About a dozen years ago, I began to feel guilty about leaving gut piles behind in the woods after field dressing a whitetail. I was uncomfortable knowing my wife Elaine and I might be wasting edible items after butchering an animal. We first tried cooking the heart, which we found to be delicious. Then we tried liver, which smelled great when it was being cooked, but the taste was, well, not very appealing.

Our next experiment involved the tongue – rather I should say “my” experiment, as Elaine just couldn’t bring herself to try this organ. My reasoning was that in the 1800s, Americans regarded buffalo tongue as a delicacy, and it became a high dollar entrée in the country’s best restaurants. So, why wouldn’t a deer’s tongue prove to be equally scrumptious?

Several years ago, I crock-potted my first deer tongue and found it to be tough and unappetizing – thus ending the research on that potential menu item. But this past year, while reading about cooking animal organs, I discovered that mammal tongues are covered by a sheath that must be peeled off, which I had not done on my initial kitchen test.

Intrigued about trying tongue again, I again crock-potted this organ, removed the sheath, sliced it into small pieces, and ate it on brown bread with sharp cheddar cheese and mustard – the same way I prefer heart. The tongue was quite tasty, possessing a milder flavor than heart but nevertheless very appealing and featuring a somewhat light, delicate taste.

Experimenting again, I found that deer tongue, as the prime player, makes an excellent salad. I’ve included a recipe below.

First, for those deer hunters who like to experiment with the organs and various uncommon cuts of a whitetail, I have a few questions. If you can help, please comment below.

Ribs: Have you ever cooked venison ribs? How do you remove the ribs from the deer, and how do you prepare them?

Lungs: I’ve heard that deer lungs can be made as part of a haggis recipe. Has anyone tried this?

Bone marrow: Native Americans ate deer bone marrow. Does anyone still do that?

Kidneys: Thoughts?

Intestines: Many folks relish chitlins, which are fried hog intestines. Anyone ever tried doing that with a deer’s intestines?

Mystery Meat: Once, a widow who let me hunt on her land asked me to bring her a deer liver if I was successful, so I did. Later, she called to thank me for including the gall bladder because it also “cooked up nicely” as part of her meal of fried liver and onions. The problem is, deer don’t possess gall bladders. To this day I wonder, what was the organ this lady ate?

Thanks for any ideas you can offer, and here’s that recipe.

Deer Tongue Salad

In a crock pot, cook the tongue on high for three hours. I’ve removed the sheath immediately after cooking and also after refrigeration. I’ve found it works better to cook and then chill the tongue before removing the sheath.

On top of a bed of spinach, thinly slice the chilled tongue and add sharp cheddar cheese, black walnuts, cranberries, and slices of avocado – my favorite add-ons. Feel free to experiment with your favorite vegetables and cheeses, and let me know the results.

Lion’s mane is the common name given to a number of mushrooms in the Hercium genus, namely H. erinaceus, H. americanum and H. coralloides. All three species are edible and taste slightly similar to shellfish. They also grow in similar habitats around the world. So, from a cultivation and culinary perspective, they can almost be considered as interchangeable. However many mycologists consider H. erinaceus to be the true lion’s mane mushroom, so this article will mostly focus mostly on this species.

What is Lion’s Mane Mushroom?

H. erinaceus was first documented in 1797 by French physician and botanist, Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard, who named the fungus after the Latin name for hedgehog. In most languages, the common name usually makes some reference to the many beautiful long white spines that dangle below the fruiting body and release the mushroom’s spores. The Japanese name Yamabushitake (mountain priest mushroom) refers to the pom poms found on the clothing of solitary Buddist mountain priests. In Chinese, the mushroom is often referred to as Shishigashira, which translates to lion’s head.

Lion’s mane is found mostly in the northern hemisphere, most commonly in North America, Europe, Japan, and China. The mycelium grows on both dead and living hardwood trees, mostly on old oak or beech, where it produces mushrooms from late summer to early fall (though this may extend into winter and spring in warmer regions). Wherever it grows, lion’s mane may not fruit reliably every year, and its rarity in some countries has led to it becoming legally protected from harvesting, to encourage its growth.

As well as being delicious, lion’s mane also contains a biochemical cocktail of compounds that are attracting emerging interest from the medical community. These include β-glucans, hericenones, and erinacines, which are compounds of therapeutic interest for diseases like dementia, diabetes, and cancer, as well as conditions like inflammation and skin aging.

Read: Why You Should Grow Your Own Mushrooms

How to Grow Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Like many other fungi, lion’s mane mycelium easily grows on cereal grains like rye, wheat, and millet. Though lion’s mane mushrooms rapidly emerge from colonized grain, it’s predominantly a wood-loving fungus, so a bulk substrate with a high proportion of wood can really improve yields. Supplementing woody bulk substrate bags with extra nutrients, like bran or soybean hulls, can also help boost your crop.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Growth Stages

Despite its unusual appearance, Lion’s Mane follows a similar growth cycle to most commonly cultivated mushrooms. Spores released from mature mushrooms germinate into mycelium, which spreads out through the substrate in its search for nutrients. Once the available substrate runs out and environmental conditions are suitable, the mycelium bunches up in small clumps to form hyphal knots, followed by denser clumps of fungal tissue called primordia, which then go on to turn into the fruiting body—or what most people call mushrooms. As these mushrooms mature, they release the spores and the cycle begins again.Lion’s mane can be white, pink, yellow, or brown depending on different growth and environmental factors. While a white color is most common, pink lion’s mane tends to grow at lower temperatures or when the mushrooms are exposed to direct sunlight. Mushrooms can turn brown or yellow as they become overripe, or if the humidity drops over the fruiting period.

Read: The 5 Best Mushroom Grow Kits for Growing Easily at Home

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Grow Kit

Cultivators face unique challenges when growing lion’s mane mushrooms. Lion’s mane has high moisture content and is a very delicate mushroom, particularly compared to other gourmet species like oysters, shiitake, or hen of the woods. As such, lion’s mane is much harder to find at your local grocers or farmers’ market; they are easily damaged in transit from farm to table. So, growing lion’s mane yourself may be the best way to access high-quality, delicious mushrooms for home cooking or do-it-yourself herbal supplements.

