Yes, sports fans. 'Tis the season to tailgate.

And those hard-core fans who want to really skewer their opponents? They cook 'em and eat 'em.

Serve buffalo when you're at a Bills game, bear when Chicago is on the docket. If you're in the mood to impress, wild game is where it's at.

From late August through December, tens of thousands of fans pack up their portable grills, smokers, slow cookers, blenders, picnic ware and, of course, food to cheer on their team at pro, college and high school football games.

Joe Cahn, the self-appointed Commissioner of Tailgating, travels across the country whooping it up with sports fans from New York to Kansas City to Southern California, and he's compiled some statistics.

Forty-seven percent of tailgaters do it six to 10 times per season and spend more than $500 per season.

At least half of tailgaters arrive three to four hours before the game, while nearly 30 percent stick around for a few hours after the game.

While many adhere to a diet of burgers and brats, about 40 percent are what Cahn calls "adventure seekers" — parking lot chefs looking for something wild and exotic to serve.

"People in the parking lots, as in their homes, are willing to experiment with anything," Cahn said. "In Louisiana, you'll see a lot of duck dishes, like duck gumbo. In southern Florida, fried or marinated and grilled alligator."

Among some of the wilder things he's seen: grilled leg of lion when Chicago played the Detroit Lions and bear stew in Detroit when the Lions were playing the Bears.

In Kansas City, Mo., Cahn sees barbecue cookers doing, well, barbecue, including whole hogs. What he doesn't see? Quail. "The person in the parking lot wants big food, not dainty, picky, finger food," he said.

As in competitive barbecue, there is one-upmanship: Wild boar instead of pork chops. Venison, not hamburger. Even ostrich, elk and buffalo grace the spread.

John Telge is in the thick of the hunt. Telge is president of Arrowhead Meats in north Kansas City. He and his wife, Elaine, stock more than 40 products, including Iowa-raised Kobe beef, kangaroo, alligator and Piedmontese beef. Their biggest sellers: buffalo, elk and wild boar.

Restaurants play a major role in piquing diners' curiosity about wild meats. Many high-end restaurants are featuring game.

"Food service drives retail sales. Once they put something new on their menu, people start looking and asking Where can I find this?' " Telge said.

Buffalo was the first exotic meat that Mike McGonigle, owner of McGonigle's Market, began selling nearly 20 years ago. Back then, interest was a direct result of customers' concern about health issues such as fat intake and cholesterol. McGonigle traces interest in the more exotic meats to the popularity of the Food Network and other cable cooking shows.

"The chefs are always having to come up with something new and different," he said.

Branching out into ever more obscure ingredients is the norm. "The exotic meats are the new fad thing, and Kobe beef is the new beef in Johnson County (Kan.)," said Susan Duran with Rancher's Gourmet Meats, a purveyor of high-end meats. "For tailgating, we probably sell more Kobe burgers than we do regular ground beef patties."

Mario Fantasma began selling exotic meats at Paradise Locker, an old-fashioned butcher and meat purveyor in tiny Trimble, Mo., in 2004.

"There was an interest in the wholesomeness of the product. Smaller niche farms are producing the products without hormones or antibiotics, and an elk burger, for example, has a similar fat content to chicken. Plus, it tastes pretty darn good," he said.

And when the Buffalo Bills came to Arrowhead Stadium, Fantasma got calls from fans wanting ground buffalo to serve on game day.

And while planning your next tailgating party, consider these menu options: Serve Kobe beef when taking on the Texas Longhorns, buffalo burgers when going after Colorado and roasted duck when the Packers come to town.

Here are some recipe suggestions from Kansas City-area chefs:

Wild Boar Chops with Apricot Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Wild boar: Looks and tastes similar to regular pork but is much leaner.

Chef: Edward Allen, executive chef at Ameristar Casino

Tame this: Use bone-in pork chops instead.

Beer pairing: Serve the same beer as the marinade.

