8 Meats That Are Illegal To BBQ In Illinois

Don't let your palette get too exotic.

I'm a huge fan of wild game for dinner, especially if I hunted it, I cooked it, and the family eats it. You also can never go wrong with a rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, or a steak slapped on the grill.

Now we're hungry, sorry.

Grilling season is just about here. If you were thinking that this would be the summer you'd venture out of your normal taste buds, you better be careful where you go. The Illinois DNR has a list of endangered and threatened animals in the state that is a pretty good guide as what not to get for dinner.

For those animals, if you violate the state's policy not to kill and consume them, you could get clocked with fines up to $50,000 and a year in jail, with additional $25,000 fines for every other offense.

So ask yourself: is it really worth it? Remember, these aren't just animals that you can't take to the cookout, they're illegal to cook on any medium. For some of these (like certain snakes), you can still get the meat in other parts of the country, but other animals on the list are also federally protected too (which could mean more steep fines).

In fairness, a lot of these you probably wouldn't think to cook anyway. But don't start now. Really, it's probably your best bet to just take pork, beef, or chicken to the cookout.

Scroll down to see meats you can't cook in Illinois!