Basic Materials:

• Lion’s mane spore- or liquid culture syringe
• Sterile grain jars
• Sterile bulk substrate bags of hardwood sawdust, up to 50% supplemented by dry weight with bran or soybean hulls
• Still air box
• Fruiting chamber

Unlike other homegrown mushroom species such as oysters or Psilocybe cubensis, lion’s mane prefers wood-based bulk substrates such as hardwood sawdust, which can be supplemented with additional nutrients like wheat bran or soya hulls. This supplemented substrate has a high nutrient content and lacks the beneficial bacteria found in coir or manure, so must be sterilized to prevent contamination.

Lion’s mane is easily grown indoors, using the standard equipment you’d use for any home mushroom grow. If you live in an area that’s suitable for outdoor mushroom growing, lion’s mane can also be grown in a damp, shady spot in your garden.

Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Indoors

Growing lion’s mane indoors follows many of the same steps of any typical mushroom grow. Yet, prior to starting, there is one important factor to note: Cleanliness is paramount when growing lion’s mane mushrooms indoors. Sterilizing your equipment and your workspace prior to spawning and fruiting mushrooms will help keep you and your mushrooms healthy as you cultivate. We cover sterilization in more detail in our How to Grow Mushrooms Course. Nevertheless, here are the basic steps to growing lion’s mane indoors:

Step 1 – Inoculation: Sterile grain jars are inoculated with spores or liquid culture, inside a still air box to minimize the risk of contamination.

Step 2 – Incubation: The grain jars are then incubated until filled with wispy white lion’s mane mycelium. Using a still air box, a small amount of colonized grain is then added to each sterile bulk substrate bag, before sealing and incubating once more.

Step 3 – Fruiting: Once your bags are colonized you can punch a few small holes in each one, then put them in your fruiting chamber (such as a shotgun fruiting chamber or Martha closet).

If you get your temperature, humidity, and fresh air exchange right, you can expect to be harvesting tasty fresh lion’s mane about a month after inoculation.

Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Outdoors

If you live in an area where lion’s mane grows naturally, then an outdoor grow might be a good choice, especially if you have limited space indoors. When choosing a species to grow, do some research into which species grow most abundantly in your local area. If H. erinaceus doesn’t grow near where you live, check for similar edible species such as H. americanum or H. coralloides instead.

It is worth noting that due to its rarity, lion’s mane is a protected species in some regions of the world, with specific laws that may prevent harvesting. While it’s normally recommended that you source mycelial cultures from locally abundant species, legal restrictions on picking may make cloning wild specimens difficult. Such restrictions may not extend to spore collection, however, so you may be able to collect spores from wild specimens and purify cultures on agar (or buy from a trusted vendor who has done the same).

To grow lion’s mane outside, simply follow the same indoor growing process above, but place your bulk substrates outdoors when it’s ready to fruit. A humid and shady spot in your garden is perfect, though a bit of extra misting from a spray bottle will help encourage mushroom growth during dry spells.

Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms on Logs

As a wood-loving edible species, lion’s mane can also be grown on hardwood logs from trees like beech, maple, or oak. Growing on logs can take a little extra time and effort, but the results can be very rewarding. It’s best to use freshly cut logs, no older than about three months, to ensure they’re not too dry. If you live in an area where lion’s mane grows natively, it’s best to inoculate your logs during the wetter seasons of autumn and winter to give your logs plenty of moisture to help out the growing mycelium.

You’ll need:

• A selection of hardwood logs, cut to manageable sizes
• Hardwood dowels colonized with lion’s mane mycelium, or colonized sawdust spawn and log inoculation tool
• A drill and drill bit the same size as your dowels or inoculation tool
• Food grade wax, such as beeswax or soya wax
• Paintbrush or cotton dauber

Step 1 – Inoculation: Drill a series of holes arounda few inches apart, evenly across each log. Hammer in your colonized hardwood dowels, or fill each hole with sawdust spawn using your inoculation tool. Melt your wax (in an old tin can or crock pot), then paint each hole to seal it from bugs. Paint each cut end of the log with wax to keep in the moisture.

Step 2 – Incubation: Stack your logs somewhere shady, cool and damp to allow the mycelium to run through the wood. This can take up to a year or two, and it’s important to keep your logs hydrated throughout dry spells.

Step 3 – Fruiting: It can take a year or two for logs to start fruiting, depending on a range of environmental factors. Logs can either be left in place to begin fruiting, or stacked in ways to increase airflow and make harvesting easier. If you have a few logs you can try different configurations to see what works best, but keep them out of direct sunlight and well-watered to increase the chances of a bumper crop.

When to Pick Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Most growers like to pick lion’s mane while it’s still white and the teeth have become visible; they look like tight little pom-poms or clouds from a distance. If you leave lion’s mane mushrooms too long, they can start to turn golden brown and take on a shaggy appearance. This change in color and appearance indicates a lower quality, in terms of both taste and texture.

How to Harvest Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Lion’s mane can be easily harvested with a sharp knife, by cutting the mushroom off at the base, where it first emerged from the substrate. After harvesting, handle them carefully as they can bruise and begin to look less appealing to eat. However, if you do knock these mushrooms around a bit, don’t worry—they’re still perfectly safe to eat.

I wanted to put together a total list of fish species I’ve caught, just to try and keep a running tab. Hopefully it will continue to grow as I fish more new waters. I think I get just as excited catching new species as I do catching truly big fish. I’m not on any kind of mission to catch a certain number of species, I just think it will be interesting to maintain and revisit the list from time to time. It should also help to serve as a place to ID a fish that you’ve caught, but have no idea what it is. Of course, I’m not a biologist, so take what I post with a grain of salt, most of my knowledge comes from experience, and the internet. In time I will add other freshwater fish from different families, then move on to saltwater, but for now here are the sunfishes.

Warning to some though, things are about to get nerdy. I’ll separate each species according to it’s taxonomy. Today I’ll start in freshwater with the sunfishes, family Centrarchidae, which has 8 genera, and 34 species native to North America. So far I’ve caught 21 of them. It helps to live in the Southeastern U.S. if you want to catch a variety of sunfish.

