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Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat #8118827 01/07/21 01:09 PM
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some of this is obvious, but you learn a little every time with an open mind

https://honest-food.net/gamey-meat-explained/

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8118867 01/07/21 01:41 PM
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Interesting. I grew up processing my own game and have been doing it for the past fifty years and certainly agree with his thoughts on handling the animals. I've long said that if some folks treated prime beef the way that they handle game, they'd think it was "gamey" too. I've passed on lots of shooting opportunities over the years that were early in the season and just too durned hot.

I confess though that I am a bit confused as to why ANYBODY would butcher an old, rank boar and then be surprised that the wife (or anybody for that matter) wrinkles their nose at it. Old rusty boars are good for coyote bait and not much else, I'm afraid.

This subject is near and dear to my heart. In five days time, the She-Wolf will collect a cow elk and we'll spend the next two days processing her. She'll get dressed in the field, rinsed out and hauled home. Then I'll hang her in the barn, yank the hide off of her, quarter her and then commence to making little chunks outa big chunks. Our knives and our hands will be the only ones that touch her, and I promise you that she'll eat like candy!

Mark


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8118922 01/07/21 02:25 PM
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Very good article for sure
Thanks to the OP for linking it here.

We've always processed all of our own game and as a young kid also processed all our own beef, pork, chickens, etc on my families farm.
I for one love the flavor of venison and always have. I've NEVER had a single steak from a deer or elk that was 'too gamey'. In fact, most of the time I wish it had a little more of the venison flavor to it.

I am the same way with fish. I do not like tilapia at all because to me it is basically flavorless. I love the fish flavor and have rarely had any fish cooked any way that I didn't like.
I've learned over the years that it is all about how you clean your game and fish. We used to catch giant flathead and bluecats down and choke canyon and let me tell you that when you clean it correctly it is better than any small catfish. The trick is to trim the fillets and get all the yellow fat and reddish brown meat along the backbone off. I do this even with the catfish we catch from our two ponds that weigh 2 - 10 pounds.

Don't get me wrong, I do love a good beef or pork steak but given the choice I'll take chicken fried backstrap or tenderloin over the best ribeye steak any day of the week!


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8119116 01/07/21 04:32 PM
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From the neck shot to the crockpot. I do it all. I know a few people who have never eaten venison enjoy a meal at my home and still have never eaten venison to their knowledge. I will never tell them different, either. grin


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8119175 01/07/21 05:09 PM
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Diet is pretty true, IMO. Both my pronghorn were handled properly, but the 2019 (drought year) PH has a much different smell and taste from my 2020 (good rain year). The abundant good graze last year kept them off the noxious weeds.

I don't subscribe to the rutting buck theory, though. I've loaded some bucks that smelled very rank and had been chasing does and the venison was very good. It may have just a little stronger venison taste but nothing bad. I honestly think that's age, not hormones.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: QuitShootinYoungBucks] #8119183 01/07/21 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by QuitShootinYoungBucks
I honestly think that's age, not hormones.


While I don't disagree with the rutting hormones -- they all still taste fine to me -- I do believe in adrenaline issues affecting taste

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: ILUVBIGBUCKS] #8119201 01/07/21 05:27 PM
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Originally Posted by ILUVBIGBUCKS

I am the same way with fish. I do not like tilapia at all because to me it is basically flavorless.


I have not been a fan of any of the tilapia that i have bought from a store or eaten in a restaurant, but the ones that I have shot with a bow and cast netted at Braunig Lake and Gibbons Creek were all tasty. To me it is the farm raised aspect of the fish and likely the feed they are fed. The farm raised ones seem mushy and flavorless to me.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8119226 01/07/21 05:39 PM
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Agree on the adrenaline affecting the taste. A animal that has been running isn't as good as one that's calm especially during the rut.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8119302 01/07/21 06:20 PM
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Ive never noticed that rutting smell of a buck carry over to the meat like i have smelled rank hogs and the meat smells, especially when cooking it.

