I am partial to deer season. They are so much fun to watch, chase, and harvest. If you don’t overcook it, deer meat is spectacular. It also makes great jerky and sausage. I (with the help of my friends) process my own deer. I enjoy making jerky. Zack and Melissa and their boys have coached me and given me tips about that process so that now we get a really good product. If you do make jerky, don’t use scraps or odd meat. Use the best meat you can, and use a very sharp knife to slice it thin. Our process of seasoning is too much to describe in this column but choose your seasoning carefully. It is good, it freezes well, and it makes fishing and hunting trips extra special. It also goes well with a beer and a ball game.

I hit a deer about a month ago on my way to Wichita at 6 in the morning. I saw her in plenty of time, slowed down to less than 40 mph, and when I got even with her she wheeled and dove into my right headlight, fender, hood and side panel. Sandra was thrilled. My old Ridgeline had 258,000 miles and was a 2013 model. I now have a new one with all the safety features, and my new tag is AVOCET. I can’t hide, and she loves to celebrate all the safety features.  

I’m not sure if I want to bring this up or not. I have visited with lots of hunters and farmers and land owners. I got my deer tags and waterfowl stamps online and at Walmart. It is printed out on a plain piece of paper. The green tags that made tagging an easy process are gone. I guess I have to make copies and put them in a plastic bag – if they get wet or bloody they disintegrate. Why would Wildlife and Parks choose to make it this hard to tag a deer? I haven’t interviewed the game wardens yet, but it seems like a nightmare for them. 

I could print off 30 copies and shoot deer all year. KDWP doesn’t seem to understand that not everyone is savvy about all this online stuff if that is their mission. It just seems that not being able to tag a deer in the field makes it goofy for everyone. I wonder what the commissioners think about all this. 

If you are interested or engaged in this process, go to the commissioner’s meetings and see what they say. I would think they would issue a policy statement or clear instructions on how they want this managed. Hunters are convinced and have stated that they don’t want a complicated process to put jerky in the freezer. 

Write a letter to the editor or the department — I’m just one guy with a few ideas and no clout anywhere to accomplish anything except get myself in hot water. Now I have probably done it. I’ve also done worse. You guys make me do it.

The Bottoms are still dry. I see ducks in the air, and I don’t know where they are going. Farm ponds and the river may be the ticket this year. No reports of whooping cranes – I haven’t checked their website to see where they are. 

I also don’t know what the pelicans are up to. I see a few shorebirds here and there, but everyone is confused. The Great Blue Herons are very creative – they will raid your backyard water feature and eat your goldfish. They will eat ALL of your goldfish.

We went night fishing at Cedar Bluff last Saturday. Nice temperature, nice breeze, water temp 67 degrees, fresh minnow and worms. We mark our spots with GPS and can go where we have caught fish on previous outings. We fished for about three hours, caught one channel cat that weighed about a pound and a half, and came home with nothing except the fond memory of the great dinner that Sandra made for us. There will be another day.

I hope we find some upland birds.

Doc

Doctor Dan Witt is a retired physician and nature enthusiast. He can be reached at danwitt01@gmail.com.