Best game cooking books according to redditors
We found 174 Reddit comments discussing the best game cooking books. We ranked the 29 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 174 Reddit comments discussing the best game cooking books. We ranked the 29 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
![Duck, Duck, Goose: Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Ducks and Geese, both Wild and Domesticated [A Cookbook]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61niAzHKP0L.jpg)
Because while they may not be able to pick up the spectrum, especially in the red which is why a lot of hunting colors are that bright orange, they would still "see" a mass of solid color which wouldn't look natural against the natural background.
You wear the camo to blend into the environment but the orange/yellow/red for other hunters, but not in mass concentration, just enough to be seen.
Also, don't wear blue jeans, Deer, while being lousy with the red spectrum see blue quite well, so wearing blue jeans and a camo jacket is laughable. Bottom line, look like the environment because any solid color, regardless of spectrum is going to stand out.
The Beginner's Guide to Hunting Deer for Food - Jackson Landers
A good intro guide to deer hunting at a reasonable price.
If you move the decimal over. This is about 1,000 in books...
(If I had to pick a few for 100 bucks: encyclopedia of country living, survival medicine, wilderness medicine, ball preservation, art of fermentation, a few mushroom and foraging books.)
Medical:
Where there is no doctor
Where there is no dentist
Emergency War Surgery
The survival medicine handbook
Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine
Special Operations Medical Handbook
Food Production
Mini Farming
encyclopedia of country living
square foot gardening
Seed Saving
Storey’s Raising Rabbits
Meat Rabbits
Aquaponics Gardening: Step By Step
Storey’s Chicken Book
Storey Dairy Goat
Storey Meat Goat
Storey Ducks
Storey’s Bees
Beekeepers Bible
bio-integrated farm
soil and water engineering
Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation
Food Preservation and Cooking
Steve Rinella’s Large Game Processing
Steve Rinella’s Small Game
Ball Home Preservation
Charcuterie
Root Cellaring
Art of Natural Cheesemaking
Mastering Artesian Cheese Making
American Farmstead Cheesemaking
Joe Beef: Surviving Apocalypse
Wild Fermentation
Art of Fermentation
Nose to Tail
Artisan Sourdough
Designing Great Beers
The Joy of Home Distilling
Foraging
Southeast Foraging
Boletes
Mushrooms of Carolinas
Mushrooms of Southeastern United States
Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast
Tech
farm and workshop Welding
ultimate guide: plumbing
ultimate guide: wiring
ultimate guide: home repair
off grid solar
Woodworking
Timberframe Construction
Basic Lathework
How to Run A Lathe
Backyard Foundry
Sand Casting
Practical Casting
The Complete Metalsmith
Gears and Cutting Gears
Hardening Tempering and Heat Treatment
Machinery’s Handbook
How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic
Electronics For Inventors
Basic Science
Chemistry
Organic Chem
Understanding Basic Chemistry Through Problem Solving
Ham Radio
AARL Antenna Book
General Class Manual
Tech Class Manual
MISC
Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft
Contact!
Nuclear War Survival Skills
The Knowledge: How to rebuild civilization in the aftermath of a cataclysm
If you want a great book resource, I would highly recommend Steven Rinella's Complete Guide to Hunting series. It covers a wide range of topics from gear selection, hunting methods, and some recipe ideas. His show and podcasts are also good.
Amazon Link
Check out Hank Shaw's duck recipes. He's a hunter & wild food chef, and he literally wrote the book on duck cookery.
I haven't tried his whole roasted duck recipes, but his method for cooking duck breasts is perfect. (His line about how to think about how to cook a duck breast is that "It's not a bird. It's a steak wearing a hat made of bacon.")
Try this book. I felt like it was a great starting off point for me. Kept me from having to ask a ton of silly questions of friends and family who are experienced.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504826391&sr=8-1&keywords=complete+guide+to+hunting+butchering+and+cooking+wild+game
my parents cooked venison on a regular basis. since they'd both go hunting every year, it was our version of beef. the instructions to the butcher were to turn the tenderloins into steaks, then make everything else a roast. if they couldn't make it into a roast, make it into stew meat. if they couldn't make it into stew meat, make it into ground.
best advice i can give is to get your hands on the l. l. bean game and fish cookbook. they've got recipes for just about anything you can legally hunt, most of which can also be translated for venison, beef, or chicken. i don't think my parents ever put venison in the slowcooker, mostly because it's an incredibly tender but lean meat... but that may have just been the animals in our area.
so honestly, i wouldn't use venison in a crock pot unless you're going to add another fat source, or you're already working with stew meat that needs the longer braise.
Read Steven Rinellas Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking Cooking Big game. I never had a mentor to teach me how to hunt I picked up this book a year ago read it twice basically. It's jam packed with info I don't think there's another book like it. He ll walk you through the whole process from what gear you need and don't need, there's a chapter every type of big game animal in North America And how to hunt it. It pretty much covers all the questions you had in your post. Could not recommend this enough. https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
Buy this, and read it-
The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game https://www.amazon.com/dp/081299406X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Tu6Fzb3M27JKG
Then buy this, and read it-
The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 2: Small Game and Fowl https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812987055/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Jv6FzbZGW2GRY
Read the guide to hunting, butchering and cooking. Vol 1 is big game, vol 2 is small game. Check out the show Meat Eater on netflix. Also watch a guy on youtube named Randy Newburg.
