We are what we eat
11-01-2010, 02:29 PM
#1
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
We are what we eat
Now that hunting season is here, many are scoring on some great meat. And that brings me to this question...
Of all the species of deer, what is your favorite kind of Cervidae meat?
Elk was one of the best meats I ever had. I just wish that they were not so far away to hunt. As this is an animal I would like to have a lot of.
Moose was also very good. I enjoyed moose meat a great deal. Although I had it at a friends house and you'd swear the dog must have lifted his leg on it. It was pretty rank. I suspect he did not handle the meat properly or was just a terrible cook. I have cooked moose roasts and steaks and they were just incredible.
White tail deer is a common meat. I grew up eating it. I have eaten it all my life I guess you could say. There are some that claim they do not like Whitetail deer meat, but I suspect that the time they tried it, it was not made correctly. In fact my sister in law was one of them ... I hate deer meat people. So for Thanksgiving one year, I made the front shoulder of a fresh whitetail kill and told no one what it was. Her and the rest of them devoured that thing.
Mule deer... I am not sure if I have eaten it. I must have at some game feed, but I better not swear to it. I have never hunted them. But looking at the pictures of them, they look like a lot of fun to hunt and probably excellent eating as well.
Blacktail deer.. I have never eaten them. Are they like a whitetail in taste and texture?
Antelope was one meat that I liked when I ate it at a friends house. But then I had it another time and it tasted kind of goat like. Although it was good, the first time it was better. Perhaps they are one of those creatures that you are what you eat.
Caribou was all right made into sausage, but I had a steak of it and would not walk across the street for more of it. Again, maybe it was made wrong or it ate the wrong thing.
I had Red Stag at a game feed once. A farm raised some of them. And at the game feed there was a red stag roast. Now that was very good. It reminded me of elk.
I can not think of other types, but what is your favorite?
Of all the species of deer, what is your favorite kind of Cervidae meat?
Elk was one of the best meats I ever had. I just wish that they were not so far away to hunt. As this is an animal I would like to have a lot of.
Moose was also very good. I enjoyed moose meat a great deal. Although I had it at a friends house and you'd swear the dog must have lifted his leg on it. It was pretty rank. I suspect he did not handle the meat properly or was just a terrible cook. I have cooked moose roasts and steaks and they were just incredible.
White tail deer is a common meat. I grew up eating it. I have eaten it all my life I guess you could say. There are some that claim they do not like Whitetail deer meat, but I suspect that the time they tried it, it was not made correctly. In fact my sister in law was one of them ... I hate deer meat people. So for Thanksgiving one year, I made the front shoulder of a fresh whitetail kill and told no one what it was. Her and the rest of them devoured that thing.
Mule deer... I am not sure if I have eaten it. I must have at some game feed, but I better not swear to it. I have never hunted them. But looking at the pictures of them, they look like a lot of fun to hunt and probably excellent eating as well.
Blacktail deer.. I have never eaten them. Are they like a whitetail in taste and texture?
Antelope was one meat that I liked when I ate it at a friends house. But then I had it another time and it tasted kind of goat like. Although it was good, the first time it was better. Perhaps they are one of those creatures that you are what you eat.
Caribou was all right made into sausage, but I had a steak of it and would not walk across the street for more of it. Again, maybe it was made wrong or it ate the wrong thing.
I had Red Stag at a game feed once. A farm raised some of them. And at the game feed there was a red stag roast. Now that was very good. It reminded me of elk.
I can not think of other types, but what is your favorite?
11-01-2010, 03:49 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 2,037
I think it all depends on what kind of diet the critter had and how it was handled after it was shot. I really like the corn fed whitetail we have here in Southern Minnesota. I have had All of the choices you listed except the Caribou and the Red Stag and I have enjoyed them all if taken care of and prepared properly.
11-01-2010, 05:24 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Posts: 3,732
One person' opinion:
Elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn, and moose all taste near the same to me. Big bull elk are tough; buck deer stink in the kitchen, and can be tough; big bull moose are like chewing a boot; big pronghorn buck stink to high heaven in the field, and it seems like the smell stays on one's hands for at least a week, but the cooking and eating is as good as it gets.
The best i ever ate, was but once; a young javelina female i killed. I had heard horror stories about them being a 'rat', and look out for the 'gland' etc., so i was ever so careful dressing her. The meat was excellent! It was like a taste mix of venison with an edge taste of pork. It was oh so good!
Elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn, and moose all taste near the same to me. Big bull elk are tough; buck deer stink in the kitchen, and can be tough; big bull moose are like chewing a boot; big pronghorn buck stink to high heaven in the field, and it seems like the smell stays on one's hands for at least a week, but the cooking and eating is as good as it gets.
The best i ever ate, was but once; a young javelina female i killed. I had heard horror stories about them being a 'rat', and look out for the 'gland' etc., so i was ever so careful dressing her. The meat was excellent! It was like a taste mix of venison with an edge taste of pork. It was oh so good!
11-01-2010, 05:53 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
Posts: 2,722
Can't beat Axis deer.
I like whitetail and elk.
Mule deer can be good or bad. When I kill them from the high country, they are great. I killed a timberline, mature 29 inch 8x7 that was one of the best tasting deer I have ever eaten. From the low country, they taste like sage, which I don't care for, so I have them made into hamburger and sausage.
I like whitetail and elk.
Mule deer can be good or bad. When I kill them from the high country, they are great. I killed a timberline, mature 29 inch 8x7 that was one of the best tasting deer I have ever eaten. From the low country, they taste like sage, which I don't care for, so I have them made into hamburger and sausage.
11-01-2010, 06:03 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Crescent Valley, NV
Posts: 2,271
My favorite of all the game animals I have eaten is probably hay fed antelope. GOOD.
Elk is a close second, then white tailed jack rabbit (just had the other day for the first time, 2 I killed last week), moose, deer, buffalo, chukar (up there at the top as well), mountain lion (very good, after I got the smell out of my nose).
Its all good, lol
Marcial
Elk is a close second, then white tailed jack rabbit (just had the other day for the first time, 2 I killed last week), moose, deer, buffalo, chukar (up there at the top as well), mountain lion (very good, after I got the smell out of my nose).
Its all good, lol
Marcial
11-01-2010, 06:19 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Posts: 2,976
My First Choice (and we have none around here) would be Cow Elk. I have a Friend who go's every year and gets one and I cant wait for him to get home and give me some!
My Second Choice is what we Hunt here, Whitetail. I agree a Big Ol Whitetail is'nt that good eatin and stinks like heck as we get most of ours during the Rut. But if given the chance I'll take me a Nice Big un and make the whole Deer in to Sausage and then it's not so bad.
My Wife usually Hunts and shoots a Couple of meat Does for the Freezer and there pretty good eatin (105-135lb) range.
But (and I dont shoot them) but have ate them and nothing taste better than a Young Whitetail around the 60-70lb range.
But the way Food Prices are going up as Inflation is gonna get US all soon, I just may have to shoot a extra Deer or Two this year for the Freezer. 3 Usually gets us through the year, but this year it may be 5.
(BP)
My Second Choice is what we Hunt here, Whitetail. I agree a Big Ol Whitetail is'nt that good eatin and stinks like heck as we get most of ours during the Rut. But if given the chance I'll take me a Nice Big un and make the whole Deer in to Sausage and then it's not so bad.
My Wife usually Hunts and shoots a Couple of meat Does for the Freezer and there pretty good eatin (105-135lb) range.
But (and I dont shoot them) but have ate them and nothing taste better than a Young Whitetail around the 60-70lb range.
But the way Food Prices are going up as Inflation is gonna get US all soon, I just may have to shoot a extra Deer or Two this year for the Freezer. 3 Usually gets us through the year, but this year it may be 5.
(BP)
11-01-2010, 08:34 PM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,918
My experience is limited to mostly whitetails, which are darn good eating in my opinion (and in the opinion of my wife, two sons, daughter, three granddaughters, and various in-laws). I process all of my deer myself and treat it right.
The three or four elk meals I've had over the years were mighty fine and struck me as a lot closer to beef than to whitetail. The only moose I've eaten was some sausage given to me a few years back. It was OK, but nothing spectacular. It certainly didn't serve as a basis for judging moose meat. Never had any mule deer, pronghorn, bear, etc. But if you shoo some my way I'll be glad to shoot it and eat it.
The three or four elk meals I've had over the years were mighty fine and struck me as a lot closer to beef than to whitetail. The only moose I've eaten was some sausage given to me a few years back. It was OK, but nothing spectacular. It certainly didn't serve as a basis for judging moose meat. Never had any mule deer, pronghorn, bear, etc. But if you shoo some my way I'll be glad to shoot it and eat it.
