10 day meal plan for elk bowhunting camp

[houndy65]

I wanted to see what everyone else plans for a 10 day meal plan for bowhunting elk from a base camp was. We'll have 6 to 8 guys in camp.

Thanks; Terry L. Zink

 

[engelwood]

6 guys x 3 meals x 10 days = 180 meals worth of food

8 guys x 3 meals x 10 days = 240 meals worth of food

Wish I could help you out but I'm not as popular as you are. I have a hard enough time figuring out meals for 3 guys for 8 days. I'll be interested to see what others can give you for ideas as one day I hope to have as many hunting buddies as you. Good luck!

 

[huntbux]

Kill an elk on the 1st day and your good to go!

 

[mthunter]

Go buy a microwave and rent a generator and prep meals ahead of time. Use paper plates. No dishes.

 

[CA Karen]

Define Base Camp?..... your camp trailer/motorhome?, tent camping with your truck?, packed in by and outfitter?, packed in by your own backs?

 

[ardrhi]

In a camp full of hunters I go with fast-cooking food and avoid anything that requires washing dishes. I use a lot of dehydrated food pouches (backpacker's pantry, mountain house) and canned food. If you don't want to get stuck with dishes, check the label to make sure that all you have to do is pour boiling water and mix in the bag. Be sure to pack plenty of paper plates and plastic utensils. If I'm going to cook anything, I use a grill or aluminum foil.

For dinner, I boil water and allow everyone to pick from dehydrated pouches and cans of soup. Concentrated soups mixed with boiling water are hot enough for me. I put pre-mixed soup cans on a jetboil. I line my pot with several layers of foil to heat chili. Most of the people that I hunt with eat 1.5-2 servings compared to what the label says. I will also have something fresh like bananas and oranges available.
For a long trip, I do throw in steaks and a grill for the first or second night and something like pizza for the other. Pre-baked potatoes wrapped in 2-3 layers of aluminum foil reheat over the coals in 10 minutes, but they only keep for a few days. Raw potatoes will store for the whole trip in a shady spot - pre wash and wrap in 3-4 layers of foil then throw on the coals for 30-60 minutes. Pizza in a camp fire? Fold it in half (aka calzone), brush oil on the crust, wrap in 4 layers of aluminum foil and cook on the coals, flipping often. Canned chili and a baked potato bar go well later in the trip.
I take gatorade powder for anyone that doesn't want straight water all the time. If they want other beverages, that is up to them.

For breakfast, I plan on a boiled egg and 2 granola bars per person. I usually throw in instant oatmeal for variety and an easy hot breakfast. Powdered milk and creamer can be okay, but don't expect someone to drink them plain. Take plenty of cocoa and/or coffee.

For lunch, I do sandwiches. PBJ is a good standby, but I'm not a fan. Refrigerated lunch meat is a great way to get food poisoning after several days at camp. I might take lunch meat for the first day or two, but that's it. In a cooler I give turkey 2 days, roast beef and ham 3 days, bologna 4 days. Later in the trip, I use summer sausage, pepperoni, and other dry or canned meats/fish. Cheese stores much better than meat. Lower moisture cheeses store longer, but almost any cheese will survive 8 days in a pack unless it gets really hot. I use crackers for about 1/2 of my lunches instead of using bread all the time. Don't forget to have plenty of ziplock baggies. I also throw in a box of apples and carrots to pack with lunch. I leave any other snacks up to the individuals.

Seasoning goes a long way. My essential seasonings are garlic salt (sprinkle it on steak, grouse, deer, elk when grilling), lemon pepper (if I expect to catch fish), black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and oregano. I also take butter - especially for potatoes. Butter is fine as long as it doesn't get above room temperature. Taco sauce and salsa are a great addition to camp food.

Don't forget about water. Filtering takes a lot of time. I actually prefer tablets, but I use them with neutralizers and gatorade powder.

 

[houndy65]

6 guys x 3 meals x 10 days = 180 meals worth of food

8 guys x 3 meals x 10 days = 240 meals worth of food

Wish I could help you out but I'm not as popular as you are. I have a hard enough time figuring out meals for 3 guys for 8 days. I'll be interested to see what others can give you for ideas as one day I hope to have as many hunting buddies as you. Good luck!

