#2264084 - 06/19/08 09:54 AM
Elk camps
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Kelk
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Registered: 01/29/08
Posts: 126
Loc: Fort Collins, CO
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Being as its getting closer to the seasons starting, I got to thinking about hunting camps in elk country. Everyone does things a little different and its always fun to see what you can learn from others. For a long time when my dad was younger they would all take turns staying in camp in the afternoons to make sure dinner was done when everyone arrived back to camp. Then he started to hunt with different guys and it became common for everyone to take turns cooking meals and no one stayed in camp. Now, since I'm older and been in 19 camps, I'd like to go the route of everyone chipping in X number of dollars to buy groceries and I'll do all the cooking. This will be the first year of doing so. I'm also curious is you guys also make a specific meal every year on the night before season starts? I realize many do a back pack hunt, but I'm sure you have a favorite meal also. This year I was going to make the tenderloin medallions from my bull, wrapped in bacon, and served with mashed potatos and a salad.
Hope to see what others are doing in their camps.
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Shut up and hunt!
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#2264097 - 06/19/08 10:02 AM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: Kelk]
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BroncoLope
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Registered: 10/19/05
Posts: 386
Loc: Colorado
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I used to have a few good cooks that hunted with us and it was a pleasure for them to cook and for us to eat, but the time dishes extra packing was a little much. For many years now I make dishes like chicken corn chowder, green chilli, lasagna etc that will fit in a disposable aluminum pan, these work great in a homemade oven I have that sits on top of my wood stove, no effort to cook since the fire is going anyway. Easy to cook, Easy to Eat, Easy to Clean up, no pots pans etc. I will bring my grill that hangs over the fire and we will do elk steaks or ribs or something but that is usually after the dragging is done.
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#2264134 - 06/19/08 10:24 AM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: Kelk]
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pdxhunter
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Registered: 06/04/08
Posts: 111
Loc: Vernonia OREGON
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The 1si night we always do a pot of chili and have chili dogs. After that we have roast,chops,steak and we throw in a taco night. We used to have about 9 guys to cook for that is down to 6 and going down fast. My mom used to go and cook. She would charge the guys 5 buck a day for b-fast -lunch-and dinner. 5 bucks thats it. That was not eoungh. But she said she like to do.
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#2264195 - 06/19/08 11:15 AM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: pdxhunter]
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saddlesore
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Registered: 06/22/01
Posts: 4114
Loc: Colorado Springs, CO, USA
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I have a std menu that I have used for many years. Doesn't matter much if we pack in or not. I try not to change diet too much from whatI eat at home vs what I eat in elk camp.Strange things happen if you do.
Over the years we have weeded out what certain guys don't like,so the menu is pretty palatable to all.
I do a lot of the cooking as I do not like to hunt late afternoons.However,the menu is hung on the tent wall,and anyone in camp cane start cooking if others are late.Usually who ever cooks gets to set out while others do dishes
We all like comfortable beds, a comfortable camp, and good food. We do take some prepared meals ,but a lot are cooked from scratch.
One peson can buy all the food,ect,but we have found it is easier for each guy to pick certain meals form that and then they bring enough fixins for those meals for however is in camp.
Exanmple, 9 days hunt, 3 guys in camp, each guy brinbs 3 breakfeasts and three dinners,enough for 3 guys each.Everyone supplies thier own lunches, which everyone usually pre packs
_________________________
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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#2264408 - 06/19/08 01:25 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: saddlesore]
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ehunter
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Registered: 04/10/07
Posts: 877
Loc: Oregon
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We use the old every one bring a meal for one night or they can cook from scratch. That way you only have to be in camp early one night. We have for years had every one bring their own breakfast and lunch stuff then we just throw stuff out. Smorgasboard kind of. It works for us but we generaly end up with more food than we need. One of the reasons we never pitched in money was because some of us will stay the whole time and some guys have to leave early or come late rather than trying to figure out the cost we just ask for one dinner. I don't know if this is any better than having every one pitch money???
Edited by ehunter (06/19/08 01:25 PM)
_________________________
If there is any proof of a man in a hunt it is not whether he killed a deer or elk but how he hunted it.
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#2264437 - 06/19/08 01:45 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: saddlesore]
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BroncoLope
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Registered: 10/19/05
Posts: 386
Loc: Colorado
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We all like comfortable beds, a comfortable camp, and good food. We do take some prepared meals ,but a lot are cooked from scratch.
I have to add that all of which are cooked from scratch at home. And diddo on the comforts, not doing a lot of cooking dishes is an added comfort to me. plates and bowls aren't bad but when you start having to scrub pans from frying potatoes, bacon etc. We do homemade breakfeast borritos and sandwiches frozen and they heat up easy and are quick and don't smell up camp, I love the smell of bacon frying in the morning, just wish it didn't hang around till noon and stick to all my hunting gear.
- Go ahead you can call me lazy
"Lazyness is the mother of all invention"
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#2264440 - 06/19/08 01:47 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: ehunter]
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Kelk
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Registered: 01/29/08
Posts: 126
Loc: Fort Collins, CO
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As for the chip in part, we decided to do this after a few people didn't bring enough food. For the ones that don't stay the whole time we ask for less. Everyone is on board right now so we will give it a shot. Our meals, like you guys have mentioned, tend to be easy to make whether pre-prepared or cooked fresh. I do need to pick up an oven of some sort. Probably one that goes in the stack.
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Shut up and hunt!
