55" BULL MOOSE....Hunter/Gatherers and Shoppers

Well.... a trapper doesn't make a high living for the hours they put in....  BUT THE LIFESTYLE REWARDS MAKE UP FOR IT.
Out in the fresh air everyday, getting paid for a hard workout instead of paying big bucks to workout in a gym or health club.  
There is not the lure of "fast food" at every bend of the trail.  You stock the basics and make your own comfort foods.  Chocolate bars, chips and pop are expensive treats to be used on special occasions.
There is lots of quiet time so that you can hear yourself think.  You can relax enough to read a book.  You can spend an hour watching Dollie Varden spawn.  Or watch a Bull Moose pass you in the trees.  You work hard because you are your own boss.  Your time is your own.  The nature things you see will stay with you forever.
Lots of people nowadays love to shop for that great bargain in the store.  They just don't realize they are fulfilling the age old "hunter/gatherer" instinct.  Out in the wilderness you get that free when you find that special mushroom, that huge bush of blueberries, that strange burl, see that little owl, hear that wolf pack, watch that moose.  It is more rewarding, you don't need your Visa card.  There are no bills each month for stuff you really don't need.
The only requirement is the need to be very self reliant and willing to do without at times.  We are not on the grid except for satellite.  Otherwise we rely on everything ourselves.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS, GOOD SPIRITS TO YOU ALL.

We wish you a family Christmas.... happy holidays and good spirits through out the coming year.  Thank you for following our journey out here way back of beyond.  We do not have any contact with other people for so long and this blog is a great link to you.  AGAIN.... HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY SEASON.....
Re photo.   This is our Japanese Bobtail cat called Bee... she is just getting out of her carrying case at the Line cabin. She travels on the back of Vikki's Tundra 300 wrapped in a shopping bag for warmth and a plastic cover for snow  and wind protection.  She is always up for an adventure but Vikki can hear her howling back there.  We can't leave her back at the base camp alone if we are going for 2 or 3 days. 

Snowmobile SWT or WT????

 We've owned a SWT for 5 years .  We've found it very reliable and extremely good in deep powder snow and probably the best machine I've ever driven on overflow.  It is not a great hill climber except on hard packed trail on a hill... you can just idle up.  If you are riding for 8 hours the SWT is hard to take with your legs spread wide like that.
Early in the season when there is less than a foot and a half of snow and there is no base underneath... the SWT can be described as a "PIG".  The skiies will not steer this enormous rack.  At this time of the year we use the smaller skidoos with regular tracks (Tundra 300 and 550 Tundra LT 16" x 156").
The WT is going to fall between those two.  It will never be as good as either of the others for certain conditions but if you only have one machine...  maybe the Wide Track is the one.... but I've never owned one.

Wolf Attacks Trapper on Snowmachine!!!

www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/21161974/article-Wolf-attacks-trapper-on-snowmachine-near-Tok?instance=home_news_window_left_top_1

Overflow, Candle Reflector

 We shut down the little RV propane fridge a couple of weeks ago.  Now the outside air ducts for the fridge are all stuffed with insulation.  The crawl space is cool enough for everything and so why waist the fuel.

 This is a easy safe candle reflector holder.

The Over flow on the lake ice is about 1 1/2 feet of slush.  In the cold weather it evaporates and make lots of fog.  Overflow is created when it snows a bunch on top of the ice pushing the ice down and water comes to the surface through cracks. 

MOOSE Meat Recipes... CHEESEBURGER PIE, MOOSE WITH SAUERKRAUT AND DUMPLINGS

MOOSE CHEESEBURGER PIE.... Fabulously good!!!!
Biscuit crust
 2 cups flour
1 tbsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
Mix above and add 2/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup cooking oil.  Stir.  Line bottom of greased pie plate 9".



FILLING 

Fry 1 lb of ground Moose meat and 1 Onion in cooking oil.  Add 2 Tbsp Ketchup with a little salt and pepper.  Add to crust.
Combine 1 -14 oz drained can of cut up tomatoes with 1/2 tsp sugar.  Add to top of meat.  Cover with 1 cup of grated cheese.   Cover with Glide tinfoil and cook on wood stove for an hour.  

CANNED MOOSE MEAT WITH SAUERKRAUT AND DUMPLINGS (Quick and Easy)
Put a little oil in Roasting pan.  Add two pints of canned Moose Meat (partially cooked before canning).  Add one cut up lightly fried onion.  Add salt and pepper. 
Add 4 cups Sauerkraut and 3 cups boiling water. Stir.  
Dumplings
2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt and a little pepper
Mix and add 1 beaten egg, 3 tbsp melted butter and 2/3 cup milk.  
Mix and drop by spoonful onto Moose meat/sauerkraut. 
Cover with Roasting pan lid.  Cook on Wood stove for about 30 minutes.

Marten, Ishi and Bryan fixes the Generator

 While Bryan was rebuilding the bed in the linecabin down on the Inklin, Ishi was outside bringing a collection of throwing sticks for when Bryan came out.  There she was sitting patiently.... waiting with all her finds.

 Tracks of otter and rabbits.  Bryan also say a Beaver sitting out on the ice.  Lots of Moose tracks, Fisher tracks, Rabbit tracks and Marten. 

 As daylight was going fast, Bryan drained the Honda generator encase it was dirt that was the problem.  Then he checked the spark plug.... right away he saw the problem.  That new spark plug had a solid piece shorting it out.  He replaced the spark plug and it started right up.