FLORENCE — Alabama is fortunate to have an abundance of edible wildlife, including deer, game birds, small game, fish and more.

Preparing game, however, can be tricky. Some items can be tough if not prepared correctly or have a “gamey” taste.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has prepared a book, “Cooking Alabama’s Wild Game,” that offers 83 pages of recipes for cooking wild game and information on the correct way to care for and prepare it from the time it is harvested until the time it is cooked.

It also provides guidelines and recipes for preparing such creatures as beaver, opossum, rattlesnake and even armadillo.

Instructions and recipes for several different types of fish are included.

“Cooking Alabama’s Wild Game” is available for $8 at the Lauderdale County Extension office at 802 Veteran’s Drive, next to the Florence-Lauderdale Coliseum.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

The following is an example recipe:

Roast Venison with Gravy

4-6 pound venison roast

salt and pepper, to taste

garlic powder, to taste

monosodium glutamate

1 can cream of onion soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3 soup cans water, or more if needed

2 medium onions, quartered

3 or 4 medium potatoes, quartered

Brown roast either in a skillet or under the broiler until it is crusty but not burnt. Put roast into a pan or Dutch oven large enough for meat to be at least half submerged in gravy.

Season both sides of meat with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and monosodium glutamate.

Combine soups with water and pour over meat. Add onions and potatoes and bring to a slow boil.

Cover and simmer for about 2 hours, longer if necessary, turning meat just once.

The meat should be tender and juicy.

Note: This recipe may be cooked in the oven. Just cover and slow bake at 300 degrees for about 3 hours or longer, depending on size of the roast