That will cover a lot of the basics.
I think it depends on what kind of person you are. If you think you'll be happier doing it yourself, knowing how it was done and learning while you go then you should take the leap and give it a shot. It's really not that hard to mess up and the learning experience will be invaluable. I'm by no means a professional but I always do it myself and like it that way. I know exactly how it was taken care of, I've done it how I want to and I've been in control of the whole process. It can be daunting, no doubt but the best way to learn, like most things, is to jump in. And in the end, if you found that it's just not for you then, then at least you know what it involves and can move forward with that knowledge next time.
If your worried you don't know enough or don't know anyone to help you through it then there are now lots of places to pick up good information. If you have netflix, throw on Meateater, season 6, episode 6. Steve Renilla is a great example of how to do things right and I wish he was around when I started hunting. You could also pick up Renilla's book (link below) which is great for many reasons besides being well worth the cheap price.
One note, I know Renilla doesn't like vacuum sealers for big game but I found it works fine if you don't bang them around. His method is most likely more durable (and probably cheaper) but if you want to vacuum it, that will work too.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1503768517&sr=8-2&keywords=hunting+and+butchering+wild+game
I think Steven Rinella's two volume Complete Guide to Hunting books are great: Volume one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/081299406X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473207021&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=steven+rinella+books&dpPl=1&dpID=61ZdF0k1KXL&ref=plSrch
Find an experienced shooter to take you to the range... Practice some marksmanship fundamentals with them on a small round (.22lr would be ideal) and then transfer that to the .308. Stepping up through a couple intermediate calibers while practicing (like .223 which lots of shooters will have for plinking or .243) would help.
The .308, as others have said, is NOT a 'small' gun. But, I think you're absolutely right that it is a "One Gun to Do Them All" chambering. You can take any huntable game with a proper .308 load.
Putting aside the gun whargarbl for a minute, here's some stuff on your more foundational question:
​
Hope that helps. I'm 4 years into learning myself. Happy to chat more!
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055/ref=la_B001JRVGVU_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497801533&sr=1-2
I have both volumes of this, and it is super detailed. Volume 1 is large game, and Volume 2 is small game. It goes into detail about a lot of the basics.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X?ie=UTF8&qid=&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=
That is a broad question so my answer will be somewhat broad. Learning to hunt well is a long process but extremely rewarding. Most new hunters I've talked to and tried to help, end up stopping because it is difficult. You often come home empty handed especially in the beginning. You are very lucky to have an uncle to help. So here's my advice:
This as well as his following volumes are excellent starting points. Remember that you not only need to know how to find and shoot an animal, you need to know basic butchering to gut, remove meat, and pack it out which can be as challenging as anything else you do while hunting.
That's the best advice I can give for a beginner. As you gain experience there is so much more to learn.
To add to /u/Gitmo_money post about Rinella, get his books. He has a guide to big and small game. Even as an avid hunter and growing up with it, I picked up some things from his books.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522364612&sr=8-1&keywords=steve+rinella+complete+guide
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0812987055&pd_rd_r=X30EZ0RRDTR9E476EFGJ&pd_rd_w=qP0yB&pd_rd_wg=lJdtL&psc=1&refRID=X30EZ0RRDTR9E476EFGJ
I would highly recommended Steven Rinella's Hunting, Butchering and Cooking Wild Game to anyone interested in hunting, regardless of experience level.
Anything by Steve Rinella - he has The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wildgame books which is full of stories, tips, and how to's and contributions from a thousand different hunters - I found them at my local library. I also really enjoyed "Meat Eater - Adventures from the Life of an American Hunter," it's a lot of non-fiction short stories of his life in hunting. He also has "Scavengers Guide to Haute Cuisine" and his buffalo book.
Okay, you've caught me; there's beer and wine books, too. Here's what you're looking at:
I run a cocktail bar, and I've been meaning to share my library for some time, but I have a knack for lending my books out to friends and colleagues so I keep waiting for it to be complete. Then I realized my collection keeps growing and will never be complete, so I may as well just share a snapshot of it.
