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“I first saw the tips of the antlers sticking out of the water of a wetland I had created and, being a hunter, instantly knew what had happened,” Brown says. “Two bucks had locked antlers, then fought their way into my wetland where they drowned.”
The bucks turned out to be two mature 10-pointers, one with an unusual double drop tine set of antlers. It was a once-in-a-lifetime discovery, and Brown thought of a unique way to display his find.
“I first milled some sassafras wood from my property and added a slab of natural granite to the base of the display to help steady it. I then began carving the wood that would eventually hold the two deer heads in place. I probably have several hundred hours invested in creating the sculpture. My goal was to make it look organic, as if it was emerging from the earth.”
Even more rare than two whitetail bucks getting their antlers entangled is three bucks doing so. That happened several years ago in southern Ohio, and as with Al Brown’s bucks, the trio was found drowned, in the deep pool of a small stream.
Bull moose, the largest member of the deer family, can weigh nearly a ton, and even though their antlers are much heavier and more palmated than those of whitetail deer, they can also become intertwined during battle. On display outside the entrance to Eielson Visitor Center at Denali National Park in Alaska are two such moose skulls, discovered in 2003. If you examine the skulls closely, you can see that a sharp antler tine from one of the bulls pierced the eye socket of the other animal, no doubt blinding the unlucky bull in that eye before the pair died.
By the time the two dead moose were found by park naturalists, the meat had been stripped from the bones by predators and the skeletons scattered. The same happens in Ohio; death for one means life for another. The circle of life in the wild continues …
Note: Before taking possession of any deer antlers, deer carcass, or any other deer parts, always contact a state wildlife officer (1-800-WILDLIFE) to obtain the proper permit.
Above: Interlocked moose antlers on display at Denali National Park’s Eielson Visitor Center in Alaska; below: two entangled whitetail deer heads as they appeared when found on the Clint Walker farm in Morrow County in 2017; opposite: Al Brown’s deer-head sculpture, featuring locked whitetail deer antlers.
Ask chip!
Email Chip Gross with your outdoors questions at whchipgross@ gmail.com. Be sure to include “Ask Chip” in the subject of the email. Your question may be answered on www.ohiocoopliving.com! www.ohiocoopliving.com
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One of Jane Ann Queen’s earliest holiday memories is the snowy white pies at her grandparents’ house in Marion.
“My nanny, Annabelle Criswell Layton, made this pie not only to serve her family after Christmas dinner, but she made them for friends and extended family members as well,” says Queen, a South Central Power Company member from Ashville. “As a matter of fact, she and my granddad would make several dozen of these pies and deliver them to lucky friends or family members on Christmas Eve, dressed up as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.”
Continued on page 16
Dreaming of a white Christmas (pie)
Grand-prize winner enjoys keeping her family’s holiday tradition alive.
Continued from page 15 After her grandmother died several years ago, Queen picked up the torch and began making Nanny’s White Christmas Pie herself. “It keeps me connected to my grandparents and keeps those family ties going strong,” she says. “That means a great deal to me and to my family when we eat it.” When she first started making the pie, though, it was just for the family dinner table. “At first I didn’t deliver any, but before long I started getting requests from friends and family and coworkers,” she says. “Last year, I made six of them. I don’t make nearly as many as my nanny and granddad did, and I haven’t dressed up as Mrs. Claus yet, but who knows?” As grand-prize winner in Ohio Cooperative Living’s Holiday Favorites 2021 reader recipe contest, Queen received an Ohio-made KitchenAid stand mixer. Runners-up Marlene Franklin of Kelleys Island and Debbie Atchley of Cecil each received a copy of The Complete Holiday Cookbook.
MARLENE FRANKLIN always wondered why cranberry sauce was ever-present on her family’s holiday dinner table when she was growing up. “No one ever ate it except for Uncle Pat,” says Franklin, who lives on Kelleys Island and is a member of Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative. Even so, Franklin says she was determined to keep it a part of the meal when she started hosting for the holidays — “It was tradition,” she says — and tried numerous variations over the ensuing years. Finally, she came across a recipe that she adapted into her Cranberry-Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip, which has become a family favorite rather than an afterthought. “When I found this recipe about 10 years ago, I think I nailed it,” she says. “It is so tasty, and my family and guests cannot get enough of it. I am always asked for the recipe.”
DEBBIE ATCHLEY reckons there would be a family revolt if she were to ever skip baking her Oat Dinner Rolls for the holidays. “It would cause an uproar, to say the least,” says Atchley, a member of Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative who lives in Cecil. “They hold the honor of being the longest-running request from my family for our holiday gatherings.” As an added bonus: Extra rolls make delicious slider buns for any leftover ham or turkey sandwiches. “They take a little extra effort, but they are oh so worth it,” she says.
NANNY’S WHITE CHRISTMAS PIE
Prep: 20 minutes | Servings: 12 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin ¼ cup cold water ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 1½ cups cold milk ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon almond extract 8 ounces whipped topping Meringue: 3 egg whites ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ cup granulated sugar 1 cup shredded coconut, plus additional for sprinkling on top of pie 2 9-inch pie shells, pre-baked and cooled
NOTE: This recipe includes raw egg whites. If you’re uncomfortable eating raw egg, instead of folding the meringue into the gelatin mixture, place the meringue on top, sprinkle with coconut, and bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes until the meringue and coconut start to turn a light golden brown, then chill. In a small bowl, soften unflavored gelatin in cold water. In a saucepan over low heat, mix ½ cup granulated sugar, flour, and salt. Slowly stir in cold milk and cook over low heat just to boiling, then boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin mixture. Cool until partially set. While cooling, make meringue. In a mixer, beat together egg whites and cream of tartar, then slowly add 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla extract and almond extract into the softened gelatin mixture and blend well until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping. Gently fold in the meringue. Lastly, fold in 1 cup shredded coconut. Pile all equally into cooled baked pie shells. Sprinkle coconut on top to resemble snow. Chill until set, about 2 hours. Serve cold. Makes 2 regular 9-inch pies.
