17 Wild Game Chefs Who Bring More Flavor to Hunting

Inspiration from food-focused outdoors men and women. 

17 Wild Game Chefs Who Bring More Flavor to Hunting

The number of hunters and gun owners increased throughout 2021 and the trend continues in 2022. In uncertain times citizens are realizing that not everything our society provides is guaranteed, so more people are looking to increase their self-reliance and sustainability through hunting and firearm training. One of the biggest draws to hunting is surely the benefits of harvested wild game meat. As more people seek this lean, protein rich meat, they are bound to discover the many other advantages to being a hunter—including support for conservation, quality time with friends and family, developing more self- and environmental awareness, and much more.

Here’s a list of hunters on Instagram who seem to wear their chef hat more than their camo cap to help educate and bring more value to the hunting community. Give these wild game chefs a follow to discover recipes and field to fork ideas.

There’s no better time to learn how to hunt your own food than this upcoming hunting season. If you are interested in hunting, consider taking the +ONE hunting pledge to join a community of hunting mentors and mentees. You can also sign up for the National Deer Association’s Field to Fork program to take a food-focused approach on hunting.

Stacy Lyn Harris (@stacylynharris)

Stacy Lyn Harris is a food and lifestyle blogger, author and mother of seven children. She also co-hosted “The Sporting Chef” on The Sportsman Channel and has made many other television appearances.

Stephen Rinella (@stevenrinella)

Stephen Rinella is the host of the Netflix television series “MeatEater” and the MeatEater podcast. He is the author of six books on the topics of hunting, fishing, and wild game cooking, and a frequent contributor to national publications.

Danielle Prewett (@danielleprewett)

Danielle Prewett is the founder of Wild and Whole, a website dedicated to eating wild and whole foods while living well, where she shares her wild game and foraged food recipes. She is also the Wild Foods Contributing Editor for Stephen Rinella’s MeatEater.

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John Wallace (@wildgamecook)

John Wallace is proudly raising his family in the outdoors and hopes to inspire others through his photographic journey and his recipes. 

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Hank Shaw (@huntgathercook)

Hank Shaw is a commercial fisherman and chef, as well as an accomplished cookbook author. He is also a podcast host and runs the James Beard Award-winning website huntgathercook.com

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Justin Townsend (@harvestingnature)

Justin Townsend hosts the Wild Fish & Game Podcast. He also shares his wild game recipes on YouTube and on the Harvesting Nature website.

Wyld Gourmet (@wyldgourmet)

Margie Nelson, or, as she is better known, The Wyld Gourmet, shares her inspired wild game recipes with her Instagram followers. You can also find her preparations on the Prois Hunting website.

Jenny and Rick Wheatley (@foodforhunters)

Jenny and Rick Wheatley founded the Food for Hunters blog, which showcases their recipes and techniques for preparing wild game and foraged food. They are also authors of Hunting for Good, a guide to harvesting, field dressing, and cooking wild game.

Kristy Crabtree (@nevadafoodies)

Kristy Crabtree suggests that those who shoot straight, eat great. She proves it with her collection of wild game cookbooks and recipes, many of which can be found on her Wild Game Cuisine website.

Live Wild Eat Wild (@livewildeatwild)

The person behind the Live Wild Eat Wild brand is a self-described “decent cook” and “terrible hunter.” Extolling the importance of knowing where your food comes from, their advice and recipes can be found on livewildeatwild.com.

Tony Caggiano (@tonycagg_outdoors)

Tony Caggiano is a game chef, podcast host, and owner of a travel agency that specializes in wild turkey hunts. His podcast, Wild Game Based, explores the hosts’ passions for wild-game based cooking.

Scott Leysath (@sportingchef)

A wild game chef and television host, you can find Scott Leysath’s techniques and recipes on the Internet, as well as on the air. His “Dead Meat” and “The Sporting Chef” programs air on Sportsman Channel, and his newest series, “The Fishmonger,” can be found on the Outdoor Channel.

Michael Pendley (@mickypen_eats)

Michael Pendley is a writer and wild game enthusiast. He shares his insights and “Timber 2 Table” wild game recipes on his personal blog, Realtree.com.

John McGannon (@wildeats)

John McGannon specializes in dry rubs and seasoning blends to spice up wild game and foraged food. His WildEats seasonings are completely natural and free of preservatives and fillers.

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Allie Doran (@miss.allieskitchen)

Allie Doran is an author and recipe creator focused on wild-harvest foods, especially venison. Her latest cookbook is entitled Venison Every Day.

Bri Van Scotter (@wildernesstotable)

Bri Van Scotter began her career as a chef, which involved the pursuit of quality ingredients. This led her into the world of hunting and foraging, where the food is the most organic that can be found. She is the author several cookbooks and hosts the “Wilderness to Table” series on Sportsman’s Guide. 

Jonathan Wilkins (@blackduckrevival)

Jonathan Wilkins is a hunting and fishing guide who operates a lodge in Brinkley, Arkansas. Preparing what you catch is always part of the experience.  

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