I've had all the common game animals available in Canada except polar bear and musk ox. Some good, some ok, some definitely a once in a lifetime experience. It makes a huge difference how some are handled and prepped and then how they are cooked. Here are my impressions of some of the more unusual ones.
Alligator. Tough, rubbery.
Black bear. Must have been on a clean natural diet, not garbage, rotten anything or fish. Tender, a little sweet, makes awesome sausage.
Beaver. Tender, fatty (greasy), very good eating IF the castor glands were removed when harvested. Avoid a gift beaver from a trapper. Beaver tail is like fatty gristle but chopped beavertail and beans is better than any store bought pork and beans.
Caribou. Early, before the rut is mild, tender and tasty. 3 -4 days after the rut starts ( they drink the cow's p!ss) it stinks the whole house up when you cook it, tates terrible, is onlynfit for dog food. Non descriminating dogs.
Cougar. Tender, looks and tastes somewhat like cooked pork.
Grizzly. Again, must be on a clean diet. Tender, succulent, excellent.
Lynx. Tender, much like dark meat on a turkey.
Mountain sheep. One of the very best.
Mountain goat. Mild flavour, like veal. One of the toughest things on the planet, even when ground it's like little BB's.
Rattlesnake. Sort of like chicken if you have a good imagination. Maybe in a restaurant, never again after handling one.
Seal. Fishy meat, leave these for the newfies.
Wild turkey. Was a big surprise to me, tastes exactly like domestic turkey but a firmer texture.
Whistler (marmot, groundhog, etc). Very fatty, mild lavour, a favourite of the indians in northern BC.
Wild boar. Like gamy pork only tougher.
Organ meat from ungulates is exactly like the same from the supermarket.
I'm sure I'm missing some but these ones stand out in my memory.
