The group of guys I go with on this adventure always pride themselves on bringing special food items to have before the evening meals. My Hunter Sausage has always been a favorite.
My son and I were lucky last year and drew California Pronghorn Antelope tags. There were still plenty of packages in the freezer so I grabbed a couple of packages of loin steaks and pulled a bag of Juniperberry & Peppercorn Rub from the cupboard.
In the afternoon on the first day of the trip I pulled a package of antelope out of the cooler and liberally applied the rub, I then wrapped it back up and put it back in the cooler. In the early evening we started up a small barbecue grill and I put on the antelope steaks. They were small so it only took seven minutes total for turning, then pulling them off the grill.
What happened next is hard to describe, but my mouth is watering just thinking about it. To say this item was a hit, would be like saying a 30-inch mule deer is just a legal buck. Everyone in the camp raved about the taste. The next night was the same reaction, plus I was told in the future to leave my Hunter Sausage home — just bring the antelope and that fanastic rub.
Everyone wanted to know where I had bought the Juniperberry & Peppercorn Rub. I explained I had picked it up at the ISE Show in Sacramento last January from the WILDEATS booth.
If you want people to rave about game you take this year, first make sure you do a really good job of cleaning your animal and caring for the meat afterwards. Then take some of the tender cuts, like the loin, and rub in the WILDEATS Enterprise's Juniperberry & Peppercorn Rub. It won't matter if it's a buck or doe, you'll make Boone and Crockett in the kitchen.
If you can't wait until the next ISE Show, you can order online from www.wildeats.com or call toll free to 1-800-950-EATS.
Looks like I'll have to be extremely lucky in the draw again or head for Wyoming to put more antelope in the freezer. Hold on a minute — deer have loins too! I better get my bow and rifle ready for this year's seasons.
Jerry Springer
WesternHunter.com Editor
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