In a global sense, game refers to wild animals and birds, with the
term ‘game’ being used for culinary purposes to describe all
birds and animals that are hunted for food. In the European
Union (EU), wild game is defined in the EU Regulation (EC)
No. 853/2004 as being “wild ungulates and lagomorphs, as well
as other land mammals that are hunted for human consumption
and are considered to be wild game under the applicable
law in the Member State concerned, including mammals living
in enclosed territory under conditions of freedom similar to
those of wild game, and wild birds that are hunted for human
consumption.” The same legislation also defines ‘small wild
game’ as being wild game birds and lagomorphs (rabbits and
hares) living free in the wild and ‘large wild animals’ as land
mammals, living free in the wild that do not fall within the small
wild game definition. In the United States, wild game refers to
wild land mammals (including those living within an enclosed
area under conditions of freedom) that are hunted and wild
birds. Large native game animals in the United States include
antelope, buffalo, caribou, deer, elk, moose, and reindeer, while
game birds include wild turkeys, wild geese, wild ducks, grouse,
quail, pheasant, and other nondomesticated species of fowl.
