Post: #1

The autumn is here and so is the hunting season.
If you are a hunter yourself or know some hunters you might have a chance to score some Wild Meat. I'm thinking about buying a whole moose this autumn.

I'd like to hear your opinions about eating Wild Game vs Regular Meat produced by a farmer that you can find in the store.

Is there any obvious health benefits to eat Wild Game instead of grassfeed beef?

I found out that I have access to a lot of organic fed meat around me, lamb,pork,beef, and mooses. It's of course a lot more pricy so I'm curious from a health benefitial perspective if it's worth the money?

Is Wild Game and organic grass fed meat much better than all the industrial grown meat?

Post: #2

(10-09-2014 02:37 AM)Chaos Wrote:  ...
Is Wild Game and organic grass fed meat much better than all the industrial grown meat?

Organic is more often a scam than not - it has to be 100% FDAOrganic and even then some kinds of meat are filled with antibiotics and other meds - just less of them.

True Game meat is not only ethically superior (since animals were having a good life and only one short death), but also completely without meds and the diet much more diverse. Thus the meat in general is filled with way more nutrients and is non-toxic.

I think the only thing comparable would be meat from producers where you see the chicken or cows running around in the field and talk to the farmer. The other comparable stuff is Kobe beef - and Japanese at best if you can get some.

Post: #3

Organic meat is raised without hormones and antibiotics, plus the animals are supposed to graze on pastures or eat feed that is not sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. I don't know about in other countries, but factory industrially raised meat in the U.S. can be really gross. I think the answer is pretty obvious that organic meat is better, unless you're totally cool with your food being pumped full of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides.

As far as wild game goes, I'm not sure about health benefits, but I think the same conditions apply to organically raised meat, less artificial contaminants then anything you'd get from an industrial set up. My experience with wild game is limited, but I have had wild boar and I think that is some of the most flavorful meat I've ever eaten, and much better than regular pork.

I also think grass fed beef is better than regular beef, as far as health benefits it's high in omega-3 fatty acids and possibly omega-7 as well, plus is leaner, and has a "cleaner" taste in my opinion.

If you have access to wild game or organic meat I highly recommend you take advantage of it, unless it it outside the realm of what you can afford. In the U.S. cheap factory farm meat remains a lot less expensive than the organic kind.

Post: #4

Sure thing guys.
I recently came over a chunk of pork meat. That pig was never fed with any processed food a normal farmer would give it.

And damn the difference in taste is big. My 87 year old grandmother told me that this the pork used to taste like when she was young.

I tried same thing with lamb and eggs from range free range chicken.
The tase is so much better and fullfilling.

About wild game we don't have much else than mooses and reindeers here. Yeah and fish like salmons. People don't really eat bear meat, I'm not sure why but people claim that meat from predators is not as good as from grass fed animals.

I wish I had access to boar meat.

Post: #5

The taste of wild boar is out of this world. Kangaroo is also good. I haven't researched actual differences in nutritional value, but I'm a believer in mixing things up and incorporating some game meats into your diet if possible.

Also, make bone broth from the highest quality animals you can find to give your system a boost to the next level.

Post: #6

As I age I'm more concerned with food choices. I've bought portions of grass fed cows from meat producers in the country, and I'm starting to look at more wild game. I just recently started reloading my own ammo for a .300 Blackout AR to hunt pigs, and I just recently purchased a bow to take down deer. I am really enjoying getting into the reloading, and archery. Joe Rogan talked about all of the wild game that he has in his freezer. I can shoot a rifle pretty well, but I won't even attempt to take down deer with a bow until I have at least a year of experience under my belt.

Post: #7

This is a great thread, over the years I've eaten lots of wild meat, not so much out of concern for my health but because so many of my friends hunt that I'm always being fed it. Recently, I've taken more of an interest in these kinds of healthy meats and fortunately in Canada, they are very accessible. Here are my favorites:

Moose: In my opinion, its the best meat out there but its not easy to come by unless you know someone who hunts, I have an Eskimo buddy who by rights can shoot as many in a year as he wants and he often takes down about five and he likes to share it, which is great for me. The meat is dark and juicy and doesn't have too much of a "gamey" (I hate that word) taste to it.

