Tamarack Sportsmen’s: 40th Wild Game Dinner

October 11, 2022 • Voyageur Press 

Serving up... SNAPPING TURTLE SOUP

MCGREGOR, Minn.—The annual Tamarack Sportsman’s Club Wild Game Dinner and Membership Drive continues to be one of the more popular local events in the fall. For many years, the club has served up venison, bear, pheasant, duck, goose, salmon and many other delectables. This year, Snapping Turtle Soup was on the menu, lovingly prepared by Darlene Erickson.

Darlene, known for her cooking expertise, offered to make a dish. “I’ve cooked everything from squirrel to alligator and I was thinking about making a moose roast this year.”

Until she ran into Russ Thompson. “I told him if the club needed any help I would be willing to do it.”

Russ shared that they were looking for someone to make snapping turtle soup. “I told him I will do it. I cooked turtle soup when my kids were little. 

Darlene has always enjoyed cooking wild game. In fact, she had her own Wild Game Feed at Mark’s Bar when she was owner. “I smoked my own fish. In fact, my motive in life is to fish. I love to fish.”

After cooking turtle soup for the game feed, Darlene plans on canning salmon with her granddaughter Ashley. “Ashley doesn’t know how to yet. She just bought a canner and asked me to teach her. We are actually going to video it, because she wants to remember the steps.”

Darlene is one of four girls in the family. “I was the only outdoor girl,” she recalls. “I hung out with my dad all the time.”

When asked what her wild game food of choice would be, Darlene immediately responded, “Duck, I love wild duck. Venison too, but I really love it all. My kids grew up on it.”

Darlene reported that she will be deer hunting this year. She ran into Kevin White who manages the Minnewawa Sportsmen’s Club Gun Range. The gun range is where Darlene grew up and she sold it to the club with the understanding that they would name it in memory of her father. 

“I told him I wasn’t sure where I was going to hunt, and he said, ‘Why don’t you hunt at the gun range?’ I thought to myself, oh my gosh, hunt on my own land. That’s like a dream come true.”

This is the first time in 20 years. “I’m making up for lost time,” she added. “I had a pacemaker put in and I’ve been sick for so long. I got better and I’m taking advantage of it.”

Darlene is busy all the time and the kitchen is where she spends most of her time. “I love being in the kitchen,” she concluded. “I also love this community.”

And the community loves Darlene... and her cooking.

INGREDIENTS IN DARLENE’S

SNAPPING TURTLE SOUP

• 10 pounds snapping turtle meat (2 turtles) 

• 10 carrots

• 3 onions 

• Large bag of frozen corn 

• Large bag of frozen peas 

• 1 stalk chopped celery 

• Chicken broth or stock 

• Can of stewed tomatoes 

• Can of tomato soup 

• 1/2 head of cabbage 

• 1 au jus packet

October 17, 2017 • Voyageur Press

TAMARACK SPORTSMEN’S CLUB SERVERS: Jessica Stuber-Benzie and Haley Kruse serving up turkey, Ekelund mallard, beaver and venison. Bernie Jacobs was also busy serving fresh walleye and Cheryl Backowski was serving elk meatballs prepared by Larry Bunge and Mike Zebro.

October 2, 2012 • Voyageur Press

30th annual wild game feed this weekend

If you observed the behavior of the members of the Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club (“The Club”), you might say, “This group is for the birds!” And you would be correct for the most part. The Club spends a large amount of its collective energy on projects relating to houses and habitat for birds, but their broader mission is to “support game and non-game species in the area,” per Bob Johnson, current secretary of The Club. This coming Saturday, The Club will be holding their 30th annual Wild Game Dinner at the Tamarack Community Center. 

Originally founded in 1952 under the leadership of Burton Anderson, Delbert Brekke, Weir Hawkinson, Eino Latalada, and Vernon Strong with support from members of the community, The Club’s initial focus was to support the deer herds in the winter months. In times of deep snow, they would create trails and assist with habitat. They also began to do food drops for the deer herds. As time passed, the focus of the club broadened to include game and non-game species of birds. Currently, the club builds houses for bluebirds, martins, and wood ducks and distributes them throughout the area. The members monitor local wildlife, looking for population trends and attempting to assess declines in population. Bob cited one instance where the club helped lower the water level on Little Rice Lake, which improved wild rice growth and attracted and supported the mallard population.

