Fall ushers in start of the Wild Game Cook-Off in Magic City

Published On: 09.21.16 |

By: Alabama News Center Staff

Fall ushers in start of the Wild Game Cook-Off in Magic City

Winners display trophy won during Wild Game Cook-Offs in Birmingham in 2015. (file)

Giving to a good cause is fulfilling. Eating for a good cause is just plain filling. You can do both Thursday evening as the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) kicks off its Wild Game Cook-Off series in Birmingham.

The event takes place at the Birmingham Zoo at 6 p.m. Admission is $40 per couple/person or $50 at the door and includes free samples of wild game entries, a one one-year AWF membership for you or your guest and a subscription to “Alabama Wildlife” magazine.

The cook-off features music and a silent auction, and all proceeds benefit AWF.

The Wild Game Cook-Offs around the state over the next several months help fund AWF projects such as outdoor education, wildlife habitat management and youth and adult hunting and fishing programs. The cook-offs also offer guests and AWF members fellowship, a chance for the public to learn more about AWF, and an opportunity for sportsmen and sportswomen to demonstrate they are using responsibly the game and fish they harvest.

Teams compete in three categories: fish, fowl and game. Trophies will be awarded for first, second and third place in each category and judges will choose a “Best Overall.” The “Best Overall” winner earns a spot in the “State Champion” competition at AWF headquarters in Millbrook at the end of the cook-off competitions.

Those who would rather eat than compete can sample some of the area’s best wild game dishes. Winning entries from previous years have included grilled dove breast, smoked venison with Cajun wild rice, and flounder stuffed with shrimp and crab meat topped with a butter cream sauce.

For more information, visit www.alabamwildlife.org.