The Hunting Camp Table: Good Food, Better Company

There are a lot of things I look forward to when deer season rolls around. Cold mornings, sitting in a deer stand, seeing what shows up on a food plot, and spending time in the woods. But one thing that probably doesn't get enough credit is the food back at the camp.

I've been around hunting camps my whole life, and while the camps, the people, and even the way we hunt have changed over the years, good food has always been a pretty important part of the experience.

Fried Deer Meat and French Fries

Growing up, our hunting camp wasn't anything fancy. We had a little trailer with a tiny galley-style kitchen, an old wooden table, and a double fryer set up out on the front porch.

I can remember standing in that little kitchen cutting potatoes for homemade French fries and tenderizing deer backstrap with an empty beer bottle. We weren't working with a whole lot of counter space or fancy kitchen equipment, but that's what made it memorable.

Fried deer meat and French fries were pretty much a weekend staple back then.

Most of the cooking happened outside in those fryers, and a good bit of the eating happened standing around the pan as soon as the food came out. You'd grab a piece of hot deer meat or a handful of fries before they ever made it inside. Whatever survived usually ended up on that old wooden table in the trailer. Lawry's seasoning salt was the only thing you needed to add.

It wasn't exactly fine dining, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

Looking back, I think that's part of what made it so good. Nobody was worried about presentation or putting together some elaborate meal. We were hungry from being outside all day, and somebody was cooking something good.

That's about all you needed.

The Best Part of the Evening Hunt Might Be Afterward

There's something about everybody getting back to camp after an evening hunt that I've always enjoyed.

Trucks start pulling in, everybody's coming out of the woods, and before long the conversations get going. Somebody saw a good buck. Somebody didn't see a thing. Somebody else is convinced the deer have completely changed their patterns overnight.

A few folks might be out at the skinning shed taking care of a deer killed that evening. Others are gathered around with a beer or a glass of whiskey, talking about the hunt or whatever else comes up.

And somewhere in the middle of all that, there's usually something to eat.

I think a lot of people who didn't grow up around hunting camps probably picture the hunting itself as the main event. And obviously, that's why we're there. But some of my favorite parts of deer season have always been the hours spent back at camp.

You can hunt all day without seeing a deer and still have a pretty good evening.

A Pot That's Been Cooking All Afternoon

These days, I appreciate a meal that doesn't require somebody to spend half the evening cooking.

A big pot of chili or gumbo is hard to beat, especially when it's been cooking all afternoon and is ready when everybody gets back from the woods.

There's something pretty nice about walking into camp after sitting in the cold and knowing supper is already taken care of.

And when you've got several hungry people coming in at different times, a crockpot full of something good makes a whole lot of sense. Grab a bowl when you're ready, go back for seconds, and nobody has to worry too much about keeping a schedule.

The same goes for breakfast. Biscuits and gravy after a cold morning hunt are about as good as it gets. Especially when everybody has been up since well before daylight.

You don't have to get too creative with hunting camp food. In fact, I think some of the simplest meals are usually the best.

More Than Just a Place to Hunt

Hunting camps come in all shapes and sizes. Some are nice lodges with big kitchens and every convenience you could want. Others are old trailers with a fryer on the porch and barely enough room for everybody to sit down.

I've enjoyed both, but I still think about that little kitchen I grew up in.

I can remember the potatoes, the beer bottle we used to tenderize meat, and everybody grabbing food straight out of the pan. Those are the kinds of things that stick with you.

At the end of the day, a good hunting camp doesn't have to be much. A place to get out of the weather, somewhere to cook a decent meal, and a few people you enjoy spending time with will get you a long way.

And if there's fried backstrap and homemade french fries involved, that's even better.