There are currently 15 active members in the club, with officers: Larry Bunge, president; Robby Johnson and Dan Guida, vice presidents; Bob Johnson, secretary, and Russ Thompson, treasurer. The Club is open to anyone, including women notwithstanding its name, and meets monthly to build birdhouses and plan their activities. Assessing the impact of the summer flooding will take a couple years, observed Bob.

According to Russ Thompson, the club has built thousands of birdhouses over the years. Anywhere from 50-100 wood duck houses are built annually. Martin houses are built in a couple different sizes. A T-14, meaning 14 apartments, is located in the Tamarack City Park. Each year, they donate 100 kits for kids to build bluebird houses at the Rivers and Lakes Fair. The Club helps sponsor gun safety and snowmobile safety classes, with members actually involved in the training. They will provide scholarships to allow all who wish to attend training the opportunity to do so. 

The Club has acquired equipment over the years that they share with the community. A pick-up truck has been configured to be able to fight grass fires if needed, and The Club also acquired a Bombardier J-5 and trailer, which are contracted out to the Minnesota DNR to access the area’s challenging topography. Bob and Russ shared that a handful of ponds have been dug over the years funded by federal grants, including one deep enough to be used by a fire-fighting helicopter to scoop up water for dumping on an active fire. Islands were created in the middle of the ponds to support wildlife.

 The Wild Game Dinner is the club’s principal fundraiser, with all proceeds going to support habitat, Bob shared, whether it is to buy materials or support land projects. The dinner originated in response to a time when “We (The Club) were broke,” said Russ. Much of the food is prepared on-site by members and their wives. Some of the more unique items are prepared at home and brought to the dinner. A number of family recipes are prepared each year and have become crowd favorites. No specific permits are required to hold the dinner, though the game needs to have a paper trail. While accused good-naturedly of hosting a version of the “Roadkill Café,” Bob affirmed the cuisine is of the highest quality. Much of the venison and fish is obtained from the DNR, who will turn over the remainder after they have pulled meat for their testing programs. 

So, what is on the menu? Venison, bear, goose, pheasant, fish – walleye, northern, salmon, and maybe duck will be available, supplemented by wild rice dishes, parsley potatoes, cole slaw, rolls, and, of course, some delectable desserts. Pricing for the all-you-can-eat event is $10.00 for adults; $5.00 for kids under age 12. There will be a silent auction and a raffle with lots of prizes donated by the community. (Birdhouses are available at a $5.00 donation for a bluebird house; $20.00 for a wood duck house.)

After peaking at about 300 diners a few years ago, the softer economy has led to recent years in the 230-260 range, per Russ. 

Clearly, if a need is identified, The Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club will do their best to respond. Part of what makes this community stronger is the presence of a diverse natural environment. Saturday, October 6, provides the community an opportunity to assist the club in their efforts to keep that natural environment viable for area wildlife.

October 16, 2007 • Voyageur Press

The Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club held its 25th annual All-You-Can-Eat Wild Game Feed on Saturday, October 6

Another successful community gathering was held at the Tamarack Community Center on October 6. The 25th annual Wild Game Feed, sponsored by the Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club, was an unexpected huge, wild game feast and an interesting experience for my husband and me. As we interacted with the hard working cooks preparing the food, the line of diners began to arrive for the All-You-Can-Eat dinner; it seemed like the entire community plus friends and families were in attendance.

Arriving early, we observed and talked to several of the hard working men and a few women, who were bustling around the kitchen and side porch creating their specialties. Marlys Nelson, who was busy in the kitchen, had arrived early afternoon to make a gigantic quantity of real mashed potatoes and her famous mashed rutabagas.

Outside on the small covered porch, 10 to 12 gentlemen were busy preparing their recipes using the wild game that was donated. Dave Winegar was manning deep fryers, which were cooking five domestic and two wild turkeys, while the men next to him had their attention on the huge buckets of walleye donated by the Mille Lacs DNR. They were cutting them into big chunks, rolling them in a light, dry batter (Frying Magic seasoned coating mix), frying them to a golden brown, then sprinkling with seasoned salt.

One of the many highlights of my porch visit was sampling a hot chuck right from the fryer. Onto the barbecue next to them, where several gentlemen were grilling thin sliced venison that had been marinated in Russ Thompson’s famous Teriyaki sauce. I’m not fond of venison, but this was delicious! Next, I tasted a Tuna’s Hot Good Pickle, which I was told were Armenian-style pail pickles, the cook deep fried one for me to sample, excellent! It was super crisp, with a nice, sharp bite.

