Game smell in hung venison

[elkboy]

Hello all- I just hung my 2.5 year old whitetail,  skinned, for six days,  in a garage which ranged between 34 and 40 degrees. As my buddy and I were butchering him today, we noticed a bit of a gamy smell in the hindquarter meat. We cooked up little samples, and it tasted and smelled fine. Should I be concerned?

Thanks all.

[Smokepole]

I've butchered a couple like that.  Freeze it and forget it for a week or two, and then it'll smell and taste great.  Once you get a little ripe venison in your olfactories, seems like it just snowballs from there.  But I've never been sick from eating a well aged deer.

[MADMAX]

Wipe it down with apple cider vinegar

[NRA4LIFE]

No. I grew up hunting in Northern WI.  Our deer would hang in varying temps for a week or better.  Thawed out in the basement to butcher.

[brew]

IMHO a lot of the "gamey" smell of hung meat is any blood that still be on the meat/body cavity...not the meat itself...as someone mentioned I wipe it with vinegar.  If you ate some and it didn't give you the "Hershey squirts" cut it/freeze it and enjoy

[elkboy]

Thanks, all. I really appreciate it.

I think I was just overthinking it. We just pulled a roast off the grill, and the flavor, moisture, and tenderness were excellent.  I guess we'll know for sure after a day or so!

[Smokepole]

One way to check for freshness is to feed some to your dog.  If the dog barks in the middle of the night, or leaves a trail across your carpet, you know the venison's bad.   

[elkboy]

One way to check for freshness is to feed some to your dog.  If the dog barks in the middle of the night, or leaves a trail across your carpet, you know the venison's bad.   

Lol. We have two dogs. Both got some treats. I guess we believe in replicating the experiment around here. 

[Smokepole]

 

[elkboy]

Well, nobody's sick.  Not the dogs, not us, not my friend who helped butcher the deer and stayed for dinner (where a grilled roast was the main course).  I'm still surprised.  I've hung and processed a lot of deer, and this is the first where there was a gamey scent in the haunches/hams. 

Thanks for the input, everybody.  I'm hoping Smokepole is right- after a week or more in the freezer, that some of that scent goes away.  Otherwise, it's going to be a lot of marinades and/or cooking in smoke!   

[pianoman9701]

Thanks, all. I really appreciate it.

I think I was just overthinking it. We just pulled a roast off the grill, and the flavor, moisture, and tenderness were excellent.  I guess we'll know for sure after a day or so!

Mark, if you ship it to me for analysis, I'll make sure it gets a thorough testing. You can count on me! 
 

[elkboy]

Thanks, all. I really appreciate it.

I think I was just overthinking it. We just pulled a roast off the grill, and the flavor, moisture, and tenderness were excellent.  I guess we'll know for sure after a day or so!

Mark, if you ship it to me for analysis, I'll make sure it gets a thorough testing. You can count on me! 

John, I might just take you up on that.  I know you have keen senses for fine foods; I'd be curious to see what your reaction to it is.  Could drop off a package when we come through Ptld/Vancouver just after Christmas!

[pianoman9701]

Thanks, all. I really appreciate it.

I think I was just overthinking it. We just pulled a roast off the grill, and the flavor, moisture, and tenderness were excellent.  I guess we'll know for sure after a day or so!

Mark, if you ship it to me for analysis, I'll make sure it gets a thorough testing. You can count on me! 

John, I might just take you up on that.  I know you have keen senses for fine foods; I'd be curious to see what your reaction to it is.  Could drop off a package when we come through Ptld/Vancouver just after Christmas!

 

[Smokepole]

I'd be curious how it smells to ya in a couple weeks.  Sounds like it tasted great!   

[206]

I miss the smell of processing deer and elk. 

[elkboy]

I've butchered a couple like that.  Freeze it and forget it for a week or two, and then it'll smell and taste great.  Once you get a little ripe venison in your olfactories, seems like it just snowballs from there.  But I've never been sick from eating a well aged deer.

Well, Smokepole's prediction was right on.  One week in the freezer seems to have taken care of that gamy odor.  Smells like good, sweet venison at this point.  I just thawed a package of hindquarter steaks, and cooked up a small sample.  Good flavor, and very tender from the six days of hanging.

Thanks again, everybody who weighed in with some insight!  Don't worry, I'll still submit some to the Pianoman Advanced Laboratory for Game Meat Analysis.   

[Smokepole]

Glad it worked out for ya, Elkboy.   

[trophyhunt]

venison....    Just not a fan, whitetail is decent but mule and blacktail... yuk

[nwwanderer]

Always taste test, even WT

[Angry Perch]

venison....    Just not a fan, whitetail is decent but mule and blacktail... yuk

For real?

