wild game?

My dad smokes his too, but also likes to bbq. He hunts mostly just deer and bear though. My uncle makes his geese into Jerky, and my brother ONLY bbqs his stuff but mirinates it all night, usually in teriaki sauce, or sometimes beer and bbq sauce.

It has been my experience that you can take almost anything edible, and put it in a crockpot with a can of cream of mushroom soup and come back several hours later and pour the grease off the top and eat it.

mmmm,,, possum. It's what's for dinner!

In all seriousness, its great to see alot of people on here that still have great respect and class regarding where their food comes from. I have alot of friends that chose to be vegan and vegetarian. Which is great and all, because its their personal lifestyle choice and not for everyone. But none of them have ever hunted, fished, or put back into nature what they took (to include all their precious vegetables). I just have a hard time listening to people's political/social tirades about food, when they refuse to show a little respect towards someone's opposing viewpoints. Not to mention, are complete contradiction to their own arguments about nature and animal rights.

I wish, I had the means and access to be more involved in hunting and conservation. I miss growing up and feeling that excitement for hunting seasons. Being out on that opening day for pheasant hunts.
The sun slowly rising. The anticipation of making that first walk thru the field. The ground still wet from morning dew. The smell of bore cleaner floating off my shotgun mixed in with the smells of nature. Blasting my first bird. Finishing the day up, cleaning and waiting that first cookup.

Man good times.

I grew up with a lot of wild game (lived in the mountains, my dad and brothers all hunted whatever was in season that they had "tags" for). When I was a little kid, I was the one who wrote heartfelt "please go away and don't kill our animals" letters and posted them on the cars/windshields of out-of-town hunters.... I had a hard time eating what my dad brought home because I was emotionally involved with the animals I saw on hikes. Sometimes my parents would just cook a beef steak or normal hamburger for me (somehow that's always been easier for me to handle because they're RAISED and INTENDED for meat. lol)

That being said.... I've grown up, matured, I don't post 11-year-old-activist letters on hunter windshields anymore, nor do I live in the mountains. Things change. To each their own.

My mom used to stuff wild fowl with fresh veggies, onions, celery, carrots, wild rice, etc... bake it on low or stick it in the crockpot.... then she insisted that the stuffing used while cooking it be thrown away or fed to the dogs... she always said it was just for drawing the wild taste out of the meat and to give it some flavor. Then she'd make fresh sides... most people (like myself) were surprised that it was wild game because it didn't taste so wild/greasy. (Geese and duck seemed to be a greasier meat, for lack of a better way to describe it)

We also had a lot of ground venison mixed with taco seasoning and made into little tiny 1/4 sized hamburgers, and summer sausage made with venison. We had a local butcher that would dress deer, and that gave a lot more options on cuts of meat, varieties, etc.

Grew up in a hunting/fishing family, even though I'm a vegetarian now. In my experience venison can be used pretty much anywhere you would use beef, from steaks to roast to burger. Personally never noticed a "gamey" flavor but then again I grew up with it.

Basically like I said, just use it anywhere you'd use the beef. Same goes with bear.

Gators are an iffy one though, if they've been fed fish you use them in fish dishes. If they've been fed chicken use them in chicken dishes. Or you can use them in dishes where both are applicable.

Rattlesnakes are good thinly sliced and bbq'd.

Rabbit backs/legs cooked all day in marinara sauce and then served with some buckwheat/quinua pasta is delicious.