Ep. 2 - Eating Pig Eyes w/ Nicole Vachal
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-mjm2i-16c65ad
In this episode of the Horrible People Podcast, we dive into an inspiring conversation with Nicole Vachal of Canadian Women of the Outdoors. Nicole shares her unique journey from the music industry to the world of mechanics.
Nicole discusses her passion for hands-on work, her role in hosting a kids' fishing derby, and her music. Nicole opens up about balancing family life with her outdoor pursuits and shares her enthusiasm for upcoming fishing and hunting adventures. Tune in for an engaging and multifaceted conversation that showcases Nicole's diverse interests and expertise.
Check out Nicole and the Canadian Women of the Outdoors:
Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@CanadianWomenoftheOutdoors
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thehuntresschef/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/canadianwomenoftheoutdoors/
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00:00 Introduction and Background
03:18 Canadian Woman of the Outdoors Podcast
08:16 Nicole's Journey from Music to Mechanics
12:20 The Challenges of Pursuing a Music Career
15:18 Passion for Working with Hands
19:18 Hosting a Kids' Fishing Derby
26:20 Upcoming Gigs as a Musician
28:58 The Dilemma of Coaching Hockey
29:28 Branching Out into Filmed Episodes for YouTube
32:35 Cooking Wild Game and Utilizing All Parts of the Animal
36:05 Balancing Family Life with Outdoor Pursuits
36:46 Excitement for Upcoming Fishing and Hunting Adventures
39:49 The Importance of Utilizing All Parts of the Animal
52:24 Looking Forward to Meeting in Person and Planning Future Adventure
Jenn (00:01.89)
Thank you so much for tuning into Horrible People Podcast. The horrible person that I have on today is Nicole Vashel. I met Nicole kind of, we haven't met officially yet. We were kind of introduced through a mutual friend and I was on her podcast a couple of times and we're gonna go fishing this winter. So yeah, Nicole, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?
Nicole (00:27.873)
Well, as you said, my name's Nicole. Actually it's Vachel, that's not the shh, the Vachel. It gets confused. People think it's French and I'm like, no, I'm actually Polish, like straight European. So.
Jenn (00:31.602)
God.
Jenn (00:37.41)
I'm like right at the Quebec border. So I was like, yeah, it's the French version, obviously.
Nicole (00:42.782)
No, no, totally European. And as you said, yeah, so I do run my own podcast, Canadian Woman of the Outdoors, where we highlight and feature and spotlight amazing Canadian women in the outdoors because that really wasn't a thing up here. Didn't find any, couldn't find any podcasts like that. So I just decided to start it. I'm a mechanic by day, hunting fish, do music stuff.
Grew up in Burlington, now live in the country. So that's just basics about me. Just the basics.
Jenn (01:15.212)
The basics, I love it. Okay. Yeah, your podcast is amazing. I think it's really nice to kind of highlight a lot of the female -led businesses and everything also that are kind of outdoors related. Like I saw that you had Burton Paddle Co on a little while ago and like it's just bringing all of these female -led businesses to light, which is really nice.
Nicole (01:27.084)
yet.
Nicole (01:34.989)
I'm really excited for this one, mid September when she gets back from out West. So there's a young lady out there that got horse trail rides into the mountains and camping. And like, so she was telling me some about how like there was a bear encounter and stuff like that. but like, yeah. So we're to get more into it on my podcast, but like, yeah, so that's her job. So she, these people pay to go take camping gear, pack.
Jenn (01:48.339)
cool.
Jenn (01:58.197)
Yeah.
Nicole (02:03.819)
like pack mule style on these horses, go up into the mountains and camp for like a week, like completely off grid. And she guides that. So that's what I said. I was like, I'm so pumped to record it. was like, I have all the questions that might have to be like a two parter. Like that might be a part one, part two. yeah. yeah. Cause that's just so like, I didn't even know that was a thing until
Jenn (02:12.866)
That's gotta be crazy. Imagine if, yeah, I'm excited to listen to that one. That'll be really fun.
Jenn (02:22.612)
Yeah, I can totally see that for sure. That's going to take a little while to get through.
Jenn (02:31.444)
Yeah, I know.
Nicole (02:32.587)
Like until Caitlin told me, she's like, yeah, so my barn owner, her daughter does this. You should have her on. I was like, okay. Like that's so cool. Like that's so cool. So.
Jenn (02:40.938)
Absolutely. Yeah, exactly. When did you start your podcast? It must be like almost a year ago now or?
Nicole (02:47.069)
November. Yeah, November. God, I don't remember the date. I have to do something for that because it's almost been a year. Yeah. So November of last year, I don't remember the exact date. Now it was a brainchild for like six months before that because I did like a whole ton of research and trying to figure out what platform to use, trying to figure out if people would even be interested. Like I had to do like that kind of research and stuff like that. So and then it ended up getting great reception. So I was like, all right, well, I'm to keep doing it.
Jenn (02:52.297)
Yeah.
Jenn (02:58.326)
Nice.
Jenn (03:10.068)
Yeah.
Nicole (03:17.133)
So I'd like to think that, I mean, it's been a pretty crazy summer, so I haven't had that much of a chance to record. Lots going on, so. And everybody's gone in the summer, they're on vacation. It's so hard to connect. So it is really hard.
Jenn (03:17.206)
Yeah, definitely. I think it'll go really far.
Jenn (03:26.466)
feel like that happens a lot in the summertime.
Jenn (03:33.362)
Yeah, that too, Wintertime, everyone's going to be like trapped in their houses, so they'll just be.
Nicole (03:38.039)
Well, I mean, look how long it took us for you and I to connect here. Like it's between work and kids and everything like that. It's just, life, exactly, exactly.
Jenn (03:41.462)
That's it, yeah.
Jenn (03:45.547)
life.
For sure. my God. Okay. That's awesome. and you, did you do, a fishing tournament this summer? Like a youth fishing tournament? it was yesterday. wow.
Nicole (03:56.205)
Actually yesterday I hosted a kids, just yesterday. Yeah. I'm still like, still kind of recovering from that. Cause it was. Dirty kids, fishing Derby. So small towns, which I've learned do these things every 10 years called homecoming where it's like basically a whole weekend event, like dances, music. was in a cornhole tournament. and then I, they had this Elmwood homecoming kids fishing Derby. So I reached out to them.
I was like, Hey, so this is my name. This is what I do. if you need like help with this, let me know. And then all of sudden they're like, okay, here you go. It's your baby now do what you want with it. So I was like, well, okay. I've never done that before. So like, we're just going to kind of roll with it. So yeah, I ended up, I kind of put a different spin on it because they've hosted fishing derbies at this. It's a stocked pond. It's for kids. like they've, they've hosted.
Jenn (04:34.652)
my God.
Jenn (04:50.951)
cool. Okay.
Nicole (04:53.069)
stuff there before, but it was kind of a free for all and like hundreds of kids showed up and like it's not that big of a pond. So yeah, so I kind of put, was like, okay, so I prefer people pre -registered. had 50 some odd kids pre -register. Big shout out to True North Bates and Leslie Motors who donated to put together like little goody bags for each kid to get. And then a bunch of other people donated.
Jenn (04:59.68)
It was like unorganized kind of.
Jenn (05:16.691)
awesome.
Nicole (05:20.149)
raffle prizes. So we did a raffle and I'm actually going to take the money that was made from that raffle. One of the families, they were just interested in fishing, getting interested in fishing and they had to actually borrow some of my gear. So I'm going to take that money and then hook them up with some rods and tackle boxes and stuff like that. So, because I guess they loved it so much and they're like, they want to do it. And I was like, well, that's fine. Then what that's what I was planning to do anyway. It just so happened that the family and kids that I picked were
Jenn (05:39.788)
I love it.