Top row:
Sippin' Safari: In Search of the Great "Lost" Tropical Drink Recipes... and the People Behind Them by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie 100 Rediscovered Recipes and the Stories Behind Them by Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh
The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft by Gary "Gaz" Regan
The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
The World Encyclopedia of Beer by Brian Glover
How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Beer Right the First Time by John J. Palmer
Jigger, Beaker and Glass: Drinking Around the World by Charles H. Baker, Jr. (aka The Gentleman's Companion Volume II)
Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher
Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch by Michael Jackson
The Ultimate Guide to Spirits & Cocktails by Andre Domine
New Classic Cocktails by Mardee Haidin Regan and Gary "Gaz" Regan
The Book of Garnishes by June Budgen
World's Best Cocktails: 500 Signature Drinks from the World's Best Bars and Bartenders by Tom Sandham
The Complete Book of Spirits: A Guide to Their History, Production, and Enjoyment by Anthony Dias Blue
Cocktails & Amuse-Bouches for Her & For Him by Daniel Boulud and Xavier Herit
Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar by David Wondrich
Middle Row:
Hemingway & Bailey's Bartending Guide to Great American Writers
The New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders' Manual; or: How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style by Harry Johnson (Espresso Book Machine Reprint)
Michael Jackson's Bar & Cocktail Companion: The Connoisseur's Handbook by Michael Jackson
The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance by Greg Koch, Steve Wagner & Randy Clemens
The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender's Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy by Jim Meehan
Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons
A Taste for Absinthe: 65 Recipes for Classic and Contemporary Cocktails by R. Winston Guthrie & James F. Thompson
The Bartender's Guide to IBA Official Cocktails by Jenny Reese (Espresso Book Machine Printing)
Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl by David Wondrich
The Home Distiller's Handbook: Make Your Own Whiskey & Bourbon Blends, Infused Spirits and Cordials by Matt Teacher
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage
The Decorative Art of Japanese Food Carving: Elegant Garnishes for All Occasions by Hiroshi Nagashima
What to Drink with What You Eat: The Difinitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers by Andrew Dornenburg & Karen Page
The American Cocktail: 50 Recipes that Celebrate the Craft of Mixing Drinks from Coast to Coast by The Editors of Imbibe Magazine
The ABC of Cocktails by Peter Pauper Press
How to Make Your Own Drinks: Create Your Own Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Drinks from Fruit Cordials to After-Dinner Liqueurs by Susy Atkins
How to Make a World of Liqueurs by Heather Kibbey & Cheryl Long
Here's a few of mine that I really like. I have way more than these, but I'm not sure I'd recommend all of them, per se. Anyhow, should give you some ideas.
Security - Talks about small unit tactics with small arms and so forth.
Butchering and cooking wild game - If you hope to hunt for food, you gotta know what to do with it after shooting it.
SAS Survival Guide - Really tiny dimensions that make this easy to toss in my BOB.
Composting - If you plan to garden, you're gonna need to compost. I also have various gardening books such as container gardening, organic gardening, gardening according to the Mormons, etc. The Mormons have a lot of great homesteading-oriented books. Here's one called The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers
Bushcraft - Never hurts to learn some knots and be able to make simple things out of natural materials.
Organization and Planning - I'm reading this one now. Touches on a lot of areas of things to think about that you gotta plan for. A good amount of stuff I hadn't really thought about before.
You can do this yourself if you know know how to use a knife. First read parts of this book: The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game. A great reference for how to clean big game.
Second, Steven Rinella's MeatEater episode Seaon 10, episode 6 is a great video to learn. Granted you have to pay $2.99 but a great reference in my opinion (link: http://meateater.vhx.tv/)
I cant tell you where to hunt because I have not learned that myself.
​
The Meateater guides to "hunting, butchering and cooking wild game" are great for learning how to chop one up.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/081299406X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_FmoyCb34ESAMT
​
Meateater also has videos on how to butcher a deer in the field, a pig is basically the exact same process.
https://youtu.be/vJtMpbJUXzE
​
Once you have it gutted and skinned, this book is nice for breaking down pig.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612121829/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
try the huntingbc.com forums (island subforum) , lots of willing guys on there.
also buy this book and read the blacktail section
https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
Ammo, magazines, a resetting target, exploding targets, or a rimfire scope if he doesn't have one can all be found in that price range.
I also have Steve Rinella's book on small game and can recommend it.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOcUD2aFxEjc-_4JJBLYyg - Randy Newberg, Youtube. So many informative videos FOR FREE
https://www.hunttalk.com/ - Hunttalk forum, way better than reddit for questions like this
Edit: Adding Steve Rinella's book because it has everything someone could need and is definitely worth $20 https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
Personally I would recommend this book. It covers more than just blacktail but talks mostly about america. I don't know of any Canada specific books.
The LL Bean cookbook for game is awesome can use any meat to substitute if they don't eat game.
https://www.amazon.com/L-L-Bean-Game-Fish-Cookbook/dp/0394511913
Deer hunter, butcher, bbq'r here too.
I'd follow Hank Shaw's advice (Buck Buck Moose cookbook) for a roast - here is in short:
Rub the the roast with salt 30 minutes or so before you're going to cook it. I put these on a wood smoker and cook til the internal temp is 120, incidentally, keeping the temp in the 300-325 degree range.
Back to prep: use a sharp knife to put a bunch of little slits in the roast and insert a sliver of garlic. Wipe the entire roast well with oil.
If you're using an oven, do it at 325 degrees and, as with wood, cook til the internal is about 120. If you want a crust on it, pull it early from the oven, add some wine to the pan, increase the heat to 450, and cook til it's brown.
Regardless of how you cook it, if you let the internal go beyond 130-140 degrees the meat will be gray and tough. Venison should be eaten rare or medium rare.
And marinade? you can go for it although down here in Texas we rarely use more than salt and pepper so that you can really taste the meat.
And if you roast it in a pan, make sure to make a tasty pan sauce.
Sorry for the horrible recipe writing!! Get Hank's book - I've made several recipes from it and it's great.
