Wapiti Talk | Elk Hunting Forum | Elk Hunting Tips
 

Early Elk Camp Meal

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 05, 2022 •  [Post 1]

Base camp, for the first handful of days/week? till Wapiti back-straps or loins are in the mix. What are some of you’re favorite combos pulled out of those block iced cooled, um, coolers ;). Vacuum sealed spaghetti and meatballs over some noodles, beer boiled..grilled brats, grilled fatty boneless chops with some fried tatos and onions, a grilled chunk o’ salmon with a bed of rice, vacuum seal trail bomb western chili, perhaps a couple of nice grill burnt, medium moo steaks, store bought rice sides and a cabbage salad? Just trying to get some ideas/new thoughts for premium camp fate :D
User avatar
WapitiTalk1
 
Posts: 8732
Joined: 06 10, 2012
Location: WA State
First Name: RJ

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby Thegreatwapiti » 07 06, 2022 •  [Post 2]

Going up this weekend for second scouting trip and to check the trail cams!
I freeze my meals and remove one to thaw each morning. They serve as ice blocks in my cooler as well.
Friday night we are having cheese burgers with fresh condiments (from my garden) and baked beans. Saturday night we are having bone-in pork chops marinated in Italian dressing with canned green beans and a dinner roll. Sunday we are having Tenderloin beef steaks marinated in Teriyaki sauce with mushrooms and canned corn.

Not 5 star dining but pretty acceptable camp grub!!
Attachments
20220706_053701.jpg
20220706_053701.jpg (187.16 KiB) Viewed 1929 times
User avatar
Thegreatwapiti
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 261
Joined: 08 22, 2021
Location: Castle Rock, CO

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby 7mmfan » 07 06, 2022 •  [Post 3]

When I was growing up we always hunted pretty close to camp. We'd hunt until dark, but be back within half an hour or so. Late October nights are a lot longer than September ones as well. We ate pretty well. Lots of pork chop, burgers, stews, chili, etc... all made in camp. Now we hunt a lot harder and often don't get back to camp until a couple hours after dark. All my meals are pre made and frozen, pulled out the morning of like TGW does. Chili, pulled pork, spaghetti, basically any of the Costco casserole dishes that they sell in the deli area. I usually smoke up some chicken quarters ahead of time and pair those with some boiled potatoes and green beans.

Last year I finally did dutch oven biscuits and gravy. If I have a little time, that is definitely on the agenda as a regular meal.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
User avatar
7mmfan
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1684
Joined: 09 07, 2017
Location: Washington State

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby Swede » 07 06, 2022 •  [Post 4]

I leave home with a couple of prepared meals. After than my brother and I have to decide on a day-to-day basis what we want. We eat the meat first as it thaws out. We eat the pies he made at home early. Needless to say, as the season drags on, we either need to restock or the meals get to be more basic.
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
Posts: 10215
Joined: 06 16, 2012

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby saddlesore » 07 06, 2022 •  [Post 5]

Most of my meals were prepared in camp. Fajitas, Stacked enchilada. Rueben sandwiches,hamburgers, sphaghetti, Barilla markets a precooked Penne pasta, that can be heated in a skillet with a little EVO and then topped with Pesto. Chili. I do premake some ham and beans. Different types of steaks, pork chops with canned vegetables. Last couple days I might have canned stew or canned ravioli as my refrigerator /freezer is not that big in my camper.
Breakfats is eggs, sausage, hash browns , pan cakes or ceral
User avatar
saddlesore
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 2162
Joined: 11 07, 2015
Location: Colorado Springs,CO

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby Tigger » 07 06, 2022 •  [Post 6]

WapitiTalk1 wrote:Base camp, for the first handful of days/week? till Wapiti back-straps or loins are in the mix. What are some of you’re favorite combos pulled out of those block iced cooled, um, coolers ;). Vacuum sealed spaghetti and meatballs over some noodles, beer boiled..grilled brats, grilled fatty boneless chops with some fried tatos and onions, a grilled chunk o’ salmon with a bed of rice, vacuum seal trail bomb western chili, perhaps a couple of nice grill burnt, medium moo steaks, store bought rice sides and a cabbage salad? Just trying to get some ideas/new thoughts for premium camp fate :D



moo steaks? On an elk forum? 3.75 WapitiTalk demerits to the Big Boss! WapitiTalk Official Rulebook V15.78, Chapter 197, Page 81, Paragraph 6.

We go pretty basic. Elk brats and mac and cheese, homemade enchiladas with pheasant, elk chili, pulled elk on buns, etc. No bovine allowed in our camp!
User avatar
Tigger
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 2420
Joined: 01 12, 2015
Location: Minnesota

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby Lefty » 07 06, 2022 •  [Post 7]

Camp meals are way different than whats in the pack.
My daughter cooks and eats just like at home, Sunday dinner type meals when she has time at camp.
My elk hunting schedule in September is kind of unique. I'lll hunt for 3,4,5 days
go home, do laundry, bring up fresh food. Sometimes Ill stay a night or even two, one time as soon as laundry was done, Ill kiss my wife and I headed back up for the evening. I try or have avoided hunting Saturdays.

