ORIGINAL: Dirt2
About the salt water soak idea, I've heard that from Texas deer hunters, and I see an AZ guy says the same here. Must be a southwest thing. In most of the US, where deer have more to eat than sand, cactus, and horny toads, the meat will taste fine without the whole salt water trick.
I do the salt water trick myself in other circumstances. When I have packed out an Deer or Elk in a hurry. I fill the tub with water and a little salt. By soaking in the solution, it removes the blood and the hair being hollow floats and cleans the meat a little before cutting up. If you don't have much blood and hair on the meat it's not necessary.