A Meaningful Lesson from the Artemis Conservation Leadership Camp

By: Tara Whitlow

I’m not religious, and I’m generally not into what some might describe as “woo-woo.” But I do have a deep respect for the natural world. One of the many things I found interesting at the Artemis Conservation Leadership Camp in September was hearing some of the Crow and Cheyenne women describe how they “ask for permission from the land” before taking anything.

Deer season has been tough lately — especially since I decided that I really wanted to push myself, grow my hunting skills, and pursue a mature buck from the Artemis Tennessee lease land. (I try to take my does on a small nearby property that has way too many.) I typically see deer somewhat regularly, and even on slow days I almost always see something interesting. I consider any of these sightings “gifts.”

For weeks I had been trying to figure out why I hadn’t been seeing anything — trying harder, sitting in colder weather, trying new tactics — but nothing seemed to be helping. Then, on my drive to the lease, I remembered the idea of asking the land for permission. After I arrived, I decided to try it. I got out of my head, put my hand on the ground, and simply asked — for permission to be there, to hunt, and to harvest one of its mature sons.

I got to my hunting spot and sat. Just after daylight, a dark-eyed junco landed on my rifle barrel and chirped for almost a minute. That alone made my morning. Then I watched a sharp-shinned hawk attempt to bust up a flock of small birds for its breakfast — only about 10 yards from me. Another gift.

After a few hours, I decided to change positions. With the cold weather we’d had, I knew moving closer to a reliable food source made sense. As I was slowly walking to the new spot, I saw the buck at 50 yards. He hadn’t noticed me, so I crouched down and waited, hoping he’d step out of the tall grass and brush he’d slipped into. He did — walked toward me, then angled — and I was able to take my shot.

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It was truly one of the best days I’ve had in all my years of hunting — so many cool “gifts” the land allowed me to experience that morning. The next day, I made a stew using the heart of the deer. I called it “Heart of my Hart” and included creamed spinach and chanterelle mushrooms (that I had harvested).  I’ll post the recipe below, if you’re interested.

I will forever be grateful for that very special experience on the lease. I’m also grateful to the Indigenous leaders at the Conservation Leadership Camp for teaching me to be more respectful of the land.

Tara Whitlow is a leaseholder at the Artemis Tennessee property. She is a nature and hunting enthusiast and says she’s on a perpetual quest to improve her woodsmanship and hunting skills. “I have a tendency to share unsolicited nature information on the regular. Surprisingly, most people seem interested.” 

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• 1  deer heart
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of oil
• 3  cloves of fresh garlic
• 1 cup of leeks or onions
• 1 cup of heavy cream or half and half
• 1-2 bunches of fresh spinach
• 2 cups of your favorite mushrooms
• Flour
• Splash of bourbon or whisky to deglaze pan

Soak heart in water and salt for a few hours. Rinse with fresh water. (Cut hard top off of heart, remove outer skin. Slice into sections)
Season mean with garlic salt and pepper, & Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning.
Sear meat pieces in oil (don’t overcook. Keep meat medium rare)
Remove and deglaze pan with bourbon or whiskey.
Add a couple pats of butter
Sauté garlic, leeks, and mushrooms
After they cook down a bit add some flour and some half and half
Whisk it to make a thickener base
Incrementally add more half and half until you have almost a sauce consistency 
Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add in seared heart pieces. Add more salt, pepper and creole spices to taste.   

Tara Whitlow is a leaseholder at the Artemis Tennessee property. She is a nature and hunting enthusiast and says she’s on a perpetual quest to improve her woodsmanship and hunting skills. “I have a tendency to share unsolicited nature information on the regular. Surprisingly, most people seem interested.”