CAUTION: Many wild foods have look-alikes, and some may be poisonous. Never eat any wild plant unless you are certain of its identity.
November is a time of harvest in the woods! Our many varied hunting seasons really ramp up, kick off, and take over the month for many people. But while you are out an about, there are still a couple of things to keep an eye out for.
Deer/Venison
No one can talk November without thinking about that fabled and hard fought protein that is venison. Incredibly lean and bursting with flavor, venison is some of the best protein on the block. Well beyond backstraps and tenderloins, try some unique preparations such as smoked heart, deer ham, or consider not eating any of it yourself, and donate a doe to share the harvest, which can take a single deer and feed numerous families around Missouri.
Rose Hips
Packed with vitamin C and filled with the last reminders of summer, the little red fruits called rose hips are nearing their end in November. If you haven’t had a hard frost in your area just yet, you can still collect rose hips that remain after the flowers have faded. They can be made into a tea, tinctured, and cooked down for syrups. Just keep an eye out for the irritating little hairs often found covering the fruits.
Suckers
Cold weather brings another staple of the Ozarks, gigging for suckers, back to the forefront. These bony fish are tough to hook on convention tackle, and are best gigged at night when it’s cold enough to freeze your hands to the gig. Cooking wise, these fish are skinned and scored, then fried in hot oil to dissolve the tiny, but annoying bones traversing the meat. Piping hot with some hush puppies, often right beside the river they are caught from, suckers are a particular delicacy that i must recommend.
The cold weather may be slowing down some things, but for avid outdoors enthusiasts, the fun is just beginning. Plenty to do and see, and plenty of opportunity to fill the table as well as the soul with time spent in nature.
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