Wild game behaves differently from the meat at the supermarket. It is usually leaner, the animal’s age and diet vary, and the cook often has to deal with cuts a butcher would have handled. A good book teaches that, not only a list of stews.
This page sets out eight books by named authors and editors, says who each one suits and whose opinion backs it, and gives the food safety points from the sources we read. If you need to break an animal down first, start with our butchery book guide.
Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on publisher information and published reviews, which we name. We have not cooked from these books.
Quick verdict: which wild game cookbook to buy
For most readers the best wild game cookbook is The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook by Steven Rinella, the broadest book here with a strong Publishers Weekly review. If venison is your main interest, choose Buck, Buck, Moose by Hank Shaw. For ducks and geese, choose his Duck, Duck, Goose.
Five game cookbooks at a glance
Five of the eight, one for each kind of cook. The last column says what our view rests on.
| Pick | Best for | Game covered | Evidence | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One book for every animal | Big and small game, birds, fish | Starred Publishers Weekly review | View on Amazon | |
Buck, Buck, Moose, Hank ShawBest for venison
|
Deep venison cooking | Deer, elk, moose, antelope | Named reviews, first edition | View on Amazon |
Duck, Duck, Goose, Hank ShawBest for waterfowl
|
Ducks and geese | Waterfowl, wild and farmed | Publishers Weekly review | View on Amazon |
Venison Every Day, Allie DoranBest for weeknights
|
Easy everyday venison | Venison | Publishers Weekly review | View on Amazon |
MeatEater’s Wild + Whole, Danielle PrewettBest seasonal
|
Seasonal wild food | Game with seasonal produce | Publisher details | View on Amazon |
Our picks for the best wild game cookbook, title by title
1. The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook, Steven Rinella – Every Species, One Method
This is the book to buy if you only want one, and it covers more species than any other here. Penguin Random House lists big game such as deer, moose, wild hogs and black bear, small game such as squirrel and rabbit, waterfowl, upland birds, freshwater and saltwater fish, and more unusual catches including snapping turtle and alligator.
Publishers Weekly explains the idea that holds it together: the cut matters more than the species, so what you learn on one animal transfers to another. Its review counts about 100 recipes, with photo guidance on gutting, skinning and butchering and charts comparing how similar game tastes. It called the book an “insightful and straightforward look at cooking what one hunts.” The publisher says more than 100 recipes and notes a starred review.
Rinella hosts the MeatEater show and podcast. Krista Ruane is credited with him in the review.
Why we like it
- Very wide range of game and fish
- Starred Publishers Weekly review, per the publisher
- Cut-based method transfers between species
- Includes butchering guidance
Key specifications
| Author | Steven Rinella |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 2018 |
| Pages | 368 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | About 100, per Publishers Weekly |
| Game covered | Big and small game, birds, fish, shellfish |
| Best for | Most hunters and anglers |
Why we recommend it
If you hunt and fish more than one kind of animal, or are cooking what a friend gave you, this is the safest first choice, and it has the strongest review on the page.
Skip it if you only ever cook deer. Buck, Buck, Moose goes deeper on venison.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Broadest coverage here
- Well reviewed
- Technique as well as recipes
Cons
- Large hardcover for the field
- Less depth on any single animal than a specialist book
2. Buck, Buck, Moose, Hank Shaw – The Venison Specialist
If deer, elk or moose fill your freezer, this is the deep book. Bookseller details for this ten-year anniversary edition describe more than 125 recipes from six continents, with instructions for butchering, aging and storing venison, using nearly every part of the animal, and curing, charcuterie and sausage making. It adds nearly 30 new recipes and 200 color photographs. The description calls Shaw a James Beard Award winner.
The reviews we read are of the first edition. Dave Mance III in Northern Woodlands called it “the best venison cookbook I’ve ever seen” and praised the photographs, while noting that some recipes need less common ingredients. Realtree called it “the definitive guide to venison,” and said Shaw self-published for more creative control. We have not read a review of the new edition.
Why we like it
- Praised by Northern Woodlands and Realtree, for the first edition
- Covers aging, butchering and charcuterie
- Recipes from six continents
- Uses nearly every part of the animal
Key specifications
| Author | Hank Shaw |
|---|---|
| Publisher | H&H Books |
| Year | 2026 anniversary edition |
| Pages | 336 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | More than 125 |
| Game covered | Deer, elk, moose, antelope, caribou |
| Best for | Deer and elk hunters |
Why we recommend it
Anyone who hunts deer and cooks should look here first. It is the most serious single-subject book on the page, and it teaches what to do with the odd cuts as well as the loin.
Skip it if you do not hunt and rarely see venison. Northern Woodlands aims its praise at deer hunters.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Deep on one subject
- Named independent reviews
- Strong photography, per Northern Woodlands
Cons
- Reviews we read predate this edition
- Some less common ingredients
- Self-published, per Realtree
3. Duck, Duck, Goose, Hank Shaw – The Waterfowl Book
Duck hunters have fewer choices than deer hunters, and this one has been in print for over a decade. Its subtitle promises a guide to cooking waterfowl both farmed and wild, which makes it useful even if you buy your duck.
