CouesWhitetail

Congrats!

I get my game meat cooled and processed as quickly as possible and then when I get home, I clean and trim it more, then I freeze it in portions that I would normally use for a meal. When I want to eat some I let it thaw in the refrigerator and plan on a letting it age in the fridge for several days before eating it. I guess I like the idea of aging it in a controlled temp environment better than hanging it in the up and down temps we get here in AZ. Seems to work well for me.

I would love both, but for now, I would do the drop camp and do the lodge when I get older and it's harder to get around.

The zeiss 15x45s are a little dark in low light because they aren't large enough to let as much light in as 15x56s do. I would get the swaro 15x56s....or get the new swaro 12x50s....but dang, they are pricey! GREAT GLASS though....lots of people are selling their swaro 15s to get the brighter, lighter, 12x.

Where do you live? that looks like a silver fox which is a special colored version of a red fox. But I have never seen a red fox in AZ. AGFD website says they occur in northeast part of AZ.

enjoyed the video!! You guys spent a lot of time close to those piggies!

Wow, this happened a couple years ago and I don't remember hearing anything about it.....

Glad you had a great time anyway!

nice pics!

Enjoyed the write-up and pics, congratulations!

Spending much of today making javelina sausage. I am mixing it with pork shoulder roast to extend the meat and add a little fat. I add roughly 1 pound of pork to 3 lbs of javelina. And I was messing around with a new recipe today. I had some jamaican jerk seasoning that smelled like it would be really good with javelina sausage, so I mixed up about 4 TB of that plus salt and some brown sugar and some wine. Ground it all up and cooked up a test patty. Very tastey! I am also making some sweet italian fennel sausage from a recipe Bill Deshaw gave me. We use it in spaghetti sauce and it's quite yummy. Anyway, here are some pics of the process. the javelina meat looks perfect: grinding it up (yeah, I know, I need a bigger kitchen!) frying up a test patty

Congratulations and looks like perfect shooting!

LOL!! Great minds think alike!!

Outstanding!! Loved the write up and pics! Congrats on a fine outing with your daughter, that's truly a blessing! Just an fyi, you don't have to gut it after you skin it like that......You can just quarter or bone out the meat and never gut it. Do you keep the ribs? If you do, then you would want to gut it, but if not, go gutless....less mess.

Wow, I just boned my quarters in the kitchen and it was alot of work, I cant imagine doing it in the field and keeping it clean? I had garbage bags as seen on CWT forums but It was still tuff. I will have to do some more learnin. I was working the back quarters and my wife said I should just pit roast the whole thing too. I will do this next time for sure. I don't find it that difficult.....the first two we were able to hang from a nice cottonwood and skin them and bone them while hanging. But the third we did the gutless method on the ground. That was more challenging because we only had a javelina trail to work on. But it was shaded and cool and worked fine. I find using a havalon knife makes it a lot easier....just be careful when using one! http://store.coueswhitetail.com/categories/Knives/

