Harvesting Nature

Join Justin and the crew as they talk about conservation issues in Florida and get to know Field Staff Writer Jeff Benda. They chat about how Jeff got his start in wild game cooking, recipe development, food photography, a bunch of Jeff’s recipes, and much more! #harvestingnature

Being on the go so often, it can sometimes be easy to overlook the freezer downstairs that’s full of meat when prepping meals. I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t add extra work to cook a meal from scratch compared to swinging by the store for lunch meat or hot dogs but I’d also be lying if I didn’t admit that I’d take any of these meals over a plain old salami sandwich any day. And there’s something pretty darn magical about using the fruits of previous days afield to fuel new ones. Here is one of my simplest recipes to put together on a work night using some wild turkey I had in the freezer.

Each time an angler purchases a fishing license, purchases fishing tackle, or fuels up their boat they are assisting the improvement of their avocation by contributing to the Sport Fish Restoration Program. The nationwide Sport Fish Restoration Program is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) through excise tax and duty revenue collected on fishing equipment sales, fishing equipment imports, and the sales of motorboats and small engine fuels.

Early in their marriage, she and Jim would take trips to Pulaski with a friend and her husband to fish for salmon. She said at that time, she did not have the proper equipment, but she didn’t let that stop her.
“We were the only two women on that river and we were looked down upon badly,” she said. “Now there are women all over the river. I kind of hope that in some minuscule way that maybe I’ve helped pave the way for other women so that they don’t get treated like that.”

A thin ribbon of water cuts through a forest. A shadowy figure rests in a hole among the branches of a fallen tree just out of the current. A roll cast, necessary because of the limited space for a back cast, places a #10 woolly bugger gently near the fish. Slowly pulling in line, the fly moves within striking distance. The fish pounces. Grabbing its prey, it turns back to the safety of the submerged log. You set the hook and a short but ferocious fight ensues. He is very small. Too small to keep but the bright greens flowing seamlessly to red are captivating. You let the little bream go, gather up your line, and continue your trek along the clear, tannin-stained creek somewhere in the southern United States.