When do you eat your "big meal" of the day

[Jaquomo]

This is not a thread for the guys who live on "mush in a bag". For those who hunt from a base camp, when do you eat the big meal?

For decades, we would come back to camp at night and cook up a big dinner - steak, burgers, brats, chili, corn on the cob, potatoes, etc, then go to bed around 10 with a stuffed belly. Then a buddy described how he eats the big meal in early afternoon, takes a nap if he feels like it, goes hunting, and eats something light and simple before bed. I started doing that a couple years ago and has been a game changer in a number of ways.

What say you?

 

[5MilesBack]

Lunch has always been my favorite meal. That doesn't change when I'm hunting. Dinner just doesn't work well for me during September. I normally eat dinner about 6pm at home. Well, I'm already a couple miles deep by that time, and by the time I get back to camp that night I'm not all that hungry and there's not much time before I hit the sack. So maybe a bowl of ramen, or a pre-made sandwich or both, then to bed.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

Usually dinner, that holds me over till I eat lunch in the field. I will grab a quick bite in the morning, banana, apple, etc and a cup of coffee the head out.

 

[jimh406]

I’ve switched to one meal a day along with a low carb diet. From all I’ve heard/read, it’s better to do that in the middle of the day, so that’s what we do. I do sometimes have bulletproof coffee or similar in the AM or afternoon.

It takes a bit of time to get used to it, but seems work fine for my wife and I.

 

[Indian Summer]

I eat in base camp. Mush in a bag. When the sun goes down I’m miles from camp. Nine of that “hunt my way back to camp” stuff. So it’s late when I get back. Then I have to unsaddle horses. Water horses. Feed horses. After that I have one Jim Beam and Coke and just enough time to look at maps while I’m eating and I’m out cold.

 

[Speck1]

If I am close enough to camp I will eat a decent meal around 3:00 and then a light meal when I get back after dark. Most nights I’m too tired to eat anything much less cook after dark.

 

[Huntingfarandwide]

I make all of our meals ahead of time, freeze them and then thaw when we leave in twilight, then heat up (add biscuits) when we come back around noon. When we come back in the dark it’s always fruit, Nutritions Shake, and a Whistle Pig as a nite cap.

Works every time.

 

[justinspicher]

I’ll eat whenever I get home as that is my basecamp. Usually it’s a couple of hours after dark.

 

[WoodDuck]

Typically don’t see camp in the daylight, so when we get back at night is when we eat a big meal.

 

[bsshaver]

Mid day.


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[butcherboy]

It just depends on the day. If I’m in camp during the day then that’s when I do a “bigger” meal. If I’m out all day then I will eat one of my thawed pre made meals and go to bed. Breakfast is usually some kind of oatmeal and fruit or a pre made breakfast burrito.

 

[camelcluch]

My big meal is usually lunch. I stay out and eat a nice meal. Night is quick and bed.

 

[Thebigbaby]

Dinner.

 

[APTOutdoors]

Sorry, I'm a mush in the bag guy -- if I'm eating at basecamp it's dinner. Otherwise I'm in the field headlamp to headlamp as much as I can.

 

[Jethro]

We do the big meal at night and get in sleeping bag stuffed. I know that isn't going to change with my gang. We have a guy or 2 in camp that meal may be the most important part of their day. By 9am they are asking "what are we having for dinner tonight?"

 

[grossklw]

if I’m packed in we generally eat pretty light throughout the day and eat our big meal when we get back. I don’t mind an extra 15 minutes to unwind a bit and eat.

Truck camping we also eat big when we get back but keep it pretty simple with steak sandwiches or some actual food, one decent meal for the day goes a long ways. I sleep better on a full stomach anyway. Truck camping we will bring eggs and sausage for a quick burrito on the go in the morning when there’s time too.

 

[bohntr]

Early season deer hunt and elk hunts, I typically eat the big meal early afternoon…..then hunt til dark, snack before bed. In august (deer) morning time comes too early to stay up late to eat a meal.

 

[Castle Oak]

Midday for sure. Going to bed on a big meal interferes with my sleep. The only time we have a big meal in the evening is if we take an afternoon off to recharge the batteries.

 

[Gerbdog]

I just cant find time for much of anything when im hunting besides hunting.

Mornings just some breakfast mix i put together before season - add hot water - eat - leave camp before suns even close to up.

Lunch is a meal bar ... green belly or something like that .... maybe a protein bar too.

Dinner is just a mountain house - add hot water - eat - go to bed because im exhausted from hunting all day and getting up in 6 hours.

There's basically zero big meals for me in there - maybe im doing it wrong but hunting seasons damn near survival mode for a month haha

 

[trophyhill]

Seems like I exert the most energy in the morning on most days. So breakfast for me even though the rest of the year I’m not a breakfast person