Nick and Dustin close down their 2018 deer season by talking muzzleloading and late archery season sits,  the guys also dive into some venison dishes, their take-aways from the recent interviews, Buzzardry 101, salvage tags, and dustin breaks down his ice fishing setup.

A very relaxed episode, so enjoy.

Deer Season 2018 closure

Last Sits Muzzleloader

Veni cooking

shanks

smoked venison

Stock

Touch on previous interviews

Salvage Tags  Buzzard 101

Ice fishing

Hank is an author, chef, and true wild edibles visionary. His take on wild game has elevated it to 5 star status, yet can be prepared on any night of the week. Nick sits down with Hank and merely scratch the surface of preparations and techniques for cooking wild game.

Hanks Website: huntgathercook.com (you can find his books here)

Facebook Forum: Hunt Gather Gook (closed group, just tell em that Huntavore sent ya)

Nick sits across the block from a master at the butchery craft, Scott Rea.  Award winning GameButcher and GameHero in the UK, he talks the ins and outs of cutting up your query and taking your butchery to the next level.

Scott Rea Project - You Tube, Facebook, Instagram

The guys reunite after some hard hunting and working some overtime.  Nick tells the story of his archery harvest, and guys discuss deer checks, gun season, and slow cooking

Dustin got a BUCK!  A beautiful Michigan 8.  On this episode, the guys breakdown the deer, along with the story of the hunt.

Dustin and Nick share their season's first hunts, their small game efforts, and get into the details of grinding some good burger.

Nick and Dustin are joined by good friends, Josh and Brock, who celebrate opening day by talking plans, setups, stories, laughs, and meals that surround opening day.

Low and Slow with Reload

Joel Lickliter

“HomeCookinHunter”

Owner of Reload Rub and Seasoning

https://www.reloadrub.com/

Portioning your deer for the freezer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxjTVKZa0lE

Meat Smoking 101:

Pro-Tip:  Baby-sitting the meat is a must.

               You are gunna screw stuff up. and its okay.

Basic Setup:

simple box electric smoker (100 different versions)

Pellet Smoker (Hopper holds the pellets, great temp control)

Charcoal Smoker (Barrel style)

Cut of Meats for Smoking

Domestic Meat: cuts from the front shoulder, heavy working.  Fatty pieces add flavor.

Brine:

Salted water at its most basic.  Brown Sugar, Pepper corns are good adds

Woods

Fish,Wild Game, Poultry: Fruit Wood, Hickory, Pecan

Beef: can handle deeper flavor, mesquite, oak

Smoke

domestic meats (3-4 hours)

wild game (30-45 minutes)

Apple Cider vinegar spritzed on the meat during smoke pulls the smoke in deeper making a wider ring

Temperature

external 250F ish

Internal temp maybe more important (130F)

After cook, REST the meat.  Bigger, the longer time

Chewing the Fat 2

Freezer setups for storing Game/Forage

Chest Freezers

Pro:  lots of room, energy efficient, cold for a day if power goes out

Con: organization is difficult, items can get smashed, shuffling can injure seals

Upright Freezers

Pro:  Organization solution with tubs/crates, lots of room, efficient, easier on packaging and seals

Con:  Not as efficient as chests, potential to injure cooling filaments

Garage DIY Meat Chillers ideas

*Disclaimer*

Due to recent changes in Michigan Regulations to combat CWD, what can be transported over county and state lines may have changed.  PLEASE! check out the regulations on transporting carcusses, bone, hide and meat along with checking in your deer in your hunting areas.  We as hunters have a responsibility to the animals we pursue and the people we feed.  See page 39 in the Michigan Deer Hunting Regulations Digest

Tips on Cooling and meat care of field dressed deer

Hanging deer:  keeping hide on, split pelvis and split ribcage.  Cool dark places (shed, barn, shade tree)

Cooling deer in hot weather:  Bags of ice in the rib cavity, ice on the pelvis.  Keeping meat off direct contact with ice is preferred, and not submerged in water.

Archery Setups

Crossbow

Compound

Longbow (Goal of Hunting 2019)

Chewing the Fat is a relaxed format where Nick and Dustin go on several rabbit trails talking; Reaction to Omnivore Culture, talk kids and their eating of wild game, and deer season preparations.