Kristan
Well-known member
Here is my first for me on the Texas Prairie...Ribeye of the sky...Sandhill crane...For most of you northern and north eastern waterfowlers on the fourm, take a notice to what I am wearing...The shirt I am wearing I wore on the first teal hunt in September...Unlike the north we have had an unseasonable warm spell the past week...Had just a long sleeve shirt overtop during a fogging morning and a tyvek suit hunting snows in the rice fields...It was foggy around 65 degrees until about 10:30...In fact it was so foggy it felt like I was blindfolded only being able to see around 10 feet and I really mean 10 feet...
A story within a story: I was packing in 40 dozen WhiteRock/Sillosock decoys mixed from my truck into an area of the field about 250 yards from truck...I proceeded to walk packed-up like a mule, following one of the 3 main levees in the center of the field...Paced myself about 250 steps out and turned left into the main part of the field and paced another 100 steps (well I am short with only about a 27 inch stride, it might not be 250 yards, give me a break)...I proceeded to set out the spread in random small groups about 100 yards long by 100 yards wide...When I set the spread I walked back to get my gun and other gear....I proceeded to walk in the direction upwind of my spread which should have lead me to the levee leading back to the truck...15 minutes pass in my walk with no levee (500 acre rice field with multiple levees). I ended up in the corner of the field and getting my bearings slightly I proceeded to walk in the direction of my truck...Well 10 minutes later I did not run into the next levee, the farmer had tilled up most of the secondary smaller levees in the field...I second guessed myself and proceeded the opposite direction...At the point at which I stopped I was about 25 yards away from the parking lot...Well three left turns later I finally found my truck...To top all of this off it was moonlit night walking through fog so thick it created a layer of moisture on my clothes and face to the point it soaked in and water was dripping off my nose...Now the slight shine through the fog was actually nice, a spectacular show of light and I did not even need a head light...But when the coyotes started to yelp and bark, the field cannons randomly going off farmers mount in some of their fields to scare off pigs and other sounds going off I about lost it...I choose not to watch scary movies a month prior to season and during season...But I could not help it...Needless to say the walk back to the truck at one point became an all out sprint...That first hog sound that sounded like a moan from The Walking Dead did it for me...
Not even going through the walk back to the decoys I think you get the picture...
Well safely back in the field an hour later and not really doing much till the fog cleared...Ended my day with this prize on my bucket list plus 2 cacklers and a hen greenwing...Cut the sandhill breast as soon as I got home into slight rounds, pan seared both sides for a minute on one of the rounds. Then baked at 375 for 10 minutes with a slice of maple bacon wrapped around it with a toothpick to hold the bacon. Whipped up some some orange/sherry/garlic sauce I made heated-up and poured over the last 5 minutes into the glass bowl it was sitting in. Not ribeye, Filet Mignon!!!!
Just as I am typing my wife is making a French Orange Glazed Goose from one of the cacklers and tartiflette potatoes....
Moral of the story always carry a basic compass and marry a woman who is a GREAT cook! Or for you women marry a man that is a Great cook!
Regards,
Kristan
View attachment Sandhill Crane 3.jpg
A story within a story: I was packing in 40 dozen WhiteRock/Sillosock decoys mixed from my truck into an area of the field about 250 yards from truck...I proceeded to walk packed-up like a mule, following one of the 3 main levees in the center of the field...Paced myself about 250 steps out and turned left into the main part of the field and paced another 100 steps (well I am short with only about a 27 inch stride, it might not be 250 yards, give me a break)...I proceeded to set out the spread in random small groups about 100 yards long by 100 yards wide...When I set the spread I walked back to get my gun and other gear....I proceeded to walk in the direction upwind of my spread which should have lead me to the levee leading back to the truck...15 minutes pass in my walk with no levee (500 acre rice field with multiple levees). I ended up in the corner of the field and getting my bearings slightly I proceeded to walk in the direction of my truck...Well 10 minutes later I did not run into the next levee, the farmer had tilled up most of the secondary smaller levees in the field...I second guessed myself and proceeded the opposite direction...At the point at which I stopped I was about 25 yards away from the parking lot...Well three left turns later I finally found my truck...To top all of this off it was moonlit night walking through fog so thick it created a layer of moisture on my clothes and face to the point it soaked in and water was dripping off my nose...Now the slight shine through the fog was actually nice, a spectacular show of light and I did not even need a head light...But when the coyotes started to yelp and bark, the field cannons randomly going off farmers mount in some of their fields to scare off pigs and other sounds going off I about lost it...I choose not to watch scary movies a month prior to season and during season...But I could not help it...Needless to say the walk back to the truck at one point became an all out sprint...That first hog sound that sounded like a moan from The Walking Dead did it for me...
Not even going through the walk back to the decoys I think you get the picture... Well safely back in the field an hour later and not really doing much till the fog cleared...Ended my day with this prize on my bucket list plus 2 cacklers and a hen greenwing...Cut the sandhill breast as soon as I got home into slight rounds, pan seared both sides for a minute on one of the rounds. Then baked at 375 for 10 minutes with a slice of maple bacon wrapped around it with a toothpick to hold the bacon. Whipped up some some orange/sherry/garlic sauce I made heated-up and poured over the last 5 minutes into the glass bowl it was sitting in. Not ribeye, Filet Mignon!!!!
Just as I am typing my wife is making a French Orange Glazed Goose from one of the cacklers and tartiflette potatoes....
Moral of the story always carry a basic compass and marry a woman who is a GREAT cook! Or for you women marry a man that is a Great cook!
Regards,
Kristan
View attachment Sandhill Crane 3.jpg
