Wild Bites #14: a 3.5-minute read that makes you smarter about wild food and tells you what's to come on our website, podcast, YouTube, or To The Bone.

 -Hank and Holly (Team Hunter Angler Gardener Cook)

1. What's (Smokin') Hot Now

Smoked pheasant

2. Smart Take: Cooking Without a Safety Net

"Fat is an insurance policy against inexpert cooking. Venison leaves you without that safety net, to mix metaphors. This is why it’s vital to err by cooking too little, if you are going to err. It’s also why you almost always want to start with room temperature meat."

~ Hank, in How to Cook Venison

P.S. There's more wisdom like that in Hank's OutdoorClass Venison 101 course - there's a coupon for the course at the end of this email.

This venison tenderloin - the recipe that went live Monday - is from the monster deer Hank got in Oklahoma last month - see Item 5 below.

3. Stuff a Sticker in Their Stockings, Just $1 Each!

The new stickers are in, and you can buy them for $1 apiece at huntgathercook.shop, along with our three newest books. Three sizes, three ways to make a statement, and at this price, they pack a little more oomph than sending just a Christmas or Hanukkah card, without breaking your budget.

Thanks to everyone who completed the recent merch survey and helped us decide which ones to choose! Up next: clothing! 

Also: Christmas Ordering Deadline

If you want to buy signed cookbooks and get them in time for Christmas, you need to order no later than Monday, 12/5 if you are using regular economy shipping! After that date we can't guarantee your book will arrive before the holiday; UPS Ground shipping deadline is 12/16. For stickers - which we mail first class, separately from books - order by 12/16.

4. New Video: How to Pluck a Pheasant

We used to do the dunk-in-scalding-water thing, but Hank concluded, through lots of trial and error, that it's less smelly and messy, and better for meat quality, to hang the birds for three days, then pluck them dry. This video, a companion piece to Hank's How to Clean a Pheasant post, shows how to do that without tearing the skin.

5. What We're Up To

Hank has begun recording Season 4 of the Hunt Gather Talk Podcast, and he's having some great conversations with people who really know their stuff. The topic of the season is preservation, and whether you're hardcore about it or just looking for new ways to make the most of your garden, farmer's market or wild food, you'll definitely pick up some great skills. Episodes will begin posting in January.

And in case you missed it on social media, Hank ended up tagging his biggest, and probably oldest, buck ever when he was in Oklahoma last month - so old it barely had any teeth left! He's working his way through some great venison meals from it.

Holly is headed to Nashville, Tennessee, this weekend, where she is speaking at a retreat for ambassadors for Artemis, an organization that fosters conservation leadership among women. 

She's also crossing her fingers about some crazy expensive ($1,100!) duck waders she just bought from from Chene after growing sick of waders that cost $350-$450 and spring leaks way too fast. (What is UP with the new generation of breathables?) She'll report back on whether these were worth the cost after she's put them through their paces on public land. 

6. One More Gift Idea

Turkey feathers, drake mallard tail feathers, drake gadwall breast feathers (really).

Holly photographs more than just the meals Hank makes - she's also got a collection of close-up feather photos (duck, turkey and chukar) that make fine gifts for bird hunters. You can order paper prints, more fancy wall art or items such as coffee cups and refrigerator magnets. Those smiley faces tho!!! 

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