Episode 5 – Winter Mule Deer Hunt Part III

by: Tom Sorenson

Here is the final installment of episode 5 of Off Trail. This is video of Sue’s hunt and the wrapping up of a wonderful time together.

In case you missed them, here is part one and here is part two.

And, of course, here is my blog about the trip.

Enjoy!

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Here is the portion of the blog that pertains to part III.

Once the tent space was cleared and the bulky canvas home was unrolled, it was time to figure out how this thing was to be erected. Grandpa had made the tent poles his hobby, and we were all set for the best looking camp ever! That is, if we could get the tent up and standing. Some pieces of rebar with a two inch “T” at the top would serve as our stakes – and keep that in mind. After some finagling, jostling, grunting, and grumbling, the tent began to take shape. Once it was finally standing, it was time to pound our stakes in – into ground frozen solid. Out came the eight pound persuasion hammer and the stakes were not so gently driven into the ground.

Once the tent was set up, it was time to get the place set up as “home sweet home.” Grandpa had made tables and kitchen cabinets, which were super handy. Todd and I had been introduced to indoor horseshoes, or ring-toss, and we quickly made up all the pieces and by Saturday night, we were playing ring-toss in our cozy tent while a fire roared in the stove. Of course it is unnecessary to mention that Todd and I beat Grandpa and Dad 10 out of 15 games. Unnecessary, but interesting information just the same.

Sunday night we decided to have our turkey dinner. Here we are miles away from civilization, and we’re preparing turkey, stuffing, rolls, mashed potatoes, and beans (I use the term we loosely, in reality, I was just reminded of what an awesome mother I have during this trip). A few years ago, a friend gave me a recipe for something called trash can turkey, and I’ve since found it to be the best way to cook turkey. I’m not sure if this is completely in line with the FDA regulations, as it does involve cooking a turkey inside of an overturned trash can (preferably an unused one). This makes it possible to cook a turkey anywhere you can pack a trash can to – and it does it in about half the time a conventional oven would. Sometime I’ll have to get the recipe from my mother and post it on here – although everyone will have to agree to the disclaimer that says I have no clue what the long term effects of eating turkey cooked in a galvanized trash can could be. I do know the short term effects are a full belly to the point of bursting!

It was a trip full of frustrations, adrenaline, excitement, and memories. Already, I can’t wait till next year – and hopefully I’ll be carrying a tag myself.

Remember those rebar stakes that we pounded into frozen ground? We had to use the handyman jack to pull them back out after we chipped a couple inches away with a pickaxe.

Me at work with the pickaxe.