[Karl Blanchard]

venison....    Just not a fan, whitetail is decent but mule and blacktail... yuk

For real?

  I'm getting real judgy about your cooking skills Jerry 

[trophyhunt]

venison....    Just not a fan, whitetail is decent but mule and blacktail... yuk

For real?

  I'm getting real judgy about your cooking skills Jerry 

lol, I’ve had some blacktail back strap in the back country after a 6 mile hike that was good, but that’s what it takes to make blacktail good.  😀

[fishngamereaper]

venison....    Just not a fan, whitetail is decent but mule and blacktail... yuk

For real?

  I'm getting real judgy about your cooking skills Jerry 

lol, I’ve had some blacktail back strap in the back country after a 6 mile hike that was good, but that’s what it takes to make blacktail good.  😀

Maybe the state should stop giving you moose tags like there candy and force you back down to eating like the rest of us peasants. 

[dreamingbig]

I think it is 80% in the preparation.  From field all the way to the freezer you need to have a system.

I have eaten mule deer does and whitetail does that taste amazing.  Even better than elk based on my kids reviews.  That said I have had deer that others have killed and it certainly can be not good.  Definitely a spectrum of potential outcomes.


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[elkboy]

I think it is 80% in the preparation.  From field all the way to the freezer you need to have a system.

I have eaten mule deer does and whitetail does that taste amazing.  Even better than elk based on my kids reviews.  That said I have had deer that others have killed and it certainly can be not good.  Definitely a spectrum of potential outcomes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Amen.

[elkboy]

Well, here was the test case, last night... fortunately, the gamey odor had disappeared.  I have had excellent whitetail, mule deer, and blacktail-  a lot depends on how it was shot, how quickly it was field dressed, and how it was handled all along the line.  Some depends on the deer's diet, but IMHO, most depends on shot placement, field care, hanging, and butchering. 

[Bullkllr]

venison....    Just not a fan, whitetail is decent but mule and blacktail... yuk

For real?

  I'm getting real judgy about your cooking skills Jerry 

lol, I’ve had some blacktail back strap in the back country after a 6 mile hike that was good, but that’s what it takes to make blacktail good.  😀

Maybe the state should stop giving you moose tags like there candy and force you back down to eating like the rest of us peasants.

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!

[pianoman9701]

Well, here was the test case, last night... fortunately, the gamey odor had disappeared.  I have had excellent whitetail, mule deer, and blacktail-  a lot depends on how it was shot, how quickly it was field dressed, and how it was handled all along the line.  Some depends on the deer's diet, but IMHO, most depends on shot placement, field care, hanging, and butchering.

Looks and sounds darn tasty.

[trophyhunt]

venison....    Just not a fan, whitetail is decent but mule and blacktail... yuk

For real?

  I'm getting real judgy about your cooking skills Jerry 

lol, I’ve had some blacktail back strap in the back country after a 6 mile hike that was good, but that’s what it takes to make blacktail good.  😀

Maybe the state should stop giving you moose tags like there candy and force you back down to eating like the rest of us peasants.

[Karl Blanchard]

Only game meat I've eaten better than mule deer is sitka blacktail and the king of meats for me so far is Dall Sheep. Holy smokes that stuff is good!

[trophyhunt]

Only game meat I've eaten better than mule deer is sitka blacktail and the king of meats for me so far is Dall Sheep. Holy smokes that stuff is good!

I'm having the state give me a big horn sheep tag for 2023, I hope that meat is good.  But by far my fav meat is ground up wild meat made into hamb or breakfast sausage!!  Other than that, nothing beats a good rib eye!!   

[Magnum_Willys]

Mississippi Pot Roast Moose 

[Alchase]

Only game meat I've eaten better than mule deer is sitka blacktail and the king of meats for me so far is Dall Sheep. Holy smokes that stuff is good!

I would take Elk, either a BBQed Elk blackstrap, or Elk jerky, etc… over any deer, whitetail, Blacktail, or Muley!

And I like venison a lot. But love me some Elk!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I got extra freezer space for any you want get rid of. We live on deer meat (almost, a nice piece of cow is necessary for human existence). Loaded another 120 lbs into the freezer this year,  YUMMMM.

[Alchase]

I got extra freezer space for any you want get rid of. We live on deer meat (almost, a nice piece of cow is necessary for human existence). Loaded another 120 lbs into the freezer this year,  YUMMMM.

Nice!

Honestly my wife would feel the same. When I tell her,
“I saw nothing worth putting on the wall”
she gives me that look and says
“Well can’t eat what you hang on the wall, and it won’t fill the freezer. ”

I hate when she makes sense   

She just does not understand what a double droptine mulie or a gnarly non-typical whitetail, means to someone who has always  taken the next available legal buck.

Silly girl