2008 has been a great year for hunting. There have been some excellent trophies taken and some great social venison hunting groups.

The arrival of the festive season, which also coincides in New Zealand with great weather, also means plenty of sunshine. This summer is promising lots of sunshine for growing velvet. Thinking of Christmas brings to mind the topic of turkeys. We liked this pair of white turkeys. We may not get a white Christmas, but we do have white turkeys! They are not very common and really standout when you see them in a grouping of black Merriams. The white is just a colour variation on the black, as are the bronze turkey.

In the Kitchen

Venison and cranberry casserole

If you want a change from BBQ venison, try this casserole. Cranberries nicely complement the flavour of venison. Enjoy this casserole with some crusty bread, root vegetables (potato, kumara, pumpkin and carrots) roasted in olive oil and a green salad:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 750g stewing venison, cubed
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• Grated rind and juice 1 orange
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in fry pan. Add onion and cook until clear and soft. Remove from pan
2. Mix allspice and flour and place in a plastic bag. Toss the venison, a few pieces at a time in flour mixture.
3. Add venison to the pan and brown
4. Put all ingredients in a casserole dish, stir well
5. Cook in oven for 1 ½ hours at 160°C, with lid on

We’ve had some great characters this season and enjoyable relaxed evenings by the fire. We look forward to taking you hunting again. In the meantime, we wish you a merry Christmas and happy hunting

Mark, Felicity and the team at Ranginui Hunting.