Where possible I’ll put up a picture and a distribution map of those that I’ve caught. Click the map for more information about that particular species. The distribution maps come from the original NatureServe Explorer or the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species site. Both are pretty good resources for finding information on specific plants and animals. I did not produce these distribution maps so I can’t confirm their complete accuracy, but I do trust they are mostly accurate.

Update, June 2018: Both of Lance Coley’s articles on black bass species have gone the way of the do-do. Tim Bonvechio and Patrick Cooney have a pretty good article on black bass up on The Fisheries Blog highlighting the 9 species that the scientific community are in agreement on. Work is being done to add more and those are mentioned in the article as well, so be sure to check it out.

Update, April and August 2021: I added a few new-to-me species this year and updated range maps for species that didn’t have one or where the range map info was old and outdated

Ambloplites – Rock Bass

Ambloplites ariommus – Shadow bass

Ambloplites rupestris – Rock bass

Centrarchus – Flier

Centrarchus macropterus – Flier

Lepomis – Sunfish

Lepomis auritus – Redbreast sunfish

Lepomis cyanellus – Green sunfish

Lepomis humilis – Orangespotted Sunfish

Lepomis gulosis – Warmouth

Lepomis macrochirus – Bluegill

Lepomis marginatus – Dollar sunfish

Lepomis megalotis – Longear sunfish

Lepomis microlophus – Redear sunfish

Lepomis miniatus – Redspotted sunfish

Lepomis punctatus – Spotted sunfish

Micropterus – Black Bass

Redeye Bass

Micropterus cahabae – Cahaba bass (formerly Redeye bass, from the Cahaba River drainage)

Micropterus chattahoochee – Chattahoochee bass (formerly Redeye bass, from the Chattahoochee River drainage)

Micropterus coosae – Redeye(Coosa) bass (Redeye bass from the Coosa River drainage)

Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae – Bartram’s bass (formerly Redeye bass, from the Savannah River drainage)

Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae – Altamaha bass (formerly Redeye bass, from the Altamaha River drainage)

Micropterus tallapoosae – Tallapoosa bass (formerly Redeye bass, from the Tallapoosa River drainage)

Micropterus warriorensis – Warrior bass (formerly Redeye bass, from the Black Warrior River drainage)

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu dolomieu – (Northern) Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu velox – Neosho Smallmouth bass

Micropterus sp. cf. dolomieu velox – Ouachita Smallmouth bass

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides – (Northern) Largemouth bass

The Other Black Basses

Micropterus cataractae – Shoal bass

Micropterus treculii – Guadalupe bass

Micropterus hensalli – Alabama bass (formerly Spotted bass, of the Mobile River drainage)

Micropterus punctulatus – Spotted bass (Kentucky)

Micropterus haiaka – Choctaw bass

The newest member of the black bass family as discovered by biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Their range falls in between the Alabama bass and the Shoal bass in Gulf draining streams on the Florida panhandle and in Alabama.

Pomoxis – Crappie

Pomoxis annularis – White crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus – Black crappie

Hope you’ve got your hunting cap on — it’s time for a trivia quiz about all things hunting! How much do you know about this subject? Take a shot at these 25 trivia questions and find out!

1. Which state has the largest deer population?

A. Texas

B. Wisconsin

C. Pennsylvania

D. Michigan

2. In what year was the first recorded fee for a hunting license?

A. 1783

B. 1864

C. 1889

D. 1905

3. What is the biggest animal that can be legally hunted in North America?

A. Bison

B. Moose

C. Elk

D. Grizzly bear

4. Which of the following is NOT a method of hunting?

A. Baiting

B. Bowhunting

C. Hunting with dogs

D. Shooting from a vehicle

5. Which president was an avid hunter?

A. Teddy Roosevelt

B. Abraham Lincoln

C. James Buchanan

D. John F Kennedy

6. Which animal is NOT hunted for its fur?

A. Beaver

B. Raccoon

C. Bobcat

D. Squirrel

7. Which of the following is NOT a type of hunting dog?

A. Beagle

B. Boxer

C. Setter

D. Pointer

8. What is the most popular game bird in North America?

A. Turkey

B. Grouse

C. Pheasant

D. Duck

9. In what year did the United States ban whale hunting?

A. 1820

B. 1920

C. 1940

D. 1971

10. Which state has the longest hunting season?

A. Alaska

B. Louisiana

C. Maine

D. Virginia

11. Which of the following animals can be hunted at night?

A. Raccoon

B. Opossum

C. Coyote

D. All of the above

12. For what animal is the term “trophy hunting” most often used?

A. Whitetail deer

B. Moose

C. Bighorn sheep

D. Buffalo

13. How many antler points does a bull need to have before he can be legally hunted?

A. 4

B. 6

C. 8

D. 10

14. Which of the following is not an endangered species?

A. American bison

B. Peregrine falcon

C. Whooping crane

D. Black-footed Ferret

15. Which state has the highest percentage of hunting license holders?

A. South Dakota

B. Texas

C. Vermont

D. Louisiana

16. Which organization was founded in 1961 to protect wildlife and their habitats?

A. The Nature Conservancy

B. National Wildlife Federation

C. World Wildlife Fund

D. Sierra Club

17. Which of the following animals is NOT a game animal?

A. Raccoon

B. Gray squirrel

C. Red fox

D. Striped skunk

18. What is the minimum caliber rifle that can be used to hunt deer in most states?

A. .22

B. .24

C. .26

D. .28

19. Which state has the most deer per square mile?

A. Mississippi

B. Wisconsin

C. Pennsylvania

D. Michigan

20. Which of the following animals can be hunted with a crossbow?

A. Deer

B. Turkey

C. Bear

D. All of the above

21. Which country has the most hunters per capita?

A. United States

B. Canada

C. Ireland

D. Russia

22. In what year was the first issue of Field & Stream magazine published?

A. 1895

B. 1905

C. 1915

D. 1925

23. What are the two most popular types of rifles used for deer hunting?

A. Lever-action and pump-action

B. Bolt-action and lever-action

C. Semi-automatic and bolt-action

D. Pump-action and semi-automatic

24. What does “bag limit” refer to?

A. The maximum number of animals that can be killed in one day

B. The size of the animal that can be legally killed

C. The minimum caliber rifle that can be used to hunt deer

D. The amount of time a hunter can spend hunting in one day

25. What does “Skunked” mean?

A. When a deer smells a hunter and runs away

B. When a hunter is unable to kill an animal

C. When a hunter shoots an animal and only wounds it

D. When two hunters shoot the same animal

There you have it. I hope none of these questions were a complete “miss” for you. Did you get skunked? Let me know how you did in the comments below. And if hunting isn’t really your thing, check out my other trivia quizzes. There’s bound to be one that’s more your speed. Thanks for playing!

