Canada hunt

[Catcher's Mitt]

I got back yesterday from 3 days of hunting near Outlook, Saskatchewan with my best friend Mark Thompson and his nephew Bobby. We had a fantastic time. The accommodations at Highland Outfitters were nice and the food was good. We found the people in Canada to be very friendly...reminded us a lot of the people here in Louisiana.

our four days were filled with hunting the mornings for geese and ducks in wheat fields. we would arrive before daylight and set out around 400 wind sock goose decoys. We wore white and laid in amongst the decoys. The action was great all three mornings.

After the morning hunt we would come back to a big breakfast of eggs, ham, hash browns and waffles or pancakes. then we would piddle around till we were tired and then take a nap. then we would get up, eat a snack and head out around 3:30 or 4:00. the first two evenings we hunted Sand Hill Crane and the final evening we had a phenomenal duck hunt.

The birds were plentiful and willing to come have a look at our spreads. We shot lots of shells and killed a bunch of birds. we only had one unsuccessful hunt. that was on the second evening of hunting Sand Hill Cranes. we went to the same place and their was as many or more birds in the area and the wind was blowing harder than the evening before. we were expecting to take a limit ....and take it early. boy were we wrong. we only killed one. those birds are smart. they didn't mill around early like they did the evening before. and when they got up to go to roost........they went wide left and wide right. the only thing we can figure is that our shooting them the evening before educated them and changed their pattern.

The last day we shot mostly all geese in the morning and only 4 ducks. so the last evening we made a duck hunt in a swathed wheat field. there was a pond in the field and when we drove in to set up, hundreds of ducks got up out of the pond. we set up in the field each on side of a swath. we had ghilly blankets that we covered up with and then pulled some of the wheat over that. we finished out our limit with 20 more ducks in short order, passing shooting on lots of birds that were within 40 yards! we hated having to shoot the 20th duck!

If you haven't done this before, I highly recommend putting it on your bucket list.

Mark

[netman9]

SHCrane/T-Bone in the sky! Looks like a successful trip with lots of good eats. I've hunted Sandhills while duck hunting SW of Houston, amazing birds to go after with the sights and sounds that go with them, very vocal birds. Thanks for the report.

[gottaflylee]

Glad you had a great time. I used to take group to Vermilion for a few years and your right, it should be on every waterfowler's list...

[weekender]

congrats on great trip, looks like a blast for sure

[merry marlin]

Wow, Thanks for sharing one heck of a time!
Sure need to make it up there one of these days...
MM

[Dave Sikorski]

You guys did great on those cranes! You're right, they are some smart suckers.

My dad and I are in Manitoba right now and we've had some good hunts here as well. I'm jealous of that speck, they're a very cool goose to hunt.

Thanks for sharing.

-D

[Catcher's Mitt]

SHCrane/T-Bone in the sky! Looks like a successful trip with lots of good eats. I've hunted Sandhills while duck hunting SW of Houston, amazing birds to go after with the sights and sounds that go with them, very vocal birds. Thanks for the report.

netman

do you have any recipes for cooking ribeye in the sky? we googled it while we were there and it is like everything else.......some love and some hate. lol

[Catcher's Mitt]

You guys did great on those cranes! You're right, they are some smart suckers.

My dad and I are in Manitoba right now and we've had some good hunts here as well. I'm jealous of that speck, they're a very cool goose to hunt.

Thanks for sharing.

-D

Dave

we killed several specks. we were all fired up. this is our preferred bird here in Louisiana. Canadians don't seem to be very impressed by them though.

[netman9]

netman

do you have any recipes for cooking ribeye in the sky? we googled it while we were there and it is like everything else.......some love and some hate. lol

Couple of ways. We found the cranes to be naturally mild with minimal seasoning but can be enhanced as well.

Easy recipe...

*Prepare a brine using 5 tbs brown sugar, 1 tbs canning salt or kosher salt(not iodized salt) and dessolve in 2 cups hot water, add ice cubes and cold water to equal about 5 cups total.

*Fillet breast out and lay on a cutting board. Put a round spoon handle against the meat and cut the breast at an angle using the spoon to stop from going through. Remove tendons from the legs.

*Cover meat in chilled brine and refrigerate for 3-5 days.

*Remove from brine and rinse with fresh water.

*Season with dried sweet basil, black pepper and Kikkomans Roasted Garlic Teriyaki. Be sure to season a little between cuts.

*Cook on charcoal fire with moistened apple wood chips to 180*.

Spruced-up recipe.

*Slice breast to make a large cup. Brine as above...

*Stuff cup with a piece of sweet onion, green pepper and summer sausage then wrap in bacon holding in place with tooth-pic.

*Same seasoning and cooking method as above.

***A special dipping sauce we use... 50/50 pepper jelly and Smokey Mesquite A1 Sauce.

The brine is also our duck and goose prefreeze way to double freezer life and to condition the meat before cooking fresh. The spruced-up recipe can be used for goose.

Cooking temp is important as you want to be safe without over cooking. Goose and duck will turn into a liver texture and flavor when over done.


Wish I could have half the trip you experienced! Pictures show an amazing hunt!!!

I will put a Canada Goose fixed using the 2nd recipe against any steak you can get in C'ville! Its that good! The Crane will be even better, ENJOY!!!

[Catcher's Mitt]

Couple of ways. We found the cranes to be naturally mild with minimal seasoning but can be enhanced as well.

Easy recipe...

*Prepare a brine using 5 tbs brown sugar, 1 tbs canning salt or kosher salt(not iodized salt) and dessolve in 2 cups hot water, add ice cubes and cold water to equal about 5 cups total.

*Fillet breast out and lay on a cutting board. Put a round spoon handle against the meat and cut the breast at an angle using the spoon to stop from going through. Remove tendons from the legs.

*Cover meat in chilled brine and refrigerate for 3-5 days.

*Remove from brine and rinse with fresh water.

*Season with dried sweet basil, black pepper and Kikkomans Roasted Garlic Teriyaki. Be sure to season a little between cuts.

*Cook on charcoal fire with moistened apple wood chips to 180*.

Spruced-up recipe.

*Slice breast to make a large cup. Brine as above...

*Stuff cup with a piece of sweet onion, green pepper and summer sausage then wrap in bacon holding in place with tooth-pic.

*Same seasoning and cooking method as above.

***A special dipping sauce we use... 50/50 pepper jelly and Smokey Mesquite A1 Sauce.

The brine is also our duck and goose prefreeze way to double freezer life and to condition the meat before cooking fresh. The spruced-up recipe can be used for goose.

Cooking temp is important as you want to be safe without over cooking. Goose and duck will turn into a liver texture and flavor when over done.


Wish I could have half the trip you experienced! Pictures show an amazing hunt!!!

I will put a Canada Goose fixed using the 2nd recipe against any steak you can get in C'ville! Its that good! The Crane will be even better, ENJOY!!!

wow. thanks netman for the detailed recipes. can't wait to try.