If you are not cycling through the fall colors blasting Broadway musicals as loudly and ridiculously as you can why you are just not enjoying autumn! I mean what else says autumn more than Fatboy Slim chanting “Because we can, can, can” to loud techno music? Seriously though this could be the most absurd song ever and was it also Kamala Harris’s long-forgotten campaign theme? One thing I know is listening to this song through my Pixel phone speakers at top volume has to make me sound like I am not a deer during hunting season here in southern California. Hello, I do not identify as venison.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love me some venison. I so wish my family every one who hunts up in Idaho would bring me some family-hunted venison or possibly antelope steaks right now. When it comes to big game, I love all the meats. Yes, elk is by far my favorite and something you never ever find, even at the fanciest steakhouses in southern California. For someone who really does not care for steak, I love me some big game; Elk, venison, bison, you name it. However, I have no need to be confused with a bison this autumn here in Big Bear Lake California.
If you are not listening to the most ridiculous Taylor Swift song at top volume you are just not having a good time.
For someone who loves venison, I honestly think hunting is just dumb here in southern California. Even before these devasting wildfires of the past
few years, the USFS declares on their websites that the deer herd numbers in southern California are at an all-time low from the 1970s with no signs of them ever recovering. Yet they still give out 3,000 deer tags starting the second Saturday in October every year! How? Why?
So much of our wilderness has burned from devastating wildfires. How many of our wild creatures have been lost in these calamitous fires? It makes me wonder, truly, how many of our deer have perished across our mountain area. This is not Colorado or Pennsylvania. A deer sighting is not common here in our mountain town. I find it shocking that the government still gives out deer and even bear tags here! But saying that I am friendly when I see hunters in the Fawnskin area as I cycle by Pixel phone screeching The Tango Maureen from Rent at top volume. I always stop to say hello to the local game warden and turn down, “OOOOOOOKKKKLLLAHOMA!” blaring from my Cannondale pack area as I cycle through. It also seems like such a waste of time as I cycle by all these dudes in camo with guns strapped to their hips. There are so few deer here, what is the chance of coming across one, let alone shooting it? It just seems like a better use of time to drive to Bishop or Idaho.
When the hell is hunting season?
One thing that I find truly remarkable about life in the San Bernardino Mountains is that the Mountaintop Ranger District does not communicate with locals about where hunting is occurring. Most locals have no idea what season you might just walk by a dude in camo with a rifle strapped to his chest. It seems like it would be in the public’s best interest to know that when hiking in section D14 in November it’s always a good idea to wear bright colors and listen to Broadway musicals extremely loud. No one wants to be the next Dick Cheney.
The other day as I quickly cycled away from the dude out hiking with his aggressive off-leash pit bulls right in the middle of the hunting area, I thought this dumb-dumb probably does not know there are hunters all over back here. I just don’t understand why on earth in the area where I live it’s not communicated with local hikers and mountain bikers that huntin
g season is actively happening right now.
This is the very last weekend for deer hunting here in our community so at least by next week I can ride my mountain bike with my trail dog at my side without being mistaken for a show-tune-loving Bambi. One thing I love about colorful autumn days is enjoying a fiery hot curry in the evening. After the pup and I have been out strolling through the fall leaves coming home to a piping hot dal studded with venison is a great way to end my autumn day,
Dal with Venison
For the masoor dal
2 cups masoor dal
2 red chilis
3 tablespoons ghee
2 cups white onions, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
The first step is to rinse your dal very well. Next, you are ready to soak the Masoor dal overnight with lots of water. The next day clean the dal well. Put the dal in a pressure cooker. Cover the dal with over an inch and a half of water. Add a half teaspoon of salt to the pressure cooker. Once the pressure cooker starts singing, cook the dal under pressure for twelve minutes. While this is going on, stir-fry the chiles in the ghee. Remove the chiles and add in the onions. Cook the onions very well until dark and almost burned. Add in the chiles again, the cumin seeds and the garlic and ginger. Cook until the garlic and ginger are no longer raw, stirring constantly. Add in the turmeric. When the pressure cooker is done, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool until the steam is gone and you can open it safely.
Mix in your onion-chili mixture and continue simmering your dal until you are ready to serve.
For the venison, I guess you could also use tofu if you are a liberal
1 pound of venison steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Tandoori seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
For the venison. In your pressure cooker, add your venison cubes, and enough water to cover the venison, paprika and tandoori seasoning. Boil this for two whistles and then let sit in the steam for twenty minutes. Reduce the steam and you are ready to salt your venison and add your venison to your dal. You can also add a little of this delicious venison broth to your dal for flavor.
