Cooking for Deer Camp: A Collection of Recipes

Deer camp is sacred, at least for our family it seems to be. It is a time we look forward to all year. A time we get to share stories, hunts, and a whole bunch of meals together. We typically split up the meals so everyone either preps a meal or two or brings all the ingredients to cook. 

But if you find yourself in the situation where it is up to you to plan the meals for the week, here are some ideas to keep it simple yet enjoyable for everyone in camp. 

Breakfast

Since most wake up calls in deer camp are in the very early hours of the day, breakfast is the best of the meals to have prepped. Behold, the power of the burrito. 

You can stuff these with anything you like, but I’ll share my personal favorite I discovered last year getting ready for a hunt. 

Venison Sausage Egg Bake Burritos

Ingredients

• 1 pack burrito tortillas
• 8 Eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 bag of shredded cheese
• 1 Bag Southwest Style Shredded Hashbrowns
• 1 lb venison breakfast sausage
• 1 lb bacon
• 2 bell peppers - red, orange, or yellow - diced
• ½ white onion - diced
• Salt and pepper to taste. 

1. Brown the sausage and cook the bacon and then cut into small pieces
2. Mix hashbrowns, cheese, bacon, peppers, salt, pepper and onion in a large bowl and then pour into a greased 9x13 pan or large cast iron skillet
3. Beat eggs and milk together and pour over the pan/skillet as even as possible. 
4. Cover in foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes
5. Remove foil, bake for 15 more minutes
6. Remove from oven and let cool for a bit
7. Scoop out desired amount into tortillas and wrap up then cover in foil and freeze
8. Voila! Prepped burritos for breakfasts!
9. Easy to double, triple, or quadruple the batch. 

Other Easy Prep Options:

• French Toast Casserole
• Loaded Breakfast Casserole:

Lunch

Pack a sandwich. It’s the rut. Stay in the woods. 

Dinner

Early sunsets mean a lot of time to hang out and enjoy a great meal together. We like cooking things that warm the body and the soul. 

Venison Birra Tacos

If you still have a deer roast or two from last year. I highly suggest making this recipe!

Wild Game Burgers

Easy to make wild game burgers!

Pozole Verde

Really big fan of crock pot meals in deer camp because they can just simmer all day. Usually pre-make this one but toss it in the crock pot during the mid day stand change and let it warm up all afternoon. 

If you don’t have turkey breast, just swap out with chicken thighs. 

Steaks

Is it even deer camp without throwing Ribeye Steak on the menu?

Get thick steaks. Splurge a little bit on the cut. It’s worth it. 

1. Remove from packaging and salt and pepper. 
2. Put on a cooking cooling rack or grate for air flow in the fridge the day before. Take out ahead of when you plan to cook to let meat warm to room temp
3. Put in oven or on pellet grill at 185-205 degrees for 30-45 minutes
4. Sear hot in olive oil and butter in a cast iron pan on on flat top griddle to form good crust - roughly 1-2 minutes per side
5. Remove from heat and tent in foil for 10-12 minutes
6. Slice across grain and serve

Tater Tot Hotdish

This one is not our own recipe, but it’s never failed us. And if you didn’t grow up in the midwest with this as a staple in the cool weather menu, it’s worth a try!

Swap ground beef for venison if you have some left in the freezer!

Recipe here.

Bonus: Treestand Snacks

In this age of technological revolution, the food delivery vessels have never been better. I’m talking 18/8 food grade stainless steel. I’m talking about next level vacuum insulation to keep the hot things hot and the cold things cold. Yes, I’m talking about YETI bottles. Of course, these bottles and mugs will keep coffee hot, and bourbon cold, but the same thing applies to food. 

Here are some of my favorite snacks I’ve taken in the field with me over the last few years. 

1. Pizza Rolls. They might get a little soggy but they will stay warm for a good while! 
2. Hot sausage gravy to pour over biscuits.
    
3. Hot apple pie in one, and ice cream in the other
4. A burrito in one, and hot queso in another. Turns out a burrito in foil fits perfectly in an 18 oz yeti bottle

The options are really endless. But if your idea of a treestand snack is still a Little Debbie OCP or a cosmic brownie, it’s time to step into the new age.