Start with this book before you drop any money.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/081299406X/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That book and its author are full of solid information. Aside from that you will need a range finder and binoculars but take your time and pick out quality stuff you will be happy with.
Any time in the woods hunting, be it small game, hog, or anything will help you. Where do you live?
Couple other things: Start by taking a hunter safety course, preferably with range/field time included. Buy decent binoculars and look for game with your glass, not your boots. Speaking of boots, buy a good pair and make sure they're broken in before you go out too far. Squirrel or doves are a good place to start. In California, you could probably start with deer hunting on a National Forest. Wyoming doe antelope or javelina in Arizona would be a good first out-of-state big game hunt. The tags are cheap, easy to draw, and the animals are found on public land. A good resource/introduction to hunting:
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055
I started with this book and then I got the sequel
I'm self taught as well, this year would be my 5th but I'm sidelined and waiting for surgery. Steve Rinella's books were the best I came across.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
The top comment mentions meateater.com and they wrote a couple books about this. Each book is over 300 pages with discussion, pictures, and info about everything you might want to know.
The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 2: Small Game and Fowl
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MRBD7F56V551D9142B76
That was a great read! I ordered this one right after I finished reading it because I wanted it to keep going haha.
Above all, keep it simple and focus more on finding deer than lugging around gear. Time to hit the range with your rifle and practice, and not just with the rifle sitting on the bench too. Reduced recoil rounds are great so you can get in more trigger time without developing a flinch, though be aware you'll need to re-sight the scope when/if you switch to full power loads. .22 rifles are excellent for practice too.
I have a couple Hunter Quick-fire slings and really like them, they adjust quickly and look/feel good.
I got [one of these gas mask bags] (https://swisslink.com/british-dpm-gas-mask-bag.html?language=en&currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwv_fKBRCGARIsAL6R6ehradc0oDfyXVdpTtaD2rJOVAEydJs4MUsEwJjUMvYdvIf8HMoeGmUaAsLvEALw_wcB) for $5 at a Mill's Fleet Farm and it is the perfect size to hold my gear for the day (knife, water, food, calls, gloves/hat, rope, etc). Goes over the shoulder and sits nicely on your side. I prefer hunting on the ground over sitting in stands and carry a camo foam canoe pad with me that I clip to the bag strap with a carabiner so it hangs out behind me while I'm fudding around.
Visit and read /r/hunting for advice on finding deer. Also [get this book] (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X), it is an excellent read for beginners and experienced hunters.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HV2J7Y/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
This one is bar none my favorite. All these guys do is hunt public land in Michigan too, so it is very relatable for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking-ebook/dp/B00Q1IFKOG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499783919&sr=8-1&keywords=the+complete+guide+to+hunting+butchering+and+cooking+wild+game
This one is really good too, more aimed towards beginners though.
Check with your state to see which department is in charge of game and fish. There's actually links to each states' department in Rinella's guides. These sources will usually provide you with areas to hunt in, such as national forests, wildlife management areas, and other such locations.
[Rinella's guide vol. 1] (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=rinella+guide&qid=1551052333&s=gateway&sr=8-1) actually cover how to find land to scout/hunt on. [guide vol.2][[https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055/ref=pd\_bxgy\_14\_img\_2/137-7311292-9552702?\_encoding=UTF8&pd\_rd\_i=0812987055&pd\_rd\_r=a9cd666a-388f-11e9-9e49-b9c377d1057c&pd\_rd\_w=lAFY4&pd\_rd\_wg=JhOcg&pf\_rd\_p=6725dbd6-9917-451d-beba-16af7874e407&pf\_rd\_r=Z1XEKFJ0K6YM7WP14VWZ&psc=1&refRID=Z1XEKFJ0K6YM7WP14VWZ\]](https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2/137-7311292-9552702?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0812987055&pd_rd_r=a9cd666a-388f-11e9-9e49-b9c377d1057c&pd_rd_w=lAFY4&pd_rd_wg=JhOcg&pf_rd_p=6725dbd6-9917-451d-beba-16af7874e407&pf_rd_r=Z1XEKFJ0K6YM7WP14VWZ&psc=1&refRID=Z1XEKFJ0K6YM7WP14VWZ])
I would overwhelmingly recommend a book named _Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition by Julie Golob. It goes over a lot of basics about pistols vs rifles vs shotguns and gives a good overview of different shooting sports and techniques. It’s available on Kindle, but the real book itself is great quality.
If you’re at all interested in hunting, The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game_, vols., 1 & 2 by Steven Rinella are a great place to start.
This world of guns is a deep rabbit hole filled with fun activity, technical detail, skill building, nerdiness, history, collectibles, legalities, philosophy and inevitably, politics. You can deep dive into any one of these areas and there are nearly endless resources for all of them. Literally too many to recommend a good single one. But reading everything you can is a must, IMHO. If something is particularly motivating you, more recommendations would be happily given.
Second this and when I went out first time last year his book had all the info I needed to, 1 stay safe and 2 tactics in hunting and 3 how to field dress it.
