Outdoor Life’s New “Cast-Iron Chef” Wild Game Blog Will Make You a Better Butcher and Cook

Photograph by John B. Snow

At OL, we provide plenty of advice about how to hunt and fish. That includes every step from preparation to execution, and the best gear to get you there. But when your hunt comes to a close, that’s where we usually leave you.

Not anymore.

It’s time to talk meat. That means field care and butchering tips, plus camp cooking and favorite recipes. Fresh wild meat is the outcome of most every successful hunt, and knowing what to do with that game is just as important as knowing how to harvest it. The same goes for the fish you catch and, from time to time, we’ll even cover the non-traditional critters that don’t often find their way into your skillet (even though they should). So we’ve recruited a crack team of hunting, butchering, and cooking experts to help step up your kitchen game. Meet the new lineup:

Jamie Carlson is a registered nurse and a hunter, fisher, and forager committed to the entire process of harvesting wild game, from scouting new spots to inventing new recipes and everything in between. He’s taught wild game cooking classes and demonstrations on wild game butchery, runs his own food blog, and believes that all wild game is delicious if you cook it right. That means you can expect more unusual offerings—offal, non-traditional game—from Carlson, along with more classic fare. He will post on Tuesdays.

You’ll remember Krissie Mason from her quest for wild bacon earlier this year. She’s been reconnecting with her country roots and family hunting traditions of late, and she’s the brains and brawn behind Scratch + Holler media. Mason will be expanding your pantries and stretching your palate with her ambitious and delicious wild recipes. She will post on Wednesdays.

Josh Dahlke works full time for ScoutLook Weather, hosts ScoutLook's new THE HUNGER video series, and contributes to several national hunting publications. He hunts multiple species—big, small, and winged—more than 60 days out of the year, then processes and cooks everything he kills. Much of his coverage will come from the field, where blade meets bone, but he’ll also take off his boots and provide recipes and tips from the kitchen. He will post on Thursdays. 

We editors will chime in too, every now and then, but these cooks are running the show. (Oddly enough, all three of them also live in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota.) Make sure to let us know what you’d like to read about (and eat) and, as always, ask questions in the comments. If you’ve ever got your own recipes or tips to share with us and your fellow sportsmen, you can send them to letters@outdoorlife.com.