THE COST OF BEING A PIONEER

BY GREG A. LANE

Several years ago, when my son first got his driver’s permit, he and I packed up some camping gear and set out on a “Pioneer Weekend” trip to Tishomingo State Park in Mississippi. Our main objective? To catch fish and live off the land like the early pioneers.

When we got to the park, we went to the ranger’s office to purchase our Mississippi fishing licenses. It cost us $20.50 for two licenses. I thought that was a little steep back in those days, but, ultimately, it was a small price to pay for me and my son to discover the pioneer within us. Besides, $20.50 was about how much we would have spent at a local restaurant if we ordered a fish plate.

Oh, and we did have to buy some bait and lures to catch those fish. That cost us around $20. Oops! I almost forgot … we also had to buy a couple of new rods and reels. I mean, what good does it do to have the best lures in the land without a fancy new rod and reel to attach them to? That cost us about $40. Alright, I think that about covers it. The grand total was now at $80.50. But, we also have to include $30 for the price of gas to Tishomingo and another $10 for snacks we bought at a convenience store on the way. That pushed the grand total for the trip to $120.50. Well, that’s a little bit more than the price of the fish plate at the local restaurant, but I was certain the thrill of living off the land would be well worth it.

After we set up our tent at our camping spot, we went straight to fishing. After all, if we were going to eat supper that night we were completely dependent on our skills as pioneers and fishermen!

I hate to say it, but we were unsuccessful on our first day of fishing. We didn’t get a single bite all afternoon. Our stomachs were empty and growling. Our convenience store snacks had run their course hours earlier, giving us a sugar rush, and then the resulting crash. I guess it’s a good thing I brought along a few extra provisions, just in case we weren’t successful. So much for living like a pioneer our first night. (Do you think pioneers had potato chips, Pop Tarts and Mountain Dew back in the day?) I forgot to include the price of that bag of snacks into our grand total amount. Grand Total for our pioneer weekend: $140.50. Oh! I also forgot to include the cost of the campsite for two days to the grand total. Let’s just make it an even $200.

We got up early the next morning, ate a Pop Tart, and washed it down with Mountain Dew, then headed to all the fishing spots around Lake Tishomingo. Once again, we were completely unsuccessful … the fish just weren’t biting! What’s a pioneer to do? We decided to take a break from fishing and we did some hiking and exploring. At least in that respect we were being true pioneers … forging new pathways and charting out new territories. (Actually, just to be honest, we stayed on the clearly marked trails throughout the park.)

A couple of hours later, we headed back to the lake to go fishing. There was no way we were going to experience two nights in a row of pioneer shame, with nothing to cook on the campfire. We were determined!

As luck would have it, we actually began to catch some fish this time! My son caught two bass and I also caught two bass. Four fish fillets would be on the campfire that night! The two of us pioneers were starting to feel a sense of accomplishment.

One problem though. While I was reeling my Rooster-Tail lure in, it got snagged close to the bank. I jerked it really hard and that lure came flying back at me at rocket speed! I felt a sting in my hand and looked down to see the treble hook of that lure deeply embedded in my right knuckle. I called out to my son, “I'm gonna need your help!” He came over and saw what I had done. “What do you want me to do?” he asked with a concerned look on his face. I replied, “I’ve heard about this sort of thing before. I need you to push this hook on through my skin and when the barb comes through we’ll snip it off with wire cutters." (Now, doesn't that sound just like something a couple of rough and rugged pioneers would have done back in the old days?)

My son grabbed the hook and started to push on it ... and I almost fainted. That hook was buried deep! I began to feel faint every time I looked at the lure. I was also feeling a little queasy. (So much for being a rough and rugged pioneer.) My son knew he couldn’t do what needed to be done. We had no other recourse. We had to go to the nearest emergency room … 30 miles away.

I was feeling too faint to drive so my son (the one who just got his driver’s permit a week earlier ... the one who had very little driving experience) had to drive his faint-hearted father to a city he’d never been to, down streets he was completely unfamiliar with. He said, “Dad what should I do if you faint?” I replied, “Just pull off the side of the road until I come to.”

When we stepped inside the Emergency room doors in the neighboring city, there were people there who were struggling with “life-and-death” issues, from gunshot wounds to pneumonia … and there I was with a fishing lure stuck in my knuckle. How embarrassing! A couple of hours later, the hook had been removed and we walked out of that Emergency Room two very humble pioneers.

On the way back to camp we stopped at a grocery store and bought some corn meal and vegetable oil to cook our fish. We also bought some potatoes to fry over the campfire. We were determined we were still going to do what we set out to do, in spite of our setbacks.

Four fish fillets would be on the campfire that night! The two of us pioneers were starting to feel a sense of accomplishment.

We were going to cook over an open campfire like the pioneers of old! After paying $20 for the extra groceries, our pioneer weekend grand total had come to $220. When we got back to camp, my son had to do all the work by himself because my right hand was bandaged up. He gutted and cleaned the fish, got the campfire going and even cut up the potatoes into French fries. I was so proud of him. My mishap put him in a position where he had to step up to a higher level of maturity and responsibility. Isn’t it interesting how life's struggles can do that for us? We’re just strolling along, doing things the way we’ve always done them, and then trouble comes. Even though we dislike troubles and trials, they usually create opportunities for us to rise up to greater levels of maturity and responsibility. Sometimes, trials even uncover hidden abilities and talents within us that we didn't know we had. Yes, quite often the trials we go through make us better people with greater character. That’s what happened in my son's life that evening. He took on all the responsibility for dinner that night while I nursed my wound. My dark moment gave him a chance to shine.

