PRIME RIB – OR – HAIR SOUP???

PRIME RIB – OR – HAIR SOUP???

“Your Choice – Eat Well & Hunt WELL”

By Robert C. Mills, Owner-Pine Hill Club

Over my many years of hunting, I have read and written numerous articles regarding deer hunting. Scent control, rifle and bullet selection, tracking skills, do’s and don’ts, etc., etc. NEVER HAVE I READ AN ARTICLE EXCLUSIVELY DEVOTED TO HUNTING CAMP COOKING AND MEAL PREPARATION FOR HUNGRY HUNTERS.

This article will showcase how we handle food at our Isabella County hunting camp. Our family has owned and operated the Pine Hill Club for 50 years and we have learned a great deal about cooking and preparing meals for hungry hunters. I have always believed that having good food in a hunting camp is the cornerstone for camp enjoyment and results in happy hunters.

I believe the first step in eating well is making a list of food needed for a well-planned menu. At our camp we establish a menu for each day of hunting season with a large breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our camp consists of 22 hunters for the first week of season with successful hunters tagging out and often leaving camp after day two or three. Weekends are usually our busiest time and experience, over the years with meal preparation, has helped us gain knowledge about what to buy and stock up on, to fill the cupboards, refrigerators and freezers with needed supplies.

Each year we budget about $2,500-$3,000 for food. Eating well requires that we have a quality stockpile of good food. With 22 hunters to feed you need large quantities of food.

We are very fortunate that one of our members is a supervisor for a wholesale food company. He is also a professional cook and helps with meal selection and preparation. He has a truck deliver the bulk of the food in early November for the upcoming hunting season.

Because daily meals are planned, we have a good idea on what supplies we need to purchase. I will not list all the supplies we purchase but share some of the goodies we buy.

Specifically, the key is planning for each meal. Years of experience has helped us hone our menu. Planning the daily menu allows us to know what to buy and prepare and is a “ROADMAP” to great meals for our hunters.

BREAKFAST EACH MORNING:

I get up at 3:30 opening morning and get the coffee started. We have five large coffee makers and have them filled the night before, ready to plug in. Our members are very helpful in getting the coffee ready.

Breakfast consists of 4 dozen eggs, 5 pounds of bacon or ham and large stacks of pancakes. We also have orange juice donuts, syrup, and toast with peanut butter and jam/jelly. We use sturdy paper plates and plastic cups for juice. Lots of paper towel, salt/pepper, and the usual condiments are provided. Hot sauce, catchup, mustard, butter, etc., etc. No one leaves the camp hungry. Most are “super stuffed” but all enjoy the fellowship of a large breakfast.

The routine is repeated each morning of hunting season with various changes to our breakfast menu, i.e., French toast, sausage, ham, scramble eggs, fruit, bagels, etc., etc. Always toast, coffee/tea, peanut butter and jam/jelly.

LUNCH:

On November 14th (night before opener) our members prepare a sack lunch. We provide roast beef, turkey and ham for sandwiches, apples/oranges, candy bars/hard candy, cookies, cupcakes, etc. Members write names on their lunch sack and fill their thermos on opening morning before going to their hunting blind. Again, well fed hunters are happy hunters.

Every blind has windows and a stove. Members stay all day on the first two days of hunting season. After the first two days many hunters return to camp for lunch before returning for the evening hunt. (By the second day of season, half of our hunters have shot at least one buck.)

When hunters return for lunch, on day three, we have burgers with cheese, pickles, potato chips, chili, vegetable beef soup, etc. No one leaves the camp hungry.

DINNER:

We always plan for a big dinner. After sitting in the woods from daylight to dark, you build up an appetite. Dinner the first evening is roast beef with potatoes, onions, carrots, etc. We prepare two large roasters, the night before season, and plug them in before we leave for the woods. Dinner is cooked and ready whenever the hunters return from their blind. We usually have pie, cake, ice-cream, cookies, etc., for dessert. No one leaves hungry.

Because we plan our menu for hunting season our members always know what is for dinner, when they return. One night is Italian – spaghetti with meat balls, etc. One night is Mexican – taco salad with all the trimmings. One night is Chicken Alfredo. One night is roast turkey. One night is lasagna, etc. Often, we have chicken wings, salsa/chips, etc., as appetizers. By planning a menu, you know what to buy and have ready to prepare.

We buy large quantities of half/half, milk, cheese, beef burger, lettuce and tomatoes, potatoes, onions, eggs, spaghetti, sauce, canned vegetables, corn, green beans, baked beans, butter, pickles, catsup/mustard, hot sauce, salt/pepper, spices, olive oil and other cooking oils, chips, pretzels, popcorn, etc. In addition, we use large quantities of paper towel, paper plates, napkins and other paper products.

Our camp has four refrigerators, two freezers and a store room for food. When we get low on a needed item, we go to the local grocery store for more.

Well fed hunters are happy hunters. After the meals, members pitch in to do dishes, clean-up, etc. Then the euchre games begin with three tables going at a time. We only play for $1.00/game and $1.00 for euchres that are paid by losers. No one gets hurt and all enjoy the camaraderie.

For the past 50 years we have always eaten well. It seems like good food and quality hunting keeps our members coming back, many for over 35 years straight. We seldom have an opening and I don’t know if it is because of the good food or good hunting. We all leave smiling!

On the night before season (November 14th) we have a large dinner catered to camp. We meet at 5:30pm in our pole-barn and sit at tables and have a short meeting to review camp rules, deer sightings, big bucks harvested, etc. We acknowledge member successes such as birthdays, marriages, etc. Awards are given to the “Hunter of the year”, “Tidy blind”, etc.

We invite the DNR Officers to this meeting to review any new rules, etc. The meal consists of roast chicken, pork, beef, mashed potatoes/gravy, baked beans, pickled beets, salad, home made pies, etc. All you can eat and no one leaves hungry. (Some take the left-overs to reheat in their hunting blind.)

We furnish no alcohol at camp but members BYO. We do have coffee/tea/soda and bottled water. Great fellowship and full stomachs prepare all for opening morning. Lights out by 9pm with breakfast at 5am on opening day. We usually harvest 10 plus bucks on opening day with most being 8 point or bigger. (We don’t shoot small bucks, but let them grow.)

I believe that well fed hunters are happy hunters. This article is intended to share how we eat at the Pine Hill Club. Every camp can scale down or up depending on numbers. We believe that if you EAT WELL, YOU HUNT WELL. After 50 years of successful hunting at the camp, the proof is in the “pudding” – no pun intended! Good eating and hunting to all…