A few years ago my dad shot a buck we guestimated at 8-9 years old, teeth worn badly he was a scrapper always showed up busted up and had injuries from fighting. He didn't seem any tuffer and didn't have a bad taste/smell at all. One of my buddies shot an old buck same age range this year and swore the meat was so tuff he had to sharpen his knife more often.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8119327 01/07/21 06:36 PM
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I’ll agree, the Texas buck I shot this year was horrible. He looked liked he had ran the Boston marathon when I plugged him chasing a doe and even leaving him on ice for 5 days he tasted like turd soup after smoking the back straps into jerky for 14 hours. He smelt like hell when he was gutted so unless your into eating antlers he was a waste of a bullet outside him making a great mount.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: redchevy] #8119427 01/07/21 07:35 PM
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Originally Posted by redchevy
Originally Posted by ILUVBIGBUCKS

I am the same way with fish. I do not like tilapia at all because to me it is basically flavorless.


I have not been a fan of any of the tilapia that i have bought from a store or eaten in a restaurant, but the ones that I have shot with a bow and cast netted at Braunig Lake and Gibbons Creek were all tasty. To me it is the farm raised aspect of the fish and likely the feed they are fed. The farm raised ones seem mushy and flavorless to me.


This is great to know redchevy.

Next time I put some in my tanks to control the algae bloom I will not let the coons get them all as soon as the temp drops the water below a point they cannot tolerate!!!

thanks!


High fence, low fence, no fence, it really doesn't matter as long as you're hunting!
Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: Ol Thumper] #8119431 01/07/21 07:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Ol Thumper
I’ll agree, the Texas buck I shot this year was horrible. He looked liked he had ran the Boston marathon when I plugged him chasing a doe and even leaving him on ice for 5 days he tasted like turd soup after smoking the back straps into jerky for 14 hours. He smelt like hell when he was gutted so unless your into eating antlers he was a waste of a bullet outside him making a great mount.

Hum

Very strange
I've never known anything on a buck to smell while gutting them unless you pop a gut.
I know an old rutted up buck can stink plenty good simply from being all pissed up but I've never know for that to affect the taste of it either.
No doubt if he was old and especially if he was run down from the rut he'd be tough though. I usually just grind everything up except the tenderloins and backstraps with those kind of bucks due to that.


High fence, low fence, no fence, it really doesn't matter as long as you're hunting!
Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: ILUVBIGBUCKS] #8119447 01/07/21 07:49 PM
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Originally Posted by ILUVBIGBUCKS
Originally Posted by Ol Thumper
I’ll agree, the Texas buck I shot this year was horrible. He looked liked he had ran the Boston marathon when I plugged him chasing a doe and even leaving him on ice for 5 days he tasted like turd soup after smoking the back straps into jerky for 14 hours. He smelt like hell when he was gutted so unless your into eating antlers he was a waste of a bullet outside him making a great mount.

Hum

Very strange
I've never known anything on a buck to smell while gutting them unless you pop a gut.
I know an old rutted up buck can stink plenty good simply from being all pissed up but I've never know for that to affect the taste of it either.
No doubt if he was old and especially if he was run down from the rut he'd be tough though. I usually just grind everything up except the tenderloins and backstraps with those kind of bucks due to that.


The guts were not punctured, he just smelt like turd soup. This was the first time I’d encountered a buck smelling like this prior to even starting to gut it. I’m guessing he had been running this doe for a long “LONG” ways and he was simply running on fumes when I shot him. He was staggering around when he was shot and I was thinking watching him he was about to die of some strange alien disease but in all actuality he was simply exhausted. After I shot him the doe simply laid down immediately after the shot. She stayed there for almost an hour and got up and staggered off so it makes one wonder. How far will these rut crazed deer go to simply breed a single doe, it was the craziest thing I’ve witnessed in the wild in over 30 years of hunting.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8119547 01/07/21 08:54 PM
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You can see the effects of adrenaline on ducks when you cut the steaks off the breast. When you clean a duck that was a clean immediate kill the meat is soft and very flexible (limp). The same type of duck, when wounded, will have meat that is tough and not as flexible. You can even tell the difference in texture between the two on bacon wrapped grilled duck.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8119791 01/07/21 11:22 PM
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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8120538 01/08/21 01:42 PM
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I killed a buck (aged 4 years) in Kansas during the firearms season back in early December 2010. I used a muzzleloader as that was the tag/permit I had that year. Shot in the front left shoulder, he ran 40-50 yards, piled up and expired quickly. We let him hang in the cold all night and the four of us processed him after the next morning's hunt.