Nicole (05:49.003)
those ones. So I was like, cause they like, they didn't have anything. So I was like, you know what? That's I'm trying to. Yeah. And it's four kids. And I'm like, whatever, I'll get them a rod and a couple like each rod and a couple tackle boxes filled with stuff like whatever. And they can start doing it more often. Right. So.
Jenn (05:54.838)
the perfect family for it to go to.
Jenn (06:07.9)
awesome. Yeah. We need to get more people into it. So it's nice for events like that to kind of open the doors to get them in.
Nicole (06:13.197)
yeah. And like we had kids from like all ages. Like the the little guy that won the biggest fish, he's only like four years old. So yeah. And he sat there from 8 a So was eight till 11. He sat there from 8 a till 11 when it finished, just fishing the entire time.
Jenn (06:23.486)
my god.
Jenn (06:33.58)
What an attention span, like at that age. Yeah, exactly. And what kind of fish are in this pond? it like, cool. Okay.
Nicole (06:35.091)
for four years old. Yeah. That's it. It was just rainbow trout. It was a stock. They stocked the pond for it. So we have a bunch of farms in this area. So they just stocked the pond for it. Yeah. Yeah, it was a lot of fun.
Jenn (06:49.402)
very nice. Okay, that's awesome. Now, your main job, because like you do a ton outdoors, but you're a mechanic. How long have you been doing that for?
Nicole (07:02.221)
five, five or six years now, something like that. 2016, maybe more, maybe longer. or 2017. Maybe it has been longer. I've been doing it since 20, it's 2016 or 2017. So it's, it's been a minute. It's been a while now. Yeah. Yeah. it, that's a whole different world. Like.
Jenn (07:07.265)
Nice.
Jenn (07:19.516)
okay. Yeah. A while then for sure. Pre -COVID. COVID just feels like everything was longer. Yeah, exactly. Everything changed after that. Nice. So is that something you've always been interested in or like mechanics or automotive?
Nicole (07:29.367)
yeah. Well, I mean, sorry. Fun fact, fun fact, no, no. So when I was in high school, I was actually going through my Royal Music Conservatory stuff, because I was originally planning on going to school for music, because fun fact, that is actually like my biggest passion.
Jenn (07:38.912)
Really?
Jenn (07:53.479)
cool.
Nicole (07:56.941)
So I was doing all the Royal Music Conservatory stuff and it got to the point where I was doing so much of it that I ended up just hating it. Like I didn't want to bring my guitar to like family events or like the cottage or anything like that. Like I didn't want to play it anymore because I had to play it so much otherwise. Cause like if you haven't done Royal Music Conservatory stuff, it's very, very intense. Like you have to, there's different levels.
Jenn (08:08.534)
Nicole (08:24.499)
And like, it's all, it's classical music and it's, it is a lot of work. Like, and not only that, not only playing, there's also theory. You have to be a certain grade in your theory. So it was just so much that like, I just ended up was like, no, I don't want to play guitar anymore. Like I just, I'm doing this. Like I don't want to do it for fun anymore. It's whatever. And then that's when I was kind of like, that's probably not a good thing. So maybe I shouldn't do this.
Jenn (08:28.018)
Jenn (08:53.972)
Yeah, if you got like burnt out kind of.
Nicole (08:56.024)
it was brutal. then, and then I ended up going to school for a double major. This is, this is going to rock some people's world. went to Trent University for a double major in biological anthropology and archeology with a double minor in classical studies and Latin. and I was just like, cause I loved, I love, I do enjoy that kind of stuff. Like it's, find it fascinating. I can.
Jenn (09:14.089)
Wow.
Jenn (09:21.164)
Okay.
Nicole (09:23.137)
basically tell you every Greek myth off the top of my head. Like, know all the, because that was kind of my area that I preferred, like the specialization was Greek myth and mythology. All the gods, all the Roman equivalents with the planets and stuff like that, like that was kind of, and it's very, very strange, I know. And then realize that the only real job I could do with that was become a professor if I wanted to actually
Jenn (09:28.164)
that's so cool.
Jenn (09:36.066)
Okay.
Jenn (09:44.908)
But it's fascinating.
Jenn (09:51.541)
Okay.
Nicole (09:53.281)
do something with it. Like if you want to go on like archaeological digs and stuff like that, you need a university's backing and to be a university's backing, you need to be a professor. Fun fact. You can't just do that. No, you have to get like, if you're like, okay, I want to dig this because this is my theory, blah, blah, blah, blah, you have to get funding for that. And how you get funding is you're like, okay, you present the university with a thesis and they're like, okay, so you're going to come teach for us. We're going to back you, but we get to stamp that
Jenn (10:02.797)
so you can't just go and do,
Jenn (10:10.302)
Yeah.
Nicole (10:22.829)
our university on it. So.
Jenn (10:26.198)
had no idea that's how it worked. I just thought like, if you want to go dig, you can go to school and just, you know, go wild and not have to teach.
Nicole (10:29.357)
Thank
Nicole (10:32.653)
You, so you could, but you would just be a grunt. Like you would just be the grunt. I didn't, I like, wanted to be the one, okay, this is my theory. This is my idea. I wanted to run the show. And so in order to do that, it's a lot. And I was like, well, I can't, I don't really, I don't really like people, like big crowds of people. Like I can't picture myself like talking to like 300, first of all, I know what I was like as a student. I was a very,
Jenn (10:35.574)
but probably a lot harder.
Jenn (10:45.224)
Yes, exactly. Yeah, that's what I mean.
Jenn (10:53.973)
Yeah.
Nicole (11:02.093)
I was intelligent, but I was very lazy. Like I would do my papers like the day before and stuff like that. And I remember the one paper I wrote in a day and I got the highest mark in the class. And one of my friends was so pissed off because she knew she was with me at the library because she was finishing her paper. And I walked in at like 7 a She's like, are you putting the finishing touches? And I was like, I haven't even started it yet. And it was like, it was like due at four. So seven till whatever three thirty, I wrote this paper, handed it in and
Jenn (11:23.677)
Eh, kinda. The whole thing.
Nicole (11:32.225)
I got the highest mark in the class and the prof was like, you must've spent a while on it. was like, yeah, sure. Yeah, sure.
Jenn (11:37.923)
yeah, I was so bad for that though. Like I would procrastinate until the end and then just somehow be able to like whip it up last minute and make it work. But that's just how it works.
Nicole (11:44.973)
I was the worst for that. So and I always pulled through like it was never late or anything like that. And I always got good grades. It's just I was so bad at procrastinating.
Jenn (11:57.332)
Yeah, but I mean, hey, if you got the grades and you got it done, that's all that matters.
Nicole (12:00.513)
Well, and I mean, under pressure, like that's, guess I just thrive under pressure. Like, so.
Jenn (12:04.522)
Mm -hmm. Yeah, I think so. Me too. So then once you decided that, like, or once you realized you had to become a professor is that when you were kind of like, okay, I'm going to go into automotive or was there still?
Nicole (12:16.162)
No, no. So I was running actually the warehouse at Leon's for a bit. I just I wasn't sure. I was like, whatever, this is a job. It's paying the bills. I was still living at home, so I didn't have a whole hell of a lot of bills to pay. And I was like, I don't really want to waste any more money. I was doing some music stuff like just for fun at that point. And I was like, I don't really want to waste any more money until I know what I'm doing. And I did that for a few years. And it was funny the one day like I was doing an oil change on my car because I
Jenn (12:20.94)
Okay.
Jenn (12:27.606)
Yeah.
