Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: AKBowman on December 18, 2010, 05:31:56 PM

Title: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: AKBowman on December 18, 2010, 05:31:56 PM: Im interested to hear what everyones opinions are. Of course this assumes everything being equal doe vs doe or buck vs buck.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: NWWABOWHNTR on December 18, 2010, 05:41:19 PM: Grew up on Ohio whitetail, they were corn fed.. yummy. Came out west many years ago, and couldn't wait to get me a muley... well the first one was anm old buck.. 5x5 who had a diet of sage... the gravy was even tough.. LOL Now the blacktail to me is the best.... never had a tough or gamey one...
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: DoubleJ on December 18, 2010, 06:00:53 PM: I was always told Westside deer Eastside bear. Don't know how true that is though.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: shoot-em-dead on December 18, 2010, 06:03:07 PM: blacktail
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: 270Shooter on December 18, 2010, 06:04:30 PM: i have only eaten central montana grain fed mule deer, never had anything else. It was good though.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: Bigshooter on December 18, 2010, 06:08:23 PM: I like blacktail the best. But I have read many times that midwest whitetail is the best. I know from eating all three that mule deer is in last place for me. A young one is ok, a big old migrater is horrible.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: SkookumHntr on December 18, 2010, 06:24:50 PM: -Its the other way around for me! I like Mule deer the best and Blacktail the worst!
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: turkey buster on December 18, 2010, 06:28:54 PM: I have not had the pleasure to try mule deer yet but as good as w/t is I like B/T better
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: high country on December 18, 2010, 08:58:47 PM: I have killed a fair number of whiteys and mulies.....I can't tell the difference. of course I take good care of my meat.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: ribka on December 18, 2010, 09:12:48 PM: Have eaten all three. Take care of the meat and all tastes good.

I do think the does eat a little better than the bucks though. Especially the older bucks when rutting:twocents:
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: Alan K on December 18, 2010, 09:51:46 PM: The Idaho WT put all the blacktail I've ever taken to shame. Second only to moose IMO.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: agchawk on December 18, 2010, 09:53:21 PM: Quote from: ribka on December 18, 2010, 09:12:48 PM
Have eaten all three. Take care of the meat and all tastes good.

I do think the does eat a little better than the bucks though. Especially the older bucks when rutting:twocents:

   Same here. I've had all three and liked all three.

   I will say this...species does not have as much to do with it as the primary diet of the deer in question (Been elluded to in some of the other answers).

   A good grain fed deer, whether it's a whitetail or mule deer, is always better than one feeding on local wild vegetation. Again, just my :twocents:
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: high country on December 18, 2010, 09:58:28 PM: Quote from: agchawk on December 18, 2010, 09:53:21 PM
Quote from: ribka on December 18, 2010, 09:12:48 PM
Have eaten all three. Take care of the meat and all tastes good.

I do think the does eat a little better than the bucks though. Especially the older bucks when rutting:twocents:

Same here. I've had all three and liked all three.

I will say this...species does not have as much to do with it as the primary diet of the deer in question (Been elluded to in some of the other answers).

A good grain fed deer, whether it's a whitetail or mule deer, is always better than one feeding on local wild vegetation. Again, just my :twocents:
I have a tough time buying into that. I fed a buddy who shoots field deer some of my "pine needle and sage brush" tasting deer. he loved it....I think it boils down to care and handling.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: high country on December 18, 2010, 09:59:43 PM: not to say that is what you call them, but he told me hecould not stomach a sage old mule deer buck. I fed it to him under the guise of it being elk.....he did not know the difference.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: wsucowboy on December 18, 2010, 10:03:50 PM: Had all three and they all taste good. I liked mule deer the best though. If you know how to cook it then it taste good. If you don't know how to cook it then it doesn't matter what kind of deer it is or how old it is or what it's main diet is it's not going to taste good. :twocents:
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: chester on December 18, 2010, 10:05:24 PM: I have some of my buddies wt, my mulie, and my little bros bt all in my freezer right now. all shot in different parts of the state. i could feed someone and there is no possible way of know if its all from one deer or all 3. high country has it right. its all in how you take care of the meat.
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: Alan K on December 18, 2010, 10:10:06 PM: I've taken top notch care of every animal I've ever taken and can taste a difference. :dunno:
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: shedcrazy on December 18, 2010, 10:56:32 PM: Get the hide off, cool and hang. Great eats!!
Title: RE: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: carpsniperg2 on December 18, 2010, 11:00:40 PM: A lot of it depends on the diet of the deer. I have had great deer and bad deer, the worst deer i have ate. Have come from areas, that the deer are eating a lot of sage :puke: the acorn fed deer are the best :drool:

But i could not vote, because our bench legs are both mule and black :chuckle: makes for a tasty combo :drool: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: bobcat on December 18, 2010, 11:30:00 PM: I have had all three and they all taste the same to me, so I didn't vote either.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: Deep Forks on December 19, 2010, 12:30:27 AM: I like them all and I also believe it's how you care for the meat from death to wrapped and in the freezer.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: NWBREW on December 19, 2010, 01:10:52 AM: I choose WT. It seems to be all I kill anymore.........till I get drawn anyways.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: krout81 on December 19, 2010, 02:42:03 AM: I have only ever had Lewis County blacktail, and 1 pacific county Blacktail. I would love to try whitetail and mulie, but I don't think I will ever hunt the east side.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: jason4429 on December 19, 2010, 09:18:45 AM: I have had all three.I've had sage brush mulies and high mountain mulies.They all tasted the same to me.I've also shot some old rutted up BT's and they tasted just as good as a spike.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: high country on December 19, 2010, 10:17:37 AM: I killed a bad stinky whitetail in 97' or so and I remember my friends being mad at me because it stunk so bad. after it was skinned and aged......it was great.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: mjbskwim on December 19, 2010, 11:08:16 AM: Blacktail,cause that's what's in the freezer.
But she isn't gammy at all.I got her early bow season,she would be eating the nice fresh greens.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: boneaddict on December 19, 2010, 11:13:08 AM: I think it depends on their table fare. Usually whitetails have tasted better to me but its because they are more likely to be eating alfalfa and corn and such. If you happen to nail a muledeer eating the same or are grainfed, well then the vote would be different. Rutted up, muleys don't seem to be as stinky to me as a rutted up whitey.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: Angus on December 19, 2010, 11:41:21 AM: For deer in this state I prefer BT, that being said, the Sitka blacktail I've taken in S.E. Ak. put them all to shame! :twocents:
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: nwwanderer on December 19, 2010, 12:52:13 PM: Generally speaking, go for the young and fast growing early season critter, get them cold fast and taste test before deciding end use. All the species can be very good but an individual can surprise you. A taste test solves that problem. Finally, the fat is solid at mouth temperature so trimming all of it helps a lot.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: Hunterman on December 19, 2010, 12:58:50 PM: I have had the pleasure of having all three for our table :drool: With the proper field care all three can be hard to beat, improper field care( and I have tasted quite a few from people who thought they knew) and I wouldn't give you a plugged nickel for it..I did vote for the Blacktail though...

Hunterman(Tony)
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: steen on December 19, 2010, 01:29:57 PM: A grain fed whitetail is good but I don't have any problem with any of the others. Even the old bucks taste good ( We've eaten an 8-9 year old blacktail and couldn't tell from the younger bucks). Just take good care of the meat before it hits the table age the older ones a little longer. Usually aging meat depends on time for us if we have the luxury and a cooler to use we can age them beyond a week but very seldom.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: go4itlab on December 19, 2010, 01:48:36 PM: It's a toss up for me between WT & BT, have only had mule deer a couple times and it was not that good but I would say it could of been because it was a high country old buck and I don't think it was cared for right, had a bit of tallow on it(not my deer). I would love to give the muley another shot tho
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: chester on December 19, 2010, 01:57:15 PM: I also quit "aging meat" the last 3 deer i have shot have been cut up and wrapped within 36hrs of death. I did it the first time because it was warm out. and it came out better then the ones that had been hanging for 5days so i think it has alot more to deal with getting ALL the fat and silver skin off them. then the length you hang them. twice ive sent buddies in the house for getting hair on the meet while skinning. its a pain to clean but worth it. if they start doing more harm then good trying to "help" they go on time out. :chuckle:

I might just be overly protective of my meat tho. :dunno:
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: high country on December 19, 2010, 02:01:56 PM: chester, when temps are warm......36 hrs may be the perfect time. aging does not affect flavor as much as texture/toughness

shooting an adrenaline filled critter that you have been chasing nd pumping lactic acid into will have more effects on flavor. fat/tallow goes rancid pretty quick, so keep it out of your meat.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: elkboy on December 19, 2010, 02:25:52 PM: I think the biggest factor is their diet. The blacktail I hunt eat a lot of conifer foliage (50% of their diet), and the taste definitely appears in the meat. The whitetail I hunt are Palouse deer, and fatten all summer on wheat sprouts and garbanzo beans. I am not sure they would taste too different were they to be given equal diets. But aging the deer and cooking creatively go a long way to making the odds even! And at the end of the day, any venison is a gift.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: saylean on December 19, 2010, 02:28:53 PM: Ive had lots of black tail and muley, but only one whitey and i would take a whitey any day of the week. They taste excellent!

However, I am thankful and enjoy blackies and muley's just the same.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: singleshot12 on December 19, 2010, 02:33:36 PM: Quote from: Angus on December 19, 2010, 11:41:21 AM
For deer in this state I prefer BT, that being said, the Sitka blacktail I've taken in S.E. Ak. put them all to shame! :twocents:

For years I thought a corn fed barren whitetail doe could not be beat but would have to say Sitka blacktail(buck's or doe's) take the lead for taste.
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: chester on December 19, 2010, 02:39:52 PM: Quote from: singleshot12 on December 19, 2010, 02:33:36 PM
Quote from: Angus on December 19, 2010, 11:41:21 AM
For deer in this state I prefer BT, that being said, the Sitka blacktail I've taken in S.E. Ak. put them all to shame! :twocents:

For years I thought a corn fed barren whitetail doe could not be beat but would have to say Sitka blacktail(buck's or doe's) take the lead for taste.

I think my dad would agree with you guys. all he ever hunted was wt in wisconsin, and sitkas on montague island. he prefers the bt
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: AKBowman on December 19, 2010, 03:13:48 PM: Quote from: Angus on December 19, 2010, 11:41:21 AM
For deer in this state I prefer BT, that being said, the Sitka blacktail I've taken in S.E. Ak. put them all to shame! :twocents:

I grew up on Sitka BT. NOTHING in the deer world compares to it. Ive heard the Roosies out on Afognak and Etolin are amazing too!

Nothing like Sitka BT I totally agree!!
Title: Re: Preferred Deer for Table Fare
Post by: raekmike on December 19, 2010, 06:41:05 PM: Any deer you harvest yourself is the best deer available imho...
That being said...
I prefer large bodied BT spikes.
Good quantity of meat along with tenderness of veal and mild flavor... :twocents: