By Oniska Blevins | The Selma Times-Journal

The town of Orrville is preparing to cook up some southern delicacies later this month at its inaugural wild game cook off.  The cook off will feature some of nature’s wildest creatures that are unlikely to end up on a lot of people’s dinner plates.

The competition will be April 28 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Orrville Community Center.

Hunters and cooks from around the county will prepare a variety of meats, including raccoon, deer, rabbit, snake and alligator. The teams will have the option to start preparing their meals for the competition 24 hours in advance depending on the animal they will be preparing.

Admission is $10, and all proceeds will be donated to the city of Orrville’s upcoming projects. There is no entry fee for participants.

The cook off is still in its early stages of planning, so the categories and prizes will be determined at a later date.

According to Orrville Mayor Louvenia Lumpkin, the idea came from chairperson Jim Brunson, and they have been in the planning process since.

Aside from the food, the cook off will feature live country music and activities while guests sample the different dishes.

Each dish will be judged and scored based on required criteria.

“It’s a point system and once they add up all the points, whoever has the most points will be the winner,” Lumpkin said.

Lumpkin said hunting and eating wild game is something local residents are familiar with.

“A lot of people grew up eating those animals,” she said.

Lumpkin encourages anyone that has never tried any wild game to “give it a try.”

Registrations are still open to competitors. To register for the cookoff or for more information, call (334) 996-9726 or register at town hall.