Hunting partner says "don't worry about the food i will bring the food"

[The Heretic]

Another idea might be to split meal duty. IE., One does breakfast, another lunch, another supper... alternating. Or simply bring your own backups to share... just in case.

Or everybody bring their own food/shelter/water and do their own cooking/etc.

 

[Joe13]

Guess I'm stupid cuz I bring things that either do not need to be heated or I can cook them over a fire easily and requires little to no clean up and that way I know I'm going to be eating well.

But strokes for folks.

 

[Koda]

Poor camp etiquette has got more than one person removed from the invite list. Good hunting partners are hard to find and camp etiquette is a good metric to judge a persons character.

 

[Bobbygun]

I primarily bow hunt. Our hunting party is small. Usually just me and my son and a friend. Sometimes just me and my son. When we go CAMPING, we bring along everything but the kitchen sink foodwise, and the barbecue grill, griddles, etc. The whole trip is planned largely around mealtime. When HUNTING, we run a sparse kitchen. We're there to hunt, not camp. We hunt hard and don't want to waste a lot of energy preparing meals and cleaning up afterward. Basically, we have canned goods (stew, spaghetti, chili) with rolls, a stove and a pot for dinner meals. Lunch might be a loaf of bread and PB&J, or just a container of donuts and other pastries, which can also cover breakfast. When an elk hits the ground, the signal for help packing is a radio call announcing "This ain't a camping trip!" We all know it's work time.

Now, keep in mind, we're not totally uncivilized animals. There is a small town only 45 minutes away, and the meat processor we use is about an hour and fifteen minutes away. When we haul a bull into the meat locker, we always stop and have a celebratory meal at a local restaurant. My son's favorite is Terminal Gravity in Enterprise, which happens to also be a micro-brewery. Oh, that's another hunting camp rule. Two beers max per night. We're there to hunt, not get drunk. (There is a little flexibility here after a hard pack job on a particularly nice bull.)

As @Joe13 said, "but strokes for folks". This has worked well for us though. I will admit to enjoying a hunting trip with a different party several years ago where one of the hunters brought his elderly father along as camp chef. He prepared some fantastic meals, and we filled four out of five bull tags.

 

[Barefootdog]

my hunting partner/partners said i'll bring all the food, what did we get? on 2 occasions this did not go well. any thoughts on this.

"..........Uncle Bowsey.....Is that you?......"

This is how legends are born!

 

[Yarome]

When you're just starting up a crew is the most difficult, but like others said... it only takes one bad hunter/woodsman to ruin a trip for all. It can take time, but keep shopping around. It's worth it.

Hunting solo is an option, but it sure makes life so much easier with a crew. Around camp is great, but it's so much easier being successful when you have the manpower to do drives toward designated shooters and to work a herd. Plenty of hands when you get meat on the ground is really a benefit as well.

Our crew is a pretty well oiled machine and everyone has their duties. The cook. He plans every meal, does all the shopping, makes sure all necessary gear is present... including water for the duration. In the off season, it's also his responsibility to maintain and store all camp cook related gear. That doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't delegate though. Our current cook doesn't have a costco nearby so he will delegate and tell someone exactly what to buy and how much. For a 10 day hunt, he doesn't have sufficient water jugs, but it's his job to delegate among the others to ensure we have sufficient supply. Cook gear is often pooled with the cook, but he doesn't actually own all of it. It's a community pool and others are free to dip into it for private trips, but it all has to go back to the current "cook".

The other jobs are the same. The woodsman... it's his job to drop a couple snags and ensure fire/stove wood is provided for the duration of the camp. Private gear or otherwise, it's his job so make sure all equipment necessary makes it to camp and maintains it in the off season. Chainsaws, axes, mauls, chains/ropes/winches the sidewall tent stove/s, fuels and oils, etc. Again, he may not have the personal gear for the whole camp, but it's his job to coordinate as needed to make sure he fulfills his responsibility.

Camp manger... side wall tens, tarps, tables, sleeping cots, latrine materials, etc... right down to the tent spikes. Again... his job to maintain, store in the off season and transport it . In camp, he coordinates exactly where everything goes and the camp layout.

There are others, but some of the job titles extend beyond the hunt. Like the lead butcher (and also has hide care duty). He's in charge of the meat pole in camp, the field meat wagon/ruck packs and upon return home, hangs them for aging, coordinates the "processing party" , ensures everything needed to process all of our animals is present and coordinates the cutting/wrapping jobs among us.

All community costs are split equally, and... any meat taken is divided evenly among us. Share the work, share the cost, share the rewards.

There is an unspoken rule. Complaining about someone elses job is not allowed. IE., If you think you have a better idea of how the camp should be laid out... keep your trap shut. It's ain't your job and one day... when it might be... you can do it however you want and no one will give you grief either. Until then... stifle it!

