There's nothing better than doing your grocery shopping in the wild.
While the argument that wild game is easier on the wallet doesn't quite pan out given the amount of money hunters invest to fill tag, hunting for your meat does offer several benefits over picking up a pack of ground chuck.
Nutrition Profile
Red meat is often linked to heart disease and a slew of other health issues, but venison - and other wild game meat - actually boasts some health benefits. As a low-fat source of lean protein and essential amino acids, it can help lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Iron and B vitamins help regulate metabolism, battle anemia, and reduce the risk of heart conditions. Pound-for-pound, it's lower in calories than beef and other commercial meats.
Free-Range Wild Animals
Nothing is more free range than the whitetail roaming thousands of acres of public land. Even grass-fed beef can't compete with the natural diet and cage-free life that brought about your venison. Those game animals truly lived wild and free lives.
Drug-Free Meat
Because the waterfowl or wild turkeys or antelope you're pursuing aren't caged up, you don't have to worry about them being pumped full of hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals that could be potentially harmful to you and your family.
Food Safety
The trouble with commercially raised meat is you can't always definitively know where it came from, how it was handled, or if it's fresh. Packaged meat is frequently recalled over contamination and other safety concerns. But when you shoot a bull and pack it out immediately, you know you're getting the freshest grade-A elk meat. Proper game care and cooking can also ensure you avoid the gamey flavor that turns many meat eaters off.
Experience
Mossy Oak
If you're an avid hunter who enjoys the chase just as much as the end result, sourcing your own meat will always be much more fun than going to the grocery store and certainly more rewarding.
Products featured on Wide Open Spaces are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
NEXT: HOW TO MAKE SERIOUSLY MOUTHWATERING STUFFED VENISON BACKSTRAP