Nicole (12:44.113)
used to do my own stuff on my car. And I've always been like, I like to work with my hands. that's, I like, I do woodworking as well for fun. Like I build, I built cornhole boards and stuff like that. So I've always liked working with my hands. So I was doing the oil change on my car and I was like, okay, wait a second. This is like, there's, there's shops out there. Like I can do this. Like, this is kind of cool.
Jenn (12:46.923)
Okay.
Jenn (12:55.051)
cool.
Nicole (13:13.771)
Like I'm decent at it. So I did my research, went to Mohawk and did a two year program there. got a job halfway through my second year. I started at Mercedes. They took me on, they took me on part time. so then, I started working there part time while I was still in school. So I started getting my hours for the apprenticeship and stuff like that right then and there. not that they do hours anymore, but,
Jenn (13:25.877)
Awesome.
Jenn (13:36.407)
Okay.
Jenn (13:41.085)
they don't? Is it just like straight?
Nicole (13:42.409)
They kind of are just like, have you been doing it for three years? Okay, sign off on your book. Cool. You can go write your test. yeah, so that's kind of just where it happened. it's kind of funny. it's not something I'm, this is gonna sound really bad. It's not something I'm crazy passionate about. I'm not like a crazy car girl or anything like that. Like, yes, do I find some vehicles like really, like I love classic cars. I think they're beautiful.
Jenn (13:49.345)
Okay.
Jenn (14:06.37)
Okay.
Nicole (14:11.913)
I like working on them, but I've like after the whole music thing, I'm like, I don't think you really like make a full career out of something you're passionate about because I mean, in my case, maybe it's just me. I found that it made me resent it. So I like like I like cars well and good and I'm good at what I do. Am I like crazy passionate about it? Like, no, like I don't have a car that I'm trying to rebuild.
Jenn (14:29.462)
Yeah, I can totally see that.
Nicole (14:40.321)
like in my home right now that I'm now just like sick of and I don't wanna do it. Like I don't have, yeah. And I'm just like, I don't like I come home from work and I do the things I am passionate about. And it's not that I hate my job. I do enjoy going to work. I love the people I work for. I love the people I work with. Like, and again, it's just like I'm good at it. So, and yeah, it's just.
Jenn (14:45.778)
Yeah, which totally happens to mechanics that are car crazy.
Jenn (14:58.796)
Good.
Jenn (15:06.892)
And it's always something different. And like you said, like you're working with your hands and stuff like that. So I can see that being really nice. Absolutely.
Nicole (15:10.569)
yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's such a six step process.
Jenn (15:15.852)
That's how that led to that. Amazing. wasn't sure. Cause like, yeah, you were saying like, but everything is it seems like, yeah, whenever people finally find their job, I mean, it's kind of rare to come out of high school and know exactly what you want to do and stick with that for the rest of your life.
Nicole (15:30.701)
don't think they should force kids to make that decision at 17, 18. Like that's a tough, and I know what I went through and I know what my sister went through. It is such a tough decision. Even like some of my friends that I went to university and stuff with, they're not doing the same thing they went to university for. Most of them went back to college or did something else. Like, it's crazy. It's crazy.
Jenn (15:35.221)
I know.
Jenn (15:53.494)
Yep, same here.
Absolutely. I went to school to be like a vet tech and I think almost all of the girls I was in school with like are doing something else now because mostly because like the hours and the money aren't the most amazing for what you're doing. But yeah, I mean.
Nicole (16:09.365)
Yeah, yeah, no, I've definitely heard that about that tech.
Jenn (16:14.444)
A lot of work for, yeah, a thankless job.
Nicole (16:15.919)
I feel like that would be something you have to be like really you do have to be passionate about it like it's something you have to love because it like you said it's a thankless job. It's kind of like
Jenn (16:25.152)
Yeah, for sure. And then you have to be able to like put the emotions aside.
Nicole (16:28.609)
Well, it's kind of like PSW ECE, like that kind of stuff. Like, thankless job. Like Caitlin, she's PSW. She will get the shit kicked out of her by residents and stuff like that. yeah. It's crazy. She's come home with, she come home with like a massive scratch down her face. yeah. But she can't do anything about it. She has to sit there and take it and still change the diaper or do the change or whatever. Like.
Jenn (16:32.578)
That's true.
Jenn (16:40.162)
That can be such a hard job. my God. Especially when people are like aggressive.
Jenn (16:49.266)
God.
Jenn (16:54.144)
Yeah.
Whatever she's going to do. I can.
Nicole (16:57.397)
one of the sayings, yeah, like I think I, those people are wildly underpaid. Like for what they, like it's crazy. it's crazy.
Jenn (17:03.914)
absolutely. For sure. For what they deal with. Yeah, it's nuts. And like, it's a physically laborious job too.
Nicole (17:11.713)
yeah. Yep.
Jenn (17:13.782)
Dang. So I didn't realize you did music until like a couple of weeks ago. Whenever I saw a few of your posts, you were like playing guitar and all of that. And I was like, my gosh, I had no idea whatsoever. And now to find out it's like a huge passion of yours. That's amazing.
Nicole (17:23.393)
I've been playing guitar for over...
Nicole (17:27.661)
over 20 years. I started when I was five.
Jenn (17:30.956)
Do you do like local events and stuff now kind of, or train? awesome.
Nicole (17:34.071)
Yep, yep, so I started playing guitar when I was five or six, something like that. it's been a long time. Been a very long time I've been playing guitar. Singing probably since I could talk I was singing. Yep, fun fact, I was on Canadian Isle. The very last season,
Jenn (17:41.546)
Really? Okay.
Jenn (17:51.105)
Really?
Jenn (17:55.374)
my God, had no idea. Well, of course, how would I know?
Nicole (18:00.813)
I think I was 15 or 16 at the time, whatever the youngest one was. And I got cut because they're like, you're just like, went to Toronto and all that fun stuff. do you know, like those shows, again, fun fact, those shows, you have to go through like three auditions before you actually see the judges that are on TV. You don't just, so you don't just walk in and see them.
Jenn (18:12.55)
my god.
Jenn (18:23.829)
Really?
Nicole (18:28.981)
You go. So I had to go through two or three different trailers before seeing them. It's like a no, it's all in one day. And so and then it kind of gave new light. So I'm like, OK, because I'm sure most people have seen Canadian Idol and American Idol like they put there's some bad people on there. And that's when I was like. Yeah, they put it's for viewership. It's for TV.
Jenn (18:36.512)
And is this over like a period of a few days or? my God.
Jenn (18:47.851)
Yeah.
Well, that's what I was saying. I'm like, how did they do this vetting prod?
Jenn (18:57.568)
That makes sense.
Nicole (18:58.781)
And like, it's crazy to see like, it was, I was mind blown. Like I didn't know until like, cause you wait in line and you do the whoo.
Nicole (19:10.861)
yeah. And it's all excitement. And then we all went back and then, there's like 60 trailers set up to do these, certain, it's insane. It is, it's actually a huge process. And I'm like, okay, so now like knowing that I'm like, okay, so you guys literally put terrible people through telling them like, yeah, you're good. Go see the main jet. Yeah. And I'm like, that is horrible. Like I always thought.
Jenn (19:11.21)
Everyone's freaking out.
Jenn (19:21.981)
wow.
Jenn (19:34.23)
or the entertainment.
Jenn (19:38.806)
Those are the videos that go viral.
Nicole (19:41.063)
I always thought that it was just like you walk in, you go see those three judges, that's it, that's all. Most people do think that. People were mind blown when I told them that. I was like, no, no, no, it's like a, it's a process. yeah. And they're like.
Jenn (19:51.252)
It's so set up kind of. That's nuts. I just assumed, because I'm like, why would there be people on there that are just like terrible? How would they get through a vetting process? That is so funny. And that totally makes sense. Yeah.
