[JustPJ]

Yesterday my husband and I went hunting. As is our custom on these outings i take something to quickly prepare tailgate fashion for lunch. Yesterday as we were running late i decided on a pre-prepared and frozen soup I had on hand. While we were hunting in the morning it began to snow and blow up on the mountian where we were. By the time lunch rolled around it was about 25 and windy with blowing snow...here I was...blaze orange coats (2 of them as it is COLD) and hat and MITTENS warming up a hunk of ice. That is either crazy or way to lazy to pack a sandwich! hehe I have to admit tho the soup sure was a welcome meal once it FINALLY heated up.

I was wondering it I was the only one NUTZ enough to do stuff like this . I have to chuckle even now when i think of what a picture it would of been...cooking in blaze orange mittens....who ever heard of such a thing hehe

[KYHeirloomer]

Crazy? I should say not! We do the same sort of thing. Not just when deer hunting, either. Even in the summer, while, say, trout fishing, we always carry a one-burner camp stove and something for a hot meal.

What I always thought was crazy are the hunters who do not take any sort of break during the day. How can you be at your best in the afternoon if you've spent the day cold, possibly wet, and hungry?

I really had that lesson driven home when I took up waterfowling, and learned about duck blind stew, and the difference it made.

[JustPJ]

looks like we might be the only ones doing this ...guess they dont know what they are missing huh?? hehe

I always joke with my husband that we are the best fed hunters in the area. Seafood stew in the middle of no where or hot grilled brats in the cold is such a treat for us.

Do you always make from scratch in the field or do you do pre prep alot. we have done both. Depends on how quickly we want to get back at it and how much effort I want to put forth.

[MaryB]

The area I deer hunted had small towns all over so for us it was usually a stop at the closest bar for a burger and fries and a beer

[KYHeirloomer]

It depends, PJ. We've done both, depending on time and how long a break we wanted to take.

Most often, however, we make the mid-day meal ahead of time and put it in a boil-in bag. Then we just have to heat up a pot of water and drop in the bags. One less thing to clean up, among other benefits.

Other times we'll actually forgo the camp stove and cook the meal over an open fire. Nothing, this time of year, like a wood fire to take the chill off. And, being as the fire is burning anyway, why not cook over it? The open-fire thing is more likely when we're fishing, this time of year, then when we're hunting.

Duck blind stew is a combination. It's always made from scratch, but some of the ingredients (such as canned potatoes) are convenience products. Here are the details: Outdoor Cooking. Duck Blind Stew and Like Minded Meals.

[KYHeirloomer]

We've done it that way too, Mary, when such places are convenient. Most often they're not, the areas we hunt & fish.

I think the important thing, something too many outdoor people neglect, is to take that mid-day break to both warm up and stoke the inner fires.