Northwest Sportsman – August 2019

26 Northwest Sportsman AUGUST 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com

PICTURE

unusual-size that you might picture

when thinking of the semi-aquatic

herbivore originally from South America

but imported for fur markets. The whole

carcass looked like it had gone a little too

hot and too long in the smoker and turned

to jerky on the bone. I may have been the

only person there to try it, and it definitely

tasted like rat jerky (sorry if the person who

cooked it is reading this, but ew, gross).

Then there was the Crock-Pot of a green

stew that was mostly made of tomatillos,

onions and green chilis. The protein in

this dish was also nutria, only it was slow

cooked, and added to the stew like pulled

pork. I would compare it to a very lean

pork, maybe even more similar to a wild

boar than domestic swine. The dish was

modeled after a traditional pork chili verde,

only with the meat from a nutria cooked

low and slow. I don’t know the other details

of the recipe, but I knew after taking the

first bite that it was the dish to beat.

AS IT CAME time to announce the winners, I

was confident from the satisfaction on the

faces of the guests who had tried my tacos

that I was shoe-in for first place. When

they announced me as the first runner-

up, I tried to hide my disappointment

and humbly accept the honor of second

place. The words of Ricky Bobby’s father in

Talledega Nights rang through my head as

I watched victory slip from my grasp and

into the green abyss of that nutria verde.

Oh, well. Proceeds from the event go

towards habitat restoration, raising native

species for restoration, providing hands-

on outdoor education for K-12 students,

and conducting/sharing research with

partner agencies. IAE’s current fundraising

goal is to support its internship program,

providing training and field experience

for early career ecologists, building a

foundation in science and conservation.

“We feel very fortunate to live in

a community surrounded by natural

areas, and to get to collaborate with an

outstanding group of local partners in

habitat restoration and conservation,” says

Wiman. “Teamwork is essential to maintain

functional watersheds and ecosystems,

specifically to enhance pollinator

populations, improve chances for at-risk

species, and manage for resilient habitats

that can resist invasive species.”

Last year, the event sold out all 225

seats, the largest turnout in its history.

Forty different businesses took on

sponsorships, and over $6,000 was raised

to support restoration of habitat for

pollinators and wildlife. This year’s family-

friendly event takes place Aug. 3 at Tyee

Wine Cellars, just south of Corvallis on

Greenberry Road, with live bluegrass

provided by the Rusty Hinges. NS

Bonner used meat from

walleye he caught on the

Columbia River, along

with dandelion greens,

blackberry jalapeño salsa

and sauteed purslane for

his second-place fish tacos.

(RANDY BONNER, ALL)

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