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Elk are brutal.

We have screens around our small garden because deer walk through every night. Funny, they wait on the tomatoes until they fruit up to eat the plant to the ground, but elk don't care.

hawkfan8812 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:35 pm Elk are brutal.

We have screens around our small garden because deer walk through every night. Funny, they wait on the tomatoes until they fruit up to eat the plant to the ground, but elk don't care.

Every single green tomato is gone. I probably had 50 between all my plants. I only suspect elk because it also did a number on the apple tree and I dont see a deer being tall enough to reach the branches, or stick its head over my fencing and down into the plants. Sigh.

We've tried so many things to keep wildlife out, flower species, different scents and spices, motion lights, shiny kevlar shit, they do not give a fuck.

We have new neighbors that planted a nice long row of arborvitaes, and they have been munched into twigs in the ground.

hawkfan8812 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:55 pm We've tried so many things to keep wildlife out, flower species, different scents and spices, motion lights, shiny kevlar shit, they do not give a fuck.

We have new neighbors that planted a nice long row of arborvitaes, and they have been munched into twigs in the ground.

It's a shitty club to be in, but I feel better knowing you've tried all that stuff and they still get in. I may just not try a garden again til I move to a more urban environment.

JCW wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:13 pm

hawkfan8812 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:55 pm We've tried so many things to keep wildlife out, flower species, different scents and spices, motion lights, shiny kevlar shit, they do not give a fuck.

We have new neighbors that planted a nice long row of arborvitaes, and they have been munched into twigs in the ground.

It's a shitty club to be in, but I feel better knowing you've tried all that stuff and they still get in. I may just not try a garden again til I move to a more urban environment.

I created a chicken wire like fence around the garden which works, but it is over 6 feet high, and it is a small garden and against our house, so they can't jump into it. Because they would.

Dont bother with all of that mamby-pamby shit. I've tried it all and none of it works. The only tried and true method is some sort of fencing.

Elk Stew with Herbed Dumplings
“This stew, best made the day before serving, reminds me of home on a Sunday afternoon. You can add Herbed Dumplings to make it even more substantial.” – Modern Native Feasts
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword elk stew
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings of Elk Stew: 8 Herbed Dumplings
Calories 685 kcal
Author Toni Dash
Ingredients
Ingredients for Bouquet Garni:

1 Bay Leaf
2-3 sprigs fresh Parsley
2-3 sprigs fresh Thyme

Ingredients for Game Stock:

3 pounds Venison Bones
8 cups (2 L) Cold Water
1 large Carrot , chopped
1 large Onion , chopped
1 Celery Stalk , chopped
1 Bouquet Garni (see following)

Ingredients for the Elk Stew:

2 pounds (1 kg) Elk Stew Meat (or venison, beef, pork or veal)
Salt , to taste
Ground Black Pepper , to taste
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour*
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
½ pound (250g) Diced Bacon
1 small Onion , diced
3 Garlic Cloves , minced
6 cups Game Stock+ , Brown Stock+, or Water
1 28- ounce (796-ml) can Stewed Tomatoes
8 small Carrots , diced
2 stalks Celery , diced
1 cup (250 ml) fresh Wild Mushrooms (mixed)
Herbed Dumplings (optional; recipe included)
Salt , to taste
Ground Black Pepper , to taste

Ingredients for Herbed Dumplings:

2 cups (500 ml) All-Purpose Flour*
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh Sage , Rosemary, Wild Garlic, and Wild Onion**
½ teaspoon Salt
¾ cup (185 ml) Milk

Instructions
Instructions to prepare the Bouquet Garni:

Tie together all ingredients with string or butcher twine, place inside a small square of cheesecloth and tie closed.

Instructions for the Game Stock:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 dgs C).
In a large stock pot on high heat, add all ingredients, in order listed, and bring to a boil.
With a slotted spoon, remove the scum from the surface. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 4 hours.
Strain out bones and vegetables and transfer the stock to a smaller pot.
Continue to simmer until reduced by half, to 4 cups (1 L).
Pour stock into a shallow pan and cool. Store in the refridgerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid until used. If prepared properly, stock should gel.

Instructions for Elk Stew:

Season elk with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess.
In a heavy pot on medium-high, heat oil. Add bacon and elk and brown on each side.
Add onions and sauté until transluscent, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, stock, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Refridgerate overnight.
Reheat before serving and add Herbed Dumplings is desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Instructions for the Herbed Dumplings:

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, herbs and salt.
Add milk and stir to make a dough. Add more milk or flour to achieve a soft texture.
Drop balls of dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, into simmering stew. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes without removing lid.

JCW wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:13 pm

hawkfan8812 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:55 pm We've tried so many things to keep wildlife out, flower species, different scents and spices, motion lights, shiny kevlar shit, they do not give a fuck.

We have new neighbors that planted a nice long row of arborvitaes, and they have been munched into twigs in the ground.

It's a shitty club to be in, but I feel better knowing you've tried all that stuff and they still get in. I may just not try a garden again til I move to a more urban environment.

My cousin Kathy is a pretty serious garden person here in Florida. Lots of canning and preserving. You can see she uses a lot of cinder block and fencing to keep those critters out.

Yeah I just rent, I dont even have an actual garden area, just a 10sqft piece of the yard I dug up. I wouldnt be able to do something permanent like that, nor am I interested in putting in that much time and effort, I've got entirely too much shit to do as it is. Thanks for the tips though, I'll just skip a garden til I move.

JackRabbit_Slim wrote: ↑Wed Aug 07, 2019 11:22 pm

peterosehaircut wrote: ↑Wed Aug 07, 2019 10:58 pm

JackRabbit_Slim wrote: ↑Wed Aug 07, 2019 10:46 pm I just can't trust anyone who likes sweet pickles. Wtf.

Bread and butter pickles are the bomb!

Hell no

BigRedRetard wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:21 pm I have harvested at least 60 pounds of tomatoes so far. And the evil chilis are starting to ripen. I think in NJ it is has been great for tomatoes this year.

Oh way to rub it in!!!