When we got to cutting on him, it was like cutting rubber. We thought our knives were dull, so our resident sharpener went to work and got our blades shaving-sharp. It made no difference at all. It was a lot of work cutting on this buck, and the only meat that we found edible was what I made into jerky. It was just a tough old buck and none of us had ever seen anything like it, despite killing many older or "more rutted-up" bucks.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8120583 01/08/21 02:14 PM
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Thanks for sharing

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8120598 01/08/21 02:21 PM
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Guess I've been lucky.

Haven't eaten a deer yet that I though had an off flavor.

I've eaten every pig we've shot including boars up to about 250 lbs, and I haven't had a bad tasting one yet. I've had multiple that smelled horribly, but have never found that to carry over into the meat.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8120669 01/08/21 03:09 PM
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I'll be honest I think the "gamey" taste is in some peoples head.

My dad was gonna make chicken fried backstrap. He called me up and asked how to make it, so I told him. He then ask if he needs to leave it in milk for a while to get rid of the "gamey" taste. I told him I dont know what "gamey" taste like, and no he doesn't. He called me back after he made dinner and was so excited about how good it was. I think deer tastes like deer.

I suppose if you don't handle it right like any other meat it might not taste right. We have ours on ice within no more then 90 minutes.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8120972 01/08/21 06:22 PM
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Living out here in the West, all of our game animals eat sagebrush, bitter brush, willows, and at some point even quakies, or alfalfa. We have eaten a deer, elk, and antelope every year for the last 40+ years. Had 3 Shiras moose also. Pretty much, if you take care of them in the gutting, cleaning, and packaging they will be fine.

No mature rutted up bull elk will be as good as a cow, calf, or spike elk but that is to be expected. Whitetails taste a little different than mule deer, but are milder and taste like deer. The only one type we have found to be unique is a pronghorn antelope. It seems that half are wonderful, and half are terrible, and there's no rhyme or reason for the difference. We have gotten to the point that we cut a steak off a ham, fry it and taste before wasting our time. If its good, the whole thing will be good. If it's strong or bad, it's given away or turned into spicy pepperoni sticks at the processor!!

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8121045 01/08/21 07:21 PM
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I have mostly shot white tails & Canada geese. My opinion/observation is gamey means "tastes like liver". Easily observed with geese. The meat from those killed outright is purple and will definitely taste livery unless koshered/using salt to draw out the blood. When I wounded them field hunting I ran them down & bled them. The meat was much lighter colored & stewed can be passed off as beef.

And I think corn fed Black Angus would taste "off" if handled the same way some handle dead deer. Shot in the head(instead of chest and bled out). Not gutted quickly. Hide not taken off soonest to dissipate body heat.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8121452 01/09/21 12:59 AM
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gamey= Wild and how it's supposed to taste.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: TCM3] #8122543 01/09/21 10:52 PM
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The author of this, Hank Shaw, is one of my favorites. His "Buck, Buck, Moose" book has an almost permanent place in my kitchen. I like his recipes better than Steven Rinella.

Originally Posted by TCM3
gamey= Wild and how it's supposed to taste.


I agree.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8139372 01/22/21 06:46 PM
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I have shot for sure one, if not two bucks that were just nasty tasting and smelling
both were shot with clean, DRT shots, gutted, washed and hung in cold storage in short time.
I did my part..

Family wouldn't eat it..
it tasted like it smelled

my wife basically told me not to bring home any more bucks and all I shot were does for meat..
I have shot a few cull bucks, 5 years old that I aged on ice and drained water every day for a week and half that were perfectly fine

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8140093 01/23/21 06:43 AM
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Grass fed beef doesn't taste like grain fed beef, same for wild game.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: S.A. hunter] #8140168 01/23/21 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by S.A. hunter
I'll be honest I think the "gamey" taste is in some peoples head.


