Along with what the others have said I think some of it comes from the location the deer is in and what it eats. I have noticed that deer from out west and deer from northern Michigan taste a little different, with a bit more of a wild taste to them. Which makes sense considering that the deer in my area pretty much eat the same things live stock would. Where as out west and up north they eat a lot of scrub and pine and other stuff.

I also feel it has a lot to do with how the deer is handled after the shot.

I think Retrieverman hit the nail on the head though. Venison will not taste like beef because it is a leaner meat. Different animal, different taste. Ask any chef or good cook and they will tell you a lot of the taste in a good steak comes from the marbling and the cut of the steak. This is why a $10 ribeye with good marbling tastes better than a $3 lean chuck steak. That is also why one costs 10 bucks and the other one three.

Deer are also much more active than pen raised cattle are and I feel that makes a difference in the meat as well.

I like to hunt and I like venison, but I don't feel it is better tasting than a good cut of beef. It is just as good or better than a cheap cut though, especially if you are going to freeze it anyway. Lets just say I wouldn't go to Lonestar and pay $20 or more for a venison steak.

However I have a buddy that is the other way around, he likes venison much more than steak. To each his own I guess. I like ground venison better than I do ground beef though. Venison kicks ass in tacos, sloppy joes and hamburgers.

Paul