A look at the annual Wild Game Feed at Cedar Bluff
By KAREN MADORIN
Twenty-nine years ago, two of my husband’s hunting buddies hatched an idea to make room in their wild game freezers as hunting seasons peaked and enjoy family and friends at the same time. They called their brainstorm the Wild Game Feed and invited guests to bring wild game or side dishes to one of the cabins at Cedar Bluff on an early October Saturday. Thus began a tradition all of us look forward to every year.
Over three decades, some things stay the same and some change. We’ve said farewell to loved ones, so current game feeds offer opportunities to remember those who’ve passed and how much they loved these gatherings. To balance the losses, our kids have grown up, married, and now bring their spouses and youngsters who play the same made-up games their parents did as children. This year littles, some still in momma’s arms and others big enough to join dads and grandpas in deer stands, kept us on our toes watching them chase one another through tall grass.
The core group may have wrinkled and grayed, but their conversations still focus on the thing that brought them together in the first place—Kansas outdoors. Hunting, fishing, camping, boating, birding, metal detecting, gardening, and ranching topics weave in and out of conversations. Sit back, listen, and learn about reloading, choosing better camo and boots, preferred arrows and bows, the best bait to use at a particular fishing spot, where to see sandhill cranes or eagles, gardening techniques, who got a new metal detector and what they’re finding, and who’s the best jokester in the group. As stories follow one after another, worn out kids and grandkids pop onto soft laps while other zip by to remind us how glad we are that they happily play outdoors and make new friends.
Since it’s a wild game feed, methods to cook deer, elk, antelope, rabbit, turtle, snake, turkey, pheasant, duck, goose, dove, quail, and other critters turn into animated discussions. Over time, the cooks’ skills evolved from basic grilling to gourmet dishes involving pasta, sun dried tomatoes, and fresh sage. I’ve never been fond of duck, but one of the original members has perfected his preparation and cooking so that his duck kebabs disappear as fast as he makes them. He’s also tweaked a twice baked deer steak that vanishes the minute he sets the serving dish on the crowded table. If you come late, you miss out. He’s secretive about his recipes but makes it clear preparing the game prior to cooking is key to his success. Several favorite cooks have mastered marinades that make spectacular dishes. A few years ago, a culinary magazine writer joined the festivities and put together an article featuring the Game Feed.
You can’t have dinner without dessert and this crowd makes sure those are memorable. We expect the best ever cowboy cookies, homemade pies from fresh-picked cherries, huckleberry cheese cake, huckleberry crunch, brownies, chocolate cakes, fruit cobblers, and more. The dessert table is a diabetic’s nightmare.
More than anything, this is a gathering of new and old friends who love the outdoors. They’ve found a way to celebrate their common passion that doesn’t require loved ones to dress in camo and sneak silently into a deer tree or goose blind before morning light. It’s become such a tradition that we leave saying, “See you next year.” Many thanks to Steve and Rick who started this.
Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.