When posting about subjects other than TU Football, some tea sips actually can make sense.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8141109 01/24/21 03:55 AM
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Over cooking venison is another thing that I think contributes to the gamey taste people complain about. My wife used to complain that deer was too gamey and wouldn’t eat it. What she was really complaining about was that it was too irony/liver tasting. She likes her steaks cooked well done and wanted her venison the same way. the first time she ate venison that was medium rare, she completely changed her tune.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: dogcatcher] #8149347 01/30/21 08:07 PM
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Originally Posted by dogcatcher
Grass fed beef doesn't taste like grain fed beef, same for wild game.


Very true. A lot of folks like the idea of grass fed beef because it seems to be in style these days but many don't like it once they buy it. We raise our beef and I have had folks try to get us to raise them a grass fed steer. I won't do it because I wouldn't want someone to be unhappy with beef that they paid me for.

That article was a good read, thanks.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8149965 01/31/21 02:40 PM
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In Africa I asked our PH what elephant tastes like.
He said it’s exactly what one would expect, tough and gamey. It’s fifty years old and eats sticks.
But everyone eating elephants are smiling, they are eating meat.

Slightly on topic,
Many years ago I had uncle who would feed garlic, onions and other stuff to chickens for a while before butchering. He had a secret mix and it was the best I ever ate, flavor in meat not just on it. I remember he said he had some terrible tasting birds before getting it right.

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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: ccoker] #8150570 02/01/21 12:59 AM
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Originally Posted by ccoker
I have shot for sure one, if not two bucks that were just nasty tasting and smelling
both were shot with clean, DRT shots, gutted, washed and hung in cold storage in short time.
I did my part..

Family wouldn't eat it..
it tasted like it smelled

my wife basically told me not to bring home any more bucks and all I shot were does for meat..
I have shot a few cull bucks, 5 years old that I aged on ice and drained water every day for a week and half that were perfectly fine




FYI, this is all hunting the same property for 11 years

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: Ol Thumper] #8150665 02/01/21 02:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Ol Thumper
I’ll agree, the Texas buck I shot this year was horrible. He looked liked he had ran the Boston marathon when I plugged him chasing a doe and even leaving him on ice for 5 days he tasted like turd soup after smoking the back straps into jerky for 14 hours. He smelt like hell when he was gutted so unless your into eating antlers he was a waste of a bullet outside him making a great mount.


You should get a new jerky recipe.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: dogcatcher] #8152394 02/02/21 02:58 PM
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Originally Posted by dogcatcher
Grass fed beef doesn't taste like grain fed beef, same for wild game.

Very, very true!

And if you want the best flavored beef..
pen up an 800-900 pound steer and feed him out on straight corn for 60-90 days!
Only other thing to give them is water and a little dry hay (coastal or grazer hay).
Best damn marbled steaks you will ever get.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: ILUVBIGBUCKS] #8156011 02/04/21 08:55 PM
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Originally Posted by ILUVBIGBUCKS
Very good article for sure
Thanks to the OP for linking it here.

We've always processed all of our own game and as a young kid also processed all our own beef, pork, chickens, etc on my families farm.
I for one love the flavor of venison and always have. I've NEVER had a single steak from a deer or elk that was 'too gamey'. In fact, most of the time I wish it had a little more of the venison flavor to it.

I am the same way with fish. I do not like tilapia at all because to me it is basically flavorless. I love the fish flavor and have rarely had any fish cooked any way that I didn't like.
I've learned over the years that it is all about how you clean your game and fish. We used to catch giant flathead and bluecats down and choke canyon and let me tell you that when you clean it correctly it is better than any small catfish. The trick is to trim the fillets and get all the yellow fat and reddish brown meat along the backbone off. I do this even with the catfish we catch from our two ponds that weigh 2 - 10 pounds.

