Any Home Bakers Here?

[pennyJo1960]

I have had both mule deer and whitetail. Any difference in the flavor can be attributed to the diet and how the animal was killed and handled after killing. Good kills and proper processing will yield meat that does not have any gaminess. If you took a steer, gut shot it and chased it around for half a day before it died and then hauled a long way on a hot day before getting it cooled down and then cut it up the next day or two after leaving it to hang in the sunshine, you would not eat beef either.

There can be a flavor difference between a mule deer that had sagebrush as a large part of its diet and a whitetail fattened up in a cornfield. But a mule deer fattened up on a rancher's alfalfa field is every bit as good.

Sitka deer are a different animal all together water grasses are a major part of the diet for them Sitka sits on a Island Chichagof they have limited are to roam managed to clean both my active coops

 

[jnicholes]

Hello,

I did not know that, @R2elk! That's very interesting. In 2016, I shot a white tail and it was pretty good tasting. This is my first mule deer I have shot. Therefore, it is the first time I'm eating mule deer. This one was nowhere near a farm field.

Now after what you said I'm beginning to wonder how it will taste....

Actually, @R2elk, you might be able to help me with something. When I took it, the scope was off slightly, and instead of hitting it behind the shoulder like I was supposed to, I hit its back leg, breaking it. We went up to it and finished it, and while we were butchering, we realized that where I hit it the meat was severely damaged from the shot.

My hunting partner, who has experience with butchering, help me butcher it, but after what you said about how the animal was killed can affect the taste, it makes me wonder if this hindquarter will be as good as the other pieces.

What do you think? Do you think it will be gamey or do you think it will be just fine?

Jared

 

[wyoDreamer]

Sitka deer are a different animal all together water grasses are a major part of the diet for them Sitka sits on a Island Chichagof they have limited are to roam managed to clean both my active coops

Actually, Sitka deer and Blacktail deer are both sub-species of the Mule deer.

And I totally agree that handling makes a huge difference in taste - but so does diet. I can tell the difference between a swamp buck and a cornfield buck. Even handled the same way. Where I grew up, most of what we had was swamp buck. Now we get corn/birdfeed bucks from the same area. Even the fat layer on the deer looks a little different. Too many people with a "cabin-up-north" around our hunting place now.

 

[wyoDreamer]

The hind quarter should be OK as long as you got rid of all the bloodshot meat. Once it went down, it didn't run a mile - or did it?
Did you get it cooled down right away after the kill? I talked to my sister last night and she was complaining about it being cold - how cold is it out there in the desert?

 

[R2elk]

Hello,

I did not know that, @R2elk! That's very interesting. In 2016, I shot a white tail and it was pretty good tasting. This is my first mule deer I have shot. Therefore, it is the first time I'm eating mule deer. This one was nowhere near a farm field.

Now after what you said I'm beginning to wonder how it will taste....

Actually, @R2elk, you might be able to help me with something. When I took it, the scope was off slightly, and instead of hitting it behind the shoulder like I was supposed to, I hit its back leg, breaking it. We went up to it and finished it, and while we were butchering, we realized that where I hit it the meat was severely damaged from the shot.

My hunting partner, who has experience with butchering, help me butcher it, but after what you said about how the animal was killed can affect the taste, it makes me wonder if this hindquarter will be as good as the other pieces.

What do you think? Do you think it will be gamey or do you think it will be just fine?

Jared

The blood shot meat can be salvaged but it requires separating the muscle tissue and rinsing very well. The sooner it is attended to the better the meat will be.

 

[jnicholes]

It was pretty cold, we were high up in the mountains. Cold enough for there to be snow.

The deer didn't run, it went about 20 feet when we did the finishing blow. We processed it immediately and put it in a cooler to cool.
My friend who lives in Coeur d'Alene told me that I should cut out the area that had the bullet wound. The only problem is, it's very hard to pinpoint that after I removed the meat from the bone. I did however remove a lot of the damage and a lot of the blood.

 

[jnicholes]

@R2elk I just saw your post. I already rinsed out the meat and rinsed out the area where the bullet wound was. I guess it's taken care of.

 

[N F C]

Banana Crumble Bread
View attachment 1558758
*Havent tried it yet, it is probably horrible, but man does it look good lol*

That looks amazing! Love me a crumble

 

[Hope Hughes]

@R2elk I just saw your post. I already rinsed out the meat and rinsed out the area where the bullet wound was. I guess it's taken care of.

You can also brine it. We use ice salt white distilled vinegar and cold water for two day, just keep adding ice when it melts. It will pull all the blood and adrenalin out. Make the meat taste yummy. We do it to our gator, pigs and other game.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Was at a show in Florida had me a Alligator burger it was good meat but then in a restaurant they should know how to do it right that was a kick my "kids, Slaves" thought is was great to eat it they loved it can we take some with good