He’s learned to hunt and has bagged squirrel, turkey, deer and bear, often at his property in Buncombe County, where hunting is legal.

Dan and his siblings grew up in Boone, about two hours northeast of Asheville, where food came either from a small garden we tended or the grocery store. Today, our family enjoys his squirrel tacos, sautéed venison heart, wild turkey chili and bear sausage.

When I moved away from Asheville five years ago, I ended up in the backwoods of southwest Virginia, where hunting has long been an important part of self-sufficient life. So when Dan learned to shoot— first from a friend and then with the Project Appleseed marksmanship program—I was interested enough to try it myself. I loved the intense concentration that shooting required, along with the satisfaction of hitting a bull’s-eye. While I’ve not taken up hunting myself, I have a new appreciation for the rewards it can bring.

Here, I offer a short interview with Dan about how and why he had taken up hunting and wild game cooking, as well as tips and tricks for successfully preparing your own wild game—remembering that even George Vanderbilt, of Biltmore fame, had a wild side, with his own hunting lodge and game chef. 

Dan Chase uses a crossbow to hunt his own meat.

You didn’t grow up hunting. So how did that begin?

Dan: Approaching 40, I wanted to learn how to catch my own fish. So my wife gifted me a guided day on local creeks and rivers: how to tie on the hook, cast, catch, and clean a trout. That day was a revelation.

Around that time I made a new friend, an accomplished marks- man, who showed me the basics of shooting. I purchased a .22 rifle and trained enough to consistently hit a bull’s-eye on a paper target. It dawned on me that I had everything I needed to go into the woods and come out with meat. Archery gear came next.

First, the self-reliance. Second, the personal connection to my food. I’ve always felt a tinge of unease about how meat arrives wrapped in plastic at the store, but I couldn’t articulate it until hunting.

Third, hunting is hard, and I like it that way. That chili or pot roast came about from some combination of waking before dawn, sitting silently for hours in the cold, hauling a hundred-pound animal out of the woods and then skinning and butchering it.

What have you learned about the natural world from hunting?

I’ve learned that the natural world is quiet. A hunter must melt into the scenery and disappear. Humans are loud! Even bikers and hikers cause a disruptive vibration.

Second, I’ve found that there is a lot of action on the small scale. Once when I was sitting in a tree stand a tiny movement caught my eye, a jumping spider about a quarter inch long, perfectly camouflaged. I watched it stalk an even tinier prey, then pounce and enjoy its meal. This spider and I were engaged in the same pursuit, and I was outclassed as a hunter. Another time I heard a soft rhythmic rattling sound from over my right shoulder. I slowly turned and saw a squirrel resting on a tree limb a few feet behind me. I was hearing its purring breath. 

A collection of Dan Chase’s homemade stock from wild game meats.

Any advice for cooking game meats?

Game meat is just meat. Start with your favorite dishes and substitute whatever game you have. My family loves making pho, and we pour the broth over thinly sliced venison instead of beef. A braised turkey leg makes incredible carnitas for tacos. If you can smoke a pork butt for pulled barbecue, you can smoke a bear shoulder the same way. I call it bear-b-q. Any cut of meat can be ground and stored in freezer packs for pasta sauces, burgers, meatballs, meatloaf or tacos.

An advantage of cooking game is that it encourages experimentation. I’ve gotten into Cajun dirty rice, with a grind of liver and kidney. My daughters and I like the fresh, clean texture of grilled heart. And venison tongue boiled, sliced and seasoned makes for a one-of-a-kind sandwich.

You’ve said squirrel meat is underrated. How?

In Spain, Iberico pigs feed only on acorns, which provide a sweet, nut- ty flavor and unsaturated fatty acids. Their meat is considered premi- um, sought by the best restaurants. Squirrels are the Iberico pigs of the forest. Their meat is lean, with flavor and texture reminiscent of dark meat chicken but with that added acorn-sweet nutty flavor.

How did you learn to butcher your meat?

YouTube videos and podcasts. I also had the opportunity to help a friend skin a deer. That hands-on experience showed me just how do- able the process was. Butchering an animal is less cutting and more separating than one might assume.

What advice would you give folks wanting to begin hunting their own food?

Start small, and ask for help. I have found that the hunting commu- nity is extremely welcoming to newcomers of all ages and skill levels. People who hunt tend to be passionate about their connection to the natural world and to eating healthy, wild meat. We love to share our passion and expand the community of hunters.

Besides researching how-to videos and articles online, I would highly recommend aspiring hunters reach out to hunting and angling organizations like Opportunity Outdoors, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, First Hunt Foundation, and many more. New hunters might be nervous seeing pictures and videos of seasoned hunters with lots of gear and think, “I don’t belong with these people.”

However, if you reach out to someone in the organization or go to a meeting and say, “I would like to hunt, but I have no idea how to start,” I bet you’d immediately have several new friends in the form of seasoned hunters who would be thrilled to be a mentor and guide you in effective and ethical practices.