We are in Talkeetna, Alaska, and it is Thursday as I write. It is raining outside, but warm and cozy inside the cabin. My wife Margaret is sitting across from me doing needlework. We are listening to the rain drip from the roof as we sip a cup of hot tea. Our friends Gene and Sherry Cunningham are resting next door.

Talkeetna is a great place to visit and a good base of operations for sight seeing, moose hunting, ptarmigan hunting, and salmon or rainbow trout fishing. It is a rustic little settlement with a lot of history. It serves as a base of operations for climbers planning to ascend Mt. McKinley (Denali). Small aircraft fly from here on sightseeing ventures and offer landings on glaciers. Keeping a good camera nearby is a necessity. A new scenic vista or animal sighting is always around the next bend.

Bow season is in progress in South Carolina. I just finished speaking by telephone to a friend, Jesse Morando. He told me that he has hunted several days. He missed a shot at an eight-point buck. It seems that there is often a stray twig in line to deflect an arrow. I’ve shot a few trees in my time that seemed to appear from nowhere to intercept my arrow. Shooting lanes that appear to be clear are not always the case.

We are having better luck with the salmon and rainbows. The weather here has been rainy, cold and cloudy, but yesterday was a sunny exception. My friend Gene and I caught silver salmon and rainbow trout in a small, clear stream called Fish Creek. We had fish from five to more than ten pounds that jumped several times and gave us a lot of fun on eight-weight fly rods.

Friday is overcast, but the salmon are active and we had a repeat performance. I heard the loud splashing of water as Gene caught salmon upstream from me. They blasted from the water, jumping repeatedly and sometimes turning a complete flip in the air.

It is a bittersweet experience. As is often the case, we want it all, and we miss the challenge of bow hunting. We are looking forward to getting in the woods as soon as we return. The pre-dawn trek to the stand, hours of anticipation, watching small game passing unaware of our presence and finally hearing and seeing the approach of a wary whitetail are unique experiences.

As soon as we return, several spots are on the agenda. The bow season for hunt unit No. 1 runs from Oct. 1 to 10th. Unit No. 2 is moving into the muzzleloader season now, but archery hunting is allowed in all gun seasons. Some “archery only” spots are high on the list to hunt. The population density is not as great, but the odds of taking a trophy quality animal are greater. In truth, any animal taken with a bow is a trophy.

Venison is running low in our freezer and needs re-stocking. For top quality meat, try to use a processor that vacuum packs the meat. It will store longer without freezer burn. If you hunt and do not like venison, there are agencies that will take donations to feed the homeless or less fortunate. Please do not waste this wonderful resource.

Venison has very low fat content and is much healthier than beef. Try having some processed as cube steak. To prepare defrost, rinse, drain well and blot the meat. Salt and pepper the steak to taste, roll in flour, brown quickly in a small amount of oil, reduce heat and cook until done. It will be difficult to tell it from beef after cooking. This provides a delicious meal.

Don’t forget National Hunting and Fishing Day this Saturday. Duke Energy is sponsoring an event for families that would be great for the kids or grandkids. It will be at Duke Energy’s World of Energy in Seneca at 7812 Rochester Highway. There will be kayaking, air rifle shooting, fly casting, archery and many other activities for kids as well as demonstrations of fly tying, retriever demonstrations, tree stand safety and much more. Call 1-800-777-1004 for directions.

If you have a favorite venison recipe to share, questions or comments, contact me at lross3871@charter.net or (864) 238-1944.