Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,329
Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
Hey guys,
I'm heading out of town so I won't get this answer for a while but please post if you know.
I was muzzleloader hunting in VA this past week. Shot a small button buck and two large does. What I noticed is that the meat was real tough and real red. Even the button buck was chewy. It had good flavor but real tough.
A theory that we had come up with was the deer are mountain deer and they work their muscles more than the deer in Michigan who are always on flat ground.
Any ideas why these deer were so tough? Even the loins were chewy!
Tom
I'm heading out of town so I won't get this answer for a while but please post if you know.
I was muzzleloader hunting in VA this past week. Shot a small button buck and two large does. What I noticed is that the meat was real tough and real red. Even the button buck was chewy. It had good flavor but real tough.
A theory that we had come up with was the deer are mountain deer and they work their muscles more than the deer in Michigan who are always on flat ground.
Any ideas why these deer were so tough? Even the loins were chewy!
Tom
#2
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
The only possible things I've personally experienced in the past is did they run and have a chance to get flooded with adrenlin or was the temp quite a bit warmer so that they didn't have a chance to cool down properly? Another thing-was they frozen faster than you normally freeze meat?
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: NOVA
Posts: 780
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
The mountain deer in VA tend to be a little bit more gaming then the farm deer. The farm deer in VA can taste like Beef where i hunt, but i have shot mountain deer and there definatly a little bit tougher and gamer. Alot has to do with there diet, they eat primarily acorns and other browse in the woods. High acorn diet can make them bitter too.Also, if you dont let them hang long enough it can be tough too.
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,600
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
Personally, I think a lot of that comes from preparation and how it's cooked. I've killed plenty of "mountain deer" here in Northcentral PA mountains, and you're just not going to tell me they're one bit different than a WVA or VA deer. Territory is almost identical, food also. Proper cooling out is important, along with getting the gutted carcass washed or at least wiped out thoroughly. If you haven't been doing so, leave the hide on until just before you butcher. I know they're easier to skin when warm, but it promotes the meat drying out somewhat if left with the hide off. Except for the loin medallions and your steaks which I like to marinate and cook quickly on a HOT grill, roasts and such should be cooked slowly at a reduced heat to provide good taste and tenderness.
Hey......this is the way I do it, and nobody complains about tough or wild from my techniques........so far..........
Hey......this is the way I do it, and nobody complains about tough or wild from my techniques........so far..........
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Baileysville, WV
Posts: 2,925
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
LOL Deermeat is deermeat. I never noticed any difference and have killed several Va. deer. The magic is made in the care taken between death and butchering. Id say Pawildman nailed it.
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Western Nebraska
Posts: 3,393
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
Ya got to be careful with that east coast venison....it has a lot of "liberal" in it and is extremely tough.....shoot them several times to tenderize them.....shoot them several more times after they're dead just to make sure....feed it t the dog and pick up some beef on the way home.....great stuff.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,813
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
ORIGINAL: Vapodog
Ya got to be careful with that east coast venison....it has a lot of "liberal" in it and is extremely tough.....shoot them several times to tenderize them.....shoot them several more times after they're dead just to make sure....feed it t the dog and pick up some beef on the way home.....great stuff.
Ya got to be careful with that east coast venison....it has a lot of "liberal" in it and is extremely tough.....shoot them several times to tenderize them.....shoot them several more times after they're dead just to make sure....feed it t the dog and pick up some beef on the way home.....great stuff.
#8
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
ORIGINAL: Vapodog
Ya got to be careful with that east coast venison....it has a lot of "liberal" in it and is extremely tough.....shoot them several times to tenderize them.....shoot them several more times after they're dead just to make sure....feed it t the dog and pick up some beef on the way home.....great stuff.
Ya got to be careful with that east coast venison....it has a lot of "liberal" in it and is extremely tough.....shoot them several times to tenderize them.....shoot them several more times after they're dead just to make sure....feed it t the dog and pick up some beef on the way home.....great stuff.
#9
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
I think meat preparation has the most effect on the taste - well, of course the age & sex of the deer as well. In my experience a young doe is always going to be better eating than a 5 year old grizzled buck. However, I know some people that swear they can tell the difference in the meat's taste based on the diet of the deer. My hunting buddy's wife won't eat the deer he used to get off our land (mountain foothills, no agriculture, deer eat browse & acorns) so he switched hunting spots to an agricultural area where the deer eat beans and corn. Personally, I can't say I could tell the difference, though.
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,600
RE: Virginia Deer - Tough Meat ?
ORIGINAL: oldsmellhound
I think meat preparation has the most effect on the taste - well, of course the age & sex of the deer as well. In my experience a young doe is always going to be better eating than a 5 year old grizzled buck. However, I know some people that swear they can tell the difference in the meat's taste based on the diet of the deer. My hunting buddy's wife won't eat the deer he used to get off our land (mountain foothills, no agriculture, deer eat browse & acorns) so he switched hunting spots to an agricultural area where the deer eat beans and corn. Personally, I can't say I could tell the difference, though.
I think meat preparation has the most effect on the taste - well, of course the age & sex of the deer as well. In my experience a young doe is always going to be better eating than a 5 year old grizzled buck. However, I know some people that swear they can tell the difference in the meat's taste based on the diet of the deer. My hunting buddy's wife won't eat the deer he used to get off our land (mountain foothills, no agriculture, deer eat browse & acorns) so he switched hunting spots to an agricultural area where the deer eat beans and corn. Personally, I can't say I could tell the difference, though.
I sure can't understand them most of the time, but they are who they are. A generous amount of tolerance comes in handy along with a good dose of response suppression on our part.........