Somedays Ill have made at home foods, Chile, heavy gravy type stews. Some how I havent talked my wife into having prepared food for me . Or deliver laundry to camp :lol:
I dont like spending too much time cooking. And I dont want to smell up the camper. ( this year were taking up a stove and a grill, and maybe a freezer too. ,, Anyone else who shows up is welcome to use it :) )


but some sorrt of egg scramble. Often yokeless egg. potatoes, red bell peppers, onion as a base .

Then the additions turns it into a dozen different meals buy adding different hot peppers, different cheese, maybe more zucchini, maybe red meat ( last year it was bear or goose )

Evidently this meal had venison, bear or goose summer sausage.
https://wapititalk.com/Hunting/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=11538

1111food.jpg


Found the thread from November, the meat was elk sausage :lol: , but earleir in the season it would have been some other game
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 07, 2022 •  [Post 8]

Thegreatwapiti wrote:Going up this weekend for second scouting trip and to check the trail cams!
I freeze my meals and remove one to thaw each morning. They serve as ice blocks in my cooler as well.
Friday night we are having cheese burgers with fresh condiments (from my garden) and baked beans. Saturday night we are having bone-in pork chops marinated in Italian dressing with canned green beans and a dinner roll. Sunday we are having Tenderloin beef steaks marinated in Teriyaki sauce with mushrooms and canned corn.

Not 5 star dining but pretty acceptable camp grub!!


Sounds damn good to me. Mind if I swing by SAT or SUN to say howdy? I’ll bring the portable grill and some mesquite chips to smoke up the chops or t-loins? ;)
User avatar
WapitiTalk1
 
Posts: 8732
Joined: 06 10, 2012
Location: WA State
First Name: RJ

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 07, 2022 •  [Post 9]

Tigger wrote:
WapitiTalk1 wrote:Base camp, for the first handful of days/week? till Wapiti back-straps or loins are in the mix. What are some of you’re favorite combos pulled out of those block iced cooled, um, coolers ;). Vacuum sealed spaghetti and meatballs over some noodles, beer boiled..grilled brats, grilled fatty boneless chops with some fried tatos and onions, a grilled chunk o’ salmon with a bed of rice, vacuum seal trail bomb western chili, perhaps a couple of nice grill burnt, medium moo steaks, store bought rice sides and a cabbage salad? Just trying to get some ideas/new thoughts for premium camp fate :D



moo steaks? On an elk forum? 3.75 WapitiTalk demerits to the Big Boss! WapitiTalk Official Rulebook V15.78, Chapter 197, Page 81, Paragraph 6.

We go pretty basic. Elk brats and mac and cheese, homemade enchiladas with pheasant, elk chili, pulled elk on buns, etc. No bovine allowed in our camp!


Ya, ya…. No elk left in my freezer to make camp chow for the 22 season. Para 6 has been been updated, pretty sure I sent you the update? Buddy and I are dumping two elk this year, you can bank on that. One archery, one boom stick. Will try to make it last till next falls elk camp season. ;). I’ve got a plan to make some camp pizzas this year, will report how that goes.
User avatar
WapitiTalk1
 
Posts: 8732
Joined: 06 10, 2012
Location: WA State
First Name: RJ

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby Billy Goat » 07 08, 2022 •  [Post 10]

like many here, we dont cook much "fresh" while in camp. precook, freeze at home, thaw day of and reheat while in camp.

believe it or not, we have a propane stove out of a camper that we bring to camp. it has a working stove. sometimes we'll bake biscuits in it. last year, we made dad a cake for his birthday. the stove is really handy for egg casseroles for breakfasts too.
"First teach a child to love God,
teach them second to love their family
and third, teach them to hunt and fish,
and by the time they reach their teens, no dope peddler under the sun will ever teach them anything".

-Cotton Cordell
User avatar
Billy Goat
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 285
Joined: 05 08, 2020
Location: Denton, TX

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby Indian Summer » 07 11, 2022 •  [Post 11]

Early meals… well before hunting actually starts we’ll do some cooking. Something with elk to make us feel like we’re smarter than they are. But if you’re talking the first few days of hunting that’s a different story. It’s all business then! There’s never a minute to spare. Once the horses are on the rail over a couple bales of hay you have 9 minutes to talk to your partner while your Mountain House meal hydrates. If you like to have an evening drink do that during those 9 minutes too. After that my eyelids slam shut. Eat/sleep/hunt/repeat! The goal is to punch elk tags and then start cooking fancy meals maybe even going into town a night or two.
User avatar
Indian Summer
Wapiti Hunting Consultant
 
Posts: 5247
Joined: 06 14, 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
First Name: Joe
Last Name: Ferraro

Re: Early Elk Camp Meal

Postby Jhg » 07 14, 2022 •  [Post 12]

I try to takecsome sort of pre-ready elk. Stew, chili, whatever.

Here is a batch of pulled shoulder. Slow cooked, seasoned. Ready for sliders, wraps, added to beans.
1786287A-7437-4A83-9BC6-E309B32AD147.jpeg
1786287A-7437-4A83-9BC6-E309B32AD147.jpeg (122.77 KiB) Viewed 1824 times
Jhg
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 864
Joined: 07 18, 2018
Location: Colorado