Nicole (20:00.309)
they strictly do it for the ratings, the viewership. because that's, I remember my dad, he used to watch American Idol just to see those people. He's like, it's kind of funny, but it's kind of sad. And I'm like, it's kind of really sad. Like, yeah, it is really sad. Cause like these poor people get put through like these three pre -screening judges.
Jenn (20:11.784)
Yeah, totally.
knowing this, it's extra sad. Absolutely.
Nicole (20:25.037)
Like, my God, yeah, you're, going through the next round bullfuck not knowing that they're just going to get ripped apart. Like, yes. there's still clips on YouTube that show up when I'm scrolling through YouTube and it'll be like, this time, like 10, 15 years ago, like, I'm like, my God. Like that's still, and it's got millions of views. It's just, yeah. yeah. Yeah. So.
Jenn (20:31.682)
And then shared on YouTube and whatever for the next like 10 years.
Jenn (20:44.578)
Jesus, yeah. Lives on forever. That's terrible. So now you do, like, do you local shows often or is it just kind of like a special occasions kind of thing?
Nicole (20:57.773)
I'm getting more into it. So I used to do local shows. So this is another huge story. When I was living in Burlington, Burlington area, I wasn't a band. I did band stuff. I did solo stuff, just my guitar and me singing, did that. I actually got into like a horrific car accident in January of 2020. So I couldn't pick up my guitar for six, seven months after that.
Jenn (21:00.768)
good.
Jenn (21:22.137)
wow.
Nicole (21:27.565)
and then kind of just like, eventually I started picking it up, but I would get sore really quick and I, so I hadn't played on stage since 2019, I think was the last time I, before this. So before, what the next part of the story is. So yeah, I think 2019 was the last time I played on stage with my guitar and me. Now I had filled in
Jenn (21:28.098)
Okay.
Nicole (21:56.397)
a couple of times for friends bands just doing vocals, but that's super simple. You just hold a mic and just sing. Like it wasn't me playing and it was a full band behind me. I didn't actually get back on stage until July of 2023 when Caitlin, we were up in lion's head and she was like, I'm going to take you to live music. Cause I always liked listening to live music regardless of where it is. Like it's super fun. Turns out it was actually an open mic night.
Jenn (22:00.61)
Okay.
Jenn (22:21.92)
Mm -hmm, me too.
Nicole (22:26.029)
And she had mentioned to the people, we made friends with a couple, because it was super packed in there. So we had made friends with a couple and they're like, come sit with us and whatever. And we were chatting and Caitlin had told them like, she plays guitar and sings, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then other people heard it and they're like, well, go up, like, blah, blah, blah, like, go, go, go. And I was like, don't like, was like, don't really want to. It's been so long since I've like played guitar and sang in front of people, like in this magnitude, like I didn't want to do it.
Jenn (22:27.241)
Awesome.
Jenn (22:46.711)
Hmm.
Nicole (22:56.361)
And then finally a tequila shot later and I was like, all right, let's do this. I was like, it's like, God, we're gonna do it. So I did it. Eruption. Like the crowd went nuts. They wanted me to keep playing. They actually kind of wanted the open mic night band to stop and they wanted me to just keep going and going and going. When I did, I think four or five songs, I got off. And then once like that, the open mic host band was like finishing.
Jenn (23:00.674)
That helps, always.
Jenn (23:09.815)
my God.
Nicole (23:25.643)
the crowd started chanting my name again to go up again. And then I was like, okay, so I did. then, so that was up in Lion's head. And then a gentleman up there, he hosts every year. He calls it Boilapalooza, his last name's Boil. And it's like a, it's a huge event in his backyard because he's got a huge yard. So he sets up a whole stage and it's from like noon to like,
Jenn (23:28.81)
my god.
Jenn (23:45.289)
okay.
Nicole (23:53.837)
11 o 'clock at night of all day music. So he invited me up there to play last year. And it's always September, it's a Sunday of September long weekend. So yesterday I hosted the fishing Derby and then went up there to play. yeah, long day, long day. So he invited me, he was at the open mic night and he invited me to that. And again, like I went and played in line's head and everybody went nuts.
Jenn (24:05.972)
my God.
Nicole (24:17.799)
And from there, a gentleman was there with one of the legions. He's like, want you to come play at the Legion. And just people started kind of like hearing about me through the grapevine and started like, yeah. And then kind of just started booking gigs. Well, let me rephrase that. Caitlin started booking gigs for me because she's kind of, well, she's the one that kind of pushed me back into it. I mean, it wasn't really so much as a push, a tequila shot, but still like.
Jenn (24:30.239)
it goes.
Jenn (24:37.242)
She's your manager.
Jenn (24:44.129)
Yeah.
Nicole (24:45.165)
It was I was so nervous because I hadn't done it for so long. was like, can I still do it? Like and then so my parents actually yesterday they came up, they were up for the weekend and they came up to Lion's Head with us for that. And they hadn't seen me play since 2019. And my dad is actually in tears, like seeing like he he came up to me after with tears in his eyes and he's like, my God, I'm so proud of you. Like, it's amazing to see. I can start crying thinking of it. He's like, it's amazing to see you like.
Jenn (25:12.514)
That's beautiful.
Nicole (25:13.897)
up here doing this and how much the crowd loves you. Like people were going up to them and saying like, your daughter's amazing. we, like it was just, and just brought tears to his eyes. He went to the owner. He went to Pat after and was like, thank you so much for letting my daughter play here. And Pat was just like, no, Nicole, like, no, Jamie, but like, we love Nicole. Like we want her up here every year. She's amazing. She's so talented. And again, he's just, I've never, my dad's a man that doesn't cry. Like the last, the last time I seen him cry was when
Jenn (25:38.732)
He, really, okay, so.
Nicole (25:43.405)
he put his like beloved lab down like over 20 years ago. Like that was the only one and only time I've seen my father cry.
Jenn (25:51.82)
He must've been like unrealistically proud, like just over the moon.
Nicole (25:54.465)
and like, and even my mom was just like, okay. Like my mom was super happy too, but like she, she's like, yeah, she's like, okay. Like, but so yeah, that was, that was really cool. Like all that. And now I just do, like, I also do pubs, you know, the pub scene, bar scene, like go around there. I host an open mic night in Hanover, like one of the town over from me once, once a month in the winter months, not in the summer.
Jenn (26:00.982)
that she was kind of like thrown off probably.
Jenn (26:11.082)
Sweet. Yeah. I like that.
Jenn (26:18.028)
Really?
Nicole (26:21.975)
Cause up here, everyone in the summer goes to their RV trailer parks and stuff like that. And I usually, so I will play at the trailer parks or the RV parks on Saturday night sometimes. So, cause there's a, there is a ton of them around here, like a ton. So that's where most of the people, that's where most of the people go during the summer, on their Saturdays, which I would too. That's like, like, so usually like we're starting it back up.
Jenn (26:28.107)
Okay.
Jenn (26:34.737)
that's awesome.
Jenn (26:40.076)
Okay.
Jenn (26:46.902)
Yeah, absolutely, if you got it.
Nicole (26:51.159)
We're actually hosting, well, I'm hosting a massive like Halloween open mic night bash. Cause we're to start it back up in October because we usually do the last Saturday month and the last Saturday of September is duck opener. So I will not be here for that. Like, so I was like October, October, we can do it. And it's kind of cool because it's Halloween too. So we'll do like a big costume contest and open mic night and music and fun and it'll be a great time. So yeah.
Jenn (27:04.726)
Good, okay.
Jenn (27:14.562)
That'll be so fun. Absolutely. What kind of music do you play? Okay.