The recipes I got from Bill, which he got from a sausage book listed below. He has posted the info previously, I am copying his post below: Chicken & Apple Sausage - I like stuffed, like bratwurst - wife and girls like bulk for breakfast w/pancakes or french toast & syrup. I tried this recipe with mtn lion and it was just okay, is a lot better with birds - chicken, turkey (white meat) or quail. Have used ground turkey from Costco, works great, just add spices and mix. I grind the apples thru a #10 hand crank grinder. 1 cup apple cider 31/2 lbs chicken - book says thigh's with skin, but I usually grab breasts, less work and better meat 3 oz dried apples 4 tspns kosher salt 2 tspns freshly ground black pepper 2 tspns dried sage 1/4 tspn ground ginger 1/8 tspn ground cinnamon 1/8 tspn ground nutmeg 1 chicken bullion cube dissolved in 2 tblspns boiling water boil cider down to syrup, about 2 - 3 tblspns, cool & reserve (or use frozen concentrate, easier and quicker because I am lazy). Grind meat with 1/4 plate, mix in spices and liquids and knead together well, then I grind again thru 3/8 inch plate to get good mix. Cook small patty and decide if you want to add anything else. Hunter Sausage - I like to make hash with this one, mix in potatoes and maybe scramble an egg or 2. Book stuffs and makes links, I have made them and they are good too. Good with deer, elk & javelina. 2 lbs pork butt 1 lb smoked bacon - also is good with maple flavored bacon too. 1/2 cup cold water 1 tblspn whole mustard seeds 2 tspns minced garlic 2 tspns coarsely ground black pepper 2 tspns sweet Hungarian paprika 2 tspns dried mustard 1 tspn kosher salt 1 tspn ground coriander 1 tspn freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 tspn ground ginger grind meat/bacon together, mix in spices/water and knead together, then grind again. Cook small patty and decide if needs anything. Italian Sweet Fennel - is real good in spaghetti sauce. Good with deer, elk, and javelina. I have a baggie of these spices mixed up. If I want quick Italian food I just add a couple spoonfuls of the mix to a lb of burger, makes cheap sauce taste expensive. 3 lbs pork butt 3/4 lb pork fat 1/2 cup dry red wine 4 cloves garlic minced 2 tblspns fennel seeds 1 tblspn freshly ground black pepper 4 tspns kosher salt 1 tspn dried oregano 1/8 tspn gound allspice grind meat/fat together, mix in spices/water and knead together, then grind again. Cook small patty and decide if needs anything. Venison Sausage - I didn't have any brandy so I used Maker's Mark bourbon, an extra tblspn or 2 wouldn't have hurt either. Good with elk, deer. 1 1/2 lbs venison or elk 1 lb pork butt 3/4 lb pork fat 1/2 lb bacon 3 tblspns dry red wine 2 tblspns brandy - (and a shot for the sausage maker) 4 tspns kosher salt 2 tspns coarsely ground black pepper 2 tspns minced juniper berries - I bought a jar, but you can get same thing off of the trees out camping 1 tspn minced garlic 1 tspn minced shallots - I didn't have any, (or know what they were at the time), so used diced green onions. 1 tspn fresh rosemary or 1/2 tspn dried. cut meat, fat, bacon into 2 inch pieces and mix in lg bowl with spices & liquid, marinate overnight. Grind twice, mixing in any juices from the bowl. Cook small patty and decide if needs anything. I only marinated 5 hrs first time I made this, kids came back for seconds so guess it was okay. Smoked Country Sausage - makes good biscuit and gravy meat, is wife & girls 2nd favorite behind chicken & apple. Good with deer, elk, mtn lion & javelina. In addition to brown sugar we add in lots of honey. You have to watch the heat when cooking though because it is easy to burn. 1 1/2 lbs game meat (nice, clean meat - no wild fat) 1 lb clean pork (I use pork sirloin if possible, not too fatty) 3/4 lb pork back fat (I ask butcher at supermkt to save for me) 1 tblspn brown sugar or how we like it add 3+ tblspns desert honey 1 tblspn kosher salt 1 tblspn paprika 2 tspn red pepper flakes (cut back if not into spicy stuff - like my daughters) 1 tspn ground sage 1 tspn dried tyme pinch of allspice 1/2 cup cold water (may use little less based on moisture in meat) - is also good to use 1/4+ cup water & couple few tblspns brandy or sweet whiskey - wild turkey, southern comfort, etc. Once again it is some for the meat and some for the maker...... grind meat & fat together into bowl, then mix in all spices/water, knead together and then grind again. Chorizo - this is what I turn my javelina into, yum, yum. Have used deer & elk too. I have also made this using a 50/50 mix of game and 70/30 hamburger, gives it a different flavor. Different vinegars add different flavors also. I have used white & red rice wine & red raspberry vinegars and been pleased with the results. 1 1/2 lbs pork butt - I use 1 lb wild meat & 1/2 lb pork sirloin or other boneless cut 1/2 lb pork fat - I have butcher at our market save for me 1 bunch (4 to 6 oz) fresh cilantro, chopped, about 1 cup – I have used 2 - 3 tblspn dried also 1 fresh serrano or jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1/4 cup red wine vinegar - I have used red wine, rice wine & red raspberry vinegars, each adds it’s own distinctive flavor. 1 tblspn New Mexico or other dried chile powder 1 tblspn sweet Hungarian paprika 2 tspns kosher salt 1 1/2 tspn whole cumin seeds 1 tspn ground cumin 1/2 tspn coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 tspn ground cayenne pepper 1/4 tspn ground coriander grind meat/fat together, mix in spices/water and knead together, then grind again. Cook small patty and decide if needs anything. If you want to add more bite leave the seeds in the peppers. I keep a bag of all these spices mixed, minus fresh peppers & cilantro, that I use for all my Mexican food. Throw in a couple spoonfuls with a lb of burger and you have taco meat, thin slice a roast or chicken breasts and you have fajita's. I use dried jalapeno's & dried cilantro in my spice baggie. Iowa Farm Sausage - Here is a recipe I really like. Have used deer, elk, javelina and mtn lion. 2 1/4 lb pork butt or sirloin (I use 1 1/4 lb game and 1 lb pork) 3/4 lb pork fat 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1 tblspn kosher salt 2 tspns ground sage 1 tspn dried tyme 1 tspn dried basil 1 tspn red pepper flakes 1 tspn coursely ground black pepper 1 tspn ginger 1/2 tspn minced garlic 1/4 cup water I dice my meat into small chunks, add the spices & liquid and mix good then run through the grinder. Book says to grind first then mix spices in, your choice here, I like double grinds and my way cuts down on handling time. Also, if you can get ground pork I mix 50/50 game to pork, for this recipe I would use 1.5 lbs game to 1.5 lbs ground pork. I grind them together so the meat mixes good, chunk of game and chunk of ground pork with the spices already mixed in. Bratwurst - Have made this with elk & javelina, pretty tasty. Only grind once or it comes out like hot dogs, this needs the fat or comes out real dry when cooked. I got my casings from Denmark's, 7712 W. Golden. 1.5 lbs game 1.5 lbs fatty pork butt 1 T kosher salt 1 T coursely ground black pepper 1 T coursely ground mustard seed 2 t minced garlic (I like fresh but have used dried also) 2 t sugar 1 t ground mace 1 t dried sage 1/2 t ground nutmeg 1/2 cup water I dice my meat up into 2" chunks, mix in the spices and water and run thru the grinder with the 3/8" plate. This mixes things pretty good, then I may grind again, depends on how well the mix looks. Don't over-grind or the meat comes out like hot dogs. I stuff into hog casings, tie into 4" links then hang them in my meat locker (old refrigerator on the back porch) to let the casings dry. Recipes are from the book "Bruce Aidell's Complete Sausage Book" - ISBN # 1-58008-159-2. Published by Ten Speed Press - www.tenspeed.com and available at Barnes & Noble or Border's Books.

