Our Favorite Food from Beast Feast 2026

I’ve long believed that the best way to introduce new people to the sport of hunting is to feed them a delicious wild game dish. There is something primordial about eating game meat that tends to draw even non-hunters. That desire to consume clean, additive- and steroid-free meat is in us all.

Wild game has always been an excellent way to introduce non-hunters to the sport. Images by Bill Konway, Michael and Cheryl Pendley and others

Realtree photographer Bill Konway and a few of his buddies understood that. Back in 2009, several members of the local northern Indiana RMEF chapter were talking about getting together outside of the local meetings and banquet night. One mentioned that he had some venison, another offered up some pheasant, and the first Beast Feast was born.

Realtree photographer Bill Konway was part of the group that started the Beast Feast and continues the tradition today.

That first get-together was held in a garage with about 30 people. A good time was had by all and plans were quickly made to do it again the next year. By the time the Feast rolled back around, more people had heard about it. Konway says about 75 people showed up for the second one.

Each year, news of the event spreads by word of mouth and the crowd grows.

By the third year, more than 100 people showed up to sample the wild game meal. It quickly became apparent that they had outgrown their garage. A new location was needed. A nearby community center in Leroy, Indiana became the new home.

News of good food travels quickly and the crowd quickly outgrew the first garage location.

Word continued to spread and the crowds continued to increase. Over the next six years, the event became a destination with nearly five hundred attendees from all over the country, many staying the entire weekend. The core group of cooks stayed constant: Konway; Barry Simes, from Florida; Todd Partin, from Indiana; John Bond, from Michigan; and Brandon Phipps, from Kentucky.

Each cook comes equipped with their own gear, ingredients, and recipe ideas. Here Barry Simes and John Bond work on some of their dishes for the event.

Then covid hit and, like many celebrations, the event stopped. But not forever. A few years ago, the Konways, Bill and his wife, Stacy, moved to their Kentucky farm. They just happened to be near Phipps and his first question was, “When are we getting the Beast Feast cranked back up?”

Brandon Phipps lives near the Konway’s farm and pushed them to fire the fest back up.

In 2024, the first Kentucky Feast was held at Konway’s place. Many of the old crowd made the trip down. A new cook, Larry Lewis, joined the core group. Like those first few garage events, the first crowds were on the small side, but the lure of a good wild game meal is strong, and each year since has seen the event grow.

The lure of a great meal is enough to draw in folks from all over.

Since the game meat is supplied mostly by the cooks and some of the attendees, as you might imagine, venison still makes up the bulk of the dishes.

While venison carries the load, a wide variety of game meats make up the menu.

The good thing about the core group is that they are all avid outdoorsmen and other game like pheasant, quail, rabbit, hog, elk, moose, wild turkey, squirrel, fish, dove, chuckar, shrimp, and bear make regular appearances.

The expected recipes like grilled backstrap and fried turkey nuggets are always a hit.

The event is a full day, often extending well into the night with different dishes coming to the table the entire time. Attendees sample each dish as they get finished.

The event extends well into the night, often with a few stragglers still around to meet the dawn the following morning.

I asked Konway what some of the more exotic dishes ever prepared were. He laughed and said, “we’ve had octopus, beaver, ostrich, kangaroo, ground hog, alligator, various testicles, and rattle snake — you name it, we’ve probably cooked it!”

While the bulk of the recipes are traditional wild game, some more exotic dishes usually make the cut.

I was lucky enough to attend and participate in this year’s Beast Feast. My wife and I made the two hour trip from our home to the Konway’s with packed coolers and cooking gear in tow. To say I was impressed would be a vast understatement.

I was honored to participate in this year’s Feast.

As you would expect, there were the solid standbys of bacon wrapped backstrap, fried turkey nuggets, chili, and the like, but there were a great many unusual and creative dishes as well. The rabbit stuffed backstrap was outstanding, as was the venison lomo el trapo, elk bourguignon, and South American style venison sliders topped with fresh chimichurri sauce.

The Feast isn’t just wild game. Plenty of side dishes and breads like these dutch oven sourdough biscuits fill the menu.

Many of the attendees I talked to had never tried wild game before the event and were amazed at some of the flavors they experience. One person said, “I always assumed I didn’t like deer meat, but this is amazing! It’s as good as anything I have ever had in a restaurant.”

Dishes like these venison sliders topped with chimichurri sauce made wild game believers out of many of the newcomers.

Over the years, I’ve attended and participated in more wild game events, church game meals, and backyard cooks than I can count. I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced one where the quality of the food was as good as this event was. From the first dish I tried to the last one I forced down because I was already so full I swore I wouldn’t eat another bite, the food was outstanding.

From start to finish, the recipes were restaurant quality dishes.

I’ve judged a few wild game cook-offs in my time, and there is no way I would have wanted to score these top to bottom because they were all winners. Folks mingled, kids tossed a football around in the yard and fished in Konway’s pond, and everyone had a great time.

The Feast has turned into a labor of love for the folks who put it on each year and the dishes become more and more involved as the event grows.

As you might imagine, an event this size costs quite a bit to put on. From the food and material costs, trash collection, charcoal, grill pellets, Port-o-Potty rentals, drinks, and the like, the money adds up in a hurry. Most of that cost has always been covered by the same core group that started the event all those years ago. They have never asked for a cover charge from the attendees, although there is a donation box near the food tables for folks to drop a few bucks in to help defray some of the costs.

From humble beginnings, the Beast Feast has grown into a tradition.

In recent years, a few sponsors have found out about the event and stepped up to donate some gear to be raffled and auctioned off to help cover expenses. This year, Realtree, Tactacam, and CVA all donated items to be raffled. Konway wanted to make sure these companies were mentioned and to thank them personally for helping with the event.

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