It may not work for everyone, but it has worked for us through the generations. The kids grow, they get replaced by the youngers that start out as the new dishwashers as the olders move up into greater camp responsibilities.

Elk or moose hunts... conditions are too extreme so we never have women or children along, but other hunts we do. The children help out, but women... it's vacation time for them. They have no duties in camp other than herding the kids as necessary... or if they feel like lending a hand on something just for the experience (like trimming a hung carcass)... it's allowed. The silent rule though is the women are the queens of the camp and we are there to make their hunt experience as enjoyable and as comfortable as possible. IE., Even if they offered to help cook or do dishes, they would be told to leave it alone and go sit down.

If for any reason one of the duty holders can't make a trip.. it's still their responsibility to coordinate a hand off to someone else. That's extremely rare though since for main hunts we always put in as a party. We all get tags or none of us do... and in that case... everyone splinters off to do whatever hunt that might be available to them, individually.

It really makes it nice when all you have to worry about is your personal gear, your ONE responsibility... and everything else will be taken care of for you. Having specific duties it also allows each person to concentrate on only one aspect of camp life which has the affect of greatly improving the overall quality and comfort of the hunt. YMMV

 

[Spitpatch]

Or everybody bring their own food/shelter/water and do their own cooking/etc.

Okay.

" How many chain saws/,mixed gas jugs are needed in camp? Did you bring a shovel to dig the outhouse, or should I? Hey! Get your hand out of my Potato Chip bag! Sure, you could borrow my mustard for your weenie, but I didn't bring it. I brought hamburger and don't like mustard on a burger. By God, we've got two mega jugs of Heinz between us, though.. Whose roll of TP is that in the outhouse? Used all my water after field dressing: would you mind if I took a pull off your canteen, just until we get back to camp, of course."

Such misguided, counterproductive "independence" was realized as problematic at the beginning of civilization.

Even a caveman can do better.

 

[Koda]

Hey! Get your hand out of my Potato Chip bag!

Nothings worse than when my hunting partner brings a better bag of chips and im dog tired hungry...

One thing ive learned is if im the one invited to "just show up" I bring something nice to contribute. It doesnt have to be much but the effort is made is more of an indicator someone understands what it takes to make a hunt or camp a successful experience.

 

[Nosferatu]

I got into hunting to get TF away from people. This thread demonstrates several of the reasons why.

 

[Idaho44]

Gotta luv the 'responses'. Having spent many summers working in the backcountry and leading crews, individuals have lots of varied to no tastes when it comes to food. A lesson learned from a long time ago is to have some 'food' that can be eaten COLD but is nicer when HOT. If in doubt bring (buy) and prepare your own food. Raw meat is edible but trichinosis is real!

 

[Spitpatch]

When an elk hits the ground, the signal for help packing is a radio call announcing "This ain't a camping trip!"

This was comforting to me to know there might be another bow camp that operates the same as mine when it comes to packing elk. Everyone must understand that their hunt is on hiatus until that animal is out of the woods. We pack with horses, and many hands make short work of a huge chore.

This is not to say that if an assembled labor force is entirely adequate and a couple (or a few) bodies are not needed, those hunters may certainly hit the woods again if they wish.

But on the few occasions when that has happened, the hunters not on the pack roster elected on their own to remain in camp, getting camp back up to par, even asking if packers needed any personal chore done for them while they were at work.

And a big-azz hot meal and fire going for the returning crew.

 

[Yarome]

Obviously, we are there for the meat and every single one is a hard core hunter... however... we are there just as much for the camaraderie (we don't see each other often during the year), the great food, good booze and simply enjoying the outdoors.

If it's a 10 day hunt planned, unless the weather pushes us out, we're there for 10 days. When anyone asks anyone in our crew when the last meat hit the ground... it was 2 hours before dusk of the last day.

Even if we tagged out on day 5, there's no point in letting all the camp prep/setup, all that food/booze and the time together go to waste. Right!

It may seem like wasted effort to some, but many hands working in efficient coordination make for light work. There is also something to be said about the daily rejuvenating affects of coming back into camp after a hard days hunt at 30 below to the comfort of a nice warm sidewall tent, sitting around the table together enjoying a well earned and delicious meal just BS'ing, playing a bit a cribbage and getting a little bit of a glow on with great friends/family.

Sure beats the heck out of cracking open a can of soup and huddling around in full gear until it's time to go to bed in a cold tent.. sleeping on the ground with nothing but a foam mat, IMHO. I've done that too when hunting solo and it does take it's toll on you.

 

[bcp]

Here is a list you can use:






Bruce

 

[Yarome]

This was comforting to me to know there might be another bow camp that operates the same as mine when it comes to packing elk. Everyone must understand that their hunt is on hiatus until that animal is out of the woods. We pack with horses, and many hands make short work of a huge chore.

This is not to say that if an assembled labor force is entirely adequate and a couple (or a few) bodies are not needed, those hunters may certainly hit the woods again if they wish.