You know I thought I ask a question and not get a smart@@# answer, I've got some friends going hunting with me. All I wanted to know what everyone else does, a simple answer or no answer, that would be easy wouldn't it.

Thanks; Terry

 

[houndy65]

Base camp from the truck with wall tents. The horses and 4 wheelers for packing out any elk harvested to make that part a lot easier. We'll have a good time no matter what.

Thank you ardhi, a lot of good ideas, I thought about the Mountain house meals also. My 2 buddies from back east, I have told them to be more then ready to really hunt hard. The rest of us in camp are from Montana and all us are pretty experiened elk hunters, just terrible cooks, lol.

Terry

 

[StHubert]

When my buddy and I went elk hunting last fall this is what we did. We pre-cooked everything then froze it in vacuum sealed bags. Then when it came time to eat we only had to boil the food in the bag to eat it. It worked great, because after a day of hard hunting who wants to cook, specifically for 6 guys. This is where we got all of our recipes from http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/ they have great crock pot recipes that are simple and you put them in the crock pot in the morning then they will be done when you get home from work. We were in grizzly bear country as well, so that was the need for pre cooking everything. Have fun, sounds like a good trip.

 

[StHubert]

In a camp full of hunters I go with fast-cooking food and avoid anything that requires washing dishes. I use a lot of dehydrated food pouches (backpacker's pantry, mountain house) and canned food. If you don't want to get stuck with dishes, check the label to make sure that all you have to do is pour boiling water and mix in the bag. Be sure to pack plenty of paper plates and plastic utensils. If I'm going to cook anything, I use a grill or aluminum foil.

For dinner, I boil water and allow everyone to pick from dehydrated pouches and cans of soup. Concentrated soups mixed with boiling water are hot enough for me. I put pre-mixed soup cans on a jetboil. I line my pot with several layers of foil to heat chili. Most of the people that I hunt with eat 1.5-2 servings compared to what the label says. I will also have something fresh like bananas and oranges available.
For a long trip, I do throw in steaks and a grill for the first or second night and something like pizza for the other. Pre-baked potatoes wrapped in 2-3 layers of aluminum foil reheat over the coals in 10 minutes, but they only keep for a few days. Raw potatoes will store for the whole trip in a shady spot - pre wash and wrap in 3-4 layers of foil then throw on the coals for 30-60 minutes. Pizza in a camp fire? Fold it in half (aka calzone), brush oil on the crust, wrap in 4 layers of aluminum foil and cook on the coals, flipping often. Canned chili and a baked potato bar go well later in the trip.
I take gatorade powder for anyone that doesn't want straight water all the time. If they want other beverages, that is up to them.

For breakfast, I plan on a boiled egg and 2 granola bars per person. I usually throw in instant oatmeal for variety and an easy hot breakfast. Powdered milk and creamer can be okay, but don't expect someone to drink them plain. Take plenty of cocoa and/or coffee.

For lunch, I do sandwiches. PBJ is a good standby, but I'm not a fan. Refrigerated lunch meat is a great way to get food poisoning after several days at camp. I might take lunch meat for the first day or two, but that's it. In a cooler I give turkey 2 days, roast beef and ham 3 days, bologna 4 days. Later in the trip, I use summer sausage, pepperoni, and other dry or canned meats/fish. Cheese stores much better than meat. Lower moisture cheeses store longer, but almost any cheese will survive 8 days in a pack unless it gets really hot. I use crackers for about 1/2 of my lunches instead of using bread all the time. Don't forget to have plenty of ziplock baggies. I also throw in a box of apples and carrots to pack with lunch. I leave any other snacks up to the individuals.

Seasoning goes a long way. My essential seasonings are garlic salt (sprinkle it on steak, grouse, deer, elk when grilling), lemon pepper (if I expect to catch fish), black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and oregano. I also take butter - especially for potatoes. Butter is fine as long as it doesn't get above room temperature. Taco sauce and salsa are a great addition to camp food.