As I was taking this all in, I watched another cook barbecuing thick bear burgers; this lean meat was very tasty too. In this crowded area, two other cooks were barbecuing three-to-four-inch pieces of different kinds of venison sausage. The one I sampled was smoked and delicious! Carlos Avery donated nine deer for this year’s dinner, which the members picked up, butchered, processed and got ready for eating.

As I watched these hardworking men, who were happy to share what they were doing, I couldn’t help noticing how much fun they were having and how well they shared the crowded space. One could tell they’d done it before, and I’m guessing they look forward to this yearly membership drive event. (Sorry I don’t know all your names, but you were all very helpful and willing to share!)

As I watched, other men and women began to deliver the dishes they had created at home. Large electric roasters containing moose meatballs, elk meatballs, and another yearly favorite wine marinated pheasant with wild rice arrived. Lynne Black, I was told, is known for this tasty way to prepare pheasant. The large chunks of pheasant were moist and tender; the wild rice had plump cran-raisins, which had also been soaked in wine. She shared she didn’t make turtle soup this year because no one brought her any turtles. Before leaving the porch, a large container with duck and vegetable kabobs arrived, and the creator headed for an open grill.

I went back inside and noticed a table spread with brownies, bars, carrot cake, and cupcakes (to name a few), all homemade and delivered for eating before the doors opened at 6:00. Side dishes of glazed carrots, mashed sweet potatoes, several types of pickles, pickled fish and trays of buttered buns were lined up on the serving tables too. Coffee, lemonade and punch were also in large jugs waiting for the hungry crowd that was lined up outside.

Elderly people (the sign said over 70) were allowed in a little early, and the dishing up began. Paper plate in hand, the diners filled their own plates family style in double lines. I saw smiles and heard positive comments as plates were heaped high. With their meal in hand, they headed for the long tables, which quickly filled up with friends and family.

My plate was filled with items I hadn’t tast- ed on the porch, including BBQ bear ribs and a serving of the pheasant and wild rice. Having a hunter/fisherman for a husband, I’ve cooked venison many ways, duck, pheasant, grouse, and a bear he shot near our place. I’m not fond of any of them except pheasant, but I was pleasantly surprised, and easily cleaned my plate.

Not one dish tasted gamey to me! The teriyaki venison didn’t taste like venison, and BBQ bear ribs were some of the best ribs I’ve eaten; the pickled fish was tangy, just the way I like it. My husband’s plate was overflowing; he was in food heaven! 

If you have never attended this event, I strongly suggest you do next fall; I know we’ll be back and bring some friends along. Our big regret is that we missed this great community event the last 24 years! I think everyone in attendance would agree, this group of local men and women are talented cooks with unique recipes. Their ability to work together to put on a successful event of this size is amazing! 

Knowing that the wild game is all donated, as are the side dishes and desserts, tells me that the members of the Tamarack Sportsman’s Club have been working hard planning and coordinating this successful community event.

October 17, 2006 • Voyageur Press

The 24th annual Tamarack Wild Game feed served over 280 people

On Saturday, October 7, the Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club hosted its annual Wild Game Feed. As usual, the event was held at the Tamarack School. Over 280 people enjoyed this year’s wild cuisine prepared by club members.

Russ Thompson reported that this was the 24th annual feed, each of which he has helped to plan and supervise. Russ stated, “This is our main fundraising effort for the year. We use the proceeds to build hundreds of wood duck and bluebird houses.” 

This past year the club provided over 130 bird houses alone for the annual Rivers and Lakes fair, where area youth are able to assemble their own bird house.

JoAnna and I brought Duane and Rita DeMaris, friends from Hibbing, to this year’s event. As always, the food was wonderfully prepared. Duane loves to hunt and fish. As such, his taste buds were the hardest to please. When he stopped testing long enough to comment, I was able to discern the word, “excellent.” I can only assume that was meant for everything.

The menu for the evening included moose, venison, goose, pheasant, bear, elk, and walleye. Various members provide “secret” recipes so we were able to sample a variety of dishes. None of us were willing to commit to a particular favorite. We all enjoyed the elk stew, the wild rice and pheasant, the three different venison offerings, the lightly breaded walleye, and on and on. Ample supplies of mashed potatoes and rutabaga were also available with a wonderful wild game gravy.

