Sad Trapper, Happy Bunny Hunter

This winter has been brutal on trappers here in Unalakleet. We've been battling lack of snow, an unstable and really rough frozen river, winds gusting to 50 mph and 30 below weather. As soon as we get the line up and running some type of abominable weather takes it down again.

Last year we had 4 to 6 weeks of weather that ranged from -20 to -40 without a break. Even that was better than this because we had snow and were able to get around. Granted it wasn't the best trapping season but it was a slight improvement over this year. I think another factor in me longing for last year was time. I was working as the Environmental Specialist for my tribe, work considerably slowed down over the winter time and I was able to take off from work at 2 and 3 p.m. to go and run the trap line with my partner. This year I'm working as the Interim General Manager and Environmental Specialist and it's really just sucking all my time and all the life out of me. I don't even reliably get off work at 5 pm. Wahhh. Whine. Whine. Whine.

I'm not out on the line as much as I'd like but I'm still doing my share of skinning. It's kind of a weird thing to like doing but I'm a natural at it and it feels good to do something that comes so naturally. I am proud of the fact that I can skin a hide so clean it doesn't even need to be scraped.

This is a fox that we got today in a snare that I set. I didn't get to pull him out but I was able to skin him during my lunch break.

Bahaha.. My trapping partner looks sleepy.

I was down and out with some sort of plague from Wednesday through Friday last week. I finally started feeling human on Saturday, so I was able to check the snare set we have up the road. There were fox tracks but he sneakily avoided our snares. Rude. While I was cruising to check the traps I spotted two bunnies. They were delicious.

I've really got my bunny cooking down. I always use my crock pot because it gets them just super duper tender. I brined them in salt water over night for flava and to draw the blood out of the meat. Then I put them in my crock pot layered with onions. I mixed a can of chicken stock, a can of cream of celery soup, a can of water, a can of mushrooms (with the juice) and a can of diced tomatoes all together and poured it over the bunny. I cooked it on high all night and most of the morning until I was able to pick up a bone and have the meat just fell off. Oh! And I seasoned it with garlic powder, lawry's season salt, oregano, and basil. I didn't feel like gravy so I grabbed some noodles and tossed 'em in to soak up the broth and made it into a delicious hot dish instead of a soup. Yum. I ate two bowls after being out in the cold and it was perfect.