Otter Tail Country Tourism

Image via Wikipedia

Looking to clean out your freezer of some extra duck or pheasant meat? Here’s a great recipe that I stumbled across in one of our many many magazines that show up at our door daily. It came from the most recent Ducks Unlimited magazine and seems to look quite appetizing. The preparation time is only about 15 minutes as well as the cooking time, so this shouldn’t take too much time away from your evening.

Grilled Duck with Mustard and Beer Sauce

The ingredients needed include:

4 large duck breasts or split halves (skin can be on or off)

Rub ingredients

¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon each of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
½ teaspoon of each powdered sage and black pepper
Combine ingredients and store in a tight fitting container.

Sauce ingredients:

3-4 tablespoons meat rub (either your own or a commercial brand)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup onion, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced (or substitute ½ teaspoon dried
rosemary leaves)
1 12-ounce beer (nonalcoholic if desired)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup Dijon mustard
Salt to taste
Dash Tabasco

Ok now onto the fun stuff!

Step 1:
Rub duck evenly with rub mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours. For more pronounced flavor, wrap tightly with plastic wrap during refrigeration. Allow the meat to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before grilling.

Step 2:
To prepare sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and rosemary and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add beer, increase heat to medium-high, and reduce liquid to about ¼ cup. Add broth and cream, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid to 1 cup. Stir in mustard and season with salt and Tabasco to taste.

Step 3:
Place duck on a medium-hot, well oiled grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side (for medium rare) or to desired doneness. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, and then slice the meat across the grain into ½ -inch-thick pieces. Arrange the slices over grilled vegetables, rice or potatoes and spoon sauce over.

This recipe serves four people and can easily be doubled. It would be a great thing to start at home and take to the cabin for a weekend. I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet so let us know how it goes in the comments below! Also leave your delicious recipes to share! Happy cooking!

Labels: Ducks Unlimited, food, hunting, otter tail country, recipes, wild game

YouTube - Two Polaris vs. One 4500 lb Ice House Ottertail Lake

Labels: ATV, fishing, ice fishing, Ice house (building), Minnesota, otter tail country, otter tail lake, Recreation, snowmobile, video, YouTube

See the full article here: Some Minn. fishing seasons closing after weekend - KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and Sports or see the Minnesota DNR Ice Safety page here: http://bit.ly/iiAjNV

Labels: ice fishing, Ice house (building), Minnesota, Otter Tail County Minnesota

Not to get you excited, but it won't be Winter for long in Otter Tail Country. Yes, it's pretty cold right now, but the Spring thaw is right around the corner.

Our New Year's Resolution was to spend more time in Otter Tail Country, and spend time outdoors in general. I found a list of activities to do in Minnesota during the winter months - how many will you have checked off your list before Spring?

1) Snowshoe: bust out the old school, stick and sinew models or try out a modern aluminum pair and float on top of the snow. It's a great workout and a great way to take in the scenery Minnesota has to offer in the Winter.

2) Skiing and snowboarding: either downhill or cross country. There are some great hills to ski in Minnesota at very reasonable rates. You can also hit the cross country ski trails for a solid bit of exercise. Be sure to bring your camera!

3) Snowmobiling: Otter Tail Country has a great network of groomed trails for you to enjoy at high speeds on your snow sled. Nothing like the hum of a snowmobile engine and snow flying out the back to get the adrenaline rushing!

4) Ice Skating: either skate for recreation or join a pickup hockey game at your local pond or rink - there's always someone interested in skating!

5) Dogsled: this one might be harder to find, as most of us don't have a group of sled dogs or even a sled to work with. There are plenty of skilled outdoorsmen and women who will gladly take you for a ride with their team of dogs and show you the rush of a dogsled ride.

6) Sledding and Tubing: great activities that aren't just for kids! As far as equipment goes, this is one of the most cost effective things you can do as a family. Sleds or toboggans are affordable at many stores and many times you can rent a tube for little or nothing at the hill.

Labels: Cross-country skiing, ice fishing, Ice skating, Minnesota, Otter Tail County Minnesota, Sledding, snowmobile, Snowshoe, winter, Winter sport

I had the chance to visit one of the many lake resorts in Minnesota this weekend for an employee appreciation getaway - and it was very refreshing.

Otter Tail Country has plenty of resorts, hotels, and bed and breakfasts for those of you looking to take a break from the daily grind and the day to day hassles of life at home - and even for just a weekend you'll feel recharged.

Some of us only think of resorts as summer activities - but more and more locations have winter friendly activities for the whole family.

