Jamie Carlson’s idea of a perfect field snack is a raw antelope liver, taken directly from the freshly killed animal itself. “Raw antelope liver is the sweetest thing you’re ever going to have,” he says while tending a campfire at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. “Pull it out, rinse it off, put a little … [ Read more]
Hunter, Writer, Butcher, Cook: Jamie Carlson and Minnesota’s wild foods movement
September 24, 2018 by
Leaving Lead Behind: One hunter’s decision to rethink his choice in ammunition
September 24, 2018 by
I saw my first pine marten on a gut pile. In the snowy aspens, the fresh kill site was a bright bloom of reds, pinks, and purples. The marten bounded from stump to deadfall, disappeared into the snow, and then popped straight up next to the gut pile, his black face and whiskers glittering. He looked … [ Read more]
On the Hunt for Dinner: Chef Jon Wipfli on his new cookbook, ‘Venison’
August 22, 2017 by
If you ask local chef and food writer Jon Wipfli, he’ll tell you that there are two types of meat out there. First, there’s the individually wrapped cuts on the supermarket shelf, uniform and predictable—you can cook the same thing every night. The other, more interesting, meat is the kind that’s still in its original … [ Read more]
Slay to Gourmet: Alaska moose hunt
September 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
A year ago, my Uncle Mark called me with an invitation to go to Fairbanks, Alaska, for a week of moose hunting and a getaway from the city. Thankfully I agreed, despite not knowing much about moose, or moose hunting, or Fairbanks, or what the hell I was about to get myself into. I won’t … [ Read more]
Field and revenue stream: How hunting contributes to wildlife conservation
September 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
In some parts of Minnesota, it’s no big deal to see trumpeter swans flying overhead, their black bills in stark contrast to their white bodies. It’s exciting to hear the trumpeting sound they make and exhilarating to feel as much as hear the thumping sound their wings make as they fly overhead. And while trumpeter swans … [ Read more]
Pink is the new orange for Wisconsin hunters
February 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
A bill was just signed into law in Wisconsin that allows hunters to wear blaze pink as well as blaze orange, reports Bring Me the News. The bill was proposed in May 2015; the representatives who drafted it said it was “designed to provide more options for hunters and boost interest in the pursuit at a … [ Read more]
For the Birds: Battling declines in Minnesota’s pheasant population
October 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
This Saturday across central and southern Minnesota, hunters will step out into the early autumnal dawn in search of Minnesota’s premier upland game bird: the ring-necked pheasant. The pheasant season, which begins October 10 and runs until January 3, 2016, has historically been one of the more important hunting seasons for many Minnesotans. In recent … [ Read more]
Slay to Gourmet: Alaskan Game Dinner
September 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Moose, halibut, rockfish, cod, and salmon with vegetables and an herb vinaigrette My father’s side of my family has a long tradition of hunting. When my uncle Mark suggested having a game dinner at the cabin with animals he’d harvested in Alaska, I was in. After all, a family who slays together, stays together. This … [ Read more]
On Point: Willow Creek Kennels trains German Shorthair Pointers to be Master Hunters
September 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Fall is a busy time in the North. There are Oktoberfests to be enjoyed, autumn hikes to traverse, changing leaves to be admired, and—as hunting seasons open—blaze orange to be donned. Many of us are not alone when we answer the call of the great outdoors, stepping out into the woods and prairies. There by … [ Read more]
Slay to Gourmet: Venison
March 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Story and Slay photos by Jon Wipfli Gourmet Photos by Matt Lien Driving through the silo-dotted Wisconsin landscape in the fall and early winter months is incredible. Fresh falling snow coats the roofs of the barns and blankets the harvested fields with a layer of pristine white, untouched by human activity. My destination is central … [ Read more]
Slay to Gourmet: Wild Duck
December 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Hunting photos by Jon Wipfli Cooking photos by James Eastman Driving north through Wisconsin, my mind kept wandering through what the next couple of days would bring. Coming into this trip, I was hoping to stomp through the woods in search of grouse and woodcock, but with the forecast leaning towards overcast and rainy, I knew … [ Read more]
