This Fall was the first season that I took a big game animal, field dressed it, and broke it down into kitchen-friendly, freezer-ready pieces.  My two initial takeaways from this process are: A. The meat starts resembling something you have handled hundreds of times in the kitchen more quickly than you would expect.  The word "butchering" harkens some grisly images to mind, but once you remove the offal, it's a minimally bloodless process. B. I basically learned everything I needed to from YouTube, so I am confident that you can too. Confidence in the field is key, and confidence only comes from exposure and experience.  To head afield with a gun or bow in hand is to carry with you a...

As a novice duck hunter- I’ve gleaned a few things about the sport that have influenced my meal decision. Here’s some background.  You do any bit of research on youtube or instagram on duck hunting and you may be tempted to believe duck hunting is limited to shooting mallard drakes, the most recognizable duck with greenheads often floating around the local golf course.   But there are many different types of ducks, at least as many as 41 different species, that range is size, region and taste. The culture around shooting greenheads is understandable. For one, It’s a conservation decision by singling out the males a hunter is protecting the future flock numbers, it’s a meat yield decision due to...

As we look ahead to 2020 we are excited about what we can create, not simply from a digital output standpoint, but from in the form of interpersonal connection. The prevalence of great media sources nearly defines the human experience in 2019-2020.  From YouTube to Podcasts to Netflix and Instagram, digital content that covers any and all subjects is abundant.  Hunting is no different—there are tremendous digital resources on all types of hunting and fishing—whether you are a greenhorn beginner or a lifelong outdoorsman. Individually, we have benefited tremendously from the resources that exist.  Voices like Steven Rinella, Hank Shaw, Randy Newberg, and Remi Warren (to name a few) have shaped much of my personal confidence and knowledge in the field...

We recently traveled to the Kern River for the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Field to Fork event. We were all loaded up with gear from the new Wilderness Collective x lululemon collaboration, and tasked with getting photos of the product afield.  lululemon generously sponsored our November Wild Fish & Wild Game dinner, and Jeffrey was more than happy with the assignment to shoot for the product launch in a setting like the Kern. With trout and quail on the mind—Davis, Matt and Jeff struck out to explore all of the natural beauty that the Kern River has to offer.   Photos: Jeffrey AlleeProduct: Wilderness x lululemon  

You guys really showed off last night. The food that was shared was downright unbeatable and the crowd was filled with some of the best people I know, and a bunch of new faces of people who share our love of wild game and good conversation. For starters, there were over 60 people packed into Sean Woolsey's studio and parking lot last night for a shared feast. Just off the top of my head, I ate elk sliders, fish tacos, dove, lobster ravioli, homemade sourdough, loaded up salad, impossibly tender elk steaks, seared yellowfin tuna, and I know for a fact I missed out on like 2/3 of the incredible things you guys shared. After dinner, we moved inside where...

September’s #wildfishwildgame dinner is at wrap here in Costa Mesa.  Fortunately for all of us, this month's dinner just happened to take place 3 days after the recreational lobster season opener here in California and several of the dudes in the club were exceptionally generous with their time and lobsters.  The contributions were plentiful.  Last night we were treated to: an abundance of fresh California spiny lobster a bison brisket lobster rolls (recipe available here) ceviche home-made Cole slaw home-made biscuits home made tortillas quinoa broccoli grilled zucchini fried walleye beers courtesy of @latitude33brew  Not to mention, a whole bunch of great friends, new and old.  We discussed the results of the survey we sent out last month, which helps paint a clearer picture...

Lobster season opened last Saturday morning locally. A crew of the guys have been logging a ton of late night, chilly, hours in the water in an effort to bring home some of the most prized meat in the sea—the California Spiny Lobster.  Zach Rose limited the night before Quail Club met, and was generous enough to prepare this incredible take on a Lobster Roll.  California Lobster Rolls (Sous Vide)  Ingredients:  ½ of lobster meat.   2 tablespoons of butter 1 teaspoon of garlic powder 1 teaspoon of black pepper 1 cup of mayonnaise - ¼ cup of squeezed lemon. 2 tablespoons of Siracha (Rooster) sauce.  1 teaspoon paprika  1 teaspoon of chipotle seasoning. 2 diced serrano chilis.  1 diced celery stick. ...

As a life-long midwestern bird hunter, my expectations for hunting in California were extremely low.  I moved West late last summer with a chip on my shoulder, ironically from a “flyover state”.  I had written this state off to surfers and beach bums with little idea of what California has to offer outdoorsmen (and women).  Fortunately, California has been quick to proven me wrong.  September 1st, 2019 and I found myself with my shotgun loaded in the back of my electric car heading to meet a fellow member of Quail Club, and my newfound friend, Matt Rose. Matt, is what some might expect to see when you describe an outdoorsman who lives in SoCal. His hair slightly bleached from the Californian sun,...

The first time I started writing down notes of my Dad and my experiences on [REDACTED] Mountain was 2006.  It was August which from a purely hiking and scouting standpoint is my favorite time to be in the woods.  Since then, I have attempted to document the animals we run into on all of our countless sunrise jaunts to the top and back. During our most recent trip we spotted: 3 cow elk 1 small-medium white-tail buck 2 big, huge, giant bucks 1 hen turkey and her poults 1 bull moose 1 cow moose 6-10 grouse 1 ominously fresh mountain lion track at the trailhead that hadn't been there on the way up. [REDACTED] Mountain is the backdrop behind my...

The first rule when you're tagging along on a hunt is be the quietest one in the group.  The second rule when you're tagging along is don't quack like a duck when your friend is hunting for elk. My friend Patrick had put plenty of offseason work into his archery elk hunt,  and was kind enough to invite me to join him for a day while my wife and I were in town.  I wasn't sure whether he would fill his tag that day, but I knew damn sure I wasn't going to be the one who blew the elk out by breaking branches and stumbling through the woods. For simplicity's sake, I won't even mention which state Patrick lives...