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Real People. Real Adventure. Real Food. S U M M E R

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I founded Harvesting Nature back in 2011 as a blog discussing the intersection of wild food andcooking. Through the hard work of many people, it has grown into something far greater. We are now a multifaceted media company that touches so many areas of the outdoor world. Our primary focus is on inspiring and educating the outdoor community, experts and novices alike, to get out to hunt, fish, forage, and cook food from the wild. We want to see people step outside of their comfort zone, get off the couch, and find their own adventures for food.

Inadvertently, our growth has established an awesome community of wild food connoisseurs. The articles and recipes you find in our magazines are written by the most highly passionate members of our community with each person sharing their experiences and expertise for us all. I am continually amazed by the words I read here. Every article we publish opens up my eyes wider to the world of wild food, making me forever motivated to be both a teacher and a student. That thirst for knowledge is what really keeps me going as I look for more pathways to the plate. I hope you too find these pages inspirational, and let them serve as a guide to find your own wilderness, wherever you may be.

Thank you,

Justin Townsend Founder

H A R V E S T I N G

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Table of Contents

2 Catch & Cook Competition 2022 7

Bass Salad Stuffed Tomatoes

8 Paparazzi on the Prairie 12

Venison Birria Tacos

16 The Progress of Bird Conservation 20

Ragin’ Cajun Rabbit Burger

22 Texas Pig Hunt 27

Smoked Wild Pork Leg with Texas Mop Sauce

28 FEATURE: A Close Look at Hunting’s Role in Conservation 34 Lobstering in the Florida Keys 38 Optimism on the Bitterroot 42 PHOTO ESSAY: Summer Harvests in the Florida Keys 46 Trail Spice 50 WILD EDIBLES: Should Honey Be In Your First Aid Kit? 54 Tips & Tactics for Keeping a Freezer Full

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Catch & Cook Competition 2022

t was a typically brisk, hazy morning in Pacific Grove, California, but out past the golfers teeing off at Pebble Beach and expensive cars rolling past magnificent homes on 17 - mile drive, a less -

than - usual scene was taking place. Divers hailing from Calif ornia, Florida, Australia, and beyond were searching Monterey Bay’s frigid, green waters for ingredients to make a meal that would hopefully win them first place in the annual Fin + Forage Catch and Cook for a Healthy Ocean Competition. Wearing thick neopr ene wetsuits, weighted belts, and long fins, divers bobbed and dipped below the choppy surface, sometimes submerging for minutes at a time, fueled only by the breath they held in their lungs. Other competitors scramble along the tidal rocks, dodging the er rant wave while they kept a keen eye out for tide

by Charles Robinton 4

-pool delicacies like limpets, kelp, and mussels. They hunted with H A R V E S T I N G

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primitive tools, using spearguns, pry bars,

get a bad rap as thrill - seekers who are

access and conserving our wild hunting

and sometimes just their hands, to harvest

only in it for the glory of a trophy when

and fishing environments. Eric’s goal was

any number of fish, invertebrates, and

the reality is that most do it to spend

to make this the largest event of its kind,

plants that th rive along the rugged central

time in the ocean and have a chance

raising over $25,000 in prizes, including

California coastline.

at putting wild food on the dinner table.

custom wooden cutting boards, wine -

When practiced mindfully and within

tasting pack ages, and best - in - class

Fin + Forage’s Catch and Cook

legal bag limits, spearfishing and ocean

chef knives from the event’s presenting

Competition, founded in 2019, focuses

foraging have relatively low impacts on the

sponsor, Messermeister. Competitive slots

on meals prepared with wild - harvested

environment.

in the event sold out within the first 24

seafood. A panel of professional judges

hours.