Wild cherry: Plant profile

Common names

Wild Cherry, Sweet Cherry, Mazzard, Gean, Crann Silin Fiain

Botanical name

Prunus avium (& other Prunus spp.)

Family

Rosaceae (Rose)

Distribution

Native to Europe. Widespread all over England and Wales. Although still common, less frequent in some parts of Scotland and Ireland.

Where to find Wild Cherry

Deciduous woodlands and hedgerow. Widely planted in parks and alongside streets.

When to find Wild Cherry

Fruit early to mid summer.

How to identify Wild Cherry

Wild Cherry is a deciduous tree. The tree has a straight trunk and branches that grow in rings up along the trunk. The bark is brown to grey and have ‘cuts’ around the trunk called lenticels. The leaves have elongated oval shape with serrated edges and bright green in colour, which is lighter underneath. The flowers are either white or pink in colour and are variable dependent on species / variety. The fruit is round and shiny, red in colour and has a stone in the middle.

Wild Cherry lookalikes

The Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) fruit look similar, which is generally a bit bigger and come in different colours such as red and yellow. Nonetheless, all species of cherries and plums are edible.

All about Wild Cherry

There are a few different Cherry species growing in the UK and Ireland. The most common is Wild or Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium), but there are also Sour Cherries (Prunus cerasus) and Bird Cherries (Prunus padus). All Cherries are edible but have different flavour profiles.

The fruit will start to appear at the end of June and you’ll have to be quick to beat the birds. The Cherries are often a little hidden by the leaves, so it’s best to stand under the tree and spot the darker ones, though sometimes it’s more practical to pick under-ripe fruit to ripen at home.

Medicinal properties of Wild Cherry

The fruit stalks are astringent, diuretic and tonic.

Culinary uses and recipes with Wild Cherry

The flowers taste of almonds and can be made into syrup or infused in milk for making custard.

Sweet Cherries are best eaten fresh, straight from the tree and added to natural yoghourt. However, Wild Cherries are relatively small and tedious to pit and are often used to infuse drinks and make preserves and sauces.

Cherry fruit is so versatile. It can be used to make Hungarian Sour Cherry soup (Meggyleves), cooked with game or venison terrines, made into preserves such as jams and pickles or sweet desserts such as panacotta and chocolate & cherry mousse.

In the drinks front, Cherry can be used to make Cherry schnapps (Kirschwasser) and wine made of blossoms or fruit, but fruit can simply be infused into drinks to make flavoured brandy or a mock amaretto. Off the booze? Make a simple and delicious cordial or juice.

Safe foraging of Wild Cherries

Just like shop-bought Cherries, the seeds or pips of the Wild Cherry contain hydrogen cyanide and are poisonous. It is usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure.

Ecological importance of Wild Cherry

Cherry trees provide a food source for many birds and small mammals, as well as used for shelter and nesting.

Have you been dreaming of a Canada Moose hunting adventure? We offer some incredible Moose hunts in Alberta.

Why should I book a Moose hunting trip with you? We hunt in west-central Alberta where the farmland meets vast tracts of undeveloped Crown Land. This area has prime moose habitat and is home to an incredible Canada Moose population and has some excellent Moose hunting opportunities that few other places in North America can rival.

Since we only book a limited number of big game hunters each year, we’re able to keep the hunting pressure on the Moose very low. Combine those factors with the outstanding Moose habitat, and it’s easy to see why we offer some of the best Moose hunting in North America.

We hunt in an area with very good road access, so we can take hunters of varying physical fitness on this hunt. Typically, we use trucks and ATVs to cover a lot of ground and glass willow flats and cut blocks in the morning and evening. There are also numerous good vantage points for us to glass the willow groves in river bottoms where moose like to hang out.

All of our moose hunts take place about 3 hours from Edmonton in Alberta. Your guide will pick you up at the airport in Edmonton on the first day of the hunt and drive you up to camp.

We have have a lifetime success rate of over 90% on our archery and rifle Moose hunts. Our hunters typically take bulls in the 35-55″ range. Every single one of our hunters has gotten a shot at a mature bull moose over the past three years.

Finally, we also have guaranteed moose tags. So, there is no need to enter in a limited entry draw to go Moose hunting with us.

Due to all of these factors, we offer an outstanding Moose hunting experience that is truly in a league of its own. Are you looking looking for a great chance at taking a really nice Canada moose? Then book one of our incredible Moose hunting packages.

What is the cost of a Moose hunting trip in Canada with you? The prices for our 2024 and 2024 Alberta Moose hunts are listed below. Contact us for specific dates available in 2024 and 2024.

All prices are in US dollars. Our Canada Moose hunting packages include all food, lodging, transportation within the hunting area, field preparation of trophies, non-resident hunting licenses, tags, and taxes. The packages do not include tips, commercial air fare, taxidermy, meat processing, and shipment of trophies home.

Alberta Rifle Moose/Deer Combo$11,380We’re fully booked for 2024 & 2025

This is a rifle moose hunt that takes place during the late season and includes the opportunity to hunt whitetail deer at no extra charge. These late season hunts are a very underrated opportunity to hunt both moose and deer.

These hunts take place about 3 hours north of Edmonton. Hunting pressure is very low in that area and the moose habitat is outstanding. As a result, that area has high moose densities and offers a good opportunity at a 35-55″ bull.