The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game https://www.amazon.com/dp/081299406X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Bg5QBb59ZXHR1
This book is honestly the best way to learn how to hunt, -and it's broken down by each species. I have hunted since I was a little kid and still learned a lot from it. Cannot reccomend it highly enough.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055
Well the first and best place to learn is here: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/hunting/
In NC to hunt on private land you need written permission and have it on your person when doing so. There are public lands to hunt, but be careful (hunter orange) and it is best in middle of the week.
Steven Rinella wrote a couple good books I would recommend.
The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q1IFKOG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_M.Zhyb7PHRFX5
There is also a small game version.
I looked back through a couple posts because I remember seeing a hunting book recommended. I found it thanks to u/KnockingonKevinsdoor
https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
Perhaps? https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
It has 389, 5 star ratings.
You may want to check out Steve Rinella's book "The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 2: Small Game and Fowl". It's really well-written and dense with helpful information. It's no substitute for time in the field, but at least it will help you ask the right questions.
Volume 2 is out. I just ordered it today :)
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0812987055?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
Here's the Spain link: https://www.amazon.es/Keto-Fasting-Intermittent-Ketogenic-Effortlessly-ebook/dp/B01N31FVDL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485287396&sr=8-1&keywords=keto+fasting
I use a rifle, .22 caliber, but you could use a bow or shotgun as well. If you use a shotgun you would ideally use something smaller like 20 gauge rather than 12. With a shotgun you could take shots with the squirrel or rabbit moving, but with a .22 you can aim better and more accurately on a stationary one and get a head shot so that you don't ruin any meat. If you were to use a .22 you'd want to be out on some land not near a city or anything because you wouldn't want to shoot at one up in a tree and miss and the bullet come down on someone. It's not likely by any means, but still.
I have this book(The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 2: Small Game and Fowl) by Steven Rinella that's all about small game hunting, including techniques on how to hunt things like rabbit, squirrel, quail, duck, etc. and it also tells you about what gear to use(including essentials like guns and ammo as well as non essential stuff like binoculars), and how to clean and cook the animal including recipes. Has a lot of useful information from an experienced hunter that explains things way better than I can lol. It's only $15 and I highly recommend it to help get you started!
Duck, Duck, Goose: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Waterfowl, Both Farmed and Wild https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607745291/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5lmEyb3KJS6H9
I'm looking at the same thing. I'm tempted by the cheaper course but was hoping to hear that the $35 course would get more actual hunting information through to me.
I may just go that route and hope for the best since it's pay only when you pass and it is a once in a lifetime thing.
Edit: I'm in Texas as well.
Thought I'd mention that I picked up This book based on recommendations from this sub and it's good. I'm thinking I'll get what I was hoping for from the hunters education course but just through this book.
Have it, it's yours.
Cooking is the only part of hunting I'm actually good at, and I don't have recipes so much as I fuck around in the kitchen for a couple hours and it usually turns out nicely. If you want some great game-cooking stuff, here's some of my favourites:
Why not eat them?
http://www.amazon.com/The-Rabbit-Cook-Jeremy-Hobson/dp/1847972292/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410195420&sr=8-2&keywords=rabbit+cookbook
I don't come from a hunting family either. I started when I was 24. I learned some things myself. I learned some from old timers I ran into here and there. I know what's it's like. It seems very daunting.
So what sort of hunting do you want to do?
Deer, small game, waterfowl?
If you're looking to start deer hunting, there's a book The Beginner's Guide to Hunting Deer for Food. This is the book that got me on the road to deer hunting. It's geared toward complete beginners who have no experience hunting or with firearms.
The biggest piece of advice I can give is to take a hunter's education class, whether your state requires it or not. Most states offer them for free. Chat up people in the class. Make some friends. There will be a lot more people in the same boat as you than you think.
Over the last few years, I've come to enjoy small game hunting the most. There's peace and solace walking through the woods, or sitting in a dove field. That's what I go hunting for. That's how I like to spend most of my weekends.
I've never tried it and my dad always shudders when i ask him what it tastes like, but, according to the The L.L. Cookbook, bear is really good. I've also heard that the fat is good for cooking and making soap. Either way, it's something I'd like to try one day.
Check this one out.
This book is worth it's weight in gold, in my opinion. There is a step-by-step section on butchering big game and all sorts of tips and teaching moments throughout. Watching youtube videos is good as well.
Steven Rinella wrote a book, Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game, that is an incredible resource for learning about wind, hunting strategies, and some basic information about various game species. Highly recommend you read it now and start applying what you learn in scouting trips prior to September. I took a deer with a bow my first year and you can too.
I am in the same position as you, and I just finished reading this book. Its not everything you need to know, but I feel much more prepared after having read it.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking-ebook/dp/B00Q1IFKOG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=#navbar
If suggest you focus on whitetail for the next few seasons until you get the hang of it.
Also buy this book:
https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
Keep the sun at your back and the wind in your face as much as you can.
Walk very slow and take irregular steps. Think of how a moose would walk through the woods. Stop-go browse a bit, walk a step, stop walk.
The farther you are from a city or town the easier it is to get permission from farmers.
Be an ambassador for ethical hunting especially on social media.
Be mindful of what you post (some people may not understand/appreciate a grip and grin picture with a dead deer with its tongue hanging out and it's face full of blood)
There is a meat eater podcast and the Pace brothers have into the wilderness that's worth listening to (especially the one with Ivan Carter)
Good luck this season.
