Deer in rut meat question

[HoofsandWings]

Are you kidding?

It sounds like it's not the fact that it was in the rut that is the issue.

Bobcat, so you recommend making sausage? I do not think the meat is spoiled.
Do I boil the meat before grinding it up? If so, how long should I boil it? I have one of those turkey cookers that hold 5 gallons of water.

[BOWHUNTER45]

FEED IT TO THE DOGS .... Ground meat ...Usually 

[Hangfire]

Between my wife, son and I we have eaten probably 70 deer over the years. I have had only one deer that was bad. That was a doe shot in December in a damage area when I was 14. The doe as aged by the wildlife Agent at the check station was over 12 years old, her teeth wore clear off and she had a fawn with her. She only dressed out at 55 pounds hanging weight, just skin and bones. That said I have shot both muledeer and whitetail bucks in peak of rut that stunk very strong. They were gutted immediately and skinned as soon as home. We rinse all carcasses with a vinegar solution ( a glug of vinegar in a bucket of slightly warmed water) to get off all hair, blood and dirt. I try to let hang 7 days if cool enough. I am very particular when cutting up about getting off all fat, gristle, bone and shot up meat. When I skin, I take out the tenderloins and put in a pan of water with some salt and leave in refrigerator over night. They are cooked the next day. All the meat is double wrapped with plastic film and waxed paper. This air tight wrapping allows the meat to last several years in the freezer. We grind our own meat and do not add any beef or pork except for 21 pounds of burger. We add 4 pounds of meatier pork fat and the season mix from Eaggers  plus additional rubbed sage for 25 pounds of breakfast sausage . It is all mixed and ran through the grinder twice. If I had a deer that was improperly cleaned and cut up I would expect strong taste. To combat that I would try thawing, trim off all fat and gristle etc and put in a pan of milk over night in the refrigerator before cooking. I have been told that will take out the strong flavor. In most cases strong flavored deer is the result of poor care.

[Southpole]

WHere would " gammie taste " go if you can the meat   We can our meat and what you put in you get out.  Many people just plain cant get past anything that doesnt taste like grocery store beef, hence everything but store bought is " gammie ".

When I can my properly butchered and cleaned deer, it goes in smelling like normal deer and it comes out like canned beef pot roast.

[lokidog]

Are you kidding?

It sounds like it's not the fact that it was in the rut that is the issue.

Bobcat, so you recommend making sausage? I do not think the meat is spoiled.
Do I boil the meat before grinding it up? If so, how long should I boil it? I have one of those turkey cookers that hold 5 gallons of water.

Do not precook for sausage/brats/pepperoni.  Sounds like you just need to eat some more seasoned venison for a bit.  I would try the milk thing as suggested.  And, I agree with Southpole, what goes in, comes out.

[Jingles]

After untold number of year hunting, killing and eating deer from all portions of the season and all across the country I can without a doubt say the only time I have ever had meat that was inedible was when the hunter gut shot it. Even though he dressed it right away and even washed it out with plenty of water when he got it back to camp he didn't get it cooled other than hanging it in a camp for 4 days. Was the most vile venison wasn't even fit for dog food IMO. I firmly believe that shot placement has a lot to do with the taste of the venison as much as the care of the downed animal

[buckfvr]

WHere would " gammie taste " go if you can the meat   We can our meat and what you put in you get out.  Many people just plain cant get past anything that doesnt taste like grocery store beef, hence everything but store bought is " gammie ".

When I can my properly butchered and cleaned deer, it goes in smelling like normal deer and it comes out like canned beef pot roast.

We do the same.....goes in venison, comes out venison, and tastes better than the best pot roast.

[Southpole]

WHere would " gammie taste " go if you can the meat   We can our meat and what you put in you get out.  Many people just plain cant get past anything that doesnt taste like grocery store beef, hence everything but store bought is " gammie ".

When I can my properly butchered and cleaned deer, it goes in smelling like normal deer and it comes out like canned beef pot roast.

We do the same.....goes in venison, comes out venison, and tastes better than the best pot roast.

I zaz my deer up more than most people, and I like it and that's all that matters. 