Don't forget about water. Filtering takes a lot of time. I actually prefer tablets, but I use them with neutralizers and gatorade powder.

This is one of the best detailed responses I have read.

 

[houndy65]

StHubert, the caveman cooking site was a really neat site. I've been trying to cook more at home to try to take some of the cooking off my wife. She has been working a ton lately, there are a lot of good recipes on there.

Thanks; Terry

 

[steamfitter]

We pack in a yeti cooler with dry ice and pack in chicken,steaks,buger,and sausage for our dinners. Lunches are soups in a can and lots of tuna in a can. We also bring bacon,eggs,and bread along with lunch meats and make sandwichs to carry with us. All the meats we freeze and with the dry ice it last about 8 to 10 days. Of course we have horses to pack this in. I cook long as i dont have to do dishes , I only need two pots to cook everything. We bring lots of food we can boil like mac and cheese,red beans and rice and uncle bens rice dishes. Thats for 4 men for 8 guys i would think if your walking or even with horses you will be needing lots of mountain house dried foods. * men eat alot of food.

 

[CA Karen]

Ok I would recommend if you don't have one get a 3 burner camp stove like Camp Chef with the 2 burner griddle and bring your BBQ. Hopfully you have pots and pans. Menu for breakfast- cold cereal, instant oatmeal, pancakes, bacon, eggs, sasuage, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, danishes, donuts; mix and match as you like. Lunch- sandwiches, boiled eggs, cliff bars, what ever you like for lunch that you can stick in your pack. Dinner- steak, chicken, porkchops, brats, burgers, hotdogs, chili, spagetti, tuna mac, liver &onions(fresh from your elk-mmmmmmmmmmmm) sides can be instant mash potatoes, canned veggies, bagged salad stuff. Snacks- cup of soup, candy bars, slim jims, chips, apples, oranges, cookies. Your only limit is what you can cram into your truck and trailers. Hope this gives you some help... if you want any reciepes for prep of anything let me know. I camp with a group of 6-10 hunters and 6-10 campers/camp rats so feeding alot of people is simple as make your own lunch and most of your own breakfasts and eating a common meal in the evening. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IF YOU ARE GOING TO EAT COMMON MEALS EVERYONE MUST PITCH IN! Check with everyone and have them put a menu together of what they would like and can cook and spilt it up.... if you can. The base camp crew I am with you have to fight to get in the kitchen area to cook....and we have produced everything under the sun including dutch oven prime rib!

 

[JohnDeereGreen]

Some really good stuff here, but the one thing I will mention is that the bigger and more elaborate the meals you prepare, the less time your crew will spend hunting. Far more tempting to sit around the campfire when you are always digesting a big meal. Everyone seems to hunt a little harder when the food is a bit sparse. Must be those cave man instincts.

This past fall my group and I tried MREs for a week backpack hunt, and, overall, they worked out reasonably well. I was skeptical at first, but changed my mind later. Not that the food was great, but that they are a really easy way to deal with cooking.

 

[2rocky]

Practically, plan for 5 different days meals and repeat or slightly alter then in days 6-10.

The core is the dinner meal. Everyone is going to be tired and not want to spend a lot of time cooking. Unless of course you have a Camp tender who wants to do all that stuff. That is tyhe main difference between cooking for hunting camp and Camping camp. Hunting camp breakfast and dinner are always in the dark and as little effort as possible.

Use dry Ice to keep precooked stuff frozen in a cooler, in the shade, coveered with a canvas tarp or extra sleeping bag for 5 days or so. Only open the cooler to get the day's meal out from top to bottom.
Pre cook spaghetti sauce with meat and freeze

Stew Pre cook and freeze

Pork Tenderloin Pre cook and Freeze, Slice and pan fry to heat up.

Grilled Chicken Frozen. Use for fajitas.

Ham keeps well cold.

Biscuit tubes- Keep cool not frozen

Bake n' serve bread - Freeze then wrap in foil and bake in coals

Spuds mentioned before. Dehy mashers are easy.

Tortillas keep well- Bfast burritos are a staple for us.

 

[fiveptbill]

What we always do it assign a day to each individual for breakfast and dinner. That way you are only responsible for 1 day on most trips. This saves work and cost for everyone. You are on your own for lunch. For my day I usually precook the food and freeze it as other people have said. Good luck and have a great time.

 

[idnative1948]

We tried assigning duties, but some guys just don't quite get *it* when it comes to cooking or planning.
Last year we upgraded to a 3-burner and can really crank out the food. And....... just heard from my brother that him and his wife were at Costco and she let him buy a Traeger Junior. He basically does all the shopping with the exception of steak night where everybody brings their own steak. Will have to raise prices to $25head this year which is not bad for five nights per person, but of course some guys can only come three nights,etc. Breakfasts consist of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns or sausage, biscuits and gravy. We pre-cook gallon of chili and stew then freeze. Have been doing it this way for 15+ years so means we are up at 430-445 to get things going. We let the youngsters stay up to solve the worlds problems around the camefire. To us it is just as much the experience as the shooting.

 

[1_pointer]

You guys eat better at camp than I do at home! Unless we are taking a day off or have someone tending camp we generally eat very simply. If backpacking in, that means nothing but freeze-dry for dinner and either freeze-dry, oatmeal, or cereal bars for breakfast.

Regardless if I'm backpacking or truck camping, Lunch is a sammich, granola bar, apple. I always have a few fun size candy bars in the pack as well and some Jolly Ranchers and powerpills (aka Atomic Fireball hard candies). If I'm truck camping it, I might take a few precooked meals that I've froze and some MRE's, but often will just resort to Mtn House. I'm usually too hungry once I hit camp to want to wait for anything that takes to long to cook, so I go for easy and fast. But, I do make room for libations either way. A few fingers of whiskey make the Jetboil work faster...

 

[idnative1948]

Everybody makes their own lunch from the chuck so is up to them. Try to make sure we have plenty of protein with us for lunch. Also have hit on zip fizz which will really give you a boost late afternoons. Have found it to be one of the best to dump in a bottle of water.

http://zipfizz.com/

 

[sagebrush]

I never have cooked for that big of a group, but I don't know why my system wouldn't work. We like to have meat dishes for dinner, so I plan out the menu, buy the meat, divide it into daily portions, vacuum seal it raw, and freeze it solid for at least a week in the deep freeze. I have one ice chest that is the "freezer chest" and only frozen items go in there with ice. Once a day, I pull out what needs to defrost the meals for the next day. That way the freezer chest stays cold instead of opening and closing every time you need a refrigerated item. I also prepare dishes like spaghetti, stew, etc and side dishes and freeze them in vacuum sealed pouches as well. Poke a tiny whole at the top of the pouch for expansion and put into a giant pot of boiling water to heat through. We also use the water for bathing with the sun shower, about 1 gallon per person. Grill the meats to keep down on the clean up. Sometimes I will cook extra meat at dinner time and package it up for lunches the next day wrapped in tortillas. I also followed the lead of Nate Simpson and Cameron Hanes and make peanut butter, honey and bacon sandwiches for the pack. Tasty and nutritious. I do not serve processed foods at all. Prepared from fresh ingredients and frozen is better for you than anything you can buy processed. Apples go into lunches almost every day and keep well. I like to make apple, blackberry and cherry pies at home for the first week in camp. For breakfast, I usually make a big batch of one pan dishes like scrambled eggs with diced ham or chorizo and eggs. Three eggs per person is how I portion. I also like to serve Carnation Instant Breakfast as a drink, not a meal, at the end of the day just to recharge the body. A buddy of mine turned me on to Vitamin Water Revive, you can buy at Walmart. Loaded with B vitamins and no caffeine. That stuff really helps to keep you going throughout the entire hunt. My favoite seasonings are Morton's Natures Seasonings and Lee & Perrin worchestershire sauce. I swear you could sprinkle that stuff on a dirty boot sock, fry it in butter and people would ask for seconds. Good luck on your hunt. I think the logistics for a group that size will be the biggest challenge.