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#2264988 - 06/19/08 08:40 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: ehunter]
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Craftsman
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Registered: 10/30/04
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When my hunting buddy of 35 years and I were young, we cooked a lot of good meals in camps where ever we were. As we got older we got tired of coming in after dark, cooking, cleaning and getting to bed late. Then up at 4:00 AM to do it all over again.
Now we cook a lot of good meals at home, seal them in "seal a meal" bags or vacum pack in one person size packets and freeze them and stack em in the cooler. When you come in dog tired all you have to do is boil water and drop the meal of your choice in. 15 minutes and they are ready, we eat right out of the bag. No pots and pans, no dishes to clean. You can prepare almost anything. Stews, chili, beans, roast and potatoes, spanish rice, goulash, even scrabled eggs with bacon and potatoes for your tortillas. They will stay frozen over a week or more outside in the cold. You can choose stew when you pal wants roast etc.
One tradition we like is when we are about 100 miles from camp, we will take corn on the cob still in the shuck and big baking potatoes, butter them, wrap in foil and place on the engine block. That evening after setting up camp we grill a big thick steak and finish the sides. Might even drink an ice cold brew while watching the steaks. When we sit down to eat the food is ten times better than at home. After supper we sit around, watch the stars, lite a cigar and "wonder what the poor folks are doing".
Now that I'm in my 60's I wouldn't mind staying at camp now and then to cook occasionally. Camp and fellowship is the cake and shooting the game is the icing.
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#2265869 - 06/20/08 12:56 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: atkinson]
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Kelk
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Registered: 01/29/08
Posts: 126
Loc: Fort Collins, CO
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Great tips guys. Reading this thread has a way of making a guy hungry! Never thought of the Pico, but I know its a staple in our house. Maybe I should think about making up some fajitas and fresh pico in camp. Could have the wife make homemade tortillas the night before we leave or the morning of...... I like this idea!
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Shut up and hunt!
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#2266050 - 06/20/08 03:05 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: Kelk]
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Jeff_O
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Registered: 04/21/07
Posts: 7214
Loc: Wetter'n Oregon
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We have a designated night apiece during the actual season, which is very short.
My dinner has traditionally been the best, if I say so myself <g>. I do giant porterhouses, twice-baked potatoes, and a Caeser salad. However I don't know if I will be able to afford to do that this year. Might have to step down to T-bones.
It's a PITA on the night that it's your turn to cook, but it's great the other nights. Oh, most of the other guys bring premade casseroles or stews from home.
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More wag. Less bark.
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#2266616 - 06/20/08 07:25 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: bigwhoop]
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abc
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Registered: 09/19/07
Posts: 58
Loc: Bozeman, MT
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I stay at an outfitters lodge for $150 a night. I get up and feed my horse then go back to the lodge and have breakfast and get my lunch and load the horse up and down the Rudy Valley I go. I hunt all day in the Snowcrest Mountains and after dark I load the horse up and drive back to the lodge, unload it feed it and go have a shower. Then cocktails, dinner and bed. No dishes, no Costco trips and no problems. When I leave I leave a $100 tip. It's great.
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#2266674 - 06/20/08 07:52 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: abc]
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PredHunter
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Registered: 03/10/08
Posts: 107
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For brekfast Cup O noodles
For Lunch Cup O noodles
and Dinner... it's Oatmeal.
I can't stand 3 cup o noodles in one day! 
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#2266711 - 06/20/08 08:18 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: PredHunter]
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hotsoup
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Registered: 11/06/05
Posts: 1016
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i hunt with one other friend, and he insists on doing all the cooking. we always have camp chili the first night, then fried crappie the 2nd, fried deer steak the 3rd, fried squirrel next, followed by either deer, crappie, or squirrel the remaining nights. we eat energy bars, cookies, instant oatmeal for breakfast. lunch for me is always an MRE eaten on the side of the mountain. we use one frying pan for the meat (he also does the dishes usually). paper plates and plastic forks which are burned after the evening meal. something special about elk camp!
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#2269255 - 06/22/08 02:50 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: 300dave]
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atkinson
Campfire Ranger
Registered: 03/04/01
Posts: 1553
Loc: Filer, Idaho, USA
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My favorite elk hunt, and I don't do it much anymore, was for a friend and myself to each take a saddle horse and a pack horse. hunt all day and camp where we ended up each night..a pop tent, bedroll,air matress or?,axe, skillet, pot, paper plates, slab bacon, instant oatmeal,pre prepared flour tortillas, pico, canned Pinto beans, instant potatoes, eggs and whatever instant stuff we could think of, eat off the first elk shot..Stay out for as long as a week or more and you can cover a hell of a lot of country..It always worked for us and most times got cut short as we killed out with 4 or 5 days back then, and had to pack the elk out.
Edited by atkinson (06/22/08 02:51 PM)
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Ray Atkinson
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#2269270 - 06/22/08 03:00 PM
Re: Elk camps
[Re: atkinson]
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Blackbird
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Registered: 04/25/08
Posts: 73
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This year I will be in the best elk camp ever! Eat good food, gamble at night and sleep in a big comfy bed! Yeah buddy pretty nice!
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Its simple and good. Coffee is the drink of the day...
What we do now is cook 2 yes two turkey's over an open fire thes pretty much uses up a whole day and used to pretty much take a fifth to get done. 
Oh and we have all the fixens too mashed taters and gravey stuffing veggie and even pumpkin pie/whipped cream for dessert. Anyway we pretty much cut the wiskey out but we still have it two days before the oprner. we've had as many as 16 people from nearby camps over for dinner on that evening. Its gotten to be a tradition with most of the other elk camps in the area. Heck of a lot of work but lots of fun also 
