Planning your hunting meals for a drought

As Montana and much of the western United States continues to see unprecedented fire danger, most Traditional Bowhunters of Montana members are anxiously awaiting the upcoming hunting seasons. Windswept and extremely dry prairie await us as we dream of slowly and meticulously working our way through the sagebrush with the hopes of drawing back and letting an arrow fly at a mature pronghorn buck. 

While preparing your checklist for your late summer and fall hunting camps, it is more important than ever to keep the dry conditions in mind. For those of you that like to enjoy a meal in the field it may be time to revisit what your menu may look like, both back at camp as well as for a day afield. With dry conditions continuing, it is not a good idea to use a camp stove or personal stove, so we ask that until conditions improve that you leave the Jetboil and dehydrated meals at home and consider some of these other options.

Breakfast

While I personally have done away with caffeine, I know many of you cannot get going for the day without a little jolt from a hot cup of coffee. There are plenty of alternatives that don’t require a boiling cup of water including caffeinated protein bars, chocolate coated espresso beans, energy “goo” and much more. You can round out your complete breakfast with either fresh or dried fruit, granola bars and if you have a cooler available to you can replace your hot oatmeal with overnight oats, no cooking required

Field Meals

After spending long hours chasing bugles or putting a long stalk on a bedded muley, we can all use a good meal to prepare us for the rest of the day’s hunt. Something that will put a pep in your step and carry through back to camp. Instead of firing up your backpacking stove to heat up some water for your Mountain House look for some other creative options that don't require a flame.

My go to protein punch in the fall is a hard salami sandwich made with taco size flour tortillas, cheese of your choice and then mayo and mustard packets. I will throw in a length of hard salami separately or some homemade elk jerky for snacking as well. Other common items include tins of fish such as sardines in mustard sauce, smoked baby clams or packets of flavored tuna. I have also been known to carry SPAM, vienna sausages as well as a variety of dried fruits and nuts.

Back at camp

When the day comes to an end a hearty warm meal back at camp can be a fantastic reward. Along with all the great stuff you can take out into the field that does not require a flame, there are plenty of options. Canned soups and noodle dishes can be easily eaten without heating them up, all the ingredients are already cooked through and are safe as is. Preparing things like a meatloaf or picking up a bucket of fried chicken from the grocery store can easily be left in a cooler and enjoyed straight away. 

If you really must heat something up there is another way instead of using a flame. Invest in a solar shower and you will find yourself with tremendously hot water if you return to camp shortly after the sun has gone down. While not fool-proof it can at least give you a fighting chance. Most solar showers hold about 5 gallons of water and consist of a black side and a clear side. When left in the sun throughout the day they can reach what seems like near boiling temperatures. This water can be used to heat up a can of soup or a meal that is stored in a zip lock bag. Get creative with it and you can enjoy a great warm meal without ever starting a fire.

In the end, it is incumbent on us to be responsible stewards of the land and in times of drought and severe fire potential that may mean making some sacrifices. Avoid using flames while you are out enjoying the hunt and you can be sure that you have done your part to limit your impact on the landscape and that everything will be there for another day.