The game is supplied by local members and hunters, as well as from the DNR. Russ reported that the DNR requires all of the walleye be supplied by them. Great care is taken to maintain quality and quantity of the game. No doubt this event has become one of the most anticipated and attended events of the local fall calendar.

The Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club meets the first Tuesday of every month in Tamarack. When the weather permits, they meet at their own club building in Tamarack. During the winter the meetings are held at Lucky’s Landing. Meetings start at 7:00 p.m.

June 21, 2005 • Voyageur Press

When it comes to habitat projects, the Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club. The club recently completed 100 wood duck houses, 250 blue bird houses and prepared another 100 blue bird house kits for the Rivers and Lakes Fair held in Aitkin. “The blue bird kits are for the Rivers and Lakes Fair,” said Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club president Larry Bunge. “The kids will assemble them there.”

According to Larry, most of the money raised for these projects comes from the Wild Game Feed held the first week in October. In addition to the bird houses, the club also donates time and money to other projects.

More recently, the club answered a request by DNR Conservation Officer Brent Speldrich to purchase a pair of pellet guns. The purpose of the guns is to use them at the Aitkin County Fair. The DNR puts up a target practice booth at the Fair. Brent shared that it is to get kids interested in shooting and demonstrate the proper way to hold a gun. As a bonus, Brent shared that a number of moms that are not so crazy about guns have tried the pellet guns at the Fair and changed their attitude towards hunting. The pellet guns will also be made available to firearm safety instructors.

Over the years, the Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club has completed several endeavors, and according to Larry Bunge, the focus has always been to assist the DNR with habitat projects. “We have donated time and labor to construct water control structures in the Salo Marsh and Little Rice Lake,” he said. “We have also seeded fields in wildlife management areas.”

Larry also added that the club built eight wildlife ponds north of Tamarack, they seeded fields in the Grayling Marsh, and they completed a clean-up project at the Kimberly Marsh. Larry concluded by stating that the club is always open to new members and that if anyone is

interested, they can contact him at 426-3619.

October 12, 2004 • Voyageur Press

Every year there are events that automatically go on holidays, and the Tamarack Sportsmen's Club Wild Game Feed. Since I moved here in 2000, it's been on the ‘mandatory’ list. We have introduced some out-of-towners who now discuss who gets the guest room and who gets the air mattress in the sewing room. Some of our local friends have become regulars also, and the event has evolved into somewhat of a reunion for us all. That’s only a portion of what brings us together, though. Mostly, it’s about the food.

This year’s menu, the twenty-second annual, was bulging with some of the most delicious treats ever. Local hunters and the MN DNR donate all of the game, and the side dishes are all from local folks as well. For instance, Tom Johnson donated 25 pheasants, Roger Vogt from Gun Lake Potato Farm donated all of the potatoes, which were boiled and mashed. Club President, Russ Thompson, provided the Teriyaki sauce for several of the game dishes. The dinner rolls were unmistakably Evelyn’s. There was venison fixed all ways, baked salmon, Alaskan cod fried with a cheese coating, goose kabobs, deep fried wild turkey, bear ribs and meatballs, moose, and Bob Pearson’s rutabagas. There were so many varieties of so many things, it was impossible to taste everything in one pass. There were grills, fryers, pots, and pans all steaming and bubbling inside the old school and outside on the deck and lawn. People kept arriving with new dishes and desserts until not an inch of space was left on the tables and counters for any more. It was truly a wonderful sight.

The membership drive/game feed is the only fundraiser for the Sportsmen's Club’s activities in the area. Russ Thompson filled me in. “This year, we made about 300 bluebird houses,” said Russ. “We also made I-don’t-know-how-many wood duck houses.”

In addition, the Club provides all of the parts, pre-drilled, to be assembled by local kids at the annual River and Lakes Fair in Aitkin. They also assemble birdhouses to give away as prizes in the door prize drawings at the game feed, and everyone loves to take one or two home. One of them went home with my “sister” to Williamsburg, Virginia this year, along with two new bumper stickers, a hat, and this year’s membership card.

How did this all start over 20 years ago? “We were short of money and needed to raise funds to feed the deer,” Russ said. “I suggested a wild game feed, and everybody thought it would be a good idea to try.”

Where did he get the idea? “When we lived in Hawaii, the gun club there did a game feed,” Russ offered. “I thought maybe it would work for us, too.”

