ELLERBE — Last Tuesday night, April 7, over 80 people gathered at the Sandhills Rod and Gun Club in Ellerbe for the 24th Annual Wild Game Cookoff. They were to taste and judge some of the best prepared wild games, berries and vegetables that nature can provide.
The dishes that the cooks prepared in the meat category were mule deer soup, Mississippi goose, rabbit pie, deer sausage, deer chili, deer roast and rice and probably a few more. Dessert dishes consisted of blackberry cobbler, persimmon pudding, and orange mincemeat short bread bars. Wild nuts and vegetables were Common milkweed shoots and Greenbriar shoots.
Each person as they came through the door was issued a ticket for each category of food. As the event started, volunteers served each person a small portion of each food entrée on their plates. When the meal was over each person placed a ticket for their favorite dishes in a box in front of the dish.
As the tickets were being tallied up the Sandhills Chapter of the N.C. Native Plant Society (NCNPS) presented a program. Presenters were Cami Gregg and Namaste Arey. The chapter is just starting and is the tenth one in the state. Their mission is to educate people about the many wild species of plants and flowers in our state. They said that some species were edible or parts of them but make sure you know before you eat them. They are planning tours of our Sandhills Game lands and other areas of the state.
After the program was over and the votes were counted, the winners of each category were announced and then presented with a gift.
The winner in the meat category was Kathy Allen with her rabbit pie. David Auman won the dessert category with his persimmon pudding. Terry Sharpe was the winner of wild nuts and vegetable category. The Best Show award was presented to Armon Waters for his Bear potato casserole. In the Youth category the winners were Kayle Hoffman and Lydia Shaw.
The Wild game events are hosted and sponsored by the Sandhills Rod and Gun Club, N.C. Corp. Extension Agency, and the Martha Faye Craft Club.
I want to thank all the ones who prepared the dishes and the volunteers and sponsors who help make this annual event possible.
Next year will be the grand 25th Wild Game Cookoff so be ready for your chance to prepare one of your favorite dishes.