You should check out Steven Rinella's complete guides to hunting. These helped me immensely in getting into hunting.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518060714&sr=8-2&keywords=steven+rinella+complete+guide+to+hunting
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=081299406X&pd_rd_r=RG32MG5VNEJCC6Q3AVKG&pd_rd_w=BqPAg&pd_rd_wg=4EZpb&psc=1&refRID=RG32MG5VNEJCC6Q3AVKG&dpID=61p-uQ2494L&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail
I love everything L.L.Bean and hunt/fish regularly so this sounds like the perfect cookbook for me! I looked it up and there are used copies on Amazon for ~$4-5 shipped. I went ahead and bought one and thought others might way to also after reading this recipe you posted. Thanks for sharing this!!!
I heard the Nuge was the caterer.
Ted Nugent's Kill it and Grill it Cookbook
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540481736&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=complete+guide+to+hunting+butchering+and+cooking+wild+game&dpPl=1&dpID=61ybuObh7DL&ref=plSrch
Volume 1 is big game.
There is a ton of info in these books.
I would start with a hunters education course. You can find local ones online, check the department of natural resource sites for either your home state or states neighboring DC.
I'm sure it's going to get mentioned more in this thread, but find what you want to hunt, and check out this book (or volume 2 if it covers the animals you want to hunt, or get both): The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game https://www.amazon.com/dp/081299406X/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_nKwuzb664V3FF
The books cover pretty much everything you need to know about hunting, and Google and YouTube are your friends from there.
Other than that, your issue is getting some hands on with firearms. For that I would suggest finding a range that offers gun rentals and has a range officer to help you get started. A more expensive option would be to take classes on gun handling and shooting.
Also, you may check out MeatEater on Netflix. The host is the man that wrote the book linked above. He doesn't cover a lot of the basics, but it paints how to hunt in broad strokes.
pretty much said perfect.
Get a shotgun, and start with rabbit.
I would add shoot skeet and sporting clays to get proficient with the shotgun.
Watch Steve Rinella on Netflix and read this book https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055
Sometimes its hard to figure out where you can hunt. ArcGIS online is probably the best for online maps you can play with the base layer. Road maps, topo maps, satalite. I like to locate places with the ArcGIS then look at them with google earth. https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?useExisting=1
The open spaces in CA are a big mix of BLM, national forest, state and national park and military. This is a pretty decent site http://publiclands.org/Get-Books-and-Maps.php?plicstate=CA&site_id=6390 The Yellow is all BLM. MAke sure the Land Status is checked on the bottom right, on the top menu on the left click Activities and sort by Hunting. Once you find an area you think looks good then you can try to find a more detailed map and find were you can actually hunt.
>I don't think it's too passive to say, "Hey, I've told you that I'm not interested in this. You didn't mean to give this to me, right?"
Passive as in passive voice -- minus any "active" actor making choices: "oh look, somehow packages got mixed up" (as if the packages did it by themselves, sneaky little things) -- rather than some PERSON making a specific choice in terms of gifts.
Because OF COURSE they meant to give it to you. Why create the fallacy everyone knows is false -- no "face saving" will have been achieved -- a "mixup" is still an accusation/offense.
>The other person, if they have any social grace, will quickly realize that giving a baby book to a CF friend was a fast track to almost losing that friendship.
Well, I would think if they had any "social grace" they wouldn't have given such a "gift" in the first place.
>Unless this friend has a habit of being tactless and pushy, I don't see why this is grounds for immediate and final termination of the friendship, if this is the first time anything like this happens.
I didn't say they need to "terminate" the friendship.
I just don't see any point in beating around the bush with euphemistic "excuses" and shit -- avoiding the specific subject matter as if it were some "taboo" that cannot be spoken of openly.
And I don't REALLY see how telling someone "Hey idiot, you either spaced out or screwed up and gave me the wrong gift." (even if phrased in various passive "mistakes were made" platitudes) is any LESS offensive than simply discussing the issue at hand.
It can be done tactfully, yet still directly in a "confront the issue at hand".
---
>I was just trying to offer a different perspective. A lot of people here get defensive very quickly -- "I was at Babies R Us to pick up something for my sister's shower, how dare that biased breeder cashier ask if I'm excited for the baaaaybeh?! Can't she tell I'm allergic to anyone under 21?!" -- It's a quick way to make enemies fast, and perpetuate the notion that we're a bunch of unpleasant people.
Yeah, but that's an entirely different scenario.
That's a situation with an unknown stranger making possibly inappropriate casual offhand & only somewhat "personal" comments based on a mistaken (but somewhat understandable) misreading of circumstantial cues. I see no more reason to take offense at something like that (in THAT location) than I would of a cashier who asks what kind of dog you have as you are buying dog food at a pet store.
But a "What to expect when you are expecting!" book gift -- well that's an appropriate gift for a baby-shower, NOT for Christmas, not for someone's birthday, nor for any other "general occasion" -- and it is especially NOT an appropriate (and baseline offensive) "gift" for people who you KNOW have made it clear they are not having (and do not ever intend* to have) children.