Publishers Weekly called it an “original and beguiling collection” and described “an eclectic but tasty host of offerings.” Ten Speed Press published it in 2013, so this is an older book, though the subject has not changed much.
Why we like it
- Single-subject guide to waterfowl
- Works for farmed and wild birds, per the title
- Publishers Weekly review
- Established trade publisher
Key specifications
| Author | Hank Shaw |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Ten Speed Press |
| Year | 2013 |
| Pages | 240 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | Count not stated |
| Game covered | Ducks and geese, wild and farmed |
| Best for | Waterfowl hunters |
Why we recommend it
This suits waterfowlers and any cook who has been told wild duck is hard to get right, and who wants one focused reference on the bird.
Skip it if you rarely cook birds. It covers nothing else.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Focused on one difficult subject
- Well reviewed
- Useful with store-bought duck too
Cons
- A 2013 book
- Narrow by design
4. Venison Every Day, Allie Doran – Everyday Venison, Simply
Not every freezer full of venison needs a project. Publishers Weekly called this an “enticing and informative debut” with “easy and appetizing solutions for hunters,” and noted that it offers recipes for every meal, leans on acidic ingredients to offset gaminess, and sometimes blends in pork.
Doran is described there as a blogger and food photographer. It is a short paperback of 160 pages, which suits a reader who wants ideas for dinner and not a treatise on butchering. Expect a shorter book than Shaw’s and much less technique.
Why we like it
- Publishers Weekly praised its ease
- Recipes for every meal, including breakfast
- Practical tips on handling gamey flavor
Key specifications
| Author | Allie Doran |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Page Street Publishing |
| Year | 2020 |
| Pages | 160 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | Count not stated |
| Game covered | Venison |
| Best for | Everyday cooks |
Why we recommend it
Buy this if someone in the house brings home a deer each year and you just want more ways to get it on the table without fuss.
Skip it if you want butchering, aging or sausage instruction, which is not its focus by the descriptions we read.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Approachable
- Good review
- Paperback
Cons
- Only venison
- Less technique than Buck, Buck, Moose
5. MeatEater’s Wild + Whole, Danielle Prewett – Seasonal Wild Food
This debut takes a different line: wild game as part of seasonal, conscious eating. Penguin Random House describes more than 80 recipes organized by season, from spring through winter, and how hunting, fishing, foraging and gardening shaped Prewett’s approach. She founded Wild + Whole and is a wild foods contributing editor for MeatEater.
The praise on the publisher’s page comes from people such as Steven Rinella, her MeatEater colleague, so read it as endorsement and not independent review. Publishers Weekly’s ISBN page says it has not reviewed the book. Because the recipes are planned around seasons, this works best for a cook who keeps a garden or shops by the season.
Why we like it
- More than 80 seasonal recipes
- Organized by season
- Author is a wild foods editor at MeatEater
Key specifications
| Author | Danielle Prewett |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Rodale Books |
| Year | 2024 |
| Pages | 272 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | More than 80 |
| Game covered | Wild game with seasonal produce |
| Best for | Garden-minded cooks |
Why we recommend it
This is for a hunter or partner of a hunter who thinks about the plate as a whole, not only the meat.
Skip it if you want a reference to look up an unfamiliar animal. The MeatEater cookbook does that better.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fresh angle on wild food
- Clear seasonal structure
- Recent
Cons
- Endorsements come from associates
- No independent review read
6. Venison Cookbook, Jim and Ann Casada – Hundreds of Recipes
For sheer numbers, nothing here comes close. The book’s description lists about 400 recipes plus sauces and marinades, across steaks and roasts, ground venison, soups, stews, sausages, jerky, meatballs and chili, adapted for slow cookers, casserole dishes and grills.
Jim Casada is a longtime editor-at-large at Sporting Classics, a former president of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the author of nineteen books, according to the same description. He and his late wife, Ann, developed the recipes. It also touches on field dressing, processing and safe handling. The health claims in the description are the publisher’s, and we do not repeat them as advice.
Why we like it
- About 400 recipes, per the description
- Covers slow cooker, casserole and grill
- Authors with long hunting-writing careers
Key specifications
| Author | Jim Casada, Ann Casada |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Stackpole Books |
| Year | 2023 |
| Pages | 278 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | About 400 |
| Game covered | Venison |
| Best for | Cooks who want volume |
Why we recommend it
This suits a cook with a lot of ground venison and a need for variety, at a modest paperback size.
Skip it if you want photographs and technique, which the description does not stress.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Volume
- Practical methods
- Experienced outdoor authors
Cons
- Only venison
- No independent review read
7. The Modern Huntsman Cookbook, the Editors of Modern Huntsman – Essays Beside the Recipes
This is more of a book to read than a kitchen reference. The description pairs about fifty recipes with essays from a dozen hunters and conservationists, including the chefs Nelly Hand, Eduardo Garcia and Jesse Griffiths and the writer Rick Bass. It carries recipes such as Pickled Wild Salmon and Bison Stock, many with alternatives for when wild ingredients are not available.