After all the cooking was done, the fish and French fries he cooked over the campfire were the best-tasting fish and fries I’ve had in my life, even if the meal did cost us $110 each. Well, at least that’s what I thought the grand total had come to ... but I was wrong.

You see, three weeks later, I got the bill from the Emergency room. It was $600. The final tally for our "Pioneer Weekend" was $820. Yes, that’s right … those four bass fillets cost $205 each. But, it was really a small price to pay to see my son grow as a man, and rise to a new level of maturity. And, it was also a small price to pay for me to discover this important fact … I CAN'T AFFORD TO BE A PIONEER!

We have a large selection of homozygous black and bwf Simmental and SimAngus bulls and heifers for sale at the farm. The bulls are gentle, well muscled with superior epds and carcass traits.

BY JESSIE SHOOK

Whether you are gearing up for hunting season, or you have extra meat in your freezer, these wild game recipes are the perfect edition to your recipe box!

Venison Stuffing

1 pound ground venison

3/4 cup zucchini, diced

3/4 cup onions, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tablespoons butter

1 can creamy mushroom soup

3/4 cup sour cream

1 box prepared stuffing

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh sage

Heat oven to 450 F. Brown ground venison in skillet. Drain and remove when finished. Add 4 tablespoons butter to same skillet, and add the zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are soft, the onions are translucent, and the garlic is fragrant. Add the cooked venison to the pan. Add sour cream, creamy mushroom soup, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Add prepared stuffing. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes. Serve while warm, topped with fresh sage if you prefer.

Cheesy Venison Dip

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound ground venison

1/2 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 garlic cloves, minced Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Heat your oven to 425 F. In a skillet, add the vegetable oil and heat to medium. Add in the ground venison, onion, chili powder and paprika and cook until venison is done. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Pour half of the cheese into a baking dish and top with the venison mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with tortilla chips.

Note

This is best served warm. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper if you are looking for some more spice.

Easy Venison Sloppy Joes

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 onion (diced)

2 garlic cloves

1 pound ground venison

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Hamburger buns

In large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Add venison and cook through, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Once meat is browned add tomato sauce, ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and apple cider vinegar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture thickens, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on hamburger buns.

Sweet and Savory Bacon Wrapped

Venison Tenderloin

2 pounds venison tenderloin

3 cups brown sugar

2 cups soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon ground mustard (or 1 Tablespoon prepared mustard)

1/2 pound bacon (or up to 1 lb)

Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and mustard. Coat the venison in the marinade and tightly wrap or transfer to a sealable plastic bag. Refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour, but overnight is best. Heat oven to 350 F and prepare a baking pan. Something slotted to let the drippings fall works best. That way you can baste it while it cooks. Remove the venison from the marinade (but don't discard) and wrap in the bacon. Drizzle the marinade over the wrapped tenderloin. Place it in the center of the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, for a medium roast. Optional but tasty: Remove the tenderloin from the oven and turn on the broiler. Once warm, return it to the oven for just long enough to crisp up the bacon and get a nice crust. Let rest about 2 minutes before cutting, then enjoy!

Wild Boar Ragu

Marinade

2 pounds wild boar, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces (shoulder and leg meat work really well for this)

2 cups red wine (something hearty, like a Chianti or Sangiovese)

1 onion, small dice

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano

1 whole clove

Main Dish

1 large carrot, small dice

2 ribs celery, small dice

14 oz canned crushed tomatoes

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups stock

Combine the marinade ingredients in a sealable bag and refrigerate overnight. Strain the boar from the marinade, reserving both. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat about

2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the meat and simmer until lightly browned. Depending on the size of the pot, you may need to work in batches. Remove meat and set aside. Sauté the carrot and celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved marinade, tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Bring to a simmer to let some of the alcohol cook out, about 2-5 minutes. Return the meat to the pot, along with any juices from the plate. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover and let cook until the meat is fork tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. If the sauce dries out too much, add about 1 cup water (or stock, to taste). Once tender, pull the meat to shreds with two forks. Serve over a hearty pasta like tagliatelle, pappardelle, or gnocci. A crusty piece of bread makes a great accompaniment too.

Note

If you don't want to stand over a stove, transfer the pot to an oven heated to 300 F while it simmers. You could also transfer it to a slow cooker instead.

New Mexico Green Enchiladas

GREEN CHILE SAUCE

3 Tablespoons lard or cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 Tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chopped roasted green chiles, about a dozen

1 teaspoon epazote (optional)

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 1/2 cups dove broth or chicken stock

Salt (smoked salt if you have it)

Black pepper to taste

FILLING

1 pound meat, shredded or diced small Salt, smoked if you have it

6 ounces of shredded cheese, divided

1 cup of minced onion

12 6-inch tortillas

Chili Sauce: Roast your green chiles and make the chile sauce. Heat the lard over medium-high heat and cook the onions until soft, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Puree in a blender.

Filling: Dice the meat and salt well. Mix with about 1/4 cup of the green chile sauce as well as about 2 ounces of cheese and the onion.

Heat the tortillas on a heavy skillet until they blacken and puff up a little. Then put them in a tortilla warmer, or stack on a plate and put a bowl over them. Let them steam a few minutes before building the enchiladas. Or, you can dip them in hot oil for a few seconds, or dip them in the hot green chile sauce. Either way, shake off the excess oil or sauce. Build the enchiladas. Pour a little green chile sauce into a casserole. Fill a tortilla with a little of the filling and roll it up. Place seam side down on the casserole. Repeat until you're done. You should get about 15 tortillas. Pour more green chile sauce over the enchiladas and top with lots of the shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes and serve.

Note

The meat is raw as it goes into the enchilada. It cooks when you bake them.

Did you try one of these recipes?

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