You may as well give a copy of Dressing & Cooking Wild Game: From Field to Table to someone you KNOW is a "vegan"; and then claiming afterward that you "didn't mean any offense" is a bit hollow. You only give that kind of a book to someone you KNOW FOR A FACT is either already a "hunter" (and "meat lover") or who has explicitly expressed some wish to learn more about it.
---
*And again, you may NOT know the reasons why. One or the other one of them may have been infertile; they may have suffered several stillbirths (that have been kept quiet), or even some "SIDS" death of a child years before; they may themselves have suffered abuse or neglect as a child (and so be afraid of continuing some cycle); or half a dozen other VERY valid (but not publicly "broadcast") reasons for not having/wanting children ... in any and all of which that "gift" will end up not only being unacceptable and offensive, but may actually be considered CRUEL and causing a lot of needless grief.
It is potentially reopening very painful old "wounds" and/or rubbing salt in them. And no "rationalization" is really an acceptable excuse.
I’d highly recommend checking out Honest-food.net for a variety of venison recipes. The author, Hank Shaw is my go-to for anything wild game. I own several of his books, including Buck Buck Moose which I highly recommend. It is all about everything antlered. Great info on butchering and breaking down a deer, and recipes for every part of a deer. Corned venison tongue sandwiches is one of my favorites.
How about this? I have a copy and it's a great book.
It’s in Rinella’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
I've read some of The Beginner's Guide to Hunting Deer for Food and it's good so far.
Venison has such a long tradition in the U.S. that while it's beloved and widely hunted/eaten, it's surrounded by myth. Many of those myths have popped up in this post. Luckily, the top post from /u/TheMostlyOkayGatsby covered most of it, and accurately. There's a growing movement in today's connected world, with the increased focus on sustainable/organic/local foods, among chef/hunters and hunter/chefs to take a fresh look at wild game generally, and venison particularly.
First, dive in here: Honest Food Dot Net from Hank Shaw. Complete, science-based discussion of this exact topic. I can also highly recommend his book Buck, Buck Moose. It's not just recipes, but also food safety, handling, history, etc.
In the U.S., you can't legally buy wild game meat from your friend. They can give you some as a gift. This is due to the way our wildlife management works. At the turn of the last century, market/commercial hunters had almost wiped out North America's wild game species. Outlawing the practice has allowed them to recover to where they are today, where we can hold sustainable hunting seasons for personal use. There is some wild game farming (mostly elk) in the U.S. but it's the point source for all/most chronic wasting disease infections, which threaten wild game populations nationwide, so I don't recommend supporting the practice.
If you do get some meat from your friend, and I hope you do, ask some questions. What part of the country is it from? What kind of deer is it? (Whitetail, mule, elk?) What was its habitat like? (A farm-country corn-fed deer will taste different -- not necessarily better -- than a wilderness swamp-country deer.) What cuts are you getting? When/how was it processed? How was it frozen?
If you can't get this info, you'll have to wing it. If you unwrap and find clean, red/purple meat, cleanly cut and sweet smelling, you're in luck. Enjoy. If you unwrap it and find freezer burn, grey/dried edges/crust, crumbs of tallow, hair, and/or bone dust on the meat, that's a bad sign. Wash it well and hope for the best.
Assuming we're talking about North American whitetail/mule deer, and assuming proper handling and care before you get your hands on it, the following is true: There are no significant parasite or pathogen risks that you're not familiar with from handling beef, and wild venison can be safely eaten medium rare/rare/etc, just like beef. It does not need to be frozen first. Chronic Wasting Disease is a worth mentioning, but it's highly regional, and your state wildlife management agency will have advisories if it's a concern in your (hunting friend's) area.
Generally it's very lean meat, especially the "steak" and "chop" cuts. It's not marbled with interstitial fat in the same way that pork and beef are. Because of this it's extremely easy to overcook. You want very high heat to get a good crust/char on the outside while the inside stays nice and red. Maybe even a touch purple in the middle. Same if you're roasting a big chunk of loin. That's why sous vide is getting really popular with hunters -- it's easy to not overcook the meat. But it's doable in a skillet or on the grill with a little practice. I like to get mine finished on the outside (crust/char, kosher salt and butter/evoo coated) and pull from the heat with the center at about 110 degrees.
Regarding venison fat. There's a few types. On the outside of body, underneath the skin, is a thick layer of insulating fat called tallow. This is the stuff that folks hate. It's waxy and not-that-good-tasting and can coat your mouth in an unpleasant way. Hank Shaw writes that this is because its melting temperature is very high, higher than our mouth temp -- unlike beef and pork, which have fat that melts at our body temp, and therefore tastes great. Think chocolate bar: no good when cold, and taste amazing once it melts in your mouth. Same idea.
You can do two things about tallow. First, trim it off. As much as possible. Before freezing if at all possible. Second, if you're doing a braise or stew, skim the fat as much as possible as it cooks. Lastly, if you want to experience the true flavor without the gross mouthfeel, serve your steaks at super high temps and eat it while still crackling hot.
The other kind of fat is the "marbling" that you often see in beef and pork. This is not the same as tallow, and in fact generally does not taste bad. But you want to cook it low and slow. Think braise. This will be from the shanks and neck, especially, and these are my favorite venison cuts to cook right now. Steven Rinella's osso bucco is just astoundingly good with either shanks or neck.
