The Cabela's Men...

...have invaded my home!

Every Fall, our doors swing to and fro for family and friends that live for love to hunt.

The weekends bring bird hunters as this area is known for Pheasants; yet Mother Nature affects their bounty. Heavy moisture in the spring can drown the chicklets as the nests are tucked into the ground. Coyotes are a predator that impacts their lives also.
Recently, there have been 3 reported sightings of wolves not far from here.
I'm sure with time they, too, will play a role in the numbers within the hunters bags.
The hunters come, nonetheless, to let their dogs prove their skills.

On any given hunting weekend, you can find at a minimum of 15 bird dogs tucked into their kennels come nightfall here, while their owners are huddled around our fireplace warming their aching muscles and discussing their dogs attributes or faults of the day.
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The deer hunters love to trek the miles of rolling hills, too,
only they are in search of “the Big One”.

They seem to be more ‘durable’ than the bird hunters (don't repeat that to the Bird guys ) as they like to spend their evenings outside surrounding a campfire telling their tall tales of missing a perfect shot; or of the "Big One" they bagged back in 1995!

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All of these "Cabela's Men" have known me for years. They know and respect my rules.
I have one, well two, rules all of them must follow if they want to stay here.

1) They cannot hunt on our ground

2) I do not want to see their "catches of the day"

Oh..I guess I have a third one...

3) I will cook their meals but it has to be "Beef...it's what's for dinner!"

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Tonight, tucked away in our large, unused upstairs, sleeps 6 “Cabela's Men”.
I know they are sleeping because the ceiling above me is shaking with all the snoring!
(Yes, they have their own separte bath complete with a shower, thank goodness)
I am sure they are each dreaming about that "big 5 point I saw the other day"
…which is NOT allowed within their sights I warned them,
unless he has wandered on to someone else’s property!
There is some sort of late deer hunt going on here that one had to be drawn for.
Two of these friends were drawn, the other 4 are just Tag-a-longs to help keep the evening fire crackling with tales.
They are all here for that ever so necessary Guy Time!
Tomorrow, 5 more “Cabela's Men” will arrive, these being from Cowboy’s family.
Two of them were drawn also.

(I would like to know just how many names were actually drawn in total for this area
enabling my house to be blessed with 4 of them! What are the odds here?)

Tomorrow night, the upstairs will be filled with testosterone levels that is probably
(or should be) illegal to have contained within one room.
It will be wall to wall with guns, boots, sleeping bags, and gear. And the "Cabela's Men"!
I’m sure the roof will be raised with even taller tales being told, as they remember yet another that someone overlooked around the evening campfire! When you get that many guys in one space, the tales just seem to grow bigger than the pine trees outside!

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I absolutely LOVE to cook for big hungry guys with healthy hearty appetites!
Lucky for me (and our budget) these “Cabela's Men” bring all the food for me to prepare.
They have strict orders to bring only beef if they want to eat my cooking.
(pork or chicken is fine too!)

I don't need this!

I've cooked for 70+ people before in Dutch Ovens over an open campfire,
high in the mountains...this is a piece of cake!
All one needs is a group with a ferocious appetite!

What makes this such a pleasant task, is these groups of "Cabela's Men" are gracious and appreciative of my cooking for them.
They all jump in to help with clean up and the dishes before heading outside to their campfire.
It does get a little "deep" in my kitchen with their good humor, their teasing, and their boisterous ways, so I scurry them along quickly, thank them and adjourn them to their fire.
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Ahhh....Quiet! That always feels good, yet I will welcome their banter all over again, tomorrow!

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Cowboy doesn’t know about the invasion yet. I wonder what he will think when he arrives home late tomorrow night to find me sharing his home with all these “Cabela's Men"!

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Either he will be looking for this to run to and hide in, after spending "the past week bombarded" with noise and confusion....at which I will be a holler'n..
"...wait...you aren't moving to my dream house without me!

Or he may suggest we start a Hunting Retreat! At which time I will be telling him...
"..yea right, I can see you now... charging all our friends and family to bed down here while hunting!"

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Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and we will have another houseful!
A different group of "Cabela's Men"! The bird hunters will be returning!
No, the wild turkeys running around here will NOT be what is served!
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Off to bed...mornings' hunger will soon be upon me!
(I may be needing a Chef of my own after 6 days of the "Cabela's Men"! )

Have a great weekend and stop in if you're in the neighborhood.

Directons?? Just follow the essences of food, laughter & good company!