For some, Blacktail deer hunting is over for the season and now it is time to serve up that bounty. There is nothing like warming yourself up with a fun and lively dinner shared with family and friends in the middle of winter. I have had the opportunity to dine with our Alaskan legend, Jim Baichtal and his wife Karen, several times over the past few years and the first thing I thought of was reaching out to these two blacktail aficionados. So, I asked Jim what was one of his favorite black-tail recipes, and oh “Deer” did we get one!!
It’s Christmas week here on the Mule Deer Foundation and Blacktail Deer Foundation comms team so we thought we would have a little fun. When you waited years to finally draw that big buck mule deer tag in a stellar unit it can be a miserable time when you’re staring at an un-notched tag on the last day of your hunt.
Hunting season is over and most of the lower 48. You may have a late season muzzleloader tag for a primitive weapons tag burning a hole in your pocket, but for the rest of us the 2024 season is done. What should I do now? After 90+ days of chasing bucks and ducks or grouse free time may feel strange. It’s a bit too cold out to start practicing marksmanship for next season. You can only put so much time into buying preference points, or applying for tags, and eventually scanning OnX in the evening for ridges or saddles you may have missed gets boring. When the boredom finds you one of the best ways to spend, the winter is sitting next to the fire with a good book. What follows are a few winter reading suggestions from the Mule Deer Foundation and Blacktail Deer Foundation?
December has come again. The season started with such promise, full of aspirations for massive antlers fitting perfectly in the empty space on the wall. A winter of deer steaks and chili enjoyed while retelling the story of conquest, of trials and tribulations that lead to the meal before you. A summer spent practicing with your rifle and optics, buying the newest “must have” gear, and watching every Mule Deer hunting video on the internet lead to a September full of deliberate scouting and combing the fields and sage flats for your target buck in anticipation of opening day.