as far as the gaminess goes, i've never really noticed the difference, but i can definitely tell the difference by the toughness of the meat. young bucks and does are much much more tender in my opinion. if i'm cooking them on the grill or in the oven i marinate for most of the day anyway, so i guess i wouldn't notice the gaminess. when i make jerky it doesn't really matter, i marinate for a week and dry until almost "crispy".