You can get puffed borax from taxidermy supply companies, I have used that. http://www.mckenziesp.com/PB10-P20427.aspx

hehehehe, no worries.....sorry you had trouble

Great photo Doug! Looks like a Cooper's Hawk took out a Eurasian Collared Dove. I bet you will have a Cooper's hawk nest in the neighborhood soon.

We boned out all three javelina in the field and packed out the hides with skulls in them. For one of the skins we took the feet attached to the skin as well as the head because she wanted to do a nice rug from it. We got about two gallon sized ziplocks of meat from the pigs and packed out several of the leg bones for my dogs. I like doing it this way because it is easier to pack them out and when you get back to camp, you are done processing meat. We happened to have some good shady spots near the kills where we could bone out the javies and so we figured it was cooler where we did it then back at camp. I will be making some sausage today! can't wait!

fun pulling in and seeing a sticker first thing so I had to park next to you

Great pictures and write-up! Wow! Congratulations to all involved, that's just wonderful that they both got their javelina and enjoyed the experience. Maybe Colleen will want to hunt at the Women's Javelina hunt next year!

Thanks for sharing your hunt story and pics Kori!! Awesome!

Nice to see you letting the little ones go....

I've been with 2 different people that had this happen... 1 was a new savage ( I mean brand new ) and the other was an old remington.. the guy with the savage had heard my story about the other guys mishap and had it in his head to always be conscience about the barrel and where it is pointed. ( which should always be the case!) the guy with the remington had it pointed in the back of my Expedition while I was on the passenger rear door putting mine in the case unloaded.... click of the safety and BOOM! I was like WTH! he was white as a ghost!!! my ears almost exploded, it was loud! shot a hole in the back of my suv.. bullet went through the driver side rear near the gas tank neck and through the rear door and stopped just before coming out of the b post. I pray this kid is ok! Hard lesson for sure.. James OH MY!!! that's terrifying! Glad you made it out alive!