MyHuntingForum.com
Hunting by Game/Technique => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: ship of fools on Dec 08, 2011, 05:58:22 PM
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I have heard this many times from many people.
I stopped hunting when i got out of college, got married, had little kids etc and picked it back up when i really got into bowhunting five or six years ago. Two years ago i shot a small buck for my first deer in twenty plus years and last year i got a small buck with the bow and an eight point with the rifle.
This year i got two does with the bow.
Well i just tried a steak from the doe and i swear it tastes much better ..... it is literally from the same set of woods although there were tons of acorns last year and not this year so they are eating at least a little differently. I had a steak from at my buddy from college's place from his doe and it was great too.
What do you guys think??
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I believe a young doe is better but I have had a couple big old ones that was not so great and actually seem to smell different when cooking! :-\
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I have shot a ton of deer from 80 lb. does early season all the way up to 192 lb. bucks full rut and they all taste the same to me however for obvious reasons the big boys are tougher. Taste the same just gotta chew more ;D just my opinion.........
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I have shot a ton of deer from 80 lb. does early season all the way up to 192 lb. bucks full rut and they all taste the same to me however for obvious reasons the big boys are tougher. Taste the same just gotta chew more ;D just my opinion.........
Funny you say that about the toughness. lol I was just thinking about the most tender deer i ever ate. A 247lbs buck I shot with a bow in the middle of october! Even at almost twenty years ago i still havent forgot how good eating he was! :) :)
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I don't doubt it, their are just so many variables to help that, hang time, temps, habitat, food, I could go on but you get the idea. These were just all from pretty much the same places with same hangtimes.
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I find hangtime to make the biggest difference! When weather permiting we always let deer hang at least a week or two! When cold or frozen it dont hurt them at all and make for some great meat! ;)
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I know you havent lived till you have a born and raised corn/soybean eater from MD. Melts in your mouth dont care how old they are. Mountain deer on the other hand not so much.
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I don't hang mine any longer than it takes me to butcher regardless of temps. It's easier to age a piece at a time in the fridge imo, but I rarely do. I never had a deer that didn't taste good, but I butcher my own and think it makes the biggest difference.
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Mine hung in the cooler at the butchers for a while because they were all backed up doing turkeys for thanksgiving.... one was probably a little over two weeks and the other a week ..... they keep it at just the right temp.
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That's nice if you have a controlled cooler for them. Would have been real nice to have this year.
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I find hangtime to make the biggest difference! When weather permiting we always let deer hang at least a week or two! When cold or frozen it dont hurt them at all and make for some great meat! ;)
Agreed! They taste better and are much more tender if they can hang for a week or so. One exception is the ten point on the wall above my computer. He was a nasty, stinking buck and all the hang time in the world wouldn't have helped. I ate him anyway though. ;D
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That's nice if you have a controlled cooler for them. Would have been real nice to have this year.
I've gotta agree with that too stka, I had to cut up my bow buck the day after he was killed this year.
Bob
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I never let mine hang.. I thaw the meat out in the fridge for 5 or 6 days and its always been real good......
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I've gotta agree with that too stka, I had to cut up my bow buck the day after he was killed this year.
Bob
both of the does i shot were taken during really warm weather ..... i had them dressed and to the butcher within an hour or two of the recovery
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Everybody does things different. As long as we're all hunting and enjoying our venison, It's all good! ;)
Bob
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Everybody does things different. As long as we're all hunting and enjoying our venison, It's all good! ;)
Bob
You got that right....... ;)
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Lots of things to consider here. When I can, I age my deer (read, hang) 3 days with hide on. I have gotten back into bow hunting and we don't always have hanging temp in October, so I am considering buying a junker fridge that I can age venison in. I (and a lot of professional chefs) say this: the longer red meat hangs, the more tender and flavorful it will be on the plate. One of the reasons a good steak in a good steakhouse costs $45.00 is because it takes energy (refridgerators, rented space etc etc) to age the steak for 1-2 weeks. But it will melt in your mouth. I have eaten tender 189# 5 year old bucks and shoe leather 120# does. I am of the opinion that aging the meat properly is the critical factor. Of course, kitchen skills are a factor too, but that's a different discussion entirely.
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I think a lot of it has to do with how it was butchered. whether there is more or less fat content. I have had deer from a chop shop style butcher whom does 15-20+ deer a night not taste as good as deer we butchered our selves. who knows it might just be all in my head. I will agree with everyone on tenderness though a deer in rut is going to be like chewing beef jerkey, I shot a 50 pound skipper couple days into expanded last year and it was like eating veal, it was awesome.
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The backstrap in doe and bucks taste great I cant taste any difference , I take a backstrap from either.
