Eat What You Kill
The food in the South is superior to any other region of the country. It can also be said that no region of the country has seen its residents live off the land more than the South.
If there is one thing consistent about true Southerners, it’s that they often disagree in order to agree. We disagree on what college football team is the best, but can all agree that football in the South is the best in the country. We disagree on whether Savannah or Charleston is the most charming Southern city, but all agree they both exude Southern charm.
But what we don’t disagree on is this: the food in the South is superior to any other region of the country. It can also be said that no region of the country has seen its residents live off the land more than the South.
When prepared properly, wild Southern game is delicious and very healthy because the meat is low in fat and high in protein. Below are some of the wild game and bird species that are hunted in the South and some ways to prepare them for the table. One word of caution here. Because wild game is low in fat, it should be no more than medium rare to medium. This will insure that the natural juices remain to keep the meat tender.
Whitetail Deer
The whitetail deer is the most hunted of all animal species in America, as more than 10 million hunters across the country, including more than 300,000 in Georgia, venture afield every fall with the idea of putting venison on the table. Because of the wooded and grainfield habitat that whitetails prefer, most hunters position themselves 10-25 feet above ground in a tree stand or tripod stand or on the ground in a blind.
Deer can be processed much like beef, but is much healthier. The most popular ways to prepare venison is in stew or chili, grilled tenderloins, hamburger or roasted in the oven.
Wild Boar
Many states in the South have wild pig population problems. The pigs are for the most part feral, meaning they came from a strain of once domesticated animals that got loose and have learned to live in the wild. Wild pigs are very prolific breeders, so the population numbers are rising sharply throughout the South.
Most pigs tend to be nocturnal, especially when they feel pressured. As a result, hunters sit in blinds early in the morning and late in the day in hopes of catching them coming out to feed. Many hunters use night vision and optics, which are legal for wild pig hunting in most states.
Wild pork can be cooked just like the meat you might buy from your local grocery store. Keep in mind, however, that the fat content will be somewhat lower than grocery meats. The most popular means of preparing wild pork is grilled ribs and barbecue. The best meat comes from younger animals and not the big boars that are considered trophies.
Wild Duck
For generations wild ducks have made their winter migration south in search of food for survival. These days there are more food sources than ever before for the birds due to increased agriculture and proper habitat management.
While many hunters covet the mallard duck, the most popular duck species in the Deep South are the greenwing teal and the wood duck. Both of these ducks are beautiful to observe and are quite delicious when properly prepared.
Most of the hunting for these species takes place on rivers, beaver ponds or improved marshes. The majority of hunters use decoys and calls to entice ducks into shotgun range, but where there is access, jump shooting either by floating in a boat or walking along the water’s shore is popular.
Wild duck is relatively dark meat, and many chefs choose to marinate the breasts in an Italian dressing, wrap it in bacon and grill it no more than medium over a relatively hot fire. When prepared this way, the flavor of the meat is very close to that of grilled beef.
Wild Turkey
One thing is certain, the wild turkey gobbler bares little resemblance to the Butterball bird you might find in the frozen food section at your local supermarket. This cunning bird is native to America and has been a staple in the diet of those who have inhabited this land for thousands of years.
Hunters use woodsmanship, calling and lots of patience when pursuing these big birds. Mother Nature says the gobbler struts and gobbles to attract the hens to him; he isn’t supposed to go to the hen. Therein lies the challenge for hunting these great birds. There is great turkey hunting throughout most of the South, and there are lots of birds, but make no mistake, the turkey usually wins the day and lives to play the ultimate game of outdoor chess one more time.
The breast of the wild turkey is by far the best part of the bird for the dining table. Most of the time the breast meat is cut into strips or small squares, soaked overnight in buttermilk and lightly battered, seasoned and deep fried to a golden brown. It is absolutely delicious.
Dove
Dove hunting in the South is often more about a social gathering of friends than it is about a hunt. The mourning dove is a fast flyer and is the most shot at and most missed of all game birds. Doves require two things daily – food and water. As a result if you can find a good dove shoot to participate in when hunting is over a grain field or water source, you’ve got a good chance to bag a few birds.
The dove is a small bird and most of time hunters only eat the breast meat, which is not white or dark, but somewhere in the middle. As a result, the dove breast meat can be either battered, seasoned and lightly fried or wrapped in bacon and cooked to medium on a hot grill. Either way, it can be considered an outdoor delicacy.
Bobwhite Quail
The bobwhite quail has been hunted for generations in the South. It was in the South that wealthy businessmen from the northeast purchased large tracts of land, called them plantations and used them as a winter retreat where wild quail hunting was the featured attraction.
Those days are pretty much gone, but the tradition of hunting quail over pointing dogs lives on today. There are dozens of hunting preserves where virtually anyone who wants to hunt the bobwhite quail may do so.
Like many upland flushing birds, the bobwhite quail is an all-white meat species. The meat is very tasty whether prepared fried, barbecued or smothered in gravy. Wild quail is considered a delicacy on the table by virtually all who hunt them.
As you can see, the land here in the South can be very good at providing food for its inhabitants. There are rules and limits imposed on almost all game birds and animals, but the opportunity is there if you want to give it a try.
To get the full scoop on the hunting season in the South and how you can eat what you kill, subscribe now or pick up the October/November issue of South Magazine.
