Q&A: Jeremiah Doughty with From Field to Plate

We started the GoWild™ hunting, fishing and outdoors app with a few things in mind: We wanted to teach hunters and anglers to be more appreciative—and even proud—of the game they harvest. There is too much hunt shaming going on in the social media age. The "great buck" isn't just a 200" whitetail. It's the one you harvested legally and plan to use to feed your family. We also set out to help outdoorsmen and women learn new ways to cook their wild game. 

As we've built our company, we've been really inspired by Jeremiah Doughty's brand. His blog and social media presence, From Field to Plate, talks about the importance of respecting the animal, utilizing the harvest in full, and being an ethical, honorable hunter. We felt a connection to what he was doing, and knew we wanted to work with him. 

We're proud to announce that GoWild is partnering with From Field to Plate, and we're giving away his upcoming cookbook later this fall. We'll have more on the giveaway later. For now, we bring to you our conversation with one of our favorite people on social media. In our interview, we talked about hunting birds, feeding your family, and what it really means to be a hunter. We were also really honored to get this compliment from Jeremiah:

"[GoWild] will help make this world of wild game less scary by having everything you need at your fingertips. I wish I had an app like this when I was teaching myself."

Wow. See what else Jeremiah had to say in the interview below. Enjoy. 

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GoWild: I’ve heard you say that you got into hunting your own meat when you developed a beef protein allergy. Can you tell us more about how you first got into hunting?

Jeremiah: Hunting started for me at a young age, hearing stories of my family sleeping on the hood of the truck in the desert waiting for dove season opener. I remember hearing these stories and dreaming of when it was my chance to lay on the hood of the truck under the stars, waiting for that dove season opener. When I was seven I became a “Bird Dog,” shagging all the birds that dropped for my dad and his buddies. I could not have been happier, I remember sitting next to them with my eyes fixed on the sky, looking for that tale, and a dove outline on the rising sun. On my ninth birthday I got my first shotgun and got my hunting license and the rest is, as you would say, history.

From dove, my love for bird hunting started: I went from dove to chukar, quail, pheasant, ducks, geese, and turkey. Bird hunting is where I was comfortable, and I did not venture too far. Back in 2012, I found out I had an intolerance to beef fat. This shock to my everyday life with the lack of red meat drove me from my comfort zone and lead me into the world of big game hunting. But from the start it was never driven by big racks and scores, it was driven by the desire to fill the freezer with red meat. This desire has not changed in the past years and I don’t see it changing anytime soon.

GoWild: I know you hunt a lot of species. What’s your favorite to hunt, and what’s your favorite to eat?

Jeremiah: That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child, which I have.. SSSHHH...

Man, I would have to say waterfowl hunting is still one of my top favorite hunts. From cold mornings in the blinds, fast ducks, and laughter as we sit there trying to perfect our calling. There is this rush as you see a flock of green heads who hear your call and drop from sixty to land in your spread.

My favorite to eat would have to be elk. I know everyone says elk, but it is that good. I recently harvested an axis deer in Texas and that meat will definitely give elk a run for its money.  

GoWild: Your blog has gone from a personal project to being backed by Mossy Oak. You’ve built up over 30K social media followers. What’s it like to have that kind of attention and to be an authority on wild game cooking?

Jeremiah: It's kinda scary, as you said this whole adventure started as a passion project to get my wild game to taste good. Growing up in SoCal, wild game was never really around. If it was around it was not cooked how it should be, because of all the misconceptions surrounding cooking temps. I have since grown into loving the fact that I started this by learning myself, a true DIYer and am now able to share the knowledge I've gained.  

When I get calls from companies I still think to myself, “Why Me?” I am just this kid from SoCal who loves what he does and does what he loves. I have no formal training, no giant awards, and am not the prettiest thing in the shed. But, needless to say they see something in me and that’s what drives me to do more and be better.

GoWild: What’s the one thing you’d want a stranger to know about From Field to Plate?

Jeremiah: Even if you live surrounded by skyscrapers you can go From Field To Plate. Your surroundings and upbringing does not define who you are, if you have a passion for the outdoors and for knowledge of where your food comes from, you have enough. I do not create meals to “Wow” companies or followers. I create meals that my family wants to eat. Don’t be scared to make mistakes and try something, the worst thing that could happen is you don't like it. I have tried hundreds of recipes that you’ll never see because me and my family simply said... "Nope."  

 

To French or not to French? Jeremiah loves Frenching out his backstraps. He believes it not only because you get more meat, but the presentation on the plate is worth the time investment.

GoWild: You have a ton of recipes. What’s your personal favorite to serve to your wife and kids?

Jeremiah: My family favorite would have to be wild game tacos (because I grind all wild game meats), though a close second would have to be simple grilled venison steaks—ain't nothing better.

GoWild: And what’s the best one for venison?

Jeremiah: Venison is incredible when used as a substitute for any recipe that calls for beef. Once you’ve learned to not overcook venison your mind will change on it quickly. One of our family favorites is Teriyaki and Sriracha meatballs. It’s asked to be made at least once a month if not more.

GoWild: How can GoWild help with your mission to teach folks how to harvest their own game?

Jeremiah: It’s another great avenue to get people involved with the outdoors and obtaining their own food. It will help make this world of wild game be less scary by having everything you need at your fingertips. I wish I had an app like this when I was teaching myself.

GoWild: If someone has been debating going hunting for the first time, what would you say to get them to give it a shot?

Jeremiah: Don’t be scared to try. You don’t have to be a crossfit star who runs around with his shirt off to be a great hunter. Skill does not come from having the newest and most expensive gear, it comes from practice and heart. I am using the same shotgun I bought when I was 18 for everything from waterfowl, dove and turkey. The gear does not make the hunter, the hunter makes the hunter. Also, my door is always open, my emails are always answered and my goal is to be a teacher first and foremost. So to round that all up, don’t be scared to try, and to even fail more times than not.

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You can reach out to Jeremiah below:
Email: fromfieldtoplatethewildchef@gmail.com
Instagram: @fromfieldtoplate
Facebook: /fromfieldtoplate
Twitter: @fromfield2plate

To see more of Jeremiah's recipes, like the Chorizo one below, visit his website: fromfieldtoplate.com

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