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i think its all in the way the animal is processed,i butcherd my own deer then got another 1 few days later that i took to a butcher.the deer i did my self was way better than the deer done at the butcher,i think he left the silver skin on all the meat as it tasted like a wet dog.last time i ever let anyone else butcher my deer
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Nothin tastes better than a nice Button Buck ;) And hang em as long as possible ;D
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Nothin tastes better than a nice Button Buck ;) And hang em as long as possible ;D
you've been talking to bogman haven't you?? 8)
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In my personal experience does average better than bucks for tenderness and mild flavor. Feed has a lot to do with it. Hang time etc.
X2
Peddler 8) 8) 8)
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you've been talking to bogman haven't you?? 8)
Well ya , however that came from personal experience ;)
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The best tasteing deer that I have had was a rutted out ,stinking to beat the hills old buck that I hung for a week and it tasted great ? Never understood why ? should have had a bad taste to it ,but it didn't ? But as was mentioned ,food sourses and such play a huge part in the taste and texture of the meat as does age in some cases .But I'll eat them all ,done right they all taste great
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The best deer that I've ever had was, it was killed on my Maine hunting trip, it hung there for 5 days then we brought it home & put in the barn to cut up the next day. But we were called in to work it got cold during the week then got warm & it thawed, the next weekend when we got to it boy did it stink but the farmer that use to own my place said " oooh man it just right" so we went & cut it up, threw it into the freezer. When we went to eat it, it melted in our mouths & tasted great. That farmer also told me to hang my beef that I raised in the barn until it turned greenish to purple then cut all the color off the rest of the meat, best beef I ever had . I guess people pay lots of money for aged meat. :o
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The best deer that I've ever had was, it was killed on my Maine hunting trip, it hung there for 5 days then we brought it home & put in the barn to cut up the next day. But we were called in to work it got cold during the week then got warm & it thawed, the next weekend when we got to it boy did it stink but the farmer that use to own my place said " oooh man it just right" so we went & cut it up, threw it into the freezer. When we went to eat it, it melted in our mouths & tasted great. That farmer also told me to hang my beef that I raised in the barn until it turned greenish to purple then cut all the color off the rest of the meat, best beef I ever had . I guess people pay lots of money for aged meat. :o
Absolutely Jeff , We used to age our own Beef at the Sherwood Inn .... funky stanky situation but MMMMMMMMMMMMM ;D
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the smaller the deer , buck or doe the tendera. what they eat has alot to do with it also and at least a week hang time. if its warm , i quarter it and put it in an old refridgerator for a few days. toughest deer i ever ate was a 2 yr old doe. couldn't believe it. the guy who tagged it for me commented. its gonna be good eating.but the only thing i could figure, musta been run by dogs.
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Nothin tastes better than a nice Button Buck ;) And hang em as long as possible ;D
I agree with Mookie these are the best esp if eating only corn and alfalfa for a diet!
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Ya, the hinging thing. Deer are not cows. Do you age port? Do you age poultry? Hanging does nothing to the meat of a deer other than rot it, and not like you in vision it (as aged beef). Beef cows have been bread for decades to become the animals we have today. The marbling of fat throughout the muscle tissue is not a natural occurrence. Properly aged beef is also kept at a very controlled temperature and monitored on a regular basis. Once ready to serve, the outer inch or so is trimmed and discarded due to the high bacteria count in the outer layer (thus the very high cost). Hanging a deer in a tree for a week, and then eating it is nothing short of disgusting. It amazes me what some people will eat…
:P
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I have found that a doe that has been nursing has a different odor and taste to the meat. I have also found that a old buck sometimes taste the best. The best deer meat I have ever consumed was a old buck that my cousin covered in salt ,wrapped in plastic and buried it for a couple months in our grand parents farms root cellar. When he uncovered it and unwrapped it, the meat was all black. He cut away the black meat to uncover the best venison I have ever had and will never forget.
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Gotta disagree on that one. If the temps allow I'll hang em for two weeks or more. Best deer I ever ate was a 260 lb buck shot by a friend up to the Forks. It hung for three weeks. Let em hang.
x2 We have hung deer for a whole month before and the meat is tender and perfect! I also found that any deer is tender if you slice it paper thin and put it on toast! mm mmm I only slice my steak like this now and even bought a deli slicer. I like to be able to hold the meat against a light and see right through it! Boy I love venison sandwiches! ;D Even my wife that didnt like deer meat when we got together is now always pushing me to bring her home a deer! It really sucks having to hunt so much! ;)
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x2 We have hung deer for a whole month before and the meat is tender and perfect! I also found that any deer is tender if you slice it paper thin and put it on toast! mm mmm I only slice my steak like this now and even bought a deli slicer. I like to be able to hold the meat against a light and see right through it! Boy I love venison sandwiches! ;D Even my wife that didnt like deer meat when we got together is now always pushing me to bring her home a deer! It really sucks having to hunt so much! ;)
I just made chipped veni on toast.......(chipped beef sorta) and wow was that a yummy breakfast....... :D :D :D :D
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I will have to try that Loony! That sounds really good! ;D
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On the average does seem to be more tender than bucks, especially barren does. I hang my bucks and age them to get them tender so in the end they come out tasting as good as a doe but processing a doe is less work and I don't have to be as careful with aging etc. to get nice tender meat. I like that here in Montana I can get two deer sometimes more if we get damage control permits. On years when I get two deer tags it is usually a buck " A"tag and an antlerless "B" tag so I get one of each. To make the doe taste good is less work than making the buck taste good. I like that I can get good meat in the freezer early and then go look for a big buck to test my hunting skills against in the later season.
