GaHunter19

I hunt in the South, so unless we get some unusually cool weather, Iusually skin and quarter ASAP after the kill. We always put the quarters, ternderloins, backstap, etc on ice. One of the practices my family has done for years is to let the meat sit on ice for several days. As the ice starts the melt, we drain the bloody water, and put new ice on. We repeat the process until the draining water turns clear. Other members of my family arue that this helps to take some of the gamey taste out of the meat. A new hunting buddy argues that it doesn't matter, that most of the gamey taste comes from the silver grissle that attaches the skin to the meat? I just wanted to get some thoughts to see what you guys think?

StrutnBPS

I have heard both sides. It really doesn't matter to me, I like the taste of deer meat. I mean, if you want the taste of beef or pork, eat cow or hog.

I take mine to the processer. I don't have the equipment nor space to do it myself. And after hunting in the SC heat, dragging a deer out the woods, I will glady pay someone an extra $10 to clean it.

Just my $0.02

ELKINMTCWB

I cut mine up when it is still hot and flinching.I have tons of guys over to my house to eat elk/deer. Every one of them ask how I get the tast of wild meat out. I allways tell them not a dang thing but no one beleves me[some of them are standing there when I cut the meat up]

If you want good meat to eat here is a few thing I think make a big dif on tast.

1st kill a young animal.

2 DO NOT kill a big buck in full rut and think he should tast good. He has been running around not eating for DAYS,

3rd Do not let the guts set in your deer for HOURS. If you bow shoot a deer and leave it for 4 hours in the heat,How can you think it would be good.Sure wouldnt leave a TBone out there for hours.

4thWhen you get to the animal gut it 1st.All the picks and jumping around can be done after he is cooling.

5thAfter guting the deer take the time to cleen ALL the guts and Crap out of the animal.Leeve a pile of **** in him and he will tast like it :}

6th Close the rib cage up if you have to drag the deer for miles.Use rope around it. This keeps all the dirt/grime out.You will never see any one drag there TBone in the dirt.

I do a ton of prossesing for friends and public. You would not beleave some of the crap they do with there meat.It is just like any meat out there treat it as A steak and not a dead deer it will tast like steak.To me all this is just comonsence.I just cant beleve some of the things I see. Than they wonder why the deer tast so bad.

Charles Bradford

WARedBear

A friend and I ended up with an elk and a bear after a hunt here in Spokane. We had to travel three hours back home in Leavenworth. We stopped by the store and bought a cart full of ice and back both carcasses full. We hung them in his garage for three days. We then spent the next three or four days processing the meat. Jim told me to remove all of the fat and skew as possible. It takes more time but you won't regret it when you eat it. He said that was where the "gamey" was at. So we sat there at the picnic table and removed all we could. My wife had never had elk or bear before. She was kind of hesitant. Elk became her favorite wild game meat...until she had some of the bear...now that is her favorite.

cardeer

Killed at 7am in the freezer by 7 pm here.What wild taste ?????????

uncle matt

I will tell you these things, this one time.

The silver skin will give a bad taste. Best way to get it off your butcherings is to trim neatly with a VERY sharp knife. Flexible blades like a fillet knife work great.

Animals body temp should continue to go down, no matter how slightly, constantly, til well "refrigerated".

Getting and keeping the meat clean of urine or fecal matter. This is important because these things will contact the hind roast meat (not good). I like to rinse body cavity with water.

I don't hang (age) my meat more than a day. I have never had anyone even mention any gamey taste - ever. In fact I pride myself on converting folks who think venison is gamey cause of some shoe leather "Uncle Joe" once threw on their plate. (But I'm going to try and stop converting these types of folks cause they have started to get too demanding......"Hey can you get me some roasts next year? Got any deer you can put over this way?......)

SSgt.Bill Page

I hunt near Jonesville SC, I get the guts out and get the animal in the cooler or on iceassoon as possible. I'm a firm believer in getting the blood and fat out of the meat to better its taste. Ive changed the minds ofmany "Wild-Meats Virgins" as to the Gamy taste ofwild meats and keeping them coming back for more.I have been hanging and processing my own meat for about 10 years. I learned From an old country butcher who was in business for over 60+ years. I prefer to hang my animals with the skin still on. This keeps the meat clean andacts as an insulator. (The skin keeps the animal warm while he his alive and helps it stay cool once you've got him hung up.) The skin alsoacts an air tight wrapper preventing the meat from darkening and drying out. I generally hang my animalsby the neck or by tyeing a rope around the base of the rack. Hanging the animal hams down allows anyblood and bloody water to drain from theabdominal cavitythrough the opening at the ass end. (Its the Blood and bloody water that speeds the spoilage of meat.) I also cut the legs off at the knee or hock joint to allow blood to drain from the large muscle groups.I hang the animalfor 7 to 8 days at a controlled temperaturearound 45 degrees. ( Many sides of BEEF hang for several months to age forPRIME meat.)This temperature allows the SAFE bacteria to grow thus tenderizing and adding flavor to the meat. Around day 4 or 5 you will see the formation of a Grey mold on the exposed areas of the hams by the abdominal cavity. This is NOT a sign of spoilage it justgrows from being exposed to Air and high humidity. (This is the same mold that forms on Country Ham and chesses.) You just wash it off when you butcher your meat.By hanging the animal this way you will notice aconsiderable lack of blood and mess while butchering. Your meat will also cut allot easier and neater using this method. Not to mention that skinning is just a matter of cut and pull. NOTE: You'll need to remove the "Inner loins" prior to hanging, they will be exposedto the air and will dry out quickly. There is allot of discussion personalopinionabout Temperature and and hang time.This is the system that works for me. Ive been doing it this way for along time, no one has died and many people have commented that my deer doesn't have a "Gamy" Taste.This method is mainly for deer, if you don't have access to a large cooler you may want to invest in a couple of used refrigerators and quarter you meat to hang.This is all done in the pursuit of delicious wild proteins. Good luck in your future hunts and continue being a bringer of meat.

manuman

I truly believe the gamey taste comes from adrenaline. When I gun hunt, I always aim where the neck and shoulder comes together to drop them instantly. I do notice a difference in the meat of bow kills that run some distance.There would be adrenaline in a deer running and none when one is dropped in its tracks, that literally does not hear the gun go off. By that, I mean that a bullet travels much faster than the speed of sound, so it actually kills the deer before he hears a thing. No sound, no fear, no a drenaline. It's my theory anyway!

WVCritter

I agree that the meat must be taken care of properly. I always field dress and skin the deer ASAP. I usually let it chill out for at least 1 day if the weather is permitting. If not then I have a refrigerator in the garage I use to chill the meat. I ALWAYS bone my deer out and trim off the silver skin and fat before vacum packing.

willtill

I concur with your theory. I'm a firm believer that adrenaline does taint the meat. You must kill the deer in such a manner that it is not "spooked" by the act of an arrow passing through it. Sure, it feels discomfort and is quite surprised; as long as the deer doesn't associate YOU with the discomfort, it won't squirt those adrenal fluids into it's bloodstream; destined for the muscles that we eat.

Kindest regards,

-Will in Maryland