Nicole (27:19.283)
everything. So it's really funny. I have done everything from like Cash to Elvis to like Ed Sheeran, Train, Country, like I've done Zac Brown Band, I cover a few of their songs, Chris Stapleton, like I have such, because like to me, if you're gonna hit a crowd properly, you have to have a bit of everything. You
Jenn (27:30.784)
I love it, okay.
Jenn (27:43.766)
Yeah, especially mixed crowd that's not going specifically to see like a country band or a rock band.
Nicole (27:47.957)
Exactly. Like it's just like they're going, you just see live music. like something like what I, what I do, like if I'm driving somewhere, it's like, live music on Friday or Saturday night. Let's go check it out. I don't even know who the hell they are. Like, let's just see what it is. So I find, especially so even yesterday, there was such a mixed crowd there, but I played everything from like classics to like I dropped the Tina Turner, Proud Mary.
Jenn (28:00.62)
Yeah.
Nicole (28:15.807)
as my final song and like every single person was up there dancing. Yeah. So it's just, find that you have to be able to play everything. You can't stick to a certain genre. Otherwise, otherwise you're gonna lose a crowd. Like it just makes the most sense. Yeah.
Jenn (28:15.916)
That's amazing. that would have been good.
Jenn (28:26.602)
Yeah, if you're going to go around like that, that makes sense.
Yeah, I can see that. For sure. Even if someone doesn't like, the current song you're playing, the next one will keep them hooked if it's something different. Are you coaching again this year? sorry.
Nicole (28:38.161)
Exactly. Yeah. Cause I don't know. I'm undecided on that yet because with my pot, like I would like, you have no idea. It is just, huh, there's stuff I can't even talk about on this platform. I would like to, I do quite enjoy coaching. especially cause my little guy too now has expressed interest in becoming a goalie. So, which is what I played.
Jenn (28:46.1)
Okay. It sounds like there's so much going on.
Jenn (28:55.04)
Amazing.
Jenn (29:05.749)
cool.
Nicole (29:08.077)
but again, it's going to depend on like my schedule with like hunting stuff. Like I've got a bunch of hunting trips and stuff to do. And then also my podcast stuff, I'm doing some filming, so I'm kind of branching out from the podcast side of things. And we'll be doing like actual filmed episodes for like YouTube and stuff like that of like hunts and then like cooks and stuff like that. like recipes, everything like that. so I'm kind of branching out from.
Jenn (29:29.09)
Good.
Nicole (29:36.877)
that side of things. So I don't know if I want to add the coaching to my plate. Now I might if he has like a coach, if there's a coach sign up, I might be like, hey, like I can help out. cause usually, cause we get the kids, we have the kids 50 50. so, so like on the weeks that we don't have the kids is when I usually do these hunting and fishing trips and stuff like that. so on the weeks that we have the kids, can just be like, Hey coach, if you need a hand or whatever, or
Jenn (29:49.11)
Yeah.
Jenn (29:53.668)
okay.
Nicole (30:05.963)
I'll come out and skate. that's why, that way I'm still kind of in like involved in it. But it's just not consuming my life because being a coach consumes a lot of your winter.
Jenn (30:18.784)
really? Well guess yeah. mean anyone that I know that has kids that are into hockey like their lives are just focused on hockey.
Nicole (30:19.304)
a lot.
Nicole (30:23.891)
It's, and I mean, we already like, have three kids in three different directions. We got one in hockey, one in gymnastics and one in horseback riding. And that's just in the winter. In the summer, Christian plays baseball. So there's always three kids going in three different directions. So it's just, it's hard. And especially cause like with Mia's horseback riding too, it was hard cause Christian played rep ball this year and then Mia had her horseback riding. So we got two kids that are doing so much in the summer.
Jenn (30:33.367)
Mm.
Jenn (30:41.516)
That's a lot.
Nicole (30:51.649)
That's why I wasn't really able to do much recording because I'm like this way, this way, that way, every way. So it's, it's, I think the horseback riding will slow a bit in the winter. It might just be her like one less than a week type thing. Yeah. Nobody wants to be in a barn freezing their ass off. Yeah. It's not for me. I'd rather be, I find the arena is just not as like frigid as like being outside.
Jenn (30:55.263)
yeah, that's true.
Jenn (31:07.53)
once it gets like kind of cold and
Stand out there, yeah.
Nicole (31:20.459)
Like, at least it's kind of.
Jenn (31:20.81)
Yeah, like it's still pretty damp in the arenas. It definitely cuts the wind, but on a cold day, not pleasant.
Nicole (31:24.405)
That's really what it is, the wind. No, no. So hopefully, I mean, like I said, we'll see. We'll have to see where my schedule is. Like I've already got duck open and plan. I'm going up in a couple of weeks to Waterfalls Lodge with Lorianne from Canadian Sports Women's Society. We're helping host a ladies weekend up there. we're going up. Yeah, we're going up for four days there. Really excited for that. I've been looking forward to that like all summer.
Jenn (31:46.625)
that's awesome.
Nicole (31:53.377)
Hopefully gonna get some gross, because I want to do a smoked jerk spatchcock gross.
Jenn (32:01.026)
That sounds delicious. Gross is so good. my God, yeah. you putting that on YouTube is like, I think that's going to be amazing because everybody needs to, people are trying to figure out how to cook the things that they hunt.
Nicole (32:02.143)
That's what I want to do because it's so good. It's so good.
Nicole (32:15.787)
And that's like, so many people are intimidated by it. Like most people are just like sausage or whatever, or they just do like, they won't branch out their hunting because they're like, well, why would I hunt grouse or pheasant? What could I do with it? lots. Hold on. Hold my beer. Let me show you what you can do with it. Like, especially cause like a little gross, like that's a, like one meal for a person. Like you get like four or five, you spatchcock those. Like I want to do jerk cause I love jerk. I don't know about everybody else, but.
Jenn (32:27.882)
Yes. Exactly.
Nicole (32:43.541)
And then like, again, I'm obsessed with smoked meat of any variety. Like I love, I love using my smoker. I love using my smoker. So yeah, like most people just go for the deer or the goose and they're like, well, I'll just make it into sausage. It's like, no, no, no, there's so much you can do with it other than that. Yeah. Or the pastrami for goose. know a lot of people now the pastrami is delicious and I will always do like some pastrami. Like a goose Reuben is like chef's kiss.
Jenn (32:47.887)
Mmm. Yeah, I know. Everything's good on the smoker.
Jenn (33:00.834)
Sausage and jerky is like what everyone goes to.
Jenn (33:11.996)
I still have not done the pastrami. I really have to do it this year. It sounds amazing.
Nicole (33:14.025)
So good, so good, so good. And the meat eater, is it the meat eater? His recipe, I think.
Jenn (33:20.446)
Mm -hmm. I think he has a okay. That's the one I keep like getting recommended every time I say I want to make that everyone's like do the meat eater one
Nicole (33:24.565)
It's his recipe. It's his, yeah, it's his recipe and it's fantastic. Like it's actually like fantastic. but yeah.
Jenn (33:34.294)
That's awesome. Yeah, I definitely have to try it. I have it saved. I'm going to do it this year, like chem hell or high water. Yes, absolutely. So the usage you were going for duck with CSS or are you going for a duck opener?
Nicole (33:39.049)
As you should, it's so good.
Nicole (33:47.389)
No, duck opener. I think I'm actually going to Niagara to try and get my first woody because I'm still, I'm still like chasing after that woody. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with them. I think they're beautiful. And yeah, so I really, I really want a woody and my buddy Eugene, he's, I don't know if you follow him on Instagram, 10d and outdoors, and he does all the smoker stuff. He's in, he works for Traeger. He's
Jenn (33:53.396)
Ooh, very cool.
