Can't comment on the hunting techniques as I've only been drawn for elk once so far. But I can comment on gear.
Highly recommend a Jetboil if you're doing freeze dried food or wanting a hot beverage. Great for quick ramen noodles or instant oatmesl packs, too. They'll boil a pint of water in just a couple of mins.
MSR Pocket Rocket has served me well for quick heating but hard to turn down the heat for simmering. Extreme light weight and takes up little space.
I really like my Sierra Stove for more extended cooking. Its a little on the heavy side, but when you take in to account fuel bottles or propane it works out lighter than alot of stoves. It uses a AA battery and anything organic you pick up in the woods...pine cones, twigs, charcoal, anything and gets forging hot. A battery lasts me about 25 hours, try to carrh 25 hours worth of cooking propane or white gas on your back.
I make up little packets of peanut butter with my foodsaver. Each one about a quarter cup. I have a hard time getting enough calories and often don't even feel hungry beyond my normal 2000 calories or so per day. I also like to add butter to everything for some extra calories and even lard where appropriate. I've been known to make grits with lard or bacon grease and then put butter on top. Spam is a great source of calories, protein, and sodium if you're sweating alot...used to eat it cold out of the can when I was on field ops in 29 Palms but generally prefer it cooked. Something else that makes a great high energy snack are those no bake oatmeal and chocolate cookies.
For quick water purification I like to carry along a Sawyer mini purifier. Just fill up the bag amd drink thru the filter, can back flush it easy enough. Sometimes I use a Steripen if drinking from a clear mountain stream. I personally lab tested it when I worked for the UCI BioChem Dept, and it works well. For more bulk water I use the MSR Miniworks, it doesn't produce as much water as a Katadyne for the same amount of pumping, but it screws on to a Nalgene so you don't have to worry about messing with a second hose (had a buddy take a dunk in a creek at Yosemite trying to manage two hoses
) It's also much cheaper.
Can't say enough about milspec ponchos and poncho liner. Fairly light weight, and if used right makes a tolerable shelter in addition to rain protection.
I've given up on alkaline powered headlamps and flashlights. Current favorite is a 18650 lithium powered headlamp. With a full charge it can literally go two full nights, nonstop on one battery set on medium. YMMV based on mAh and battery manufacturers.
For easy around the base camp food, experiment with foodsaver bags if you haven't already. You can fill them with leftovers building up s supply in the freezer, or make and freeze batches of whatever you like. Put them in the ice chest frozen and they'll stay that way for a while extending your ice or keeping other things cold. You can boil right in the bag, and once heated, eat from the bag like an MRE. No fuss, no cleanup. Plus you get to eat what you like and not over priced over processed food. I've even done eggs by scrambling, pour in bag in liquid state, add shteddrd cheese, salsa, hot sauce, whatever and they turn out alright cooked in the bag. If not thawed prior, they will take a little bit to cook through in s pot of boiling water...but the no diswashing aspect makes up for it. Edit: you do have to be csreful not to puncture or rip the bags, or it will leak or take on water when you boil.
Hope you find some nugget in this long winded post and best of luck.
