I just had to post this.

We have a lot of wolfs in this area but we don’t see them very often. They are protected. The fact is if you shot one you might do more jail time then if you robbed a bank. This picture was taken with a remote camera in an area just outside of town.

Deer Hunting season is underway here in Michigan. I thought I would post this recipe for Canned Venison. My kids just love this recipe. There is a lot you can work with here. You can pretty much add anything you think will taste good as long as you stick with the basics. Salt and pressure cooker processing time. If you have not had canned venison before give this a try . Every year we manage enough extra to put into canning jars. Use just good quality meat that is well cleaned. Remember a good quality in will produce a good return. Enyoy

 Ingredients
1 pound Cubed lean venison 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic 4 slices onion
Directions
Place the venison into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic; toss to combine. Place venison into canning jar along with onion and bell pepper. Jars should be filled to within 1/2 inch of the top. Wipe rim with a clean, damp cloth, and seal with lid and ring.
Place jar into a pressure canner filled with water according to manufacturer’s directions. Affix lid and bring to a boil with the pressure valve open. Boil for 5 minutes before closing the pressure valve. Bring to a pressure of 10 psi, then reduce heat in order to maintain this pressure. Process for 75 minutes, watching gauge closely so the pressure stays at 10 psi. After 75 minutes, turn off heat and allow the canner to cool until the gauge reads 0 psi.
Once the pressure has subsided and the canner is safe to open, remove the jar to cool on a rack. The jar will seal with a pop as it cools; refrigerate the jar if it does not seal. Properly sealed jars may be stored in a cool, dark area.

I would like to tell you that every time I go fishing I catch fish. unfortunately not so. It doesn’t happen very often but there are times and circumstances that it does happen.Our last fishing trip was a fish disaster. We had 2 steady days of rain and cool weather. I should of waited a couple days for the weather changes to settle in. But I had been busy and just wanted to get out and do some fishing. And to make maters even worse the Power Company that controls the reservoir where we fish started to drain it.So when you have tried every thing and the fish don’t bite- what do you do? Enjoy what is around you. Here are some pictures we took on this outing. I hope you have a great Holiday. If you do any fishing I wish you the best of Luck.

This is one of my favorite Fall edible mushrooms-in this area we call it a Stump mushroom. This is one of the last fall mushrooms that are edible to appear in this area. Depending on the weather you may see two flushes of them. The 1^st around the 1^st part of September. I don’t care for the 1^st picking a whole lot. The insects get to them very quickly. If the weather is right they will appear again in October. At this time they are great. Very little or no insect damage. In a good year they are very plentiful. I will can the buttons whole for use during the winter. This is a fairly easy mushroom to identify. I have found that birch tree areas that have been cut over are about the best habitat to find these in. You will find them growing in large clusters off the birch tree stumps. When they 1^st start to appear they are fuzzed over. Something like a deer antler in velvet. The spore print is whitish in color and many times will spread itself on the underlying mushrooms in the cluster. Making it easy to identify.However some caution should be taken. Watch what you are picking. The poisonous Amanita does not grow on stumps-however it can grow up from the ground and into the cluster. Just pay attention to what you are picking and you won’t have a problem.

Identification

Cap- 1 ¼ to 6 inches across. Very variable, convex then flattened. Color light to dark brown with age. Covered in dark hairy scales.

Gills-Attached or slightly descending. Whitish, then yellow turning brownish with age.

Veil-Partial-Leaving a thick yellow or whitish cottony ring.

Flesh white

Spore Print-whitish

This is to be used for educational purposes only. Remember if you don’t know, don’t eat. If you are new to mushroom foraging consult an expert to confirm your identification.

We haven’t had a very hot summer here. Hot weather is really what you want for this type of fishing. The last few days have produced some 90 degree temps driving those fish into the deep water. A lot of fisherman miss this. Watch for close to shore drop offs. Such as above power dams or water reservoirs. Use plastic worms or crawlers. Fish them either on or close to the bottom. Time of day? Believe it or not-mid day when the weather is hot can produce some really nice fish. Give it a try.

I am always looking for good fish recipes. This looked a little different so I thought I would give it a try. It was good. The mashed potato flakes make it nice and crispy. We used this on our last catch of crappies. 　