Jenn (34:01.1)
They're gorgeous.
Jenn (34:12.674)
think so.
Nicole (34:16.053)
an incredible cook himself and he does a lot of the smoke stuff. So he's a buddy of mine and I think he's he and I are going to go out on opener for some woodies. That's the tentative planned. Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I'm pretty excited for that one. I'm doing one with the decoy daddy. Me and Eric actually went to high school together. So and we kind of reconnected at the sportsman show when I went over to chat with him.
Jenn (34:18.06)
Okay.
Jenn (34:27.108)
that's going to be awesome. Okay. What other hunts do you have like plan this year?
Nicole (34:44.341)
And he was like, I recognize you. I was like, I kind of, I'm like, where'd you grow up? No, we were like, like we were kind of, cause we both have changed since high school. Like I need to bring on the yearbooks and just compare the pictures. but yeah. So he's also younger than me. So it was not like a huge, it was, yeah. It wasn't like I seen him every day. I just knew like I knew of him.
Jenn (34:49.379)
you didn't realize before that.
Jenn (35:05.707)
you weren't like in classes or anything.
Jenn (35:10.956)
Okay.
Nicole (35:12.011)
Well, once I figured out who the hell he was. And then, yeah, so I was like, where'd you grow up? Burlington. was like, hey, me too. Like high school, MM. He's like, yeah, MM. I was like, okay. So yeah. And then sure as shit, when I went to go check my yearbooks, there he was. And then I was like, my God. So me and him, me and him have been chatting a lot and like, cause he's got the new like silhouettes in Canada, the decoy daddy stuff. have the daddy hook. That thing is fucking brilliant.
Jenn (35:26.773)
that's not.
Jenn (35:36.586)
Mm -hmm. Yes, I have the daddy hook and the dirty dozen.
Nicole (35:41.067)
Yeah, see, I've got the silos too, but that hook is fucking brilliant.
Jenn (35:45.714)
I know I set them up in my yard and I was just kind of like playing with it to see how it works. I'm like, I can't wait until Goose season. This is going to be so handy.
Nicole (35:50.899)
I'm getting a second one just so it's gonna just be like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Like it's, it's a, it is a game changer. Like.
Jenn (35:55.912)
Yes, can you imagine? Both hands.
I got an orange because I know I'm going to drop it out in the field and lose it. Yeah.
Nicole (36:02.465)
That's exactly why I got it in orange too. I was like, I am going to drop this and break it. So Thanksgiving weekend, think I'll be, cause I'm going down to Burlington anyway for my family for Thanksgiving. So I think we'll end up hunting this Saturday. Then I'm doing a Canadian huntress. She is hosting a ladies hunt. I'm going up there to actually cook and help guide it. So yeah, she's doing a goose hunt. Yeah, so it's a goose hunt up in,
Jenn (36:26.332)
very cool. What kind of hunt is she doing? Goose, awesome.
Nicole (36:33.613)
think it's Kingston area, just past Kingston a little bit. No, so I'm gonna be cooking for that and then help with the setup, takedown, guiding, like the calling and stuff like that. It'll be me and another guy that are kind of doing the work for it. So that'll be new for me, more work, but I'm kind of looking forward to it.
Jenn (36:36.387)
nice. Not too far from me.
Jenn (36:49.578)
Okay, cool.
Yeah, the other end of the hunt. That'll be really fun.
Nicole (36:56.597)
Yeah. So I'm kind of looking forward to that. And then there would probably just be like, obviously deer hunting in there somewhere, pheasant hunting in there somewhere gross. Like we have a ton of gross on our farm property. like doing that rabbit, rabbit squirrel with the kids, cause the kids love rabbit. So, they love it.
Jenn (37:09.954)
That'll be awesome. Absolutely.
Jenn (37:17.608)
really good. Okay. I know a lot of people that like, don't like it for some reason, but I think it's just kind of how it's cooked.
Nicole (37:21.575)
So my, she was four at the time. we went, we were like, and they want to be involved in it. We're like, okay, me and mommy are going to go walk the property and see, like, see if we can get anything. So anyway, we're walking the property last year and she was four at the time. And I was trying to get Caitlin on something because she hadn't harvested anything yet. So we're walking the property. couldn't find any gross, whatever we're walking. Finally, I see a rabbit and I'm like, Caitlin, there's a rabbit.
Jenn (37:29.461)
I love that.
Nicole (37:49.333)
And she's looking at her, she's like, where? And Mia, my eldest, was like, mom, the rabbit's right there. And I'm like, this rabbit's gonna be gone in a second. I'm like, Caitlin, it's right there. Finally, she sees it, shoots it, and then it starts crying and doing the rabbity things or whatever. And then we both just kind of look down and realize the four -year -old's right there. She's got on her big headphones, but we're like, shit, we just killed something in front of her. And...
Jenn (37:56.684)
by the time you see it.
Jenn (38:10.187)
Yeah.
Jenn (38:15.106)
How's she gonna react?
Nicole (38:16.587)
So whatever, I have to finish it off. So I just kind of take it, snap its neck and like, whatever. So we're walking, yeah, we're walking back and we're like, is like, do you know why we did that? She's like, yeah, so we're gonna eat it. Like we're gonna eat it. And I'm like, okay, cool. So we're good. But then we get back to the farm and she goes and sees her brother. She's like, mommy shot a rabbit and killed it and it died and it cried like a baby. It was so cool. And I'm like,
Jenn (38:24.3)
Send it on its way.
Jenn (38:34.422)
Good!
Nicole (38:47.965)
I'm like this four year old.
Jenn (38:49.868)
great reaction, but it could have been like so much worse. I love that reaction based on what it could have been.
Nicole (38:54.973)
I was just, yeah, cause like, I'm not so too concerned about Mia. Like the eldest, she wants to go hunting. She's counting down until she can get her hunting license. She went out turkey hunting with me this year. And like when I got my bird and brought it back to the house, they all wanted to see it. Like, and again, like the head was like busted apart and like it didn't phase them in the slightest. They're like, so what are we eating with that? Like, what are you going to make with it? So they do, they do know that we do utilize
Jenn (39:03.862)
Good.
Jenn (39:14.314)
Yeah.
Nicole (39:24.523)
Like all of it.
Jenn (39:25.664)
The food, yeah, you know, they know the actual reason that you're hunting.
Nicole (39:29.237)
Well, even so the turkey, like the turkey, like the gizzards and all the icky crap, like the stuff that you can't eat. So the farm has barn cats that keep the mice away. And Caitlin's mom was just like, hey, can like, yeah, she was like, hey, can I just have that just to feed them? I was like, here you go. Absolutely. Like every bit of the meat gets used. It's not like we just tossed away for nothing. No.
Jenn (39:36.833)
Yeah.
Jenn (39:41.826)
They love it.
Jenn (39:52.406)
Yep, absolutely. Nothing goes to waste. Nothing crazy like that.
Nicole (39:56.993)
No, because you can, even hearts. love hearts. I'm a weirdo. love hearts. Goose heart stir fry. Like so good. So good.
Jenn (39:59.766)
Me too, it's so good.
I know, for sure. There were so many times this year that like I would go goose hunting on the weekend and then just kind of pull a bunch of the hearts and through the week just fry that up with like onions or something and have that for lunch.
Nicole (40:16.745)
It's easy. it's super, like, Deerheart is like the best. Mooseheart, Deerheart, like, I love hearts.
Jenn (40:21.727)
Amazing.
I wonder if people don't like them because they just like are kind of not intimidated by them, but kind of grossed out by what they are.
