Author: Ray McCune

HOW MANY KNIVES ARE ENOUGH? I’ll have to admit I’m not sure just how many knives are enough to own or possess at one time. I guess if I were to count I’d probably admit to having in my possession at least 25, probably more. . . Read More

DEER BURGERS RAY’S WAY2 lbs. plain deer (venison) burger (no ground pork added)1 envelope of dry onion soup mix1/2 cup waterLightly greased griddleMix deer burger, onion soup mix, and water together. . . Read More

STORY TELLINGWhen I was growing up and doing a lot of camping with Boy Scout Troop 155  (I practically lived in the woods). My buddies and I enjoyed evening campfires and telling stories, telling jokes, and even reading stories of interest . . . Read More

WHAT SIZE OR KIND OF SKILLET(S) SHOULD I USE ON A CAMPOUT?Selecting a skillet(s) size (and type) is a matter of calculating:1) The number you will be cooking for2) The meal you will be preparing3) The method of cooking and amount . . . Read More

CHISLIC(Yep, that’s the name of it; now you have a new word to add to your vocabulary.)I ran across this interesting recipe/name in a cookbook sent to me from the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks. . . Read More

SUCCESS ATSALAMONIE RESERVOIRIt was just a week before opening day of Deer Season 2010 when Summer Volunteers Patrick McCune and Brian Jensen got the “OK” from Marvin McNew, (Interpretive Specialist for the Upper Wabash Interpretive . . . Read More

EASY VENISON CASSEROLE1 lb. deer burger4 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup3/4 cup milk¾ cup ketchup1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese1/3 cup green bell pepper . . . Read More

EVER FEEL LIKE YOU’VE BEEN RIPPED OFF? Recently I killed a legal deer during deer season, and the 9-point buck weighed in at around 200 pounds before field dressing. I took it to a well-known butcher shop here in Fort Wayne to be processed into roasts . . . Read More

PATRICK T. MCCUNE’S WILD SOUTH TEXAS BBQ SUGAR BEANS (Serve as a side dish.) 1/2 lb deerburger (broken up) 1/2 onion (chopped) 1/2 tbsp garlic powder 6 slices of bacon 1/4 cup syrup or brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup salsa (chunky) 1/2 bottle BBQ . . . Read More

HOT DANG THAT’S A WILD CASSEROLE (You can use tame meat but it won’t taste the same.) 1/2 lb. venison (moose, elk, deer, buffalo, reindeer) burger 1/2 lb. hot pork sausage 1 medium onion chopped 1 large (12 oz.) . . Read More

WHAT HAS HAPPENED? (Things have changed since I was a boy.) Things have changed quite a lot and I must say some of them are not for the better. When I was growing up, every boy carried a pocketknife or jackknife, as we often called them. . . Read More

DEER SWISS HEMMINGHOUSE (Modified recipe from a book Brother Of The Woods by R. J. Davis) A thick cut of deer round steak Salt and pepper to taste Garlic powder to taste All purpose flour (not self-rising) 1/4 inch of cooking oil in bottom of a Dutch oven 1 . . . Read More

ONCE AND FOR ALL HOW TO USE/TREAT/SEASON CAST IRON COOKING WARE (Someone told me they hate cooking in a cast iron skillet because the food sticks.) My reply to this was and always will be: “Never, never, never wash cast iron in soapy water.” . . Read More

There is a part of the deer that is sometimes neglected, trashed, given to the neighbors, or to the dogs. I consider it one of the better parts of a deer and I hate to see anyone just throw it away. . . Read More

LEARNING TO COOK OUTSIDE To learn to cook outside, first learn to cook inside. I know; I know; you want to go right outside, build a fire or fire up the ol’ charcoal grill and get to cookin’ something exotic. . . Read More

RAY’S OWN SMOKY GARLIC WILD MEAT MARINADE (Also good for ‘tame’ meat)   1 cup (8 oz.) ketchup or catsup (go cheap; save money) 1 cup (8 oz.) cooking oil (I like to use olive oil or Canola oil) 1 cup (8 oz.) . . Read More

FIRE STARTERS Do’s and Don’ts of makin’ ‘em Everyone laughs when I tell them I teach Boy Scouts the secret to making a campfire using two sticks of wood, is to make sure one of them is a match. . . Read More

DEERBURGER SOUP (Use moose burger, elk burger, or regular hamburger if you’re out of deerburger)   2 lbs. deerburger 1 medium to large onion (diced) 1 lump of margarine (about the size of a walnut)  . . . Read More

MENUS I’ve been asked what foods to take on camping trips and all I can answer is, “It depends.” It depends on a lot of things like the weather (rainy, sunny, windy, snowy), the time of year (spring, summer, fall, winter), and the likes and dislikes . . . Read More

BRUNSWICK STEW (In less sophisticated circles this is called Squirrel Stew – & the season is in.) 2 squirrels (skinned, gutted, quartered) 2 tsp. salt Water #12 Dutch oven 1 (15 oz.) . . Read More

Crawfish – Crawcrabs – Crayfish –  Mud bugs (My favorite way to eat ‘em!)   Wash the live crawfish in fresh water (just like lobster-make sure they are alive). Plunge them into boiling water that has been seasoned with Crab Boil or a . . . Read More

PROPERNESS (It must be a word; my mother used to use it.) This is sort of a continuation of AROUND THE KAMPFIRE in the last issue of THE WAYNEDALE NEWS’ outdoor page. . . Read More

Up north here you see lots of ‘possums and raccoons killed on the highway. Down south you’ll probably see more armadillos than ‘possums or raccoons. People will drive by and say, “What a waste; that could have fed a family.” . . Read More

I should direct this to all parents and not just the parents of Boy Scouts. I mention Boy Scouts because this is where I first noticed the problem of boys not eating properly; it was at summer camp. . . Read More