Although the menu is different from the wild pig, goat, deer, and sheep they serve in Hawaii, the principle is the same: join our club and we’ll feed you well. 

Since the first event which served about 150 people, attendance has grown to this year’s record crowd of “around 350.” 

“Not bad for a bunch of country boys,” Russ quipped.

Russ was quick to recognize that it takes more than just a group of guys and grills to make this all happen. The trick is organizing everything at the kitchen level. “Marlys Nelson is our Honcho in the kitchen,” Russ said. “We really appreciate her.”

Another key player in providing enough game to feed the crowd is Brent Speldrich, DNR Conservation Officer and D.A.R.E. Officer in McGregor. This year, Brent made sure the club received several deer, a 2-1/2 year old bull moose that weighed in at 1,000 pounds, and a 300-pound bear.

The healthy animals are either culled from too-large populations too close to urban areas, overkill on hunters’ licenses, or hit by cars in the area. Without those contributions, the feed would be a much thinner banquet. Dr. Winegar popped his head in the window while we were chatting with Brent, and asked about next year’s contributions. “Maybe you can get us some alligator,” said the doctor.

In years past, some local folks brought back some alligator steaks for the feed, and it was a big hit. Someone at the table asked the classic question and got the classic answer. “It tastes like chicken,” Brent said with a wide grin. “Maybe next year we’ll be able to verify that.”

Our friends Bernie and Doreen made their way to our table shortly after 7:00, just as we had given up on seeing them there. Both were carrying heavily laden plates, and looking hungry. Unbeknownst to us, when they arrived, the line up was all the way out to the street! They stood in line, joking around with neighbors and friends, from 6:20 until 7:00. Was it worth the wait?

I never did get an answer to that. They were too busy eating and enjoying every bite.

So, for my fifth time, thanks to the Tamarack Sportsmen's Club for their once again EXCELLENT game feed, which by the way, is free with an $8 membership to the club. See you next year–and maybe with a venison dish or two to pass!

October 14, 2003 • Voyageur Press

The first Saturday of October never really had any particular significance, until we moved to Wright. Now, we plan the day for a month in advance, invite all of our friends up, and go hungry for a couple of days before.

This year, when the day finally dawned, I gathered my favorite notebook and a couple of new pens. I spent a portion of the day tutoring my 'sister', Judy, who flew up from Williamsburg, Virginia, to be here for the event. Dave, Judy and I all skipped lunch, and were dressed and ready to depart a full hour before we needed to be. Then, finally, we were out the door and heading west to Tamarack for…THE 21ST ANNUAL WILD GAME DINNER, sponsored by the Tamarack Sportsmen's Club.

And, it's not just our household getting excited about this annual gathering of wild game gourmands! This appreciation dinner has been going on for 20 years now, and many of us are hoping it continues for another 100 or so. I say "appreciation dinner" because, in exchange for a Tamarack Sportsmen's Club membership fee of $8.00, members are treated to a home-cooked, wild game dinner, matched by none other I have ever attended, anywhere. I mean, where else can I take my sister from out-of-town to taste venison, moose, elk and caribou, cooked in so many different ways that I can't list them all here?

We arrived an hour early and met The Boss and Memory in the parking lot. So, we had two first-timers with us this year - Judy and Memory. The Boss, Dave and I are almost pros with this event. As our long-time Voyageur Readers know, we haven't missed this event yet!

After we found our traditional seats (in the corner in the back of the community center), we strolled around the buffet counter so Judy and Memory could begin to understand the magnitude of this event. We strolled by pots, platters and crock pots of duck gumbo, roasted caribou, elk meatballs, Texas duck, barbecued bear ribs, venison meatballs, bear meatloaf, fried smelt, and a corned venison Reuben pizza. All of us were ready to dig in, but, having a memory tuned into this annual event, I knew there was far, far more to come. So, time to meet the cooks and tour the grills on the back deck.

We were greeted by Dave Winegar, offering us roasted moose (courtesy of the DNR) and roasted caribou from a hunting trip to Alaska. Both were succulent – moist, savory and tender – Judy was entranced. Next, we were offered teriyaki venison burgers, which were also a delicious treat, fresh from the grill. Then, way back in the corner, I saw something that made my eyes pop out - the Paul Bunyan sized frying pan I had been hinting about for my paellas. What was it doing here? "I'm frying smelt now," said Jeff Hawkinson. "Next come the walleye, perch and crappies."