Nicole (40:29.591)
Probably, because people probably think hearts and they're like, I also like brain. You fry a little bit of brain and garlic and butter and onion. I'm weird, I do like brain. It's like, if you kind of put it on like a crostini cracker or something, kind of like a pate, think it is type thing. But yeah, you do your brain and a little bit of garlic, butter.
Jenn (40:34.05)
It's just that.
Jenn (40:37.948)
I have not tried that.
I'm surprised I haven't tried that because I eat.
Jenn (40:47.926)
That's okay. can.
Nicole (40:59.359)
onion, lemon type thing, whatever, just, that's so good. So good. It's like a little snack.
Jenn (41:04.128)
And it tastes kind of just like a pate, I guess, right?
Nicole (41:06.349)
It's probably more of a texture thing than anything, but yeah. It tastes more like the garlic and the butter and whatever you spice it with. Pardon me. Yeah. Yeah. But again, I'm weird. So.
Jenn (41:10.838)
Huh, I'm gonna try that this year.
Okay, it kind of absorbs the flavor. That makes sense. No, that sounds good. I eat all the weird things, so I like that. kind of, yeah, I should look at other ways to...
Nicole (41:24.309)
Again, I'm European, I'm European. Like we used to pig's feet for God's sake. yeah. No, no, no. I've done an eyeball. It was the most mortifying experience of my life.
Jenn (41:29.526)
Have you done the pig's tongue? Pickled pig's tongue? It's good. Really?
Jenn (41:39.998)
like it would just pop in your mouth like a a gush or candy
Nicole (41:42.669)
so one of when I was growing up, my sister, her hockey team, one of the dads always had like a pig roast every year. So we go there and one of the hockey dads is like, hey, Nicole, like, I'll give you 100 bucks to eat the eyeball. And I was going out later that night for a friend's birthday. So I was like. I was like, I'm a 19, 20 year old university broke student. So, yeah, I'll take that 100 bucks and go pay my beer for the night. So anyway.
Jenn (41:52.587)
Okay.
Jenn (42:03.212)
That hundred bucks looking real good.
Jenn (42:11.945)
Love it.
Nicole (42:12.397)
I do it. And as you said, the first chomp, it like squirts right to the back of my throat. And I had to, I literally was like swallow, swallow, chew, chew, swallow, get it all down. 100. I lasted like all of two minutes and I was like, okay, well, I'm to go get ready. Bye. See ya. Get in my car, drive literally around the corner door open and just gone. It was the worst, but I won. I got the hundred bucks. Like I got the Hyundai.
Jenn (42:34.197)
Bye.
Jenn (42:39.99)
least you got the hundred and a really good story.
Nicole (42:42.495)
I got the Hyundai and like, was the worst thing. And I mean, I'm also not even a huge fan of Olives. Like I just, I'm not the biggest fan of Olives. No. So it was just like anything like that. Like it's just, and.
Jenn (42:49.666)
there's nothing good about that.
Jenn (42:56.684)
feel like it would be too big to like swallow whole like a pill so you'd have to crunch down on it.
Nicole (42:59.251)
No, you literally have to. Yeah. It's and it's multiple bites and it's just, it's straight out of fear factor. It's straight out of fear factor. Like if, and I made him, I was like, you need to put the Hyundai like on the table right now. Like I need to know, like this is like legit before I do it. So he did. He did. I would have been so, I would have probably hit him, but no, he put it right down on the table. And I was like, all right. Okay. God. Yeah.
Jenn (43:05.826)
I can't do it. Yeah, that sounds terrible.
Jenn (43:17.538)
Absolutely. Can you imagine doing that without getting? Yeah, for sure.
Jenn (43:27.702)
worth it. Absolutely. Especially back then when you're like a broke college student. People have done a lot worse for a lot less.
Nicole (43:31.117)
yeah. yeah. And beer was cheaper back then too. So it was perfect. Like a hundred dollars went, yeah, a hundred dollars went a way longer way last year. Or like when I was like 19. yeah. Now a hundred bucks to get you like an appy and two beers. Yeah. It's crazy. Right? Yeah.
Jenn (43:38.326)
You can buy your friends beer even. Yeah, absolutely. Back in the day.
A couple of beers and yeah, if you're lucky in the door, maybe. my God. When are we fishing this year? Is it February?
Nicole (43:58.595)
end of January, I think, or beginning of February. I think it's like a, it starts on like January 30th and like goes to February 2nd or something. It's like a mixed day type thing. It's, it's either the, yeah, it's got it like the last week, the first week of January, February. Yeah. I'm pretty excited. Nipissing is, Nipissing is awesome. I love Nipissing. I love just sleep. Have you like ever done the sleep on the ice thing?
Jenn (44:00.458)
January yes that's going to be exciting.
Jenn (44:08.226)
I can't wait.
Jenn (44:14.687)
Nice. Yeah, me too.
I haven't fished it yet.
Jenn (44:24.074)
No, I haven't. No, we did, was it Tim Hales a couple of years ago when we had like a cottage or something or like an Airbnb kind of deal, but I haven't done the sleep on the ice thing yet. Yeah.
Nicole (44:29.333)
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Nicole (44:35.337)
It's definitely a lot of fun and it's kind of cool because you can like literally just keep your rod in the water the entire time. Or if you're like me, you throw a tip up in and because I usually like for that kind of stuff, I will throw a tip ups in. Well, yeah, overnight. And if that's happened before, like bell went off and caught a nice walleye in the of the night. So it's, it's, it's a good time. And it's nice because I guess the Sharks are all going to be near each other too. So we'll be able to go do.
Jenn (44:47.468)
Throw a bell on it.
Jenn (44:56.002)
That's freaking awesome. I cannot wait. I'm so excited.
Yeah, it's gonna be really fun.
Nicole (45:05.581)
cruises around and see people when like the fishing. Well, when the fishing gets slow too, like we're just like, okay, let's go see somebody else's hut and blah, blah, blah, blah. Like see what's going on there. So.
Jenn (45:08.168)
visit each other.
Jenn (45:16.352)
Yeah, that's how it was when we were at Tim Hales. Like we were all kind of like lined up beside each other. So, you know, fishing slow, we just go and like, Hey, anyone in here catching anything? And you chat for a bit. It passes the time really quickly. And it's always a pretty, pretty cool group of girls you go with.
Nicole (45:19.584)
Yeah.
Nicole (45:27.349)
Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Nicole (45:32.613)
yeah, like it's not with Tara there. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's coming, yeah. But it's never a dull moment with Tara there. You can hear that woman from miles away. She's, yeah, she's quite the character, that one. yeah, yeah.
Jenn (45:34.887)
Never a dull moment. is she coming?
Yay! my god, that's amazing. Good. No, definitely not.
miles down the ice.
Jenn (45:57.1)
She's amazing. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, she had thought we met before.
Nicole (46:01.271)
That was how it all started. She's like, remember that girl? Remember that girl Jen, they come fishing, you have to have her. I'm like, I don't know if I've met her, but I mean, like, I think I follow her.
Jenn (46:10.934)
And then I don't know if she, I think she might've like approached me and been like, Hey, like, I think you met so and so she has a podcast. And I'm like, I don't think I met her, but.
Nicole (46:18.517)
No, I don't know if we've like met in person. Like I didn't think we had met in person. I think we followed each other. I think that like we follow each other, but I don't think we had met in person yet. So we still haven't met in person yet, but just through.
Jenn (46:24.298)
Yeah, for sure.
Jenn (46:30.166)
But no, we're gonna have to get you down for waterfowl goose. Be amazing.
Nicole (46:36.173)
Yes. Yes. I love. Well, and your waterfall was good up there. Like you guys got, like I've shot a bunch of divers up there. Buffy's like, I've shot a bunch of divers up that way. Cause I had like, no. so my friend who runs Canadian Hunter Stana, like I'll usually go up there and like, we'll hunt with our other buddy, like Lance type thing. yeah. Yeah. Honker, the guy that's obsessed with friggin' mergs.