For example, we hit the slopes and enjoyed some downhill skiing while we were gone. Skiing is a blast and you can't do it in the summer! (well, waterskiing is another story). There's also snowmobiling, which is a total rush - and wouldn't be a whole lot of fun in the summer months. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are two more great activities to keep you busy at a Minnesota resort in the winter.

We encourage you to get out and enjoy Otter Tail country - and one of the many resorts, hotels, and bed and breakfasts we have would be a great place to go.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: activities, otter tail country, resorts, winter

Do you own/work for one one of the many great restaurants in Otter Tail Country? There are plenty of them, and I'm sure you're looking for ways to do business better.

The Denver Post interviewed the people behind some of the cities greatest eateries, and they shared some wonderful insight those of us in our part of Minnesota can use for our business - whether we're in the restaurant business or any other industry.

My favorites?

1) "Find your niche". You need to find your ideal customer base and cater to their needs and wants. Fill a gap left by other businesses in your area. Nobody in your part of the world offering a great breakfast? Find a way to work it in to your schedule. No place to get great barbecue? Hire a pit master, and let him loose. Find a solution and you'll find business.

2) "Provide parking". This is a given for most businesses in Otter Tail Country, but still important. You have to make it convenient for customers to arrive to your restaurant. Carry this theme to the inside - be sure you have ample, comfortable seating and an inviting atmosphere.

3) "Reach out". Give back to the community. Not just for the free publicity, but because it just feels good! Get to know people in your area - these are your customers. Make them feel good about spending their money in your restaurant.

Like I said - most of these tips can be worked in to any business if you take the principles and apply them to your work.

We're proud of the businesses in Otter Tail Country and enjoy sharing tips like this with you. We hope you take them and put them to use! See the rest of the tips at the Denver Post.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: business, customer service, food, restaurants, tips

I try to read as much about the outdoors as possible, and I'm a huge fan of do-it-yourself projects. I came across an article that showed both.

This is about the least time intensive DIY project I've ever seen, but it's a really nice trick for those of us enjoying late season panfish ice fishing.

The tip: use an empty Tic Tac container to hold your waxworms when on the ice. You should be able to fit about 30 waxies in the container, which should be good enough for a nice day chasing crappies, bluegills, and perch on your favorite Otter Tail Country lake or pond.

Here's the picture from Field and Stream's blog:


Yes, it looks pretty gross, but it's definitely going to be handy when you're wearing gloves and don't have the dexterity you'd like while fishing. I bought a pack of Tic Tacs tonight just for this "project"!

Have any tips? Share in the comments! See the full article here.

Labels: DIY, fishing tips, ice fishing, tips

Hunters who choose to hunt certain birds will not be allowed to use lead ammunition during the depredation of nuisance crows, grackles and blackbirds.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has banned the use of lead, a known toxin, for hunting ducks, geese, swans, and other waterfowl since 1991. This is the next step in outlawing lead pellets from use in bird hunting all together, something many people have feared for years.

Many people forgo shotguns all together and use a .17 HMR or .22 caliber rifle when shooting these nuisance birds, who do damage to agricultural fields across the nation, and it looks like only lead shotgun pellets are being banned. It's not clear yet, but you'll most likely still be able to use an air rifle or .22 to hunt or shoot these birds.

Blackbirds do millions of dollars in agricultural damage each year, mostly to sunflower crops where the birds fly field to field filling themselves with the energy-rich seeds. Crows are the bullies of the bird world and will take over a feed source (such as a back yard bird feeder) and not allow other birds to feed.

See the full story here.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism

Labels: birds, hunting, laws, news, regulations

I've been following the "I Am Minnesota Nice" blog for quite a while, and a recent post inspired me to share it with you guys.

The author, a central Minnesota native, enjoys a meal made from nothing but Minnesota made products.

The video:


Included in the meal:
Old Dutch
http://www.olddutchfoods.com/

Pan-O-Gold/Country Hearth Bread
http://www.panogold.com

No Name Steaks
http://www.nonamesteaks.com/

Uncle Pete’s Mustard
http://www.unclepetesmustard.com/

Gedney Pickles
http://www.gedneypickle.com/

Please visit the blog - and watch the other videos - at www.iammnnice.com You can also catch them on Twitter at @IamMNnice or on YouTube.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

PS: If you're feeling social, check out our Twitterand facebook to stay up to date!

Labels: food, homegrown, Minnesota, Minnesota Nice, proud, recipes, shopping

I haven't fished a ton this winter (I know, it's going against my New Year's Resolution of spending more time in Otter Tail Country - but I'm trying!), but during those trips I've fallen in love - with the Moxie Minnow by Northland Tackle (and no, they're not sponsoring this blog - I just believe in their product).