Elk: I've only had it in sausage and it was great, but I stopped by an elk farm near Edmonton recently and picked up a huge roast (at $50 it wasn't cheap!) and plan on slow cooking that.

Bison: This isn't hunted, its farmed and there's bison farms all over Alberta, I picked up a small roast some ground bison meat, I fried that up in a pan just like hamburger and it was great, very lean. I also picked up some bison liver that I'll soon fry up with onions. All of the bison and elk I bough was vac-packed and frozen.

I know a bunch of guys who flat out refuse to feed their families store bought meat and these guys aren't hippies or anything, they're blue collars guys and it makes sense, as Zelcorpion mentioned, a hunted animal had a much better life than a cow raised on a farm and pumped full of chemicals. Actually in Alberta, illegal meat is a big business and lots of guys illegally shoot animals and sell the meat, such as in this story: Fish and wildlife officers bust meat smuggling ring, "On July 14, the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Special Investigations branch concluded a two-year investigation following the seizure of 322 packages of moose and elk meat along with $1,105 cash and a 2013 F-150 pickup truck." How Canadian, the underground meat racket!

Post: #8

(10-09-2014 03:12 PM)scotian Wrote:  This is a great thread, over the years I've eaten lots of wild meat, not so much out of concern for my health but because so many of my friends hunt that I'm always being fed it. Recently, I've taken more of an interest in these kinds of healthy meats and fortunately in Canada, they are very accessible. Here are my favorites:

Moose: In my opinion, its the best meat out there but its not easy to come by unless you know someone who hunts, I have an Eskimo buddy who by rights can shoot as many in a year as he wants and he often takes down about five and he likes to share it, which is great for me. The meat is dark and juicy and doesn't have too much of a "gamey" (I hate that word) taste to it.

Elk: I've only had it in sausage and it was great, but I stopped by an elk farm near Edmonton recently and picked up a huge roast (at $50 it wasn't cheap!) and plan on slow cooking that.

Bison: This isn't hunted, its farmed and there's bison farms all over Alberta, I picked up a small roast some ground bison meat, I fried that up in a pan just like hamburger and it was great, very lean. I also picked up some bison liver that I'll soon fry up with onions. All of the bison and elk I bough was vac-packed and frozen.

I know a bunch of guys who flat out refuse to feed their families store bought meat and these guys aren't hippies or anything, they're blue collars guys and it makes sense, as Zelcorpion mentioned, a hunted animal had a much better life than a cow raised on a farm and pumped full of chemicals. Actually in Alberta, illegal meat is a big business and lots of guys illegally shoot animals and sell the meat, such as in this story: Fish and wildlife officers bust meat smuggling ring, "On July 14, the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Special Investigations branch concluded a two-year investigation following the seizure of 322 packages of moose and elk meat along with $1,105 cash and a 2013 F-150 pickup truck." How Canadian, the underground meat racket!

I could care less for moose, grouse tastes like I'm eating pine needles, bear is good if its been eating blueberries vs. living at the garbage dump, deer in Canada tastes like pine needles vs. the kind that eats farm corn in Wisconsin.

I'm a fan of organic farm animals though, grass beef and bison are fantastic. Never had wild pig but I'm glad to hear its good as its game on 24/7 for feral hogs in most places in the US.

Post: #9

^$1,105 in cash!

I wonder if they took a photo with that for the local press!

Any idea where to find some moose Scotian? I have had it a few times on the rigs and its some of the tasty stuff I've ever tried. Also a lot of guys have this sausage stuff full of wild herbs and spices that they get made up from animals they have shot. It is delicious also. When I get my PR I am going to look into getting a gun and hunting a bit on days off.

Post: #10

(10-09-2014 03:30 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  ^$1,105 in cash!

I wonder if they took a photo with that for the local press!

Any idea where to find some moose Scotian? I have had it a few times on the rigs and its some of the tasty stuff I've ever tried. Also a lot of guys have this sausage stuff full of wild herbs and spices that they get made up from animals they have shot. It is delicious also. When I get my PR I am going to look into getting a gun and hunting a bit on days off.

