Clean, when the animal meets the criteria
Deer and wild game
Hunted animals that chew the cud and have cloven hooves were permitted.
Biblical permission← Food Guide
Where it appears in Scripture
Hart, roebuck and fallow deer are named in Deuteronomy 14:5.
What Scripture says
- Game animals meeting the criteria may be eaten.
- Leviticus 17 requires that the blood of hunted animals be poured out.
What Scripture does NOT say
- Scripture does not present hunting as more godly than herding.
New Testament context
The New Testament gives no special rule for wild game. Its broader teaching on gratitude, conscience and love governs the table.
Common misconceptions
- "Wild meat is more biblical than farmed meat." Scripture permits both without that comparison.