also award points for other ingredients that

A responsible hunter selects their prey

are foraged o r locally sourced. The idea is

carefully, takes only what is needed, and

Back at the competition site, dozens of

simple: to bring people together, encourage

treats it with respect from the moment it is

community members were busy clearing

a conservation mindset, and showcase

harvested until it is on the dinner table. The

over 100 gallons of trash from the local

the incredible meals that can be prepared

Fin + Forage Catch and Cook Competition

coastline, with a healthy prize package

using ingredients harvested from local

embodies this ethos by rewardin g

for whoever gathered the most. At the

marine environments.

competitors for the quality of a single dish,

same time, non - competing divers remove

rather than aggregated weight or size of

hundreds of destructive purple urchins

The competition has been successful

fish harvested, which is the focus of most

from a nearby kelp forest.

in both goals, garnering international

other competitive spearfishing events.

participation among ocean lovers and

The cutoff for the cooking portion of the

foodies. It has also helped change how

This year, all proceeds from the competition

event was at noon, but even before then,

spearfishing is perceived by people

went to Backcountry Hunters and Anglers,

competitors were scrambling in from the

unfamiliar with the sport. Spearfishers can

an organization dedicated to protecting

ocean, racing to clean their catch and

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Paparazzi on the Prairie

t was the last morning of the early Kansas prairie chicken season, and even though it was Mid-October, summer was still holding on. Truck lights illuminated the bustle around us. Hunters

filled their vests with shotshells, and e-collars were placed on the pair of German short-hair pointers. Four strangers milled around with video cameras, filming our every move. Accompanying me were my best friends, Hutch and Kyle. I was in the heart of the Flint Hills and the focus of a Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, andTourism video on hunter diversity. The day before was spent answering questions at the Olathe Gun Shop about being born in Guatemala and my

by Edgar Castillo 10

introduction to upland hunting. The goal was to capture on film a trio of friends in search of the flighty birds. H A R V E S T I N G

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After a quick safety meeting, the entire

I walked alongside Kip, the director,

suddenly Hutch yelled out, “Chicken!”

hunting party set off, all seven of us into

and who set all this up, and explained

I saw a blurry football-sized-shape buzzing

the waning darkness. Hutch, Kyle, and I

the habits of prairie chickens. My arm

from right to left atabout eye-level. The bird

crossed the creek and began talking. We

extended out, pointing to the hills and

must have been holding tight behind us.

tried not to pay attention to the shadowy

ridges we will climb and descend. Kyle’s

figures toting cameras, which were being

two dogs crisscrossed our paths, making

In an instant, I locked eyes with one of the

skimmed across the knee-high grass. Both

work of the contours of the land. There was

cameramen to see if he had been paying

of Kyle’s pointers, Blaze the veteran hunter,

a slight breeze, and the temperature was

attention. Nope. I shrugged off their lack of

and Sadie, a young pup, began sweeping

slowly rising. I looked across the leeward

awareness and quickly grabbed my over-

the landscape for birds.

side of a hill and saw patches of orange

under off my shoulderand snapped it shut

moving upward. The dogs were acting

forcefully. The twin barrels tracked the bird,

Thirty minutes into our walk, we reached

birdy. Several times, shouts of “Dog on

and I pulled the trigger and fired.

the southern boundary of the public

point!” caused our hearts to quicken, only

swath of land. I gathered the camera crew

to find that there were no birds.

and explained the lay of the land and its

We moved on.

Boom! The bird plummeted. Blaze raced in and

topographical features and where the prairie chickens would most likely be. It

We approached another ridge and once at

retrieved the bird. I took the handsome

was stressed that prairie chickens may be

the top, I summoned all to gather around

prairie chickenfrom his mouth and

anywhere and would disappear quickly, so

and hydrate. I broke open my over-under

hoisted it up. I walked back with the bird

the cameramen should always be alert.

and rested it on my shoulder. I saw Hutch

outstretched to show our guests. Curious

and Kyle behind me as they slowly worked

hands reached in and began to smooth out

Morning was upon us. We were spectators

their way to the top. The camera crew

the coloration of feathers. We decided to

to the brilliant burning rays of orange

gathered around me. I’m instructed not to

continue moving west along the edge in

emerging from the Eastern horizon. I

move as the rising sun behind me made for

the hopes of finding more singles scattered

muttered, “I love it up here man. It’s been a

a great photo opportunity. An impromptu

about.