The Moxie Minnow doesn't look that different from many other spoon style lures, but it has an effect on the fish I love to catch (walleyes, jumbo perch and crappies!).

Here's what the Northland Tackle website says about the Moxie Minnow:

The MOXIE MINNOW® is a new ReplicaSeries™ of Live-Forage® flutter spoons that fool fish with it's realistic baitfish image body and flashy good looks. It is stamped from light weight brass and tumbles and flutters to provide a crippled baitfish action that fish cannot resist. New printed "high-definition" Fish-Photo-Image™ patterns are picture perfect to "match-the-hatch" and mimic a minnow fry to perfection. They are deadly on Perch, Crappie, Walleye and Trout. Tie one on . . . and put this classy new minnow spoon with moxie to work for you!

"Classy new minnow spoon with moxie"...I really like this definition. If I had seen this copywriting before I tried the lure on the ice, I would have tried it just because I believe in quality marketing.

Here's a few of the options you have for colors. They also come in quite a few sizes depending on the fish you're after:


Why do I like this lure so much? Well even when we weren't catching much on Otter Tail Lake a while ago, the Moxie Minnow came up with perch and walleyes. Remember one of the other Otter Tail Country Bloggers' first fish? Here's Tiffany's first ever fish. Seeing a new fisher-person that happy will sell me on anything!

Like I said - we're not endorsing any products via the Otter Tail Country Tourism blog, just letting you know what has worked for us. And I'm sold on the Northland Tackle Moxie Minnow. If you'd like to try them out, they're available at Fleet Farm, Scheels, and Cabela's as far as I know and I'm sure you can get them at any store that stocks fishing gear (or online, of course).

Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: ice fishing, lures, otter tail country, tackle, winter

This weekend has brought some beautiful weather to Otter Tail Country - and we're hoping you're taking advantage of the high temperature and low wind combination that is so rare for February!

No, the snow won't have that nice powdery feel that we like on our snowmobiles, but on the plus side, you won't have to wear as many layers! You can get some nice speed on that hard packed snow as well - just be safe and be sure to wear your helmets. Snowmobile accidents in Minnesota are far too common.

Ice fishing would have been wonderful the last couple of days - great for the angler with a pop up portable ice house or even someone who wants to go sit on the ice and enjoy the weather - 30+ degrees are an ice fisherman's dream! I've been hearing tons of great reports that people are catching fish in places that weren't hot just a few weeks ago. Friends of mine fished a spot on Otter Tail Lake that we tried about a month ago and caught some really nice walleyes (when I was along, of course we got skunked!).

Snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and just enjoying a nice walk would all be great ways to enjoy some time in Otter Tail Country while the weather is warm - you never know when the next cold snap will take over.

So let us know - how are you taking advantage of this heat wave? Let us know in the comments.

Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: cross country skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, warm, weather, winter

Are you a hunter and have extra waterfowl you don’t know what to do with? Some people think ducks and geese have a gamy taste and cooking them can seem to be a challenge every once in a while. That’s where we can come in handy! Today we made some VERY delicious jalapeno poppers with duck that we’d like to share with you!

This is a super easy recipe that doesn’t take much time at all. The duck could also be replaced with your choice of meat (pheasant, grouse, venison).

Ingredients:
10 medium sized jalapenos
1 brick of mozzarella cheese
4 mallard-sized breasts (or 6 teal-sized breasts) Plan for a little more because they taste great right out of the frying pan!
1 pack of bacon (I like to mix it up with some turkey bacon)

How to:
Start by cutting your duck breasts in strips according to the size of the jalapenos that you purchased, some might be long and skinny or short and fat. Season your meat to your own preference. We enjoy a sprinkle of paprika and cayenne pepper prior to the frying pan. Heat up a small amount of oil in a medium sized saucepan. Place seasoned duck into pan and sprinkle some Montreal Chicken Seasoning (if available). Cook until browned on the outside; they will finish cooking in the oven. When done cooking cool to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Next cut your jalapenos in half the long way in order to make a boat for the duck and cheese to rest in. Remove all the seeds to help tone down the heat of the peppers. Cut the cheese into strips that’ll fit into the jalapenos. Assemble the poppers by placing the cheese and duck into a half of a jalapeno. Wrap a piece of uncooked bacon around to secure the contents and put a toothpick through to keep it all together. Repeat until finished.

Once all the poppers are assembled place on a baking sheet, making sure the cheese won’t run out of the peppers. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bacon is cooked to satisfaction then serve.

I hope you enjoy this tasty appetizer that is simple to make. Please share your recipes that you’ve perfected below in the comments we’d love to hear them and try it out ourselves!

Tiffany, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: duck, hunting, otter tail country, recipes, waterfowl, winter