I posted on this topic the first thread so I won't repeat. But I will add something else.

Many variables affect the taste of venison. Some people confuse "gamey" with "tainted" taste. Venison improperly cared for will begin to "spoil", which is not the same as gamey or tainted. And gamey is not the same as tainted.

The gamey taste associated with some venison primarily comes from the deers diet or lack thereof as when bucks are rutting and begin using their fat reserves. A friend offered me a small backstrap roast from a doe he took in Michigans' UP. It smelled and tasted like pine needles.

Tainted is exactly that. I have had hunters describe the taste of venison which had been liver shot as being "different". Which it is. During the time it takes for this shot deer to expire, the blood becomes tainted and what circulates supplies the heart first and the muscles next. The same applies to stomach or gut shots with the longer the animal lives, the more tainted the blood and meat becomes.

And lastly spoiled. Even though there may not be the associated rotten smell, the bacteria level begins rising in all meats the very second the blood stops circulating that causes spoilage. This is where improper handling, storage and processing causes this effect. The time between death and getting the meat cooled to 36-38 F has the greatest impact.

I have a 12x12' cooler that I allow deer to hang for 24 hours, remove the tenderloins and then allow another 2-3 weeks to age. I cut and wrap the meat in the cooler and it goes directly to the freezer. Not yet have I experienced spoiled venison.

As for fat, every deer has it, but it is easily stripped away leaving the most lean and tasty meat on the planet. And I agree with Striper Phil - rarer the better.



Shoot often - Hunt always