Ingredients

1. 2 cups all purpose flower

2. 3 teaspoons salt 3. 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning4. 1 ½ teaspoons pepper5. 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6. 2 lbs pan fish fillets

7. 2 eggs

8. ¼ cup milk

9. 2 cups mashed potato flakes

10. 6 tablespoons vegetable oil/ divided

Directions

1. Use a plastic bag and combine the spices and flour. Shake the fish in the bag one piece at a time to coat the fillets.

2. Mix or Wisk the eggs and milk together.

3. Put the potato flakes in a shallow dish.

4. Dip the fish in the eggs and milk, then roll in the potato flakes-then back into the eggs and milk and coat in the potato flakes again.

5. Pan fry until done- about 5 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes with a fork. Add the oil as needed.

These come out a nice golden brown.

Enjoy

What a week! 2 feet of snow-then 70 degrees the next day. Low water was a problem. But not anymore. Now it is just the opposite. The good news is as the water levels fall this coming week the fishing could be great. there are steelhead in the area. Fish are being caught off the breakwater and marina by the sport shop . As usual it seems to be the best in the early morning or evening. A kind of a mixed bag is being used for bait. Spoons, Spawn and crawlers all seem to be working.Tip-Best bet use 2 lines. Set one on the bottom with crawlers or spawn and cast spoons with the other.

Have you have been wanting to try ice fishing in Michigan? The up coming week end may be a great time. Michigan’s free fishing weekend February 14^th and 15^th. Maybe you have wanted to try some Trout and Salmon fishing on the great lakes but did not want to spend the additional money for a Trout and Salmon Stamp. Now is the time.If you would like additional information and a list of Free Fishing Week Activities click on the link below.

 Michigan Free Fishing Weekend

Ice fishing reports have been pretty weak here on the bay. I guess extremely cold weather brings good and bad. The good news is the ice is developing quickly in the deeper water bringing with it some nice catches of Lake Trout. If you can endure the cold long enough to set up your ice fishing tent. As the weather warms we should have enough ice for some great fishing. Get yourself some wire line, a bobbing stick and some jigs and you are ready to go.

Ice Fishing Tip- Lake Trout are usually in deep water. Use a deep water Fish Locater and keep an extra line ready to go. If you start marking fish between you and the bottom, say 20, 30, 40 feet this could be a school of Salmon. Get that extra line into the water.

 

What a change in the weather here in upper Michigan. From a really nice fall- almost instantly to cold and snow. Oh well I guess it is time. Thanks Giving and Christmas are right around the corner. By Christmas we should be doing some ice fishing on the inland lakes.Early ice fishing is hot. But you must be careful. Know the lake you are fishing. Deeper water- thinner ice. Do not go it alone. Test the ice with your ice bar close to shore and work your way out. Don’t take any unnecessary risks its not worth it. If you don’t feel comfortable with the thickness of the ice don’t go out on it. Watch for wet spots. Even when the ice is thick a wet area can indicate a spring or current creating weak ice in that area. Approach it with caution or better yet not at all. Ok enough preaching!So the ice is safe. Are you ready?Now is a good time to check your equipment. Replace last years line. Check your ice fishing tent.Start your power auger if you have one. Maybe replace the plug and do a little fine tuning. Nothing is more discouraging then when all of a sudden you find out the ice is safe and nothing is ready.

If you are fishing for pan fish keep the line light-2 or 4 lb test. Fish the edges of the weed beds in about 10 or 12 feet of water. Later in the winter when it gets colder you may have to move to deeper water.

Carry a good assortment of ice fishing jigs. The color or style they are hitting on today may not be the same tomorrow. Believe me this can make a huge difference.

Here in our area it can be a real challenge to get ice fishing grubs early in the season. What I do is go searching for golden rod balls. If you don’t know what these are, an insect lays an egg in the stem of the golden rod and the plant forms a ball around it that protects the larva. If you cut these balls in half you will find the grub on the inside. They are small but make an excellent grub for early ice fishing. Use them like you would use a wax worm or a mousse.

If you have a good lake for brook trout-Night crawlers seem to work real well with early ice.

Fish High- Try different depths from the bottom. With early ice don’t be surprised if you find the fish just below the bottom of the ice. If you are set deep and they are not hitting-move it up.

So get ready. Ice fishing is just around the corner.