The Call and the Lure

Nowadays, kitting out for any indoor or outdoor activity reveals a world-wide network of suppliers of one thing or another.  Hunting is certainly no different, and partly because this interest is relatively new to me, choosing the right equipment can be involving.  “Bordering fetish”, is an expression I’ve recently heard, out of acquiring all sorts of gear including the latest on coyote and moose calls, lures, scent killers and packs…

Choosing the appropriate clothing didn’t turn out to be that tricky, after factoring in cold and rainy weather and quietness as requirements, so it really became a question of how much one wants to spend on it.  But packs?  Oh no, that’s an entire new dimension.  From the few hundred cubic-inches found in small fanny packs to the 7 to 8000 cubic inched frame packs for a go-out-and-about hunts true style, and everything in between.

My October hunt is expected to be of the spot & stalk type returning to base camp each day, so I decided on a light pack which would allow me to operate my bow without obstruction yet still with the capacity to carry my gear.  The ArticShield Timber Hawk Hatch Back fanny pack seemed right on the money.  After receiving it, I stuffed it with all the necessary paraphernalia and tackle, to find out it still had enough room for the daily food, munchies and water.  Great, but just in case, a larger daypack has been ordered too for those longer hunts, or when spare clothing might be needed.  Taking along a water purifier to top up a 1 litre/quart water bottle is very interesting and it’s certainly a thought that needs to be considered, although a 2 litre bladder might be a better choice if one is on drier grounds.

Later on that day, my two year old was having her dinner while going through yet another UPS box over the dining table.  Out of the various items in the box, the coyote call did catch her eyes.  That new red and black gizmo was a M.A.D. Closed Reed Predator Call and the package said it’s capable of pulling 15,000 Hz, making the call audible a mile away.  Well, that had to be tried.  After a quick check on the instructions, there it went, without much prelude, a 5 second howl top of my lungs!  Oh boy.. Was that loud or what?!  I can’t attest that it was heard a mile away across downtown Montreal, but my daughter sure looked like she had just been instantly riding a 200mph convertible!  Interestingly, she demanded some more and that horn had to have further testing while she gulped her dinner.  I should be grateful to the neighbours for not calling the cops.  Maybe they’re waiting for the moose call to spring into action?

To end this post and to continue with the trend, here’s a recipe for those with a tooth for tasty food.  This one was tried after a friend of mine gave me a couple of Elk steaks as compensation for a redneck fix on an accidented copy of Joseph Heller’s magic book “Catch-22”.  See this link (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065528/quotes) for a collection of quotes from the movie that followed.  I’d certainly recommend it.  Thanks Paul.

Broiled Wapiti

Ingredients:

-          Elk (wapiti) steaks half inch thick.

-          Garlic

-          Butter

-          Wild rice

-          Crushed salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Cut the garlic in half and rub it well on both sides of the stakes.  Spread the salt and pepper on a plate and roll the steak on its sides over it.  Place a good dollop of butter over the steak and leave it to broil for 5 mins on high setting (500°F), turn them, another equal measure of butter and another 5 mins broiling.  Serve immediately with wild rice.