If you only take one thing away from this post, remember this: Don't try to make it taste like beef. It's not beef. You wouldn't try to make pork taste like beef, right? You'll often see recipes that include wrapping in bacon, for example -- these are shortcuts for folks who don't care to learn why venison is different. Wild venison can be one of the best red meats you can eat, in all senses -- healthiest, lowest carbon footprint, most ethical, tastiest -- if you treat it like its own animal. Pun intended.
That said, any recipe that works for beef can work for venison. Just take into consideration the fat aspect. You'll need to add some (butter) or adjust cooking times and moisture accordingly. This can be tricky... hence using Hank Shaw's excellent cookbook linked above to help.
Good luck! Here's hoping you ask and your friend is a real friend and hands you 10 cleanly-frozen pounds of the best meat money can't buy.
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Keto-Ketogenic-Beginners-Increase-ebook/dp/B01HYG8HVQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1484040301&sr=8-5&keywords=siim+land
I don't have my shelf in front of me right now, but the one I can remember that I really like is Butchering.
Also, it's not purely butchering or farming, but Steve Rinella's two book series on hunting, butchering, storing, and preparing small to large game is a fantastic resource. Book 1. Book 2.
I'm curious to hear the answer. I just enrolled in a Wisconsin DNR class on Learning to Hunt Deer for Food (haven't hunted before). This book made a believer out of a locavore urbanite like myself. Seems like redditors should be a good community to help each other out with local food exchange.
Slow cooking works well for game because most wild meat is lean and easily overcooked otherwise, making it tough.
Steve Rinella has a two volume set that would make a great gift: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
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amazon.it
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amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.co.jp
amazon.fr
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If you are looking for a 1930's drinks guide, THIS is your book, I inherited a copy from my uncle. They have some amazing recipes, including absinth frappées, and Gin fizzes. Beyond that the writing is spectacular the book is more of a novel about how they drank their way around the world on a boat in the 1930's.
https://www.amazon.com/Buck-Moose-Techniques-Antelope-Antlered/dp/099694480X
​
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
Real good IMO
Yeah, good one. No one's falling for that:
https://www.amazon.in/Deer-Burger-Cookbook-Recipes-Casseroles-ebook/dp/B076YJBQ1V
Sounds like you're pretty new to hunting as well as bow hunting given some of the questions in the thread about more than stalking like licenses etc... Just thought I'd throw this out there for you to check out, it's a good book with lots of good information for you. [Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering and Cooking] (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499369249&sr=8-1&keywords=steve+rinella+the+complete+guide+to+hunting)
This probably won't help you now, unless you get a digital copy, but check out the book "Buck, Buck, Moose" by Hank Shaw
https://www.amazon.com/Buck-Moose-Techniques-Antelope-Antlered/dp/099694480X
I watch a lot of MeatEater on Netflix, then read this:
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=steve+rinella&qid=1573953887&sprefix=steve+&sr=8-1
I realize this is probably on the borderline of allowable in this sub but I guess I'll post it and see if people are okay with it. So with that said, I'm looking for books full of unusual uses of certain ingredients, unexpected flavor combinations and outside the box ideas. Basically, books that contain a lot of 'secret ingredients' I would never think of on my own but which take recipes to the next level?
I think my idea of exciting and new will be different from a lot of the hardcore foodies' here, but a few examples of recipes that have really struck me with their creativity:
Black pudding + sherry poultry stuffing, gingersnap biscuits for paté, apple juice in pea+ham soup, 'bloody Mary' beef, sauerkraut + pastrami mac+cheese.
A few of my favorite books for this sort of thing have been: Hog, Anna Mae's Mac and Cheese and also basically anything by Heston Blumenthal, though his recipes are far too advanced for me (and tend to require niche equipment).
Anyone?
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/081299406X
Use amazon smile to donate a potion to charity. I like the Rocky Mountain Elk. Great book for your geography; doesn't help as much in thick swamps by me.
I wouldn't worry about removing too much. With a rotary tool like a dremel and a sanding drum on medium-low it would take you maybe 5 minutes. Long smooth strokes and even pressure with the dremel so you don't carve a dip in the stock. You can also use sand paper by hand but damn if power tools don't make life easier. Try it for a few minutes and tighten the action down. See if you have it cleared and mentally mark spots that still touch and repeat.
I would highly recommend hunting down a torque wrench in Inch/Pounds for tightening the action screws. It is supposed to be around 15 in/lbs for the Boyds stocks; too much and you'll crush the wood. If you tinker a lot with rifles then get the FAT Wrench from amazon. Can't tell you how often I've used the thing. If you don't tinker then track one down a borrow one.
I'm in the same boat as you - in the process of 'self-teaching'. I just picked up this book and found it very helpful.
I've decided to start with a bow - and I've found archery to be an awesome hobby outside of hunting as well. Hopefully I'll get lucky and get a deer before the seasons out - although I haven't seen anything in WI since gun season started
Very edible!
Afield: A Chef's Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1599621142
Has some great info in it on cooking & cleaning wild pigs.
I will disagree with some of the other posters that males are inedible.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081299406X
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