Don't get me wrong, I do love a good beef or pork steak but given the choice I'll take chicken fried backstrap or tenderloin over the best ribeye steak any day of the week!

another good thing to do if you have the time & equipment, bring the catfish home alive put in a tank of good clean water and let them go for a few days, they will get rid of all the nasty stuff have been eating


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8156180 02/04/21 11:11 PM
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What my wife calls gamey, I call flavorful. Even the slightest flavor of anything other than supermarket chicken will make her wince. I guess it's more for the kids and I, but I wish she would try more of a variety of foods.

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Take care when dressing them, hang them for one to seven days, then butcher them, making sure to remove all fat and fascia.

Some critters might need a soak in buttermilk, too.


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Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: George S] #8165180 02/11/21 05:01 PM
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Killed 3 bucks in Kansas over the last few years It’s definitely their browse they eat. Meat is tough and buttermilk won’t help the taste. I hated to see it go to waste and tried all three of them. The locals told me you can only eat the does and they were right

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8165204 02/11/21 05:12 PM
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I had some of that "gamey meat" last night in a venison stew. Man it was delicious on a cold night!!! I don't find the taste of wild meat off putting at all. Some of it is a little strong or different flavored but it is still good when cooked well. Some people don't like goose or duck, either in a gumbo is just plain delicious! Pretty much the only beef we buy now is an occasional steak or cheap premade burger patties for a kid event. We do still buy some chicken, salmon, and bacon, other than that we like wild caught or killed.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8165244 02/11/21 05:33 PM
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The bride will eat whitetail; she loves backstrap on the grill and anything she cooks that calls for hamburger is 100% whitetail venison. Compare that with the mule deer buck I shot last season, he was extremely 'sagey' so much to the point she did not enjoy eating him. Handling, care and prep methods were all consistent; had to have been diet that led to the MD not being as enjoyable.

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: sprigsss] #8165247 02/11/21 05:34 PM
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Originally Posted by sprigsss
Guess I've been lucky.

Haven't eaten a deer yet that I though had an off flavor.

I've eaten every pig we've shot including boars up to about 250 lbs, and I haven't had a bad tasting one yet. I've had multiple that smelled horribly, but have never found that to carry over into the meat.


Amen. I've got a 200lb boar in my freezer (in the form of bratwurst, hams, and straps) and he's delicious. I don't slight people for leaving big pigs in the field, but to me, most big pigs are just more of a good thing.


"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." - Ecclesiastes 9:10
Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: Sauerkraut] #8165653 02/11/21 10:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Sauerkraut
Originally Posted by sprigsss
Guess I've been lucky.

Haven't eaten a deer yet that I though had an off flavor.

I've eaten every pig we've shot including boars up to about 250 lbs, and I haven't had a bad tasting one yet. I've had multiple that smelled horribly, but have never found that to carry over into the meat.


Amen. I've got a 200lb boar in my freezer (in the form of bratwurst, hams, and straps) and he's delicious. I don't slight people for leaving big pigs in the field, but to me, most big pigs are just more of a good thing.


I’m starting to keep more of them

Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8167758 02/13/21 08:12 AM
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Tough meat can be age of animal but it can also be from processing too soon after death. Meat that's been cut before it has gone through rigor can be tough. Older deer can benefit from ageing, either dry or wet.


No matter how high a duck flies a hammer still breaks a window.
Re: Interesting article on "gamey" tasting meat [Re: HankZudd] #8176443 02/19/21 04:18 PM
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I've always immediately gut/skin/quarter my own, and keep in draining cooler on ice at least 7 days (I'm too poor to dry age - would if I could) & no more than 10.

Accidently (read=got lazy) let 1 quarter go 14 days one time - but I went ahead and de-boned and froze anyways - and marked it accordingly.
Saved it to cook just for myself so I wouldn't 'poison' rest of family - dang, it cooked up fabulous and some of the best I've had, both tender and great flavor!
Still, for safety reasons, I cap it at 10 days in the cooler for family safety.

I've had some 'strong gamey' venison given to me - I'll low&slow cook it in a roast or stew, and use GINGER instead of garlic - it enhances without covering up -
makes up so good that the family (wife too) gobbles it down w/no leftovers.

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