long time.” We stepped off and began our

movie set instantly materialized. I started

search across the Flints.

to talk about the beauty of the sun and

The small army of orange-clad, prairie

its glow as it touched the land, when

explorers continued to traipse up and

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The Progress of Bird Conservation

Since 1992, when the first Condors were reintroduced to the wild, the wild population has been steadily rising. Furthermore, the Pacific Northwest saw its first Condors reintroduced this past May when two males were released in the Redwood National Park, culminating in the first Condor flights over park in 130 years7. Lead ammunition, microtrash, toxic chemicals, and loose garbage have all contributed to the Condor’s demise before 1982, and efforts to lessen the impacts of these unfortunate byproducts need to continue for this incredible bird to thrive. These three species represent a fraction of the tragedies and successes of bird conservation. As much as the Peregrine Falcon is lauded as the flagship for raptor conservation success, birds like the California Condor are quickly gaining notoriety. Alternatively, the Passenger Pigeon is an infamous example of “too little, too late” for conservation efforts, and what was once seen as an endless resource flying through the air is nothing but a memory and a stuffed bird in the Smithsonian. In between, however, are the hopefuls. Rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in the wild would be a welcome yet weary success, as it would be a reflection of poor conservation practices that fortunately did not exterminate all of them. If you want to help conserve wild bird species and keep them from the fates mentioned here, consider donating to the Peregrine Fund along with other wildlife and ecosystem conservation organizations.

Scan the QR code to go to PeregrineFund.org 20

H A R V E S T I N G

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DETAILS MAKE DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCEClick or Scan THE DIFFERENCE S U M M E R

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Texas Pig Hunt

H A R V E S T I N G

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After returning to camp and getting a few

perfection. It was delicious, as was each

this particular cervid for several years. My

grip and grin pictures, we all got busy gut-

meal Adam B. prepared. Adam B. guided us

kids conspired with our guides to trick me

ting and skinning our pigs and got them

on simple and elaborate meal preparations,

into believing Emily had shot and missed

hanging in the cooler. The next morning, the

from Bahn Mi sandwiches to breakfast

a nice axis doe. Later that day, as I walked

whole family jumped in and helped butcher

sausage which consisted of just ground pig

over to discuss the evening’s hunting plan,

and package the smaller pig. The butcher-

and Harvesting Nature’s Upland Fowl Blend

everyone got a kick out of the stunned

ing instruction provided by Adam Steele

seasoning. All of our meals were prepared

and perplexed look on my face when I

taught each of us several new tips and

with wild pig, which quickly dispelled any

stumbled upon this beautifully spotted axis

tricks and enlightened all of us to new cuts

myths regarding feral swine as table fare.

deer laying in the bed of the side by side.

The afternoon on our second day, both

As the synapses finally started firing and

Having hacked numerous shoulders off

my kids went with our guides Brannon and

I realized she had indeed shot her prized

white - tailed deer for many years with out

Cheyenne on a spot and stalk axis doe

animal, I gave her a big hug. I got a bit emo-

regard for this beautifully marbled cut, I

hunt, while my wife and I finished butcher-

tional, as my eyes began to water a bit and

was ecstatic when chef Adam Berkelmans

ing the second hog. Exotic animals were

perhaps a tear rolled down my cheek, but

offered to quickly cook one of Denver

not part of the Harvesting Nature hunt,

I’ll blame that on the siracha we just had

steaks. He used a simple preparation with

but were an option offered by the ranch.

with our Thai Moo Ping skewers.

some basic seasoning and grilled it to

My daughter had been obsessed with

I never knew existed like Denver steaks.

Harvesting Nature Magazine, Summer 2022