Beans for Breakfast
This is the second post in a series of posts on places that have a holiday atmosphere around hunting. Yesterday I covered Massachusetts and the opening of deer firearm season this is the state I first learned to hunt. Today I’ll post a little bit about Maine and the rich hunting traditions I enjoyed when I lived there in the 90’s. In Maine there are two very important opening days and those are the opening of partridge season and resident opening day to firearm deer season.
Opening day of partridge season, and for those who don’t know a partridge is also called a ruffled grouse, is started with a traditional hunters breakfast. In the south we have all kinds of civic groups that fund raise with BBQ’s or fish fries but in Maine they hold hunters breakfasts. These breakfasts start well before sun up and the menu includes many traditional favorites’ eggs, pancakes, home fries, bacon, sausage, toast and one surprising item and that is bake beans. Bake beans are and old traditional New England staple, as kids we had them every Saturday Night for supper. Which reminds me of an old New England Proverb “He who eats beans on Saturday night sits in pew alone on Sunday morning” well anyways I’m digressing. Bake Beans are good because they stick with ya a long time and it can be a long time till lunch time. The breakfasts are usually a festive a fare with door prizes being handed out and lots of wild stories being told.
The opening day partridge breakfast is really just a warm up for the big event resident opening day of firearm season. Maine is the destination for many non resident hunters but at least one day a year the Maine residents have the woods to themselves on the first Saturday of firearm season. The day starts early with hunter’s breakfasts opening earlier enough to give hunters ample time to reach their hunting spot before first light. The breakfast menu and many of the activities were the same as the Partridge opening except on a grander scale. My dad who was not a hunter would often join my brother and I at the local hunters breakfast for the good meal and to be part of one of the most significant social events for many of these small communities. The truth of the matter is that probably about half of the people attending the breakfast don’t hunt deer. I’ll tell you this if your ever in Maine and see a sign for a hunters breakfast you should check it out. Any effects the consumption of beans has on you should be overcome by Sunday morning.
Next up will look at some traditional opening days in North Carolina.
Good stuff, Moose!
Can’t wait to see what you come up with from NC. Dove opener and deer season (gun season) opener are a couple that still have real good memories for me. I’m gonna miss both this year, as I’ll be hunting out west a little more than usual.
As always, enjoying your blog….
Comment by Phillip — July 20, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
For me, in North Carolina it’s the Friday night dinner at the clubhouse at the hunt club. Somebody usually buys a bunch of steaks, sausages, burgers, potatoes, and other man food and we all pitch in.
Baked beans on toast is a wonder breakfast I picked up in London. It’s not something you see in the south.
Comment by GrillingGreg — July 20, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
The picture of the ruffled grouse, also called “Ditch Chicken” around here is on my list for the early season starting beginning of September.
-Othmar Vohringer-
Comment by Othmar Vohringer — July 22, 2007 @ 3:15 am
Ditch chicken = Ruffed Grouse
That’s funny, the different names for things in different places. Around here (CA) a “ditch chicken” is a pheasant. Not to be confused, of course, with a mud hen.
Comment by Phillip — July 25, 2007 @ 11:03 am