The deer habitat is also outstanding and that part of Alberta is known for excellent whitetail deer hunting. Most of the bucks taken on these hunts score 140-150″, but hunters do occasionally take bucks in the 160-175″ range. The dates for this hunt also overlap with the whitetail rut.

Additionally, that area has very good road access, so we can take hunters of varying physical fitness on this hunt. Typically, we use trucks and ATVs to cover a lot of ground and glass willow flats and cut blocks in the morning and evening. There are also numerous good vantage points for us to glass the willow groves in river bottoms where moose like to hang out.

We only take a maximum of 2 hunters at a time and guide each hunter 1×1, so are high quality moose hunts. You’ll stay in a comfortable bunk house with electricity and hot water showers. Camp also has good cell phone service.

BOOK THIS HUNT!

Alberta Archery Moose$11,200We’re fully booked for 2024 & 2025

This is an archery moose hunt that takes place during the peak of the moose rut. This is an excellent time to hunt as the bulls are extremely vocal and respond very well to calls. If you’re looking for an exciting moose hunt where you get in close to a monster bull for a shot, then this is the hunt for you!

BOOK THIS HUNT!

What other animals may be combined with a Moose hunt? You can hunt wolf and coyotes after you get your moose at no extra charge. Depending on availability, our rifle Moose hunts in November can sometimes be combined with Whitetail Deer as well for an additional $1,750 (no extra charge for the moose/whitetail combo hunt). Our rifle moose hunts overlap with the whitetail rut in this area.

WHY SHOULD I BOOK A CANADA MOOSE HUNT WITH YOU?

• We have hunting rights in a part of Alberta that contains some of the best Moose habitat in the country. This area is home to an incredible population of Canada Moose and has some excellent hunting opportunities that few other hunting outfitters in Russia or North America (to include Siberia, Alaska, Ontario, and the Yukon) can rival.
• We book a limited number of hunts each year, abide by strict quotas, and carefully manage our hunting areas. This ensures that our hunters have high success rates and consistently harvest mature bull Moose on fair chase hunts.
• These hunts take place in an area with good road access, so unlike a moose hunt in British Columbia or Alaska, there’s no need for a float plane charter or long boat ride on a hunt with us.
• Since we have guaranteed Moose tags, there’s no need to spend years accumulating bonus points or deciphering a complicated lottery system in states like Colorado, Idaho, or Utah.
• We can accommodate rifle Moose hunters on spot and stalk hunts.
• Our Hunting Guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and have many years worth of experience guiding trophy Moose hunts.
• There are limited numbers of wolves in the area and we can also take you on a coyote or wolf hunt for free if you have time remaining in your hunt after your harvest your moose.
• We take pride in providing hunts with outstanding personal service before, during, and after your hunt. You will not have problems getting in touch us when and we’ll be available to you through the entire process to provide assistance with anything you need related to the hunt.

What is the average shot distance when Moose hunting in Canada? Since they are often encountered in thick cover, shots taken when Moose hunting are usually at short to moderate range: 50-250 yards. However, they are sometimes encountered in situations requiring longer range shots, so hunters should be prepared to take shots out to 300 yards on a rifle Moose hunting trip with us.

What are the accommodations like on your Moose hunting trips? You’ll stay in a comfortable bunk house with electricity, hot water showers, and an outdoor bar/cookhouse. Camp also has good cell phone service.

Breakfast is normally eaten in camp and typically consists of oatmeal, bacon, pancakes. Hunters usually take a sack lunch of sandwiches and a few snacks into the field and return to camp for a hearty and tasty dinner in the evening.

When do you do your Moose hunting? The rifle moose hunting season takes place during the month of November and this is when we outfit our fully guided moose hunts.

Contact us for more information or to book your Moose hunting trip.

What is the best rifle caliber for Moose hunting? Since they are so large (they’re the largest members of the deer family), Moose must be hunted with an cartridge of appropriate power. With this in mind, we do not recommend using anything less than the .30-06 Springfield, using 180gr controlled expansion bullets, for Canadian Moose hunting. The .300 and .338 Winchester Magnum are also good choices. Some hunters successfully hunt Moose with even larger cartridges, such as the .375 H&H and .416 Remington, though neither is really necessary.

That being said, we would rather you bring a smaller cartridge that you are familiar with and can shoot accurately rather one that you are afraid of. As always, accuracy and good shot placement are the two most important things when hunting Moose.

What is the best recommended Moose shot placement? Though Moose are very large, they will not travel very far if hit properly by a powerful enough bullet. When the animal is standing broadside, simply aim at the center of the shoulder, approximately one third of the way up the body.

Remember to adjust your aiming point accordingly if the Moose is quartering towards or away from you (aim slightly forward if it is quartering towards you and slightly to the rear if it is quartering away). Prior to taking any shot, ensure that the animal is stationary and is not standing in water. Recovering a dead Moose from a body of cold water is doable, but is an experience best avoided if at all possible.

Western Canada Moose Scientific Name: Alces alces andersoni

How do you distinguish males from females when Moose hunting? Male (bulls) and female (cows) Moose are very easy to tell apart when Moose hunting. Only bulls (top) have antlers.If you’re interested in going Moose hunting in Canada, please contact us for more information. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours.

The IGFA world record for crappie has stood since 2018 and is held by a Tennessee angler who caught the 5lb 5oz black crappie on a jig.

In this article, we provide full details of that record fish caught in Tennessee and a bunch of other notable crappie records, including the 50-year-old record for white crappie that has really stood the test of time.

Crappie, slabs, bricks, hogs, specks, white perch- no matter what you call them, nothing is quite as sweet as catching a huge crappie. Imagine your excitement at not only catching a beast but finding out it’s the new world record. Read on to find out more about crappie records and some hints on how to catch trophy crappie.

The Current IGFA World Record Black Crappie

• Date: 2018
• Location: Loudon County, Tennessee
• Angler: Lionel “Jam” Ferguson
• Weight: 5lbs 5oz
• Length: 19.75″

On May 15, 2018, Lionel “Jam” Ferguson of Paint Rock, Tennessee, got off work and did a little fishing. It was warm and muggy, and he was having a slow day bass fishing, so he moved to another spot he knew in the Philadelphia area of Loudon County, Tennessee.

