Wildlife Society’s Beast Feast featured a night of tasty meals foreign to everyone’s taste buds, courtesy of nature’s denizens. Simultaneously, it joined families and friends together and greatly represented what the Wildlife Society is all about.
Upon entering, everyone was greeted with the salivating smell of what was to come as they took their seats.
Tables were decorated with centerpieces crafted from flair grabbed straight from the great outdoors: pinecones, log pieces, animal skulls, and more. These remnants of nature spoke to its southern guests, sparking conversation about good times in the rural south, whether it be hunting trips, fishing in the lake, or enjoying nature– everything that makes an extrovert.
For some, it was even nostalgic, given that a few of the attendants were ABAC alumni.
“Beast Feast was a great experience to go back and see all my past classmates and professors while trying new food I’ve never had the opportunity to try,” said Stone Nicholson, an ABAC forestry alumnus.
Then, it was time to eat. Guests were allowed to fill their plate at the buffet-style line with a galaxy of different things to consume.
Meat is a cornerstone of many meals with common types being chicken and beef. However, at an event like Beast Feast, that’s something to scoff at, because “common types” is absolutely not what an occasion like this is about.
“It’s about allowing people to have an opportunity that they may have never experienced otherwise,” said Anna Dempsey, one of the students that helped set up the event.
So much deer venison was on the forefront that it would make Bambi cry. What was offered were regular venison pieces, backstrap, and even venison sliders. Highlights were the pineapple jalapeno deer sausage, a sweet and spicy blend of your local hunting target, and deer wontons, which bundled venison and cheese for flavor.
Beaver meatballs were used as an appetizer and later layered with sauce for the buffet. It sounds strange on paper but believe me: beavers taste way better when they’re not building dams and are pushing up daisies instead. Sacrifices have to be made, and this is one nobody could resist.
“I think I enjoyed the dishes that were prepared with Beaver the best,” said Dr. Catherine Funk. “The meatballs were perfectly seasoned to highlight the flavors of the meat.”
What about the water? Catfish, both regular and Haitian-style, were there to represent their aquatic brethren.
There was a smorgasbord of different foods like turkey pieces, bison crackers with horseradish on top, and cowboy casserole. People were even introduced to rat-wings, which made many flinch, but those that tried it nodded in approval. Never knock something until you try it first. Putting a fork in the buffet was the dessert, consisting of buckeyes, brownies, and cake. Guests were also allowed to take leftovers after Beast Feast concluded.
Taste is only half of the Beast Feast, though. Mid-feast came the use of the audience’s eyes, starting with Sena Stanfield presenting her video presentation to attendants to showcase the Wildlife’s Society’s trip to Cumberland Island. Voyages like these are made possible through funds raised in events like Beast Feast, meaning everyone attending contributed to a greater purpose.
If any guests had their lucky rabbit’s foot, that’s where the raffles came into play. Attendants had the chance to win hunting gear, along with other fun things like paintings, posters, and Funko! Pops.
Meanwhile, a different raffle was held for a shotgun and a Winchester. This is understandable, because when you’re hunting, you want something that packs a wallop.
Technically, everybody had a chance to be a winner before this. Each Beast Feast ticket contained a designated number that was pooled during a door prize drawing, having random but more hunting-related prizes.
Topping the night off was an auction to boost the money raised. What’s unique was how many things auctioned were made by ABAC alumni, such as a highly durable firepit or a kayaking trip for two through the Okefenokee Swamp. Other prizes wowed the audience, such as a nighttime thermal guided hog-hunt in Worth county, and a student worker group of six for whatever task its buyer wanted, with the latter’s bid ending at $300. Some say you can’t put a price on hard work, but in this case, someone did.
ABAC’s 11th annual Beast Feast was definitely a success. Both its attendants and its presenters benefited tremendously, almost like mutual symbiosis, which makes it all the better when everybody’s happy.