Just ask the Newfies at work if they have any spare bottled moose, most are willing to share, you just toss it in a frying pan with some bell peppers and spices and you're good to go. I'm gonna get some cuts from my Eskimo buddy in a few days so if you're around Edmonton I'll get it to ya.

Post: #11

After I started buying free range chicken - I mean the real free range chickens that are raised in paddocks with grass and insects - I could never go back to the much cheaper factory raised chickens. There is a huge difference in terms of taste.

In the same way that evolution has disposed us to desire fertile women since that is important to our survival, it has also disposed us to recognising the taste of food that is good for our bodies (Snickers bars don't count because they are they are an artificially easy source of simple sugars that wouldn't have been available to ancestral man but would have been useful had he stumbled upon them).

There is a huge difference between grass fed/wild meat compared to factory produced meat and we need to trust our taste buds on this one.

Post: #12

(10-10-2014 11:22 AM)Horus Wrote:  After I started buying free range chicken - I mean the real free range chickens that are raised in paddocks with grass and insects - I could never go back to the much cheaper factory raised chickens. There is a huge difference in terms of taste.

In the same way that evolution has disposed us to desire fertile women since that is important to our survival, it has also disposed us to recognising the taste of food that is good for our bodies (Snickers bars don't count because they are they are an artificially easy source of simple sugars that wouldn't have been available to ancestral man but would have been useful had he stumbled upon them).

There is a huge difference between grass fed/wild meat compared to factory produced meat and we need to trust our taste buds on this one.

I haven't tried free range chickens or turkeys yet, but its Canadian Thanksgiving this Monday so maybe I should get one, we have lots of Hutterite farms all over Alberta where they raise them, not sure of the price but I"m sure the quality is good. Basically in Alberta, its heaven for wild meat the only down side i that we don't have fresh ocean fish but the lakes around here have some pretty good walleye and other fish.

Post: #13

scotian, I thought that Elk and Moose were the same animal with different names until I googled it up. Every day I learn something new.

Be sure to get some free range chicken eggs and you'll never go back to industrial ones.

I'm right now in the UK. There is a lot of boar advertising here but I don't know if it's easy to buy it.

I'm at least glad that I can buy cheap lamb and turkey here.
In Finland I need to be lucky to even find those "exotic" animals.

Post: #14

I love wild meat. I have family members who have never purchased meat from a grocery store.

Caribou- Perhaps the best of the bunch, as long as its fresh. I tried it after it had been frozen and it was not nearly as amazing as I had remembered.

Moose- Second favorite, or first if you count how often I get Moose over other meats. Fresh moose with Morel mushrooms is one of my favorite meals.

Elk- I have a bunch of Elk sausage in my freezer right now.

Boar- Wild boar bacon with Elk steaks is another favorite of mine. There is currently a bit of an issue with overpopulation of Boar in southern BC. Get a tag and get some, just dont miss those fuckers will tear you to pieces. Almost as dangerous as a Moose.

Grouse- Amazing meat, just not a lot on it.

Duck/Goose I love oily fowl meat.

Post: #15

This "free range" and "grass fed" and "organic" labeling is great marketing. The producers get to charge a premium for something that may or may not fulfull your idea of "free range" and "grass fed" and "organic."

Wild meat (that does not come from a garbage dump) is going to be vastly superior by definition. Fish, fowl, animal, snake.

Micronutrients and minerals from foraging on a wide variety of wild animals and plants. No comparison.

Vastly more nutritious than the monocultural industrial food we normally eat, which is all basically produced from the same three things: GMO corn, soybeans, and wheat.

Post: #16

(10-09-2014 03:12 PM)scotian Wrote:  Actually in Alberta, illegal meat is a big business and lots of guys illegally shoot animals and sell the meat, such as in this story: Fish and wildlife officers bust meat smuggling ring, "On July 14, the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Special Investigations branch concluded a two-year investigation following the seizure of 322 packages of moose and elk meat along with $1,105 cash and a 2013 F-150 pickup truck." How Canadian, the underground meat racket!

