Please be aware that Outdoor Buddies will be following all state and local guidelines for our events, including the mandated use of masks and social distancing. If you have a fever or other flu-like symptoms, have traveled out of state in the past 2 weeks, or have been in close contact with anyone testing positive for COVID-19, please do not attend these events. Furthermore, if you are in a high-risk category, carefully consider your risk before attending. Participants will be required to sign a waiver prior to attending events until further notice.

We will be continuing to update our events and precautions as the situation develops. Thank you for your patience, optimism, and understanding. Hope all is well with you and yours!

This year I was able to go on a dove hunt with Outdoor Buddies in Watkins.

We all met at the gas station right off I-70 at 5:30 in the morning. After everyone was accounted for, we headed off to the farm. There were six of us out including Nick Filler and his dad, Tony Hodges, Al Montoya and Wally Hunt. Decoys were set up and we each found a place to sit. If you strictly measure a hunt by how many birds you see, it was not awesome. We did not see a ton of doves but I still love being out there and being with other people with the same interests. I think we ended up with three doves. I still enjoyed myself and have enjoyed every experience I have had with outdoor Buddies! I’d also like to thank the amazing land owners who help make this possible!

Over the past 9 years we have scheduled our 4-day Special Operations, Marines, and Open Manifest Colorado River Canyonlands National Park whitewater trips in May and early June when the river is at its highest flow. Combat soldiers are adrenaline junkies and want the high water. We schedule the All Female trip in September when the river is docile, beaches wide, and water warm.

This year, because of the impact of the Corona Virus, the National Park Service closed the Park in late Spring which caused us to cancel the May-June trips. We were able to reschedule two of the three Spring trips with our commercial outfitters into September, and retain the September All Female booking. Still, the Corona Virus had a negative impact on participation of the disabled veterans because of infection risk and travel difficulties. Rather than the usual participation of 20 to 25 veterans on each of four trips, we had between 8 and 15 on three trips. On the positive side, smaller trips are more cohesive, and the resulting bonding and healing greater. Our gracious outfitters were World Wide Expeditions, Navtec Expeditions, and Sheri Griffith River Expeditions.

Because of the low winter snowpack, the river flow was very low, 4000 to 5000 cubic feed per second. The historical average is over 30,000 cfs. So there were sandbars to navigate, and many rocky sections.

We had Air Force Pararescue and a Navy Seal on the first trip. Next year we will have more Special Operations Troops as the good word gets back..

On the Open Manifest trip, a spring coming out at river level was discovered across from our last camp was exuding black mud which made for a little fun.

We just got off our final raft trip of the year, the All Female trip. And it was all female, even the six guides, so it took on a higher level of healing and support among the female disabled vets.

We are planning a 3-day retreat for the women participants to augment the healing and bonding resulting from the All Female trip. This will be in Moab.

This is the time of the year when folks may be thinking about (heaven forbid) taxes and may be looking for deductions to lessen the tax burden! 

As we all have learned over these difficult several months, 2020 is a year like no other. We at Outdoor Buddies have certainly experienced that in many ways. Fund raising at Outdoor Buddies, an all volunteer organization , consists of our annual raffle, banquet and clay shoot. In addition generous companies, foundations and individuals contribute to our ability to serve our disabled members and youth. This year we had to cancel the banquet, modify the clay shoot and some of our sponsors redirected funds to food banks and other not for profits that were helping with the Covid response. 

We realize this pandemic has hit many hard from a financial as well as health standpoint. But as you do your planning for any charitable giving this fall, please keep Outdoor Buddies in mind. You can contribute directly by clicking the "Donate" button below. Outdoor Buddies is planning for 2021 and will hold a raffle, possible banquet and clay shoot. Watch for details in upcoming newsletters. 

In the meantime, thank you for your continued support of the Outdoor Buddies mission. Take good care and stay safe. 

-Board of Directors 

Chilindron is a Spanish stew, and is one of my favorite dishes, so versatile that it stands outside the normal categories of venison, upland birds, etc. Chilindron (chill-in-DRONE) is dominated by roasted red peppers, paprika and onions. Most recipes also call for rosemary, olive oil, garlic, some tomatoes, good stock and wine. The stew originates in Aragon, a part of central Spain. I first heard about this stew in the late, great Penelope Casas’ “Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain” , but I’ve since read about a dozen other recipes for this classic in other Spanish cookbooks.

It is rich, woodsy, and bright, a perfect combination of the “red food” many of us crave (spaghetti sauce, chili, etc – think about the colors in your favorite foods and you’ll find many of them are reddish) with the slightly austere, piney flavors that mark European wild game cooking. I make this stew every few weeks I love it so much; it is one of the few “standards” I will repeat on a regular basis.

As for what meat to use, the Spanish stew typically features lamb or chicken. This hints at the range this stew possesses. I have made chilindron with good results from chicken, pheasant, rabbit, beef, venison and antelope, wild boar and pork. There is no

reason you cannot toss in whatever you like. I suppose you could even make a vegetarian version with mushrooms. When switching from light to dark meat, switch from white to red wine, too. Other than that, I use this basic recipe.

· 3 pounds chicken, pheasant, lamb, venison or rabbit, in serving pieces

· 2 large onions, sliced root to tip

· 10 cloves chopped garlic

· 2 tablespoons sweet paprika

· 1 tablespoon hot paprika

· 1 jar (15 ounces or so), or 5 roasted red sweet peppers, chopped

· 1 cup crushed tomatoes

· 2 cups red or white wine (red for red meat, white for white meat)

· Stock if needed (whatever goes with your choice of meat)

· 1/2 cup diced cured meat: Bacon, pancetta, ham, etc.

· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

· 4 bay leaves

· 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

· 1/4 cup olive oil

· Salt and pepper

· Large handful of dried mushrooms (optional)

1. If using, put the mushrooms in a container just large enough to hold them and pour hot water over them. Cover and set aside.

2. Salt the meat and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature. Use this time to chop the veggies.

3. Pat the meat dry and pour the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a lid. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides in batches. Do not overcrowd the pot. Set the meat aside in a bowl when browned. Take

your time and do this right. Add more oil if needed.

4. When the meat is browned, add the onions and stir to bring up some of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the onions with a little salt. Cook until they begin to brown, then add the garlic, the cured meat and the mushrooms, if using. Cook until fragrant, then add the meat back to the pot and mix well.

5. Pour in the wine and turn the heat up to high. Stir and boil furiously until the wine is half gone. Turn the heat back down to medium and add the tomatoes, the roasted red peppers and all the spices and herbs (except the parsley). Stir well. The level of

liquid should be about 2/3 the way up the sides of the meat. If it is low, add the stock. I typically need about 2 cups.

6. Cover and cook at a bare simmer — just barely bubbling — until done. How long is that? Depends on the meat. Rarely is any meat done within an hour, but I’d check a store-bought chicken then. I find pheasants and rabbits take about 90 minutes, boar,

pork and hares about 2 hours, and venison and beef up to 3 hours or more. Use your judgment.

7. Right before serving, test for salt and add some if needed. Add black pepper and the parsley and stir well. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, polenta or bread. Simple sauteed greens are a good accompaniment. A big red wine is also a must, ideally

something Spanish, like a Rioja.

Serves: 6

Meetings are held from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the locations and dates below.

Nov 10 - Sheridan Sportsman's Warehouse