Richeison Pond, a privately owned farm pond, was just a short distance away, and he had caught a few bigger fish from the pond in the past. He began lazily casting and retrieving a Triple Threat John Deere colored grub on a ⅛ oz jig head. His slow retrieve worked. An enormous fish grabbed the bait and dove.

Jam and the fish battled until he got the fish into shallow water. At this point, Jam knew it was a big crappie and didn’t want to lose his fish, so he jumped in the water and pulled it out by hand. The black crappie weighed five pounds, five ounces, and was nineteen and three-quarters inches long.

At the urging of his buddy, Jam took it to a local grocery store and had it weighed on certified scales, then contacted the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Once the Tennessee wildlife officer certified the weight and length, Jam wrapped the fish in wet towels and froze it until he found out if it was a state record.

Ferguson’s catch was not only the new Tennessee state record; it was also the new black crappie world record. The fish has since been mounted and tagged.

World Record White Crappie

• Date: 1957
• Location: Yocona River, Mississippi
• Angler: Fred Bright
• Weight: 5lbs 3oz
• Length: 21″

The white crappie world record has stood for over 50 years. The fish was caught near Enid Dam on the Yocona River in Yolabusha County, Mississippi, on July 31, 1957. Angler Fred Bright was fishing artificial bait on a fast action rod with a Denison Johnson reel when the five-pound, three-ounce fish grabbed the bait and ran. After capture, the fish’s weight and length were certified by an officer from the state of Mississippi, and DNA testing confirmed that the fish was a world record white crappie that weighed five pounds, three ounces, and measured twenty-one inches in length. See here for info on the differences between black crappie and white crappie.

Other Notable Crappie Captures

You remember Lionel Jam Ferguson, who caught the world record black crappie in that little farm pond. This one-acre private pond in Loudon County, Tennessee, might not have many fish in it, but it seems they are all about the same size. Just a few years before his world record, Jam caught a crappie weighing four pounds, four ounces from this same pond. Not realizing that it might be a record, Jam took the fish home and ate it.

Before Jam Ferguson caught his world record black crappie, John Horstman had the previous record. He landed a 5-pound, 19-inch black crappie back in 2006 while fishing in a private lake near his home in Callaway County, Missouri. After his catch was weighed and certified, Horstman donated it to Bass Pro Shops, where the fish lived in the aquarium at the company headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, until its death earlier this year.

Another massive crappie catch was that of Clear Lake Outdoors owner Dave Burruss of Lakeport, California. On February 17, 2021, while bass fishing, Burruss spotted three large fish on the screen of Garmin Livescope fish finder. He threw out a 4-inch Keitech Easy Shiner on twelve-pound test. He says it took 30 seconds to pull in the four-pound, five-ounce black crappie. The fish was larger than the previous state record, and after being weighed on a certified scale, it was officially named the new California state record.

Best Locations To Try For a New World Record

Crappie fishing has been associated with the southern United States for years, but more anglers are going after crappies in other states. Crappie fish actually live in forty-eight of the fifty states. The only places they are not naturally occurring are Alaska and Hawaii.

Crappie prefer to live in warmer water, which is why most of the world record fish seem to come from Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Kentucky.

The best time of the year to fish for crappie is late spring. In the southern states, that usually means mid-April to early May, when the days are warming up but the nights are still cool. Crappie won’t begin their spring spawn until water temperature reaches 57 degrees. Even then, they prefer to spawn in slightly deeper water than other panfish. Start dropping your bait around weeds and brush piles in the three to four-foot deep range.

If you are searching for the perfect place to catch one of these monster fish, there are a few things to look for.

• There is plenty of cover- weeds, tree tops, rocks, etc.
• The water gets deeper in the middle (at least 8 feet or more).
• There is algae, phytoplankton, and zooplankton in the water.
• The water is brackish rather than crystal clear.
• The bottom has more of a sandy than muddy texture.

If you must fish in clearer water, fish deep. In brackish water, they won’t be so deep unless it is very cold or very hot out. For those living on a lake or pond, here are some tips for attracting crappie to your dock.

See also:

• Crappie Fishing Gear List
• How to Catch Crappie: Some Killer Tips
• Best Lures for Crappie Fishing

Best Baits and Lures for World Record Crappie

Crappie feed on living things, for the most part, and big crappie eat bigger things than smaller ones do. Don’t be afraid to pull your bass lures out of the tackle box and give them a try. Personally, I know at least one crappie was caught on a rubber frog in the weeds this summer.

Live minnows or small shiners suspended over brush piles, fallen logs, and recognizable spawning beds are always a hit.

Other common lures to try are:

• Small, deep diving crank baits presented slowly in deep water
• Silver spinners or spoons thrown across logs or at the edge of weed beds
• Lightweight jig heads with colored grub or skirt bodies
• An umbrella rig can also be effective for crappie

In dark or brackish water: white, chartreuse, pink and white, lime, red and white, gold

In clear water: white, chartreuse, black and white, dark blue, brown, motor oil color

For rods and reels for crappie, check out this article on choosing a good combo for crappie fishing.

How Records Are Measured and Verified

All fish state records and world records are maintained by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) in a public database. Once a large fish is caught, local wildlife officers weigh it using a scale that has been calibrated and certified by a scientific lab. These types of scales can be found in grocers, packing houses, and other locations. State wildlife offices should also have a calibrated scale.

After verifying that the fish is larger than any previous records held in the state, by searching the IGFA database, an angler can fill out the application for examination, DNA testing, and measurement of the catch. If the IGFA determines the fish is a record, the angler will be credited, and the record will be uploaded into the database.

See also:

• Fly Fishing For Crappie
• The Best Ice Fishing Lures for Crappie Reviewed
• Best times to Catch Crappie
• Best Hook Sizes for Crappie Fishing

Final Thoughts on Record Crappie

Most anglers aren’t going to catch a crappie the size of Jam Ferguson’s catch. Huge crappies are not that plentiful, but fishing for crappie of any size is lots of fun. If you are lucky enough to catch a big slab that you think might be a record, immediately contact your local wildlife resources officer to begin the certification process. Your record catch may or may not be a new state record, but you won’t know unless you have it measured.