Great post, I found some footage of an operation in Nova Scotia too:

Post: #17

I would be happy to eat nothing but wild game meat and wild seafood. Moose, elk (not sure of the english names here) is excellent meat, very tasty. An uncle of mine has a permit and shoots at least one every season. Makes his way 1000 meters into the mountains to get them. Not much trace of civilization there. Whale meat is rare today, but in the past was a stable of many people with coastlines. It's quite good, like steak. My family also raises sheep in the mountains, we're talking real free range here, roaming kilometers and eating fresh grass and it's very tasty. That goes for the cherries they farm too, the taste of those is infinitely better than what you get mass produced. There is no doubt in my mind that natural food is much healthier, otherwise it wouldn't have such a great taste. We are developed to seek out good stuff after all. It's difficult to get hold of wild meats though due to all the restrictions from import and the semi-legality of hunting it.

Post: #18

I love Kangaroo. Luckily here in Australia it is quite easy to get (you can buy it from major supermarket chains) and about the same price per kilo as skinless chicken breasts.

Kangaroo has almost 0% fat, is high in protein and is also high in iron, so really good for you. The only downsides are that it does have a relatively strong game flavour and needs to be eaten no more cooked than medium rare or it's quite tough (I like my steak rare so no problem for me). I have it 2 or 3 times a week.

Post: #19

I can get antelope like Kudu, Impala and Sprinbgbok pretty much all year. Also things like Ostrich and Crocodile. But to be honest they really don't taste better than the commercially raised beef, pork and lamb. They're much lower in fat, which makes them difficult to cook, and usually end up too tough. Usually have to add bacon, which kind of defeats the purpose if you're eating venison to avoid antibiotics etc.

Post: #20

(10-21-2014 12:48 PM)Bad Hussar Wrote:  I can get antelope like Kudu, Impala and Sprinbgbok pretty much all year. Also things like Ostrich and Crocodile. But to be honest they really don't taste better than the commercially raised beef, pork and lamb. They're much lower in fat, which makes them difficult to cook, and usually end up too tough. Usually have to add bacon, which kind of defeats the purpose if you're eating venison to avoid antibiotics etc.

I noticed that when I lived in Australia. Kangaroo especially had to have a magic touch in order to have a good texture. It must be something about the wiry and high strung game of the Savanah.... always on guard for a apex predator.

In Canada most of our animals just wander around eating. An OK amount of fat on them, though nothing like a good marbled beef.

Growing up I was always under the impression that the reason why we don't eat Bear is because it tastes exactly like human. This was apparently an Indian thing, though not sure how much of that is true. But we do have the same diet as Bears, so it seems likely.

I had a Bear burger once, it was amazing.

Post: #21

I ate deer stew a few times and all you needed was bread and that's it.,......was fantastic. I had Buffalo sausages and hamburgers,,,,,,, tasted great. Healthier too.

Post: #22

I'm not a big meat eater, but my uncle bagged a moose a couple years back, and that was, by far, the best meat I ever ate in my life.

Post: #23

The most obvious difference between any wild game and farm raised meat is the colour and it seems to be across the board. Wild boar for instance is a dark meat and much lower in fat that farm raised pork. Pork if you remember remember was famously referred to as the 'other white meat' for a time. But it's not supposed to be white. Boar and pig are the exact same animal so what have we done to the pig that we have literally changed the colour of it's flesh?

This applies to birds as well, raised on a western diet of skinless chicken breasts you'd be forgiven for thinking that bird meat is usually white. This is not the case duck, pheasant, woodcock, snipe all dark meat.

Post: #24

Wild Boar - amazing meat, tastes nothing like it's domesticated pig cousin.

Mouflon - wild sheep, definitely my favourite game meat. I'm a massive fan of lamb and mutton, but the flavour, texture and tenderness of mouflon cannot be beat.

Wild venison - again a top game meat and also very versatile. Can be bbq'd, griddled, curried or whatever.

Post: #25

Also, there is a big social bonus to hunting.
For me, it opened up a lot of doors in southern Spain when I got invited to hunt wild boar.
It's definitely a way to bond with other men and get accepted by a culture.
It helps a lot to be good with a rifle, so learn/practice if you didn't grow up doing that.