary, cover more ground, and abandon their nocturnal habits while possessed by the powerful urge to procreate. It’s a wonderful time to be in the woods, whether sitting in a tree stand to greet the awakening world at dawn or watching light give way to night in the same lofty perch. The cares of the world vanish in such settings,
and the hunter finds himself as close to the instincts and deeply
rooted emotions that trace back to mankind’s beginnings as he will
ever be. Every sense becomes finely tuned. Your eyes scan the woods
for a hint of movement, a horizontal shape that doesn’t fit the
vertical pattern of the trees surrounding you, or a distant profile
in a field that wasn’t there moments before. Each unexpected noise
that comes to your ears, maybe a scurrying of a squirrel through dry
leaves but possibly a deer with its quiet, mincing steps, draws the
keenest of attention. I’ve also included a couple of recipes utilizing black walnuts. A little tract of land we own sports dozens of these trees that my grandfather used to say “you plant for your grandchildren,” and gathering the nuts is an autumnal ritual. A series of demanding tasks must be performed before you have the rich, savory nut meats—gathering the nuts, letting them cure then removing the fibrous husks, cracking them, and finally, picking out the delicious kernels. Rest assured the effort is worth it though, with a dish of hand-cranked black walnut ice cream, oatmeal cookies laced with the nut meats, or one of these dishes being your well-earned reward. SIMPLE VENISON MEATLOAF1 ½ pounds ground venison Mix well but gently and place in a loaf pan. Using a spoon, make an indentation down the center of the meat loaf. Fill with additional ketchup. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour. Serve with ketchup or tomato gravy. To complete the meal, garlic mash potatoes and either green beans or lima beans, along with rolls or cornbread, make for hearty, tasty fare. VENISON LOIN MEDALLIONS WITH CHERRY SAUCE1 cup low-slat chicken stock or broth Combine chicken stock and beef broth in small, heavy saucepan. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1 cup (about 15 minutes). Add cherry liqueur and boil until liquid is reduced to ¾ cup (about 5 minutes). Whisk in cherry pie filling and simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Add cornstarch dissolved in water and stir until sauce thickens. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the butter. Season sauce with salt and pepper if desired. Set aside. Sprinkle venison with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add venison to skillet and cook to desired doneness. Place 2 medallions on each plate and top with cherry sauce. This is an entrée that my Grandpa Joe would have described as “most surely fancy fixin’s.” The next recipe on the other hand, is a simple one of the sort he would have said “let’s a man hoe many a row or walk many a mile.” He did plenty of both in his 90 years. HAMBURGER STEAK WITH ONION TOPPING2 tablespoons canola oil Heat canola oil in a large skillet and sauté onions until tender. Add water while preparing onions if needed to prevent sticking. Stir paprika and black pepper into onions; remove onions from pan and keep warm. Season ground venison with salt and shape into 2 large 1-inch-thick patties. Put hamburger steaks in onion-flavored oil and cook over medium heat until browned on both sides and desired doneness is reached. Arrange steaks on 2 plates and top with reserved, cooked onions. Grandpa Joe had a sure enough sweet tooth, and black walnuts ranked right at the top of his list when it came to desserts. He didn’t mind the labor connected with getting the necessary raw materials, because hard work, rather than the intriguing moniker Hillberry, could have been his middle name. ICE CREAM PIE WITH BLACK WALNUT CRUST½ cup finely chopped black walnuts Chop black walnuts very finely. Add graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Mix well; press into pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Spoon softened ice cream into pie shell. Place in the freezer. When served, top with a chocolate or berry sauce if you wish. BLACK WALNUT BARSCRUST FILLING Cream butter and brown sugar. Slowly add flour and mix until crumbly. Pat into 7 x 11-inch baking dish. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden. Combine brown sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla. In separate bowl, add flour and baking powder to coconut and walnuts. Blend into egg mixture and pour over baked crust. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until done. Cut into bars and place on wire racks to cool. Thank you for subscribing to the
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