So, Judy and I were rounding out our tasting with some seafood - or is it "lakefood"? Russ Thompson, President of the Sportsmen’s Club, came by to make sure we were getting a fair sampling of things, and Tamarack Mayor, Bobby Johnson, arrived to make sure where his help was needed.

Then, with Jeff's help, I learned a new word: dagolke. He decided that this would be a great year to find a new dish to fix. So, he found a recipe for "dagolke", and made it with pheasant and venison. What is dagolke? The meat is marinated in a "secret" mixture, and stewed in the marinade on the grill. Let me say that dagolke is one of the examples I would use as part of the definition for "out of this world".

Then came a rather urgent announcement from the kitchen. "There ain't hardly no elephant meat this year, folks," said Bobby Johnson with a fair southern twang. "Road kill was bad this year."

Judy, Memory, and I took that as our signal to get in line to fill a plate. And fill plates we did - a little dab of nearly everything, and the plates gave out warning groans. More dishes had appeared since our initial tour of the buffet, and we tried them all. To my delight, there were also two dishes of various homemade pickles, and I tried one of each. We returned to our table with heaped plates, barely resisting digging in while we were walking. Then, as with any truly great meal, silence fell in homage to the quality of the delights we were consuming.

I have always enjoyed watching people with new food experiences, and this first Sat. in Oct. was no exception, as Judy and Memory tried everything they could. Both of them dug into the moose, caribou, bear and venison with anticipation of good flavors, and it was a pleasure to watch as they discovered new things.

Then, with empty dinner plates, it was time to visit the dessert tables. To say there were "many" desserts would be doing an unforgivable injustice to the banquet set out to complete the meal. We sampled lemon cake, warm apple crisp, spice cake, upside down cake, butterscotch bars, chocolate cake with rich fudge icing, and strawberry applesauce jello. That's just the short list. Things kept magically appearing, but, by then, we were all stuffed to the point of exhaustion. Even Dave had consumed his ultimate limit. It was time to head home to our favorite napping spots, and to talk about the treats we each had tried.

This year, the Tamarack Sportsmen's Club sold memberships to around 300 people - some new members and some familiar faces. All in all, for the Club and for attendees alike, the evening was a success again this year. This is one of those events that goes on each new calendar we buy at the beginning of the year. I think it may also be on Judy's calendar every year now, too. When I think about it, if I lived back east again, I'd probably reserve that Saturday every year, too. Buen provecho!

October 15, 2002 • Voyageur Press

The riddle: it's the first Sat. in Oct. and the menu includes duck gumbo, yak meatballs, bear meatloaf, teriyaki venison, Evelyn Swedberg's bread, and caribou steak. Where am I?

The answer: at the Tamarack Sportsman's Club Annual Wild Game Feed. This was my third wild game feed, and it seems to get better every year. 

This year's menu was expanded again, and the dishes are getting more and more adventurous. People are also coming from farther and farther away to enjoy the delicacies. I arrived early so I could be nosy and poke into the cooking and preparations. I found Tamarack Mayor, Bobby Johnson, basting a bear meatloaf in the kitchen, while Lynn and Joni Brekke looked on. Out on the back deck, Scott Besser was grilling venison teriyaki, which he was kind enough to share with me. Scott's great-uncle, Herman Ekelund, the "bullhead champ of Shamrock Township", was filleting bullheads for frying. Bret Ukura was elbow-deep in a bucket of ground bear meat mixing up burgers for the grill. Tim Smith was on a grill, flipping more teriyaki treats. Two turkeys were almost ready in the deep fryers, and we were all getting hungry.

While we were out on the deck, munching on treats, we talked about the Sportsman's Club and the projects for this year. Russ Thompson is President of the club, and new members are very welcome. The club is involved in building duck houses, maintaining a deer feeding program, and assisting the DNR in creating wildlife habitats in the area. Their meetings are held monthly, every second Tues., at the new meeting hall in Tamarack, two blocks north of the schoolhouse.

Now, to the food. As I said, this dinner gets better every year, and this one was no exception. The duck gumbo (Tim Smith) started the meal for me. Much to my delight, it even had okra in it! The flavor was mildly spicy, and was chock-full of duck meat and great veggies. The goose pate (Tim Smith) was savory, decadent and stood up well to the rest of the dishes around it. The duck with wild rice was creamy and savory. The yak (Bill and Marlys Nelson) was a new taste treat for me, and I will go back for seconds next year. I tried a small portion of everything I could fit on one plate, and wasn't disappointed with anything!