During the early 1800s, when American frontiersmen were first crossing the Mississippi and heading west, they encountered areas of both short-grass and tall-grass prairies so vast they appeared as seas. When the wind blew, which was most of the time, those breezes caused the grass to undulate in waves. Living upon those seemingly endless grasslands were immense herds of bison, also known as buffalo. The largest land mammal in North America, an estimated 30 million to 60 million bulls, cows, yearlings and calves once grazed the Great Plains.

Those first frontiersmen engaged in subsistence hunting, shooting an occasional buffalo for food. But it wasn’t long before some of the hunters realized that, given such an abundant natural resource, there was a dollar to be made from the animals. Actually, many dollars. So, by the late 1800s, literally thousands of professional buffalo hunters were prowling the prairies in search of the wandering herds for their meat, hides and tongues—buffalo tongue was a delicacy served in restaurants back East.

Professional buffalo hunters had several requirements of their rifles. The guns had to be rugged, reliable, accurate at long range, and of large enough caliber (.44, .45 or .50) to bring down a heavy-boned animal that might weigh as much as a ton. The following three single-shot, breechloading, black-powder rifles checked all of those boxes, and were the most popular with buffalo hunters.

Sharps Model 1874

Nicknamed “Old Reliable,” this particular Sharps rifle was a favorite of buffalo hunters due to its long-range accuracy. Sharps rifles were commonly used during the Civil War (1861-1865), with sporting versions manufactured for 40 years, from the late 1840s to the late 1880s. After the war, the Sharps factory produced Models 1869 and 1874 in large quantities for commercial buffalo hunters and competition shooters. These heavy, large-bore rifles, weighing nearly 10 pounds, were manufactured knowing that they would be firing some of the most powerful black-powder cartridges ever made.

In more modern times, Sharps rifles have become icons of the Old West, appearing in many books and several movies; three of the most familiar films being Quigley Down Under (1990) and True Grit (1969, 2010). Reproduction Sharps are still offered today by several firearms manufacturers.

Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor

The first standard-issue, breechloading rifle adopted by the U.S. Army, this gun had two versions. One featured a full-length barrel and stock; the other, a shorter carbine barrel and stock, for use by cavalry soldiers.

The cartridge that the full-length rifle fired was labeled .45-70-405, meaning that it was .45 caliber, propelled by 70 grains of black powder, pushing a 405-grain bullet. The cavalry version of the cartridge was a little lighter to help ease recoil for a mounted soldier. The “trapdoor” designation comes from the fact that a hinged breechblock had to be rotated up and forward before loading or unloading the gun.

This rifle saw extensive use during the Indian Wars on the Great Plains, so there were plenty of the guns around with which to shoot buffalo. An interesting bit of history is that this is one of the main rifles that General George Armstrong Custer’s 7th Cavalry carried into the fight at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Remington Number 1 Rolling Block

The NRA Museum’s (www.nramuseum.org) description of this rifle reads:

“Although chambered for military cartridges, many Remingtons were also used by civilian buyers. The No. 1 Rolling Block was produced circa 1868-1888. After the Civil War, a rush of settlers moved west of the Mississippi. Meat and hides were sought. Buffalo provided both of these, and a gun that could kill buffalo with one shot was needed. In 1868, Remington Arms Company of Ilion, New York, filled this need with the Sporting Rifle Number 1.

“This rifle featured one of the strongest receivers ever made. Called a rolling block, it rotates at its breech a large, round block behind a cartridge. A large, round hammer, in turn, supports the block. Firing a .45-70 cartridge, the rifle can bring down most anything at long range. The Remington No. 1 was among the most prolifically produced firearms of its time.”

On the Prairie

In the hands of an experienced marksman, any of those three rifles were deadly. Buffalo hunters would first locate a herd from horseback, then, by approaching on foot downwind of the animals, attempt to stalk undetected within a couple hundred yards—even closer if the terrain allowed. The first animal killed would be the herd leader, usually an older cow buffalo. The idea was to not spook and stampede the herd; but rather to take your time shooting, cleanly killing one animal after another, one shot one kill. Using that practiced technique, a skilled shooter might kill 100 buffalo or more in a single day.

Some buffalo hunters became so proficient that they were well known on the plains: Cross-Eyed Joe, Apache Bill, Buffalo Curley, Limpy Jim Smith, Buckshot Roberts, Squirrel Eye Emery, Prairie Dog Dave, California Joe … the list goes on.

Likely the most famous hunter was William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Shortly after the Civil War, he signed a contract to supply Kansas Pacific Railroad workers with buffalo meat. Cody was so adept as a hunter that during one 18-month period spanning 1867 and 1868, he is purported to have killed 4,282 of the large, wooly animals.

But another hunter, Buffalo Bill Comstock, challenged Cody’s right to exclusive use of the nickname Buffalo Bill. To decide the matter, the pair agreed to an eight-hour hunt. Cody won by shooting 68 buffalo compared to Comstock’s 48. It is believed Comstock used a .44-caliber Henry lever-action rifle, while Cody used a .50-caliber Springfield Model 1866.

Cody would one day go on to form his extremely successful traveling extravaganza, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. For 30 years, he toured America, England and Europe with a troupe of genuine cowboys, authentic Indians, horses, cattle, and yes, a small herd of buffalo.

Most of the time deer seem like ghosts walking through the woods. For the hunter it might sound like the forest is filled with everything but deer. In reality, though, deer are quite vocal animals, and they express themselves with a variety of noises that all mean different things, from warnings to sweet talk.

Knowing these sounds is essential to the effective hunter. Not only can they let him know where deer are and what they’re doing, but certain sounds may repel or attract certain types of deer at certain times. It might sound complicated, but there are definitely harder languages to learn.

In the end learning the vocabulary of deer speak is a lot of fun.

You might also like:

If you’re looking to imitate a deer you should checkout how that’s possible by reading our roundup of the best deer calls. Or maybe you’d like an article outlining the characteristics and locations of all the different types of deer that make up the deer family?

We’ve also another similar article that covers the sounds that Elk make.

What sounds does a deer make when scared or nervous?