For the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/2 cup honey

1 cup Dijon mustard

For the wild boar chops:

3 cups fall craft beer

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup julienned sweet onion

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

24 wild boar chops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the wild boar chops: In a bowl, combine beer, oil, onion, garlic and cilantro. Transfer marinade to a zip-top plastic food bag and add boar chops. Marinate at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare grill. Remove chops from marinade and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill until medium rare. For best results, cook slowly over low heat, almost as you would brisket. Let rest, covered, 5 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Per serving, based on 6, without dipping sauce: 235 calories (52 percent from fat), 13 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 2 grams carbohydrates, 25 grams protein, 3 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber.

Per serving dipping sauce, based on 6: 180 calories (8 percent from fat), 2 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 43 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 513 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.

Ostrich Fajitas with Pomegranate Clementine Jalapeno Salsa

Ostrich: Has the look and texture of beef, but the deep red meat is sweeter.

Chef: Marshall Roth, executive chef of the Phillips Chophouse and 12B in the Hotel Phillips

Tame this: Use flank or skirt steak.

Wine pairing: Try the fajitas with a fruity white like Pinot Blanc or Pinot Grigio or a California Pinot Noir.

For the salsa:

1 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup sliced scallions

4 clementines, peeled, sectioned and skin removed (or any juicy, seedless orange)

1/3 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup julienned red bell peppers

1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the fajitas:

2 cups pomegranate juice

1/2 cup sliced scallions

1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 bunch mint, roughly chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup Szechwan peppercorns

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 pounds ostrich filet

Sliced scallions, sour cream, julienned napa cabbage, roughly chopped cilantro, roughly chopped mint, lightly grilled blue corn tortillas, for serving

For the salsa: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For the fajitas: Combine all marinade ingredients except oil in a large bowl. Mix well. Pouring in a slow, steady stream, slowly whisk in oil until well blended. Put marinade in a zip-top plastic food bag, add ostrich and marinate meat in the refrigerator 8 to 10 hours.

Prepare grill with lump charcoal until red and glowing. Add mesquite, hickory or pecan chips. With tongs, place meat on the center of the grate and grill until desired doneness. (Medium rare is 145 degrees.) Let meat rest about 5 minutes, then thinly slice against the grain.

Makes 15 servings.

Per serving with salsa, no accompaniments: 331 calories (40 percent from fat), 15 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 117 milligrams cholesterol, 11 grams carbohydrates, 40 grams protein, 68 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.

Venison Red Chili

Venison: Brick-red in color but leaner and sweeter in texture and taste than beef.

Chef: John McClure, executive chef, owner, Starker's Reserve.

Tame this: Use ground beef instead of venison. Elk and buffalo would also work.

Beer pairing: Pair with hearty beer, like Boulevard Bob's 47.

10 each dried pasilla and ancho chilies

3 yellow onions, diced

3 red bell peppers, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

5 pounds ground venison

1/4 cup chopped garlic (about 10 cloves)

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons ground coriander

3 tablespoons hot paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1 cup tomato paste

Kosher salt to taste

Diced red onions, sour cream and corn chips for serving

Remove stems and seeds from the dried chilies. Soak in very hot water 15 to 30 minutes while cooking the other ingredients.

In a very large soup pot, saute onions and bell peppers in olive oil over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add venison, using a fork or spoon to break up the meat into fine pieces. Continue cooking until most of the pink is gone from the meat, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic, white pepper, black pepper, coriander, paprika, cayenne and cumin. Stir to blend completely and cook 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain the chilies and discard the water. In a blender puree the chilies with an additional 2 cups water until the chilies are completely smooth. Add chile puree and tomato paste. Stir thoroughly.

Add 2 more cups of water and simmer 15 to 20 minutes over low heat. Adjust the consistency with more water. Season to taste with kosher salt.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Per serving, based on 10: 428 calories (27 percent from fat), 13 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 193 milligrams cholesterol, 22 grams carbohydrates, 57 grams protein, 334 milligrams sodium, 7 grams dietary fiber.