Those alternatives are useful if you do not hunt. The editors come from Modern Huntsman, a magazine and collective focused on conservation and responsible use of wild resources. Publishers Weekly says it has not reviewed the book, so this rests on the description.
Why we like it
- Essays from named hunters and conservationists
- Many recipes offer alternatives to wild ingredients
- Photo-rich hardcover
Key specifications
| Author | The Editors of Modern Huntsman Magazine |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Ten Speed Press |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | About fifty |
| Game covered | Mixed game and fish |
| Best for | Gift buyers and readers |
Why we recommend it
A good present for a thoughtful hunter, or for anyone curious about wild food who does not have a freezer full of it.
Skip it if you want a lot of recipes. About fifty is the smallest count here.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong contributors
- Handsome book
- Works for non-hunters
Cons
- Few recipes
- No independent review read
8. Wild Game Cooking, Keith Sarasin – A Broad Second Choice
The title sets out the promise: over 100 recipes for venison, elk, moose, rabbit, duck, fish and more, so it covers ground similar to the MeatEater book in a 288-page hardcover from Cider Mill Press.
That listing is all we can stand behind. Publishers Weekly says it has not reviewed the book, our search found no review we could read, and we could not open a publisher page. We have not described its recipes further because we have not read a source that does.
Why we like it
- Stated range of game and fish
- Over 100 recipes, per the listing
- Named author at an established press
Key specifications
| Author | Keith Sarasin |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Cider Mill Press |
| Year | 2023 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | Over 100, per the listing |
| Game covered | Venison, elk, moose, rabbit, duck, fish |
| Best for | A second broad book |
Why we recommend it
Consider it as a second general book once you own a first, or if the MeatEater approach does not appeal.
Skip it if you want evidence behind what you buy. This is the least documented book here.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Broad range
- Good recipe count
Cons
- Listing evidence only
- No review found in our search
Handling game safely
Follow your state’s wildlife and health department guidance first, since rules and risks vary. Here is what the sources we read say. This is general information and does not replace it.
Use a thermometer. Penn State Extension says to cook ground game meat to at least 160°F and game bird breast meat to at least 165°F, and recommends an instant-read thermometer. It also advises keeping game cold, since bacteria grow fastest between 40°F and 140°F.
Do not rely on freezing for wild game. The CDC names bear and wild boar among the wild meats that can carry the trichinellosis parasite, and warns that freezing may not kill all the worms in wild game because some species resist freezing.
Take chronic wasting disease seriously. The CDC advises hunters not to shoot, handle or eat animals that look sick or act strangely, to consider testing deer or elk before eating the meat where the disease has been found, and not to eat meat from an animal that tests positive.
If a recipe in any book suggests a lower temperature than your safety source, decide with that in mind. We have not checked each book’s temperatures.
How to choose a game cookbook
Start with what is in your freezer. A deer hunter and a duck hunter need different books. Broad books such as MeatEater suit mixed bags, while Shaw’s titles go deep on one group.
Decide how much technique you want. MeatEater and Buck, Buck, Moose include butchering. Venison Every Day and the Casada book are mostly about what to cook.
Think about recipe count against depth. About 400 recipes in the Casada book and about fifty in The Modern Huntsman Cookbook are very different propositions.
Consider the non-hunter. If the game comes from someone else or from a shop, Duck, Duck, Goose covers farmed birds and The Modern Huntsman Cookbook offers alternatives.
Check who is endorsing it. Praise on a publisher’s page is chosen by the publisher. We tell you when a review is independent.
How we picked these eight game books
We counted in-stock print books from Amazon’s listings first, then read Publishers Weekly pages by ISBN, publisher pages at Penguin Random House, descriptions carried by Harvard Book Store, and the Northern Woodlands and Realtree reviews of Buck, Buck, Moose. We did not cook from them or open every book.
We excluded the Rinella hunting and butchering guide because it already appears on our butchery page, along with thin self-published titles. All eight were in stock with a new offer when we checked.
Wild game cookbook questions, answered
What is the best venison recipes book?
Buck, Buck, Moose is the deepest and has the best independent praise, though the reviews we read cover the first edition. Venison Every Day is the simpler choice, and the Casada book has the most recipes.
Do these books work for store-bought game?
Often. Duck, Duck, Goose is stated to cover farmed birds as well as wild, and The Modern Huntsman Cookbook offers alternatives for many wild ingredients.
What internal temperature should venison reach?
Penn State Extension gives at least 160°F for ground game meat. It does not give a separate figure for whole venison cuts in what we read, so check a food safety authority or your state agency.
Does freezing make wild game safe?
Not reliably for parasites. The CDC warns freezing may not kill all trichinellosis worms in wild game, so cook it thoroughly and use a thermometer.
Will these teach me to butcher?
MeatEater and Buck, Buck, Moose include it. For a full treatment, see our butchery guide.
Our final pick for the game cook
Buy the MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook if you cook a mix of animals, and Buck, Buck, Moose if venison is most of what you have. Add a simpler book later if you find yourself wanting easy weeknight ideas.
For what comes next, see our guides to the best smoking cookbook and best charcuterie book, and go back to the butchery book guide for breaking down whole animals.