For those that have just come back from a successful hunt, the question isn’t what to eat but how to cook it. Luckily, both unusual and classic hunting recipes exist for each type of game, meaning you’ll always have plenty of options.

Here are few ideas for dishes to try after your next hunt.

Whole Roast Duck

Many agree one of the best ways to cook duck is the simplest.

You’ll need:

  • 1 wild duck, plucked and dressed
  • Salt
  • Duck fat
  • 2 celery sticks or carrots

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Dry the duck with paper towels and salt the skin. Add duck fat to a cast iron pan over medium heat and brown the duck on all sides. Lift up the duck to add the celery or carrots to the pan then rest the duck back on top of the vegetables breast side up. Place in the oven and begin checking after 10 minutes for doneness. When the meat reaches 135°F, remove and rest on a cutting board under a foil tent at least 5 minutes.

Small birds can be served whole with bread and your favorite side. Larger birds can be served as halves.

See the full recipe at Delta Waterfowl.

Candied Wild Boar

Both sweet and savory flavors make this a favorite Texas treat.

You’ll need:

  • 1 pound thick-cut wild boar bacon belly slices
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • Cayenne pepper, if desired

Preheat a grill or oven to 375°F. Arrange foil underneath the grill or oven rack to catch drips. Add sugar, maple syrup and black pepper to a shallow bowl and lightly mix. Coat the boar slices with the mixture, adding a dash of cayenne, if desired. Place the boar bacon slices on the grill or oven rack, basting every 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and cool when the boar bacon edges are crisp and the sugar has caramelized.

Serve the boar bacon candy crumbled on a salad, on top of ice cream or cupcakes, on grilled cheese sandwiches or plain.

See the full recipe at Guns.com.

Venison Chili Over the Fire

A venison chili prepared over an open flame is hard to beat.

You’ll need:

  • 2 pounds ground venison
  • 1 pound bacon, chopped
  • 1 large onion, diced finely
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bunch of green onions, sliced
  • 1/4 cup creole seasoning blend
  • 4 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon
  • 3 cups stock
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Place a large iron pan over the fire and render the bacon. Add the venison, onion, garlic and green onions and brown the meat. Mix in the creole seasoning and toast for 5 minutes. Add the bourbon and deglaze until the alcohol cooks off. Add the stock and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the venison chili with cheddar cheese, grilled tortillas, avocado and sour cream.

See the full recipe at Mossy Oak.

Pheasant in Mushroom Cream Sauce

This quick and easy recipe is perfect after a ringneck hunt.

You’ll need:

  • 2 whole pheasants, cleaned and quartered
  • Salt, pepper and paprika, to taste
  • Flour for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • Fresh mushrooms

Rinse and dry the pheasant quarters. Mix salt, pepper, paprika and flour in a bowl and lightly coat each quarter. Heat butter in a cast iron skillet and brown the pheasant. Remove the meat and set aside. Saute the onions and garlic in the same pan until the onions are translucent. Add the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and mushrooms and stir to combine over medium heat. Add the pheasant quarters and sauce to a crock pot and cook gently for 2 to 3 hours until the pheasant is fall-off-the-bone tender.

Serve on a bed of homemade mashed potatoes.

See the full recipe at Guns.com.

Yukon Style Moose Ribs

This flavorful moose recipe originally comes from way up north.

You’ll need:

  • Moose ribs
  • 2 potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 apple
  • 2 slices of bacon
  • 500 ml can of Stella Artois Belgium beer
  • Bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce

Preheat the oven to 200°F and wash and peel and slice the vegetables and the apple. Arrange these in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Then add the moose ribs, top them with sliced bacon and pour in the beer. Cover and place in the oven for about 12 hours. Transfer the moose ribs to an oven-safe pan and top with your favorite barbeque sauce. Return the ribs to an oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until the sauce is heated. Broil 5 minutes to glaze the sauce, if desired.

Serve with your choice of sides, such as potatoes, acorn squash or carrots.

See the full recipe at All About Moose.

Jalapeno Goose Poppers

This quick appetizer works great for small game like goose and dove.

You’ll need:

  • 12 jalapeno peppers
  • 1 bar cream cheese
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Tender goose breast meat, thinly sliced
  • 12 bacon slices
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup
  • Toothpicks

Prepare the peppers by washing and drying, then slice in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Stuff each jalapeno half with cream cheese, then top with shredded cheese and one slice of the goose. Wrap each stuffed pepper with a slice of bacon, using toothpicks to hold everything in place. Place the peppers on the grill and cook until the bacon is crisp and the meat done.

Serve drizzled with maple syrup.

See the full recipe at Guns.com.

Turkey Leftover Recipes

If you’ve been on a turkey hunt recently, you may have more turkey than you know what to do with.

Our Turkey Leftovers blog is full of more great recipe ideas, including Turkey Soup, Turkey Primavera and more.

Happy cooking!

 

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