Jenn (46:41.644)
Yeah, we're right along the St. Lawrence, so.
Jenn (46:47.662)
nice.
Did you go with the St. Lawrence guys?
Jenn (47:01.342)
yes, nice, I know Lance. Yep.
is he?
Nicole (47:07.369)
he's obsessed with McGanzers and I don't know why. He just got that stupid duck blind thing or whatever camper and he's calling it like the Merg Motel or something like that. And I'm like, Lance, why? I'm like, why? You like, I would never, that's, that is a bird I will not eat. Like that is, I will not eat a McGanzer.
Jenn (47:16.307)
good lord.
Jenn (47:23.7)
Yeah, I think a lot of people are on the same page, right?
Nicole (47:27.585)
Like it's not for me. I will not eat it. And like, no, like, like, and I will like not shoot if I can tell it's a Morganzer. Like I'm like, no, no, I don't want to shoot it. No. And that's like a huge thing for me. If I'm not going to eat it, then it's, it's not going to be shot. Like that's, it's one of those things where like people talk about wolf hunting and stuff like that. Like if I'm, if I'm not going to eat it, I'm not going to shoot it. Now, Kyo -E's a little different story because they're
Jenn (47:30.828)
Not your deal.
Jenn (47:37.332)
Yeah, for sure. I'm not going to shoot something. I'm not going to eat.
Nicole (47:57.567)
nuisances up here, which is unfortunate. I have eaten coyote, but it's not something I would do on the regular. But they are like a nuisance in.
Jenn (47:59.927)
Yes.
Jenn (48:09.504)
That's it, yeah, and I mean they go after the deer population and then the farmers cows and chickens and livestock and cats and whatever.
Nicole (48:13.983)
Well, that's Caitlin's dad, like their farm. Like she has horses, cows there, stuff like that. and like, he's talked about like beavers there too. So I might do, I want to get into my trappers license for that kind of stuff. Because they do have a lot of stuff to trap on that farm. like there's what is a fisher cat. It's a fisher cat. Yeah.
Jenn (48:21.3)
that's true.
Jenn (48:28.606)
Yah.
Me too.
Jenn (48:41.098)
Yeah, fishers are nasty nasty things.
Nicole (48:43.223)
They're there. They have some big cats apparently on that farm like Caitlin's mom has seen a cougar.
Jenn (48:48.65)
Really? wow, and where are they again? Like are they up here?
Nicole (48:52.117)
We're a Bruce County area, just on your way to the Bruce Peninsula, which is terrifying to think of that there's cougars up in here. And then guess Caitlin's dad called the MNR and was like, what? And I guess they'd said, yeah, there's like so many cougars in like this point A to point B and yeah, it's kind of terrifying. And then think the other thing there's Bobcat. Is it Bobcat, Caitlin?
Jenn (48:55.978)
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Okay.
Jenn (49:03.123)
Yeah.
Jenn (49:08.758)
What do do?
Jenn (49:15.51)
Wow, that's.
Nicole (49:21.643)
Bobcats, there's apparently bobcats around here too. When I, I haven't heard one yet, I don't think, but Caitlin and Mia were trying to find the horses one night and heard something, I guess that probably was a bobcat and Mia took off and left Caitlin alone.
Jenn (49:24.686)
they're gorgeous though.
Jenn (49:34.592)
Ooh, don't they have like a, I was going to say, don't they have like the scariest sound or cry?
Nicole (49:41.527)
That's what I heard. Yeah. It's it's that's what I've heard. I don't think I've heard one yet, but I've heard like the coyotes are like sometimes at night when we're at down at the campsite at our like at our trailer and we hear the coyotes late at night. That is a little crazy. I'm like, we should probably go inside with the dogs. Like, yeah, it's well, and like they're it's a loud pack. Like. Like it.
Jenn (49:48.384)
No, I probably.
Jenn (50:02.183)
yeah, if there's dogs.
Jenn (50:08.183)
Mm Yeah, there's oftentimes I'll be out deer hunting and you'll hear them like right in the bush or right beside you in the field. And it's like, shit.
Nicole (50:14.569)
They ruined our one turkey hunt last year. Like we went, when we went turkey hunting last year, early morning, it was gobbling back at us. We were talking back and forth and all of a sudden like coyotes started making their noise and I don't know if they got it, but then it was all silent after that and nothing come out. And it was moving closer to us. Like it was gobbling closer and closer and then nothing ever came out. after those two coyotes went off, silence. And I was like, yeah.
Jenn (50:18.518)
Really?
Jenn (50:27.49)
startup.
Jenn (50:33.077)
Exactly.
Jenn (50:41.844)
It was probably gone so fast, like.
Nicole (50:43.489)
Like they are, especially when there's like a pack of them.
Jenn (50:46.894)
Yeah, they sound crazy. They're insanely loud. Wow. Well, I'm so happy we were finally able to do this. And yeah, I cannot wait to go hunting and fishing and like actually, actually meet, actually hang out. Exactly. Yeah. It's going to be weird. We've had like so many conversations by podcasts and stuff before. Yeah.
Nicole (50:48.651)
Yeah. It's, it's pretty scary. yeah.
Nicole (51:01.193)
hang out. Yeah, like meet face to face like legit. Yeah.
Nicole (51:10.793)
I know, and like through text messages, like, yeah, like I feel like I know you. Like trading recipes, trading recipes and stuff like that, like after like the wild edibles that we all harvested, like.
Jenn (51:15.656)
Exactly. It seems to be the way it goes. Yes.
Jenn (51:24.012)
Did you get any puffball mushrooms? thought I saw that you harvested some. Maybe it was someone else that I saw.
Nicole (51:27.071)
No, no, no, I would love to. Like puffball parmesan, like I posted on your thing, so good. Like treat it, treat it like a, cause I've gotten puffballs before. And yeah, you just treat it like a chicken parm, but like do like a puffball parm. my God, it's so good. It's so good. Like.
Jenn (51:34.624)
Yes, that's what you had said.
Jenn (51:45.932)
That sounds amazing. The texture and the way it like absorbs the flavors and stuff. Yeah, that would be really good. I'm going to try that. I'll see if anything on the, yeah, I will for sure. Well, thank you so much. Ooh. And actually before we go, if you want to plug, where people can find you and your podcast and everything, that would be amazing.
Nicole (51:50.709)
Yeah, it is. You should. And then let me know how goes. Yeah.
Nicole (52:04.577)
Yep. So my personal Instagram where you'll see a lot of hunting and cooking, pardon me, is thehuntress or at thehuntresschef. So that is my personal Instagram where it is a lot of like my hunts, my fishes, what I do with the game I harvest. My podcast slash show or whatever, however it's going to go is at Canadian woman of the outdoors. And that's on Instagram.
on Facebook, it is also just Canadian woman of the outdoors on YouTube. It's Canadian one of the outdoors. Really simple. Yeah. Yeah.
Jenn (52:39.746)
So simple, it's so easy to find you that way and totally worth like the follow and the listen and everything because you share tons of stuff for like, you know, just getting outside and learning how to take care of your own food and everything, prepare what you harvest. So I love it. Cool. Well, thank you so much.
Nicole (52:52.171)
Yep. Yeah. It's awesome. Well, thank you for having me. I'm really glad we finally were able to sit down and connect. So, yeah. Yeah. I can't wait. Yeah. And we definitely need to plan a hunt or something.
Jenn (53:00.64)
Yeah, me too. Absolutely. Looking forward to ice fishing.
