Steve Loder, a deer hunter from Cranberry, estimates that there are about 1 million whitetail deer in the Pennsylvania and that during deer hunting seasons (Oct. 1 through Nov. 12 for archers and Nov. 28 to Dec. 10 for hunters using guns), about 900,000 Pennsylvanians will be out after them. Loder hopes to be among them.
Loder, 55, has been hunting since he was 12.
"Growing up in the town of Clyde, N.Y., I was a Boy Scout. When I turned 12, like all my other friends, I took the state's Hunters' Safety Course and passed the test essential for a state hunting license," he says. "With a gun borrowed from my uncle, I took my first small game and have been committed to hunting ever since."
From the start, his father, Harry Loder, though not a hunter, had a significant influence. The senior Loder had a restaurant, and he taught his son how to bone out a deer, trim, freeze and cook it properly. Inspired by his father, Loder has created hundreds of recipes for deer over the years, as well as studying the meat's nutritional values.
Loder says that venison has one-fourth the fat of lean roast beef; and one-half the fat of lean ham or salmon. A 3.5-ounce portion has fewer calories than a similar amount of lean ham, salmon, or skinless chicken breast. It also has 10 to 15 percent more protein than lean roast beef, ham or salmon and the same amount of protein as a lean skinless chicken breast.
Much of his extensive knowledge about deer and wild game is contained in his three self-published cookbooks, written since illness forced him to give up his career in corporate marketing.
It was his wife, Gale, knowing firsthand how excellent her husband's cooking was, who urged him to consider putting his recipes into a book. As he responded positively, she offered another suggestion: Why not include stories from his hunter's journals with the recipes?
Her encouragement has produced three books: "Quality Venison: Homemade Recipes & Homespun Deer Tales," "Quality Venison II: All New Recipes and Deer Tales Too" and "Quality Venison III: All New Wild Game Recipes and Hunting Tales Too." Since 1998, 56,000 copies of the books have been sold.
As Loder makes clear, he approaches hunting with religious zeal. It is his practice to begin a hunt with a prayer. When successful, he gives thanks on the spot for his good fortune. He cites the Algonquin Indian practice of crumbling tobacco over a dead deer carcass, believing it assists the animal's spirit back into nature. An illustration of this scene is on the cover of Loder's first book. All of his hardcover cookbooks feature works by Waterford, Pa., outdoor artist Jack Paluh. The line drawings inside the books are by Loder's daughter, Kelly.
To show his devotion to the sport of deer hunting, Loder's first book contains an homage to the whitetail deer that ends with the following plea: "We encourage all deer hunters to hunt safely, ethically and yes, respectfully. Do not hesitate to share your harvest with the needy when you are blessed with abundance. It is a gift from God that is to be shared."
With that in mind, several area organizations accept donations of freshly harvested deer to feed the hungry. Two are:
Hunters Sharing the Harvest, 1186 Creek Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055; 1-866-474-2141 or www.sharedeer.org. HSH tells us that when you donate an average-size deer, along with a $15 processing fee, you can feed up to 200 people.
Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH), 216 N. Cleveland Ave., Hagerstown, MD 21740; 1-866-438-343 or www.fhfh.org.
The following Loder recipe appeared in "The North American Hunting Club" magazine where it won a first prize. It was conceived by Loder for a wedding anniversary dinner with his wife.
Anniversary Venison Loin
- 1 1/2 pounds trimmed venison tenderloin
- 1/4 cup grape or strawberry jelly
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Place all ingredients except venison in a coffee cup and microwave for 1 minute to melt butter. Pour half of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Lay venison in the dish and pour remaining sauce on top. Bake venison at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes for medium rare. Place venison on serving dish and spoon on sauce to taste. Makes 3 to 4 servings.
Each of the three Quality Venison books cost $16.95, plus $3.50 postage and handling, and Pennsylvania sales tax of $1.23. To order cookbooks, contact Loder's Game Publication, Inc. Box 1615, Cranberry, PA 16066. 1-724-779-8320; www.qualityvenison.com. Area retailers selling the books include Barnes & Noble, Gander Mountain sporting goods retailer, Cabela's Outfitters and Woolrich Clothing Stores.