The 2019 hunting and fishing season has come to an end. Now I can share the harvests and Tag Soup recipe…
Fishing was successful, with multiple days catching steelhead, and getting lucky and catching a salmon in Idaho. The highlights of the fishing season… Albacore fishing in Washington, 200+ albacore with 9 other family friends. Sturgeon fishing and catching 5 sturgeon with 2 in the 8ft range. The best though was catching trout with the nephews and niece in Sun Valley. Every cast and all the kids caught fish. A very successful trip…
Hunting was a different story. A lot of memories and days in the field made 2019 very successful. I didn’t harvest any animals during the 2019 hunting season and that has caused me to rethink my strategies and plans for 2020. Maybe I am too picky with the animals I am targeting. But always shooting something does not determine success. The challenge, experience, company, and memories I think define success. With that 2019 was successful!!! With a pocket full of tags and no animals means a lot of ingredients for “Tag Soup”
Tag Soup Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 – Alaska Caribou Tag
1 – Alaska Wolf Tag
1 – Idaho Elk Tag
1 – Idaho General Deer Tag
1 – Idaho Extra Cow Tag
1 – Idaho Wolf Tag
1 – Idaho Bear Tag
Anticipation
Excitement
Sweat
Friends (season to taste)
Steps:
1. Layout all tags based on season timing and make plans
2. Marinate tags in anticipation and excitement
3. In a pot, bring water to a boil and add Sweat
4. Gather friends and add to the pot for taste
5. Slowly add tags based on season timing I combined the Alaska tags together. Then throw in the Idaho Wolf and Bear Tags, for color and because you always have them in case you need them. Then slowly sprinkled in the Idaho General Deer Tag, but not all of it. I set part of it aside in case I wanted to use it later. Next I ground up the Idaho Elk Tag and stir it in. After the elk tag is combined evenly, sprinkle in the remainder of the deer tag. Smell the soup and as it is almost complete, dice up the Extra Cow tag and throw it in the pot.
6. Let the soup simmer and check frequently to smell the memories
7. Garnish the soup with more friends and share
Remember the taste, the ingredients used, and why you have the ingredients. Then make changes as needed to next year’s soup.