Box of Chocolates
Phil Taunton
Friday, May 2, 2008
Forrest Gump’s mother from the movie of the same name says it best: “Life is like a box of chocolates ... you never know what you will get!”
My outdoor experiences this spring mirror her sentiments exactly. It’s hard to plan fishing or hunting trips when you just don’t know what the weather will bring.
From what I have heard, some days an old Tom is hot to trot and will come at the slightest yelp. Other days, they wouldn’t even blink an eye, even if Mae West was a sultry old hen calling. We do have until May 31, the close of the spring turkey season to figure it out.
The big news this week is morel mushrooms have boldly made an appearance! Everyone seems to be finding them. I had a report that good numbers were being found in the Kahola Lake area and even my old railroading partner, Fred Agin, found around 80 when he came face to face with them when crossing a fence while wild turkey hunting. No turkey that outing for Fred, but I know finding the morels brought a smile to his face.
More folklore concerning morels. ... Morels will be found in the spring when dandelions have displayed three stages: emergence, flowering and going to seed. They have definitely done that, in my yard anyway!
For those of you who have been fortunate enough to harvest a turkey this spring, I would like to pass along a couple of recipes. Please give them a try and let me know what you think at ptaunton@cableone.net.
Stories of your outdoor adventures are always appreciated, along with any of your outdoor game recipes you would like to share.
Turkey Bobs
Inch cubes of filet turkey breast, bacon and chunk pineapple. Sprinkle Shoney season on turkey, let set and thread alternately on sticks: Pineapple, turkey, bacon, pineapple, turkey, bacon, etc. Grill until done. One of my creations.
Wild Turkey Cheesecake
One pound of diced or ground wild turkey (use hamburger if you’ve had luck like mine and have not harvested a turkey yet!). Sauté turkey with 1/2 cup of chopped onion. Drain.
Mix in 1 package of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning and one jar Prego Garden Combo Spaghetti Sauce.
Boil Elbow Macaroni according to instructions and add to meat and sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.
Spray Pam into a 9x13 baking dish and put meat, sauce and macaroni combination on bottom. Next, spread one package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese over the top and follow with one 16-ounce tub of chive and onion sour cream. Top all this with shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. This is a great dish for kids and will not last long at family gatherings! Courtesy of Louanna and Scooter Frakes, Delphos.
Youth and Outdoor Events You Don’t Want To Miss
Eisenhower State Park on Melvern Lake will host its annual OK Kids Day event on Saturday with outdoor activities for the whole family starting at 10 a.m. and running until 2 p.m. Eisenhower Park is located on the northeast side of the lake. The day’s activities include the Identi-Kid program, archery, shotgunning and air rifles, camping tips, along with various big truck and emergency vehicle demonstrations. This program is provided absolutely free to everyone thanks to Kansas Wildscape, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Conrad Carlson Charitable Foundations, Bass Pro, the Emporia Area Chapter of Quail Unlimited and the Osage County Economic Development Community just to name a few of the sponsors. Free lunch will be served at about 11:45 a.m.
For more information, please contact Eisenhower or Pomona State Park at (785) 528-4102 or (785) 828-4933.
This May, several Kansas state parks will conduct events specifically for youth. These events provide opportunities for kids across Kansas to experience various outdoor activities, from birdwatching to fishing clinics. These events serve as an introduction to the outdoors for many people. For others, it rekindles their outdoor interests.
Some state parks combine OK Kids Days and Free Park Entrance Days in May. These events range from crappie, walleye and bass tournaments to horse trail rides.
Many events are educational and all make visiting Kansas state parks more fun. For more information on state park events you can phone individual parks or click the “Event Calendar” on the “State Parks” page of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Web site, www.kdwp.state.ks.us.
The following is a list of other state park events in May:
May 3–4 — Crappie Masters fishing tournament, Tuttle Creek State Park
May 4 — Twin Rivers Bass Club of Emporia fishing tournament, Hillsdale State Park
May 10 — Women on Target shooting event, Tuttle Creek State Park
May 10 — Jack Pot Buddy bass tournament, Milford State Park
May 10 — Catfish Nation fishing tournament, Eisenhower State Park
May 10-11 — Middle of The Trail Distance Riders Association competitive horse trail ride, Eisenhower State Park
May 17 — Olathe Community Sportsman's Club fishing tournament, Eisenhower State Park
May 18 — Riley County Fish and Game fishing tournament, Tuttle Creek State Park
May 18 — Douglas County Trailriders horse trail ride, Perry State Park
May 24-26 — Heartland Coursing dog field trial, Clinton State Park
May 25 — Wright Flight of Kansas/Missouri horse trail ride, Eisenhower State Park