But on the few occasions when that has happened, the hunters not on the pack roster elected on their own to remain in camp, getting camp back up to par, even asking if packers needed any personal chore done for them while they were at work.

And a big-azz hot meal and fire going for the returning crew.

Definitely how we operate too. We don't use radios but have signal shots to call in our people when meats down. Exactly as you described. It's all hands on deck, and whoever isn't immediately needed will return to camp prepping for the rig/s to pull in. Ropes/hoist out and up on the meat pole, trimming tools out and sharpened, warm water at the ready to clean bloody hands and knives and meal at the ready.

 

[Bobbygun]

Everyone must understand that their hunt is on hiatus until that animal is out of the woods.

We don't use radios but have signal shots to call in our people when meats down.

Since we are a small party, it's definitely "all hands on deck" to get the elk out quickly. Temperatures can be fairly warm in the early bow season - no time to waste. All of us carry Garmin Rinos. The radios have a fairly good range. Also, you poll the location of your party members, and you can send a waypoint to the others in your party with the GPS location of the downed animal. It's really a very efficient system.

As for firing signal shots, last time I tried that, it was to no avail as I quickly ran out of arrows, and nobody showed up. (Arrows and broadheads ain't cheap.)

 

[dangerranger60]

In my family I am just now old enough to be camp cook. I make two hot meals a day and a cold lunch. If there are wives and kids in camp, there are leftovers or sandwiches for lunch.
But no one goes hungry.
Part of my family raise beef, some raise chickens, all of them keep gardens. They all bring meat and veggies, and we pass the hat to cover the extras. DR

 

[Spitpatch]

Guess I'm stupid cuz I bring things that either do not need to be heated or I can cook them over a fire easily and requires little to no clean up and that way I know I'm going to be eating well.

But strokes for folks.

That ain't stupid. In fact that's what I do in places like this::


Brooks Range, Alaska. Food critically measured for 8 day Self-Guided hunt for Dall Sheep. Ate Dall Sheep for 3 days when the plane was late.

 

[RVTECH]

Man comes home from a hunting trip and tell his wife, 'Honey you forgot to pack any xtra underwear'.

She replies, 'No I didn't, they were inside your gun case'....

Seriously though - I have group hunted/camped all my life yet I have always just provided for myself and never got into any of these 'shared expense' situations, or ever relied on any one person to bring all the food If I bring all the drinks (or whatever else).

Sharing or helping? Of course. Someone always for gets something and asks around if anyone has this or that, or sometimes someone has more of something and offers to share but I am firm on everyone providing for themselves independently.

 

[Yarome]

Since we are a small party, it's definitely "all hands on deck" to get the elk out quickly. Temperatures can be fairly warm in the early bow season - no time to waste. All of us carry Garmin Rinos. The radios have a fairly good range. Also, you poll the location of your party members, and you can send a waypoint to the others in your party with the GPS location of the downed animal. It's really a very efficient system.

As for firing signal shots, last time I tried that, it was to no avail as I quickly ran out of arrows, and nobody showed up. (Arrows and broadheads ain't cheap.)

You don't carry a sidearm... out in the woods... with critters... both 4 and 2 legged?

We have radios for specific uses, like if someone is tracking a wounded animal and you have no idea where you might wind up or if you might have to overnight it out of camp, but trying for general use it was a ClusterF and the general consensus was to scrap them. Radio's going off when people were in the middle of a hunt, batteries not fairing well in the cold temps and people prematurely ending their hunt unnecessarily. Interrupting a guys hunt like that, even by accident, really P's people off.

We do solo hunts in the morning hours, but we talk before heading out so everyone pretty much knows where everyone else is headed and what their plan is. If you hear a shot from that general area... what do you do? Turn your radio on, making a bunch of noise in the middle of your hunt just to see if you need to go help? What if it wasn't anyone in your party or, it is, but they don't have meat down yet? You're making noise for no reason. Did everyone remember to turn their radio on? Did they already miss a call? How long do they wait before turning it back off and resuming their own hunt? What if they don't bother to turn it on to check if they hear a shot in an area they don't think we have people in... because... they jumped a herd and ended up looping/tracking it a few miles trying to get a shot?

A signal shot removes all doubt, is always reliable, and avoids any unnecessary frustration or interruptions to the others. When the signal shot is heard... meat's on the ground. Come now! No system is one size fits all though. If radio's are the best way to go for others... use em!

Worst case. As long as you know where they started you simply cut their trail and track to the kill.

 

[oremike]

I'm not much of a hunter other than Mushrooms and Grouse so day trips mostly. I did Motorcycle adventure quite a bit back in the day. Mostly we'd set up a base camp and ride out from there for the day. Everyone provided for themselves but a lot of the time there would be communal meals where a pot of something was created like beans, peppers, meat and bread and butter.