Greetings,

When this article comes to print, rifle season will have ended and muzzle-loading season will be in full swing. I hope you had a safe and successful deer season that resulted in a fuller freezer than when November arrived.

I’m headed for Michigan with two friends of mine on a muzzleloader hunt in a few days. I’m very excited about this as my friend’s son just called from Michigan and sighted over 40 deer in one bunch! Can you imagine that? We don’t have that concentration of deer here in Maine and it’s just hard to comprehend that they sight deer in that large of a group day in and day out. In Michigan, we can legally take two does and two bucks. Another neat aspect of this hunt is that it’s all new territory for me and I find that very exciting. I’ll fill you in when I get back on what it was like out there.

Persistence finally paid off for me last Monday when I took a big fat doe with my 300 Savage. Last evening I cooked the inside tenderloins and they were outstanding. I started with a thin coat of olive oil in the frying pan, and then heated it on medium heat until the pan was hot. I dropped the tenderloins into the pan and they immediately started to sear. After a few minutes on each side, I then added sliced onions and green peppers and a small handful of chopped fresh garlic. I then let it all cook for another five minutes then removed the deer tenderloins from the pan, placed them on dinner plates and topped them with sautaed onions, peppers and garlic. This was about as good as deer meat gets, I hope you try it some time.

Another favorite of mine is deer heart. I know it’s not for everyone but I enjoy the flavor. I always slow simmer deer hearts, I start by covering with water, and I then add two tablespoons of poultry seasoning, a chopped onion, about six shakes of garlic powder and a few shakes of black pepper. I then let it cook on a slow simmer for 75 minutes. I then slice the heart very thin and serve. Give it a whirl. I think that you might like it.

If you had good fortune this hunting season, share a package of venison with an older person or maybe that landowner that lets people hunt on their land. It will make them feel good, and you know what? It will make you feel good, too.

Until next time, hunt hard, and be safe,

Hutch