One of the things that have helped deer survive for so long is their herd mentality. They take care of each other. One way they do that is by warning each other when there’s danger. Specifically, there a few sounds you should be aware of because if you hear them, it probably means a deer knows you’re around and has just alerted the rest of the herd.

Sniffs

If a deer begins to sense something is off, they may start making sniffing sounds. Not only are they trying to get a better smell, one of the easiest ways they can find you out, but they’re also putting the rest of the herd on edge. The sniff doesn’t sound much different than a human sniff, only stronger and deeper. Imagine air being sucked in through a deer’s large nose.

Stomps

Along with sniffing, suspicious deer may begin lightly stomping their hooves. This happens when they first suspect danger but aren’t quite sure where or what it is yet.

The noise sounds just like a wood block striking the ground and is usually noticeable since the deer are otherwise as silent as mice. The stomping puts the rest of the herd on alert so that they can more easily pinpoint the threat.

Snorts

The snort happens when a deer is positive there’s danger around. It means whatever methods you’ve employed to camouflage your body, noises and scents haven’t been enough. The snort sounds similar to a human sneeze, and nothing is more disheartening than hearing it off in the distance just when you’ve given up for the day and decided to start making your way out of the woods. The deer will snort, raise its tail and run away. The sound will alert other deer, and they’ll all do the same.

What sounds does a deer make when angry?

When they’re in the rut, male deer shed some of their usual cautiousness in order to chase the does. This certainly applies to their sounds as well, and a buck in the rut will be a lot louder than usual. In fact, he’ll make a variety of sounds to intimidate other bucks or warn them of his presence, and he’ll respond to sounds that make him think there’s another male around. He’ll make sounds to try to seduce the does as well.

Buck Grunt

Bucks make a loud grunting sound to show their dominance. While all deer make soft, long grunts to call to one another, the deep, short grunt of the buck is the male claiming the territory and does in it as his own. He’ll usually make it when he’s decided on a specific doe to chase, and he’ll continue making the grunts as he chases her. The sounds are also attractive to the females.

A buck grunt is one of the sounds that can be mimicked to attract a deer. Some examples are listed here in our roundup of the best deer calls.

Rattling Antlers / The Buck Rattle

The buck rattle isn’t a vocalization of the deer. It’s the sound of two bucks fighting. When they spar, they clang their antlers together making a rattling sound. Before the rut begins, this can be light sparring just to size each other up, but when the does are in estrus, this becomes serious fighting to determine dominance.

If other bucks hear the sounds of antlers rattling, they know two males are fighting and will usually come to watch, especially the dominant buck of the area because he’ll want to know who’s fighting in his territory. This is why imitating this sound can attract them.

Hunters or naturalists looking to lure deer often use man made materials to mimic these sounds, there are some great examples in this roundup of the best rattling antlers.

Snort-Wheeze

The snort-wheeze is an especially aggressive sound used to intimidate rivals. It sounds just like the name implies: a snort followed by a raspy wheeze. Two bucks vying for territory and does may make these sounds at each other to display their dominance. If one buck is smaller or more timid, the noise might send him running, but the more aggressive males usually make this sound just before they spar. This noise combined with the rattling antlers really gives the impression of a fight and will attract curious and dominant bucks to the area.

There are some example products that allow you to make rattling antler and snort wheeze sounds in our roundup of the best deer calls.

Other deer sounds

Being herd animals, deer need some way to communicate, and one of those ways is sound. They don’t just make noises to show fear or anger, but they also make different sounds when they’re excited, happy or even bored. Does especially have a wide range of vocalizations they use with each other and their fawns.

Doe Grunt

The grunt of a doe is much higher than that of a buck because the females have smaller bodies, and just like in humans, this results in a shorter airway. The does don’t grunt to show dominance, though. Basically, they just do it to talk to one another. Deer are highly social, and they try to gather together when they can, so a grunt is the deer’s way of telling others it’s around and ready to mingle, so to speak. The mothers also grunt to call the fawns if it’s feeding time or if they’re moving to a new location.

Doe Bleat

Does also bleat in social situations. The bleat is a higher-pitched vibrating sound, similar to that of a goat. They mostly do it when they are gathered together or with their fawns, and it signals contentment.

Doe in Heat Call – Estrus Bleat

When the does go into heat and are ready to mate, they make their own sound to seduce the bucks. This is the estrus bleat and it’s higher than the bucks’ calls. It almost sounds like a kazoo. When a doe wants to mate, she’ll stop and make the bleat which lets the buck chasing her know she’s ready. This can be one of the loudest noises deer make and is very distinctive.

What sounds does a baby deer make?

Baby deer, or fawns, make a lot of different noises to communicate with their mothers. The does have strong maternal instincts and respond quickly to calls from their babies. Consequently, if you’re hunting a doe, the best way to attract her may be to mimic the sounds of a fawn.

Nursing Whine

When the fawns are nursing or trying to nurse, they whine. It’s a rising and falling pitch that actually sounds a lot like a rusty screen door blowing in the wind, but the fawns make it to bond with their mothers. Like most social communication between deer, it is not audible from much of a distance.

Fawn Distress Call

If a fawn is in danger, it will call for its mother’s help. The call sounds like a loud continuous cry that can sometimes be eerily human. If it’s enough to make you feel like you need to go see what’s wrong, just imagine how it sounds to a mother deer. Does will normally come fast to find the crying fawn, even if their own babies are safe by their side. As you can imagine, the noise increases in volume depending on how much the fawn feels in danger. It might be quiet and rhythmic if the fawn is merely lost and looking for the herd, or it could be loud and panicked if it’s being chased by a predator. You’re mostly likely to hear this sound at the beginning of the season when fawns are still small and dependent on their mothers, and that’s also when you’ll have the best luck imitating it, though it can be successful year-round.

Fawn Bleat

Fawns also make a goat-like bleating sound similar to the does when they are happy. Because of their small bodies, the pitch is higher than that of the adults, but it serves basically the same purpose. The fawns bleat when they’re playing with each other or socializing with their mothers, and it encourages social bonding within the herd. You’re likely to hear young deer playing around and bleating while their mothers feed.