[buckfvr]

We pack ours raw with a pinch of sea salt so we can use it for any/everything............

[Mike450r]

It's all in how it dies and how it is treated after.   Old bucks or bulls can taste great if killed fast and dressed properly.

I have had young cow elk taste quite a bit off after a bow kill that took awhile to die,  get that adrenalyne pumping and the meat goes south.  Kill em dead right on the spot and keep the meat clean and the oldest rutting buck will taste just fine.

[HoofsandWings]

After untold number of year hunting, killing and eating deer from all portions of the season and all across the country I can without a doubt say the only time I have ever had meat that was inedible was when the hunter gut shot it. Even though he dressed it right away and even washed it out with plenty of water when he got it back to camp he didn't get it cooled other than hanging it in a camp for 4 days. Was the most vile venison wasn't even fit for dog food IMO. I firmly believe that shot placement has a lot to do with the taste of the venison as much as the care of the downed animal

I shot the deer as it was facing me and hit it just above the brisket. The muzzleloader bullet traveled the deer lengh-wise.
In at base of neck and traveled from front to rear. I have shot deer with modern rifles, but I have never experienced this much damage. I placed him on top of a sand dune, cut him open and everything just ran down the hill. There was nothing left that required any cutting or processing. The cavity was empty.

[HoofsandWings]

FEED IT TO THE DOGS .... Ground meat ...Usually 

Would you recommend adding the moose meat to the deer meat when I feed it to the dogs? Same with elk and big horn sheep?

[deadwoodbuck]

i'm with bobcat...are you kidding me with the way you treated the meat, shot the animal, left it sit for a day...totally disrespectful of the animal  .  do you treat all your game meat that way?  i would say clean out your freezer of all game and feed it to the pigs.  then when you figure out how to harvest and treat an animal apply for a hunting license...

[h20hunter]

I'm very surprised that you were unable to get it cleaned out. For me, when I've got or a buddy has an animal down, it's time to stop hunting and get the meat cared for. Everything stops until then. I'm amazed you can even feed it to your dog.

I'm curious...why couldn't you take care of it until a day later?

[cbond3318]

FYI


Venison vs. Beef: The controversy ends From the U.S. Venison Council

Controversy has long raged about the relative quality and taste of venison and beef as gourmet foods.  Some people say venison is tough, with a strong "wild" taste.  Others insist venison's flavor is delicate. An independent food research group was retained by the Venison Council to conduct a taste test to determine the truth of these conflicting assertions once and for all.

First, a Grade A Choice Holstein steer was chased into a swamp a mile and a half from a road and shot several times.  After some of the entrails were removed, the carcass was dragged back over rocks and logs, and through mud and dust to the road.  It was then thrown into the back of a pickup truck and driven through rain and snow for 100 miles before being hung out in the sun for a day.

It was then lugged into a garage where it was skinned and rolled around on the floor for a while.  Strict sanitary precautions were observed throughout the test, within the limitations of the butchering environment.  For instance, dogs and cats were allowed to sniff and lick the steer carcass, but most of the time, were chased away when they attempted to bite chunks out of it.

Next, a sheet of plywood left from last year's butchering was set up in the basement on two sawhorses.  The pieces of dried blood, hair and fat left from last year were scraped off with a wire brush last used to clean out the grass stuck under the lawn mower.

The skinned carcass was then dragged down the steps into the basement where a half dozen inexperienced but enthusiastic and intoxicated men worked on it with meat saws, cleavers, hammers, and dull knives.  The result was 375 pounds of soup bones, four bushel baskets of meat scraps, and a couple of steaks that were an eighth of an inch thick on one edge and an inch and a half thick on the other edge.

The steaks were seared on a glowing red hot cast iron skillet to lock in the flavor.  When the smoke cleared, rancid bacon grease was added, along with three pounds of onions, and the whole conglomeration was fried for two hours.

The meat was gently teased from the frying pan and served to three intoxicated and blindfolded taste panel volunteers.  Every member of the panel thought it was venison. One volunteer even said it tasted exactly like the venison he has eaten in hunting camps for the past 27 years.

The results of this scientific test conclusively show that there is no difference between the taste of beef and venison