I was talking with a few of my friends recently who were planning or completing a hunt in North America.

One friend, John Kappeler, had just achieved the triple crown of hunting in Pennsylvania by tagging in a legal hunting season a wild turkey, a black bear and a whitetail buck. This is a nice accomplishment for any PA hunter but with the elk hunt option (by the luck of the draw) you could have the Grand Slam of PA. Likely someone has done it, but it really sets the bar high for skill and luck.

Two of my friends, George Snyder and John Harding, recently returned from New Mexico where they signed on for a winter mountain lion hunt. Incredibly they both were successful and harvested two male lions. In our discussion, the subject of what you do with a mountain lion … they both told me that the local hunters in New Mexico described lion meat as delicious and much like pork. My initial reaction was guarded and I am still unsure if it would agree with my taste buds, but I have been surprised before.

In many wild game dinner venues, I have tasted wild game dishes that I never would have thought to be appetizing. In fact, as I made a list of them, I came up with 25 different ones that are generally not on the daily menu of most homes.

Local hunters have offered deer and elk venison, wild turkey, goose, rabbit, squirrel and even bear dishes at the potluck dinners of sportsman’s and church dinners. Moose, caribou, and sheep have also been presented at some of the dinners as special dish offerings and exotic hunts in North America. Many are regional favorites and more common in different regions such as antelope, mule deer and bison in the west. Moose, caribou and bear are much more on the menu in the Canadian provinces than in the states.

Some of the bird hunters would argue that the winged game is the best choice for a wild game dinner. Some of these birds would include the ring-necked pheasant, bob white quail, ruffed grouse, mourning doves, many ducks, geese and turkeys. There are other game birds, but I have limited experiences with them. Of all these species of game birds, I generally have preferred the grouse, dove and pheasant as the best table fare.

Small game hunters and trappers have their own favorites to choose from, including squirrel, rabbit, groundhog, raccoon, beaver and muskrat. Native First Nation People depended on all of these protein sources in their regular diets. I was introduced to these animals from different people who could prepare them with a presentation that was many times delicious. Many of the old-time hunters have eaten ground hog and beaver more than once. Most of the herbivore species have a diet rich in grasses, roots, barks and native plant species. I had pan fried floured beaver and it was delicious and tender.

An old friend, Sally DeRubeis, frequently asked me for some squirrel that she prepared with hot peppers and garlic fried in a cast iron skillet. MMM .. good! Her comment made me smile when she stated that it tasted nutty to her.

The dishes featuring reptiles can be really good according to reports from the boys in Louisiana. Alligator tenders, turtle soup and rattle snake are considered delicacies. I have eaten or should I say tasted them all and found them to be pretty good, but chewy with a texture like lobster meat. Hot sauce and butter make everything taste better!

Don’t forget that not all wild foods come from the fields and forests, some come from the oceans, lakes and rivers as well. Wild caught salmon & trout are favorite cold-water species. The walleye, perch and catfish are enjoyed by many as warm water fishes along with bass, crappies and other pan fish. The selection of table fare with the wild outdoors is vast and that is why skipping the checkout line is often preferred by many as a change in their culinary diet.

It is really important that we always remember our role as stewards of the outdoors and all that nature has to offer us. Until we meet again, try something wild, it might become your favorite dish!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist of the Butler Eagle