Author: Ray McCune

I will be leaving The Waynedale News right after this issue. I’m taking a sabbatical from newspaper writing to finish my second book of humor. Of course I won’t be moving; I’ll still be in the Waynedale area, attending meetings and outings with Boy Scout Troop 344 and helping with other scouting units in Waynedale but instead of writing newspaper outdoor articles, columns, and recipes I’ll be arranging thirty of my latest humor columns that were published in MidWest Outdoors magazine, into chapters for my new book. . . Read More

MINCED VENISON(Use ground beef if deer meat is not available) 30 lbs. ground venison3 lbs. chopped onions2 lb. 4 oz. (2 ¼ qt.) general all-purpose flour19 lb. 2 oz. (2 ¼ gallon) canned crushed tomatoes1 oz. . . Read More

What can you do with deer meat that you can’t/won’t do with regular beef? First of all deer meat is leaner than regular beef so you may have to cook some dishes differently than say a beef dish that relies on fat to make the meat juicy and flavorful like a nice thick beef T-bone steak. . . Read More

WHAT KIND OF CAMPFIRE DO YOU NEED/WANT? In the Boy Scout Handbook they show several kinds or types of fires you can build. Each has a purpose: easy to build, ceremonial purposes, signaling, lazy man’s way, cooking, and etc. . . Read More

What is a campfire and why have one? There’s a certain ambiance when dealing with or being around a campfire especially after dark. It’s like being in a different world. It’s also the center for doing skits and the reason for making snacks and we all long for snacks prepared around a campfire, don’t we?Snacks . . Read More

MOOSE SOUP(OK, you may be low on moose meat so use deer, antelope, caribou, elephant or plain ol’ beef hamburger if you have to) 1 quart of water6 green bell peppers (chopped)3 red bell peppers (chopped)1-1/2 cups chopped celery1-1/2 cups cooked white rice2 quarts V-8 juice30 ounces stewed tomatoes2 tsp. . . Read More

PASTURE CASSEROLE (Starring Wood Chuck) It’s groundhog season and it’s in full bloom. You can tell when it is time to go groundhog hunting because the cars on the highway are already getting their limits. . . Read More

SONGS, SKITS, AND TALENT What goes on around your campfires? What goes on around other campers’ campfires? What would you like to do around your campfires? Think about it; JUST WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO AROUND YOUR CAMPFIRE? . . Read More

RAY’S PAN FRIED ANIMALAND GRAVY (Doctor Seuss might call it “Roast Beast”; Boy Scouts might call it “Road Kill”)Skin, gut, and soak squirrels, rabbits, or groundhogs in salt water for about an hour. . . Read More

WHAT DO YOU DO AROUND YOUR KAMPFIRE? That is a good question. WHAT DO YOU DO AROUND YOUR KAMPFIRE? Is it something productive? Do the younger ones LEARN anything from the experience of listening to their elders talk? . . Read More

I CAN’T WRITE;I AIN’T NO WRITER! I have a trick to keep boys occupied when they are sitting around, “. . . doin’ nuthin’ ’cause we’re bored.” I say, “How many of you would like to write a story?” . . Read More

THE EGG AND I This is not a ‘wild thangs’ kind of recipe; it’s just that I’m ‘wild’ about egg salad and I thought I’d share my recipe with you. If you have too many boiled eggs left over like we did then you’ll want to do something with those eggs quickly. . . Read More

Take Mom Outdoors on May 8thThat’s right. Mom’s big day is upon us. Plan now if you haven’t already. Here’s help. •Take mom on a hike. Our state parks and reservoirs offer more than 600 miles of trails. . . Read More

C – A – R – P (The other fish meat.) People ask me what is my favorite fish, where I go to fish, and why. All I have to do is mention C-A-R-P and I set my listeners into a fury. . . Read More

DANDELIONS  Just the mention of the name will set my wife into a frenzy and she will instinctively reach for the anti-dandelion granules and head for the yard. Now this is all well and good when you’re living in the city and it’s like shoveling water up hill if you live in the country since the seeds are in the air 24/7 and replanting what you’ve tried to kill. . . Read More

This should be called ‘around the ol’ fishin’ hole since its coming to that time of year again. Summer is upon us and summer means ‘gone fishin’. In previous columns I’ve given you recipes for my favorite fish eatin’ – bluegills. . . Read More

THE WARY BLUEGILL The Bluegill has been called the fish for old men and kids. Now that I’m getting to be less of a kid and more of an older person then I guess that applies to me. . . Read More

I like to camp in state parks around the state because #1-I feel safer, #2-All the campsite work has been done for me, #3-They have great programs and this helps to keep the kids entertained and they learn things. . . Read More

WHATCHA CALL IT STEW This is a stew/soup that lets you the cook be creative BUT don’t over do it with the being creative part. Here’s why and it’s a rule to cook by: Don’t mix things together that (according to my Mom) “. . . Read More

KOOKIN’ FIRES In the Boy Scout manual they show a few different fires that you can build depending on the need at hand. There’s the log cabin fire, V-fire, the trench fire, the tee pee fire, the reflector fire, and even an elevated fire (built on a platform covered with about a 6 – 8 inch layer of dirt). . . Read More

It’s spring and time for some wild greens. I’ll admit that I’m cheating a little on the wild greens a bit because I have just watched the last bit of snow melt in my back yard and the greens aren’t up yet in my favorite patch of woods so I reverted to my freezer where I have two large packages of Allium Tricoccum stashed away from a trip to West Virginia last year when I was there turkey hunting with my nephews. . . Read More

How To Have A Knotty Time What do you do around your campfire? Do you tell stories or sing songs? Do you toast marshmallows and make s’mores? Do you roast hotdogs? . . Read More

BRUNSWICK STEW2 to 4 squirrels (cleaned and cut into quarters)4 quarts of water1 medium onion chopped1 tbsp. salt2 cups lima beans (or canned butter beans will do)6 ears of corn (use equivalent amount of canned corn if necessary)1/2 lb. . . Read More

FOIL A CAMPING TRIPWay back when I was a Scoutmaster, the boys in my troop came up with a unique idea of going camping with no pots, pans, skillets, or cooking utensils other than a knife and a roll or two of heavy duty aluminum foil. . . Read More