Last year I dropped my buck, gutted it, drove it to the processors and it was on ice within minutes of being shot. It still taste like a pile of sage brush. Real thick bold taste that I don't care for. I talked to our local processor back here in Western Montana and he told me to soak it in half&half for a couple hours prior to cooking. I haven't done it yet as I have plently of deer from last season to eat. So there is definately something to the soak in "cream" theory. Let us know how it turns out.