‘Tis the season for hunting. Many people look forward to hunting season — when you get out into the chilly weather and get your own dinner. Hunting can be a big mood-lifter to get out into nature and feel accomplished when they can bring meat home. There are other boons to hunting as well.

There are many myths about the safety of wild game meat. The fact is, meat should always be treated carefully; all meat can be contaminated by poor food handling practices. However, when prepared properly, the possibility of getting a parasite from wild game is no more significant than anything you bought at the store. Keeping the meat cool and clean and cooking it to the right temperature can stop your meat from passing on any illness to you. Don’t use the backbone or brain in any dish: they are known to carry some diseases. If you are concerned about safety, bring it up with your doctor.

Hunting gets you outside, and the walk can be great for your heart. If you aren’t someone who habitually gets out and goes for a walk, this can have significant heart benefits. Moreover, the fat in wild meat is both lower and healthier. A Purdue Univ. study found that grain-fed, farmed meat could have an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of up to 13-to-1, but in deer and elk, the ratio is 2-to-1. Their research showed that eating that ratio of fats could help lower your risk of strokes, help you lose weight and lower cholesterol. The total amount of fat is also significantly lower. Three and a half ounces of beef has 2.7 grams of fat, the same amount of venison has 1.4. Venison is also higher in protein while having fewer calories.

Loren Cordain, one of the researchers from Purdue, said, “Over the past several decades, numerous studies have found that indigenous populations [who hunt] have low serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels.”

A nice thing, in this day and age, where we are more aware of additives and food safety, is that wild game is free of antibiotics and added hormones. Hunted game has eaten an organic diet, unlike most farmed animals. Organic meat is pricy whereas, the cost of a hunting license, bullets and gas all add up to making an 80-pound deer cost less than a dollar a pound!

You also help the environment. Frequently, you can participate in culls — lowering the overpopulation of an animal. Animal farming takes a massive toll on resources — from feed and water consumption to the pollution it produces. Eating from the land means you aren’t contributing to your carbon footprint.

To see the nutritional values of different game animals, click here. If you have been hesitant about eating hunted animals, hopefully, this will give you more confidence to enjoy your meal!