For some, the idea of eating rabbit or venison creates an image of days gone by, a time when hunting for food also meant a rustic preparation of the meat. Wild game cooking, however, spans the gamut from simple meals that you prepare over a camp fire to fine dining and gourmet cuisine - the variety of wild game recipes is limitless.

You will find wild game dinners advertised as exotic cuisine - and wild game is often referred to as exotic meat. The appeal is broad and varied, but at the end of the day, this can be said: There is nothing more natural and satisfying because a part of our human nature is the desire to provide food by hunting, game processing, and then enjoying a meal of that wild-caught meat. Many who hunt for food also hunt to put away enough for the winter, and while not necessarily a necessity as in the days past, it is still a remarkably effective way to provide for one's self and family and enjoy wild game cooking all year long.

Of course, it isn't like the process of hunting is something that you just do, like tying your shoes. Hunting can be a part of one's heritage and it might be a deeply meaningful activity or lifestyle. The connection between a person and their environment, including what they eat is a deep and meaningful one. Some will tell you that spending time out in nature quiets their mind and instills a sense of gratitude. Others will tell you that hunting is a use of valuable, renewable natural resources and is a responsible way to feed oneself. Others still will tell you that food just tastes better when you're had a hand in harvesting it.

If you are a hunting enthusiast then likely you seek out the company of others who feel the same way you do. Having this sense of community does more than create social opportunities, you can pass around wild game recipes, tips for game processing, good areas for hunting different types of game or gathering other rare delicacies to go along with your wild game dinners. Many hunters might also pick up new skills, like how to identify when certain edible mushrooms will be out or when ramp season is. Of course- nobody in their right mind will tell you where their secret ramp patch is without trusting you to the utmost degree, so building friendships (or healthy trade/barter systems) within the community will be essential if you want to extend your recipes to include many of the amazing wild-crafted foods that mother nature has to offer! And there are many possibilities, that some couldn't have imagined, for preparing and cooking your wild game- it definitely isn't limited to the traditional soups/stews, frying, baking, roasting, or the other traditional game dinners.