Thanksgiving day routine, "traditions", and meals on the late hunt?

[daverp]

What's your Thanksgiving Day routine when you're on the late rifle bull hunt?

 

We're usually up the week before (as we will be this year), busting azz scouting all week. Exception is Thanksgiving day. After Thanksgiving day morning glassing, we will get back to camp in time to listen to the Lions vs. Whoever (hopefully Packers) game on the radio (may not bother this year....it's Lions / Bears, and I don't need to listen to the Lions win another game), and have a hot lunch for a change. After that, we're back for an evening of glassing.

 

Thanksgiving day is typically the only evening we're not out glassing until the last hint of light. This night, and this night only, we like to leave about sun down, with about 30 minutes light left, and get back to camp for an early dinner and an early in the sack night. The pre-season scouting is complete, and if we haven't done our homework in the months, days, and hours before this, the last 30 minutes of this day will likely not help much anyway.

 

Somewhere along the line over the years, biscuits, sausage (elk or venison sausage if we have it), and sausage gravy became my son's and my elk camp Thanksgiving Dinner of choice (maybe about the time I bought that Coleman oven and made our first biscuits in camp!). Quick, easy, filling, satisfying, and a "taste" of Thanksgiving almost. A real nice, heavy and warm "gut bomb" to go to sleep on. Sleeping pill on a plate.

 

That will be followed up with a glass or two of Amaretto around the fire with talk and eager anticipation of the following morning, then early to bed. Wake up about 0230 to 0300 and out of camp soon thereafter to get to where we're glassing and claim our opening morning spot and let the area settle in around us after the hike in. A little snooze while huddled in the jackets and trying to stay out of the weather as we attempt to maintain some semblance of body warmth, and wait for the first crack of light. Of course snoozing is almost always impossible when you're peeking out every 3 1/2 minutes to make sure you don't miss first light!

 

Hunt hard all day (and each day following until that tag is wrapped around bone, or we're left to ponder what could possibly make evening seven "tag soup" just slightly more paletable). Return to camp after stumbling over AZ's rocks by the light of headlamps powered by batteries that probably should have been changed the evening prior...had the biscuits, gravy, Amaretto, and opening day excitement not conspired against us to make us forget that little mundane task.

 

Opening day dinner always consists of "Gunpowder Stew", a very spicy concoction of pork-n-beans, kidney beans, ham, bologna, fried Spam, onions, and a whole lotta "La Victoria Salsa Jalepena" that will leave you wiping sweat from your brow, stripping off outer layers and backing away from the campfire... and sniffling like a 2nd grader just coming in off the playground in January, no matter how low the temps. Heaven in a bowl. (A couple ice cold beers to "keep the heat in check" is the rule here.) An elk camp staple for us for 35 years now, borne out of a "what's in the chuck-box that we can throw in this pot" moment while taking a break during a day of predator calling in Ash Fork on one brutally cold January day many, many years ago. Just the smell, taste, and fire in the back of the throat brings back so many (but sadly too few) fantastic memories of hunts with the old man and his buddies.

 

What are your meals / traditions / routines?

[6ANut]

Great post first of all. We have to always please the wives so we have turkey day at one pm and it pretty much is a power hour of turkey eating. Then we race to the cabins where the heater is on and the jack Daniels is flowing. I personaly am like a kid the night before Xmas and usually try to fall asleep first. My grandpa always made fried chicken and mash potatoes every first day of the hunt so after his passing we have continued that tradtion. One of my uncles from California always makes a blackened bluefin tuna and macadamia crusted mahi mahi that is outa this world good. With the first elk down its backstraps for dinner except if it's the first night.

[lancetkenyon]

Just my 12 year old daughter and I this year, since she has a 7W bull tag. Our Turkey Day will be spent scouting, squirrel hunting, maybe some varmint hunting, eating turkey sandwiches, relaxing some up in a friend's cabin.

[Zeke-BE]

I wish we had a Family tradition that did that on Thanksgiving! But one we never did and two that day is my wife's favorite holiday. I can hunt any time but when they fall over on top for the holidays wife says a no go on those days . But that must be a blast for the kids grow up that way enjoy your Thanksgiving and good luck

[kd300wsm]

We UST to scout in the morning come to camp role up some game hens. Toss them on the Coles let them cook while we put together the other goodies. eat and call it a early night. Now that we have moved up in the world and my dad has bought a cabin In our hunt unit. We do a regular dinner with a nice fat deep fryed turkey and all the fixens

[ready2hunt]

Stuffing, mash potatoes with biscuits- washed down with Pumpkin pie while the kids play. Later that evening we use the rolls to make turkey sandwiches/sliders.

 

 

Every year my wife and I take a moment and give thanks for just having everyone healthy and happy- no greater blessing in my opinion.

[BigGameHunter]

On Thanksgiving I always give thanks for having an amazingly understanding wife -- as she lets me leave the Wednesday before thanksgiving to go on mt hunt(s). Obviously causing me to miss the holidays. In return, our family usually celebrates with a turkey dinner the weekend before. Which is advantageous because all the left overs are worked into camp meals.

[trphyhntr]

varmint calling thanksgiving morning, always.

[DUG]

We've eaten Thanksgiving dinner in Flagstaff a few times the night before bull season. We've had Coco's one year. Buffalo Wild Wings one year. And Denny's in Williams one year. Even watched the parade in Williams and watch them light the Xmas tree.

[cramerhunts]

The last few years it's been pushing the wife's family to eat as early as possible so my daughter and I can load up and head to coues camp. At camp we normally meet my dad and cousin and have a light snack before hitting the rack to dream about big bucks the next morning. Might shake it up this year and hit camp a day early to try and tie one up but we'll see how far I can push the wife's limits.

[elkocd]

This year it will be Mt House meals for me, my 12 year old son and my dad. In some cold basin miles from the nearest road and hopefully anyone else. It won't be a traditional thanksgiving, but one we will all remember. Probably more than any other.

[Shooter McGavin]

For the past 12 yrs it's been on the beach in Rocky Point. You can't beat rum & cokes during the day watching the tide roll away, having the chitlins run themselves ragged on the beach followed by a traditional style turkey dinner. The cervezas in the morning, rum & cokes in the midday followed by wine and homemade cheese cake in the evening........WOW. I have often thought about applying for late season elk tags the day after Thanksgiving but it's kinda hard to break traditions.

 

As for shooting stuff, we always have the potato gun on hand to shoot at the seagulls, they are just as bad as those nasty pigeons or crows we have.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all, be safe and if you have tag............fill it!!!!!

[stanley]

Sounds like everyone has some great plans!

 

'Turkey Bowl' flag football with the kids (and friends & their kids) in the local park at 9AM every Thanksgiving morning! Then head to my sister's place in the early afternoon to hang-out with the family (all 25+ of us...) for the afternoon and into the evening. Eating, visiting, watching football, and eating some more! This will be the first Thanksgiving without my parents, but we will give thanks to the wonderful lives they led up to their passing this year!

 

Then after all of the eating and family time, my oldest son and I will drive down South late Thursday night to join a couple of friends for the late coues hunt starting the day after Thanksgiving! No Black Friday shopping for me, just those STEEP mountains in 36C!

 

Peace everyone!

 

S.

 

[yumabowhunter]

Been in spike camp deep in the bush last 3 years coues deer hunting with one of my boys. Will make it a 4th this year.

[ctafoya]

Drive to the cabin. Drink a beer. Scout one last time. Drink a beer. Drive back to cabin for football and playing pool. Drink more beer.