I agree. A swift kill & proper handling.
However, I'm told that the rut affects the flavor. My ex-husband & my husband have hunted early in the season-both having a "dead eye" and cleaned their game promptly & well...NEVER did the venison taste "gamey".
However, I did have venison that was shot late in the season and apparently killed by someone who knows his 'business' but [:'(] boy, did it taste gamey! My taste buds just weren't prepared!

I still have some of that gamey venison in my freezer...and it's rare to have venison in our freezer for any length of time. So Yooper, thank you for the tip...I'll definitely give it a try!