Consolidation

In Theodore Roosevelt's day bigger wasn't always considered . Buying up the competition led to monopolies and price-fixing. More than a century later time will tell if Amazon and Google will rule the world. This dip in the history means I'm consolidating my two blogs. I can't guarantee it will be better but for me it will be more efficient. TroutbirderII is joining Troutbirder which means I'll be less likely to put my book reviews into my nature blog or vice versa

                                                                 http://baron-troutbirder.blogspot.com/

                                                                 Link to Troutbirder
                                                               

                                                                 

 

Troutbirders Favorite Recipes - a retrospective from 2015

Its hunting season here now in Bluff Country and our walks with Miss Lily the GSD are somewhat limited in where we can go without running into deer hunters. My hunting efforts in years gone by were mainly limited to upland game birds. Bow hunting  for a few years was famous mostly for some hilarious episodes of ineptitude on my part. :)
 In the late sixties my bride purchased Cooking The Sportman's Harvest from the South Dakota Dept. of Game, Fish and Parks. I'm not sure why due to the fact that my very first effort to bring home game to the family hearth had engendered the following exchange. "What are they," asked an obviously disturbed Queen B. "Squirrels", was my proud reply, 22 in hand. "You can forget that. I'll be damned if I'm gonna cook any skinned rats in this kitchen.

Here are some of the recipes which didn't get used. I wonder why?

Paddlefish squares (illegal to catch in Minnesota. Now on the endangered list.)

Snipe (Boys Scouts were often sent to search for these in the dead of night)

Fishloaf (probably carp with ketchup topping) or that all time favorite... Carp Chowder with PCB's and other genetic mutations.

Pressure cooked Sage Hens (tenderizes geriatric birds of any type)

Sandhill Crane pie (popular also in North Dakota where if it has two or four legs and is not human it can be shot and eaten including tables)

Barbequed perch (not available at Famous Daves)

Fish Egg Soup ( for those with more expensive tastes) Also in the Moss Back Turtle variety

Fricasse of Young Racoon. Yes!

Also in the book were specialized recipes for Opposum, Beaver Tail, and Groundhog.

What it came too finally was that she was sure anything not certified Grade A by the Department of Agriculture was probably not safe to eat. I then presented her with a copy of Upton Sinclairs book The Jungle. The inside story of the meat packing industry in Chicago at the end of the 19th century. Having decided that Grade A was not a sure fire saftey guarantee either, Mrs T. went on to devise her own recipes for pheasant, grouse, geese, duck and trout and walleye. What a woman! Squirrel never did make the "approved list" though.

Sons Ted and Tony carry on the hunting traditions of the Troutbirder family.