I have heard many reasons for gamey taste so who knows for sure which one is true.

I will say however that we used to get all our deer done by my dad's friend down the street and he always cut through the bones with a band saw. The meat was certainly gamey at times......sometimes VERY gamey.

The first year I took a deer to someone else I was in shock at how good the meat tasted and the total lack of gamey taste. This guy deboned everything so that must have something to do with it because we treat all our deer the same after the shot.

I have since done all my families deer with my brother......we have always deboned and NEVER had a gamey piece of meat. I have popped bladders and touched tarsal glands and left crap pellets in the deer by mistake and really have seen no ill effects from any of it. We do wash all our deer out with water at the truck though and they are all cut up the same day they are killed.

I also was told that the oils from a deer's hide that keep it water proof and warm drain out of the hair and into the hide which then effects the meat taste. Don't know if that's true but I get the skin off as soon as I can.......if nothing else it really helps cool the carcas temp.