As usual with all buffets, there was one item that stuck out in my mind, like nothing else. In years past, back to my childhood, I have never been a bear fan. I've had it fixed probably dozens of different ways, and one bite is all I can handle. I'm glad I hung in there for one more try this year. There was a pot of bear meatballs (Cyndy and Laura Brekke) on the buffet with a creamy sauce that I thought I'd try. Okay - I took a bite before I got to the table because it smelled so wonderful. That was a turning point in my taste-testing career. I went on to take a slice of Bobby Johnson's meatloaf, and a piece of Bob Laucamp's bear roast. I admit it - I'm hooked. We may just have to get out next year and do some bear hunting of our own!

Then, just when I thought I couldn't try anything else, the bullheads were ready for tasting. They were done exactly the way they should be - crispy outside, moist and tender inside. The batter used for dipping was a "sneaky" Cajun–one of those flavors where you notice the spice a moment after you've swallowed. It was a perfect compliment to the fish.

Mel Hazelwood and his son, Mike, joined our table with their plates laden from the buffet. I asked Mel what he thought. "WOW!" he said between bites.

Mike was tasting Jeff Hawkinson's venison stir-fry and he added, "VERY good."

Mel and his wife, Sharon, own a cabin on Round Lake, but live in The Cities, visiting here on weekends. When they read about the game feed in the Voyageur Press, they decided to make the trip up for the weekend. Sad to say, though, Sharon missed the game feed.

"She took the grandkids to DQ," said Mel. Maybe next year, Sharon.

Dinner was settling nicely when I was reminded that there was a dessert table waiting to be sampled. Fortunately, I had two little helpers, nieces Ari and Jennica, who ate what I couldn't. They plowed through chocolate-covered rice krispie bars, granola muffins, and brownies, pronouncing each one "Yummy". 

My favorite, without a doubt, was the pumpkin bar (Joni Brekke), which, if Cyndy will give up the recipe, could replace pumpkin pie at my house this year.

While the last of the door prizes was being given out, Bobby Johnson came by the a platter of teriyaki caribou steak, and that was my final taste of the evening–tender, juicy and flavored just right.

With a feast this grand, it's hard to imagine anything better, but I'm betting that next year will include something that tickles the taste buds even more than this year. I'm thinking about getting there an hour early and lending a hand at the grills and in the kitchen. Looks like that will be the best way to get the first taste of everything, eh?

Buen provecho!

The annual wild game feed and a special guest! October 10, 2000 – TED YOUKER Connoisseur 

This food review is a little different than most that I do because this was not at a business - it was done at the Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club Annual Wild Game Feed last Saturday night. I have to say this is the best deal in our area. You get a membership and a free dinner, all you can eat, for $8. Speaking of bucks and the number eight, while the guys were cooking venison on the deck they were watching venison in the field next to the community center in the form of a nice eight point buck. The food was excellent and the variety incredible. 

A word of advice, when you attend an event like this you have to have a game plan going in. If you want to try all the different dishes that are available you must take small portions or you’ll never make it to the second round. I didn’t count all the choices of meats and different preparations but trust me there were plenty. I had elk, caribou, bear, duck, grouse, venison, walleye and salmon prepared in various ways. 

The one dish that I thought was really unique was the duck and crappie gumbo, it was great. I have eaten gumbo of all sorts and even have made my own but I had never heard of duck and crappie gumbo before. The Cajuns thought they wrote the book on gumbo, well here’s a new chapter compliments of the Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club. 

Another dish I had never tried before was the barbecued bear ribs, in one word - “awesome”! At this annual event the club normally serves around 300 to 350 people and nobody goes away hungry. As you can imagine, an event like this takes many volunteers. There were about 15 people cooking outside and about the same number working inside. I saw Ed Goldman cooking and I have learned that if Ed is cooking, it’s going to be good. There are around 40 different individuals and organizations that contribute game for the dinner. 

The wives did a great job on all kinds of desserts. I had a fantastic time as did John Grones and our new sales rep. Jeff Carlson. The only regret that I have is that it only happens once a year. This is a community event that will be on my calendar from now on. Congratulations Tamarack Sportsmen’s Club on a job well done.