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I know you havent lived till you have a born and raised corn/soybean eater from MD. Melts in your mouth dont care how old they are. Mountain deer on the other hand not so much.
I agree 100%. I have gotten deer in wilson ny and deer in welsville ny the 2nd being hill country with little in the way of crops.The corn and bean fed ones definitely taste better hands down.Makes sense,I grew up on a farm and when it was close to butchering time we fattened the cows up on a straight grain diet!Pops said it was for marblizing the meat(flavor)
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I have gotten deer in wilson ny and deer in welsville ny the 2nd
I gave some friends in welsville NY....his family nice family
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The mountain deer at my camp eat mainly berry browse and beach with misc grasses, these deer taste better and are more tender than the deer 20 min away in the farm country...I've shot deer in the fingerlakes with all those oaks and ag crops that taste different from those, and shot deer on anticosti island that taste completely different...I like them all
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I believe it all depends on animal I feel that all 18 month old deer taste great good flavor and plenty tender my best so far was a young doe you could literally cut the meat with your fork but the past couple of years I've got a couple of spike horns that where almost as good. I've also had a moose that went 923lbs that was really good flavor and extremely tender and smaller moose that you had to make sausage out of it cause you couldn't chew it
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I believe how fast they die has a lot to do with how they taste..
The buck I got last year was an older deer but died in his tracks and was the best tasting deer we have had...
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I'm a big fan of letting them hang for a while I've let deer hang for over a month before. I will agree younger deer tend to be more tender. Was taught big bucks you let hang for a couple weeks if temps are right and it makes the meat more tender. Not sure if this is true just what my family has always done.
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I believe how fast they die has a lot to do with how they taste..
The buck I got last year was an older deer but died in his tracks and was the best tasting deer we have had...
2nd that raquett. I have noticed that deer that drop seem to be better then those that run. It could have nothing to do with it but it seems to stand true personally. Iv also heard people call adrenaline natures marinade so who knows. All I know is I have a ton of venison and I like it all. If I could just get my photobucket account situated id have some photos up.
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All I know is I have a ton of venison and I like it all.
Good …. because when we go ice fishing i don't have any :o ..yet 8)
Congrats …. what did you get?
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ship I may not go with you if you don't have any.
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Cody I would never let something I'm gonna eat hang outside any longer than I have to... I skin it as soon as I get it home and start butchering it the next day even if its cold enough....
As far as tenderizing it I take it out of the freezer as much as 7 days before we eat it and leave it in the refrigerator emptying the blood out every day... just my opinion and how I do it..
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Cody I would never let something I'm gonna eat hang outside any longer than I have to... I skin it as soon as I get it home and start butchering it the next day even if its cold enough....
As far as tenderizing it I take it out of the freezer as much as 7 days before we eat it and leave it in the refrigerator emptying the blood out every day... just my opinion and how I do it..
Aging meat in the right conditions is the way to go Dom, Beef has to age a month before it's considered Choice ;)
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Aging meat in the right conditions is the way to go Dom, Beef has to age a month before it's considered Choice ;)
Right conditions is the key... Not outside hanging from a tree in the wind and sun... Unless you have a walk in cooler, I think the refrigerator is a controlled temperature and the way to go... But like I said, its JMO... 8)
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I think a lot of what has been said is true, and there are still factors that are unknown or not controllable. I have collected just one really large buck in my lifetime. He was great. I got a spikehorn 3 years ago that was surprisingly tough. I agree it is better if they drop on the spot, or close to it. I am not sure why that is, but it's what I have seen. As far as aging venison, I agree with DD that under the right circumstances it is a good thing. But that means controlling the temperature and humidity, not an easy thing for us amateurs. And dealing with a frozen carcass is no fun. We have a butcher in Hunt, NY who will hang deer during bow season under controlled temperature and humidity. It's the best and I gladly pay his processing fee. Back to the question, "Are does better tasting?" Maybe, I don't know. I like them all! jperch
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Right conditions is the key... Not outside hanging from a tree in the wind and sun... Unless you have a walk in cooler, I think the refrigerator is a controlled temperature and the way to go... But like I said, its JMO... 8)
A garage with the hide on ;D
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I didnt go to culinary school and I dont have a garage.. Im screaming uncle.. You win... :P
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Pretty good read!!