when is the best time??
 

Ive heard a few people say that deers are better tasting in early season(bow season) than they are during the late or mid season.Now i would not know because i only hunt muzz and rifle which is mid to late season so what are your guys opions on what time of year does a deer taste the best.

RE: when is the best time??
 

I think it can matter, time of year in regards to changing diets, but what if a deer has the same diet the whole year?

RE: when is the best time??
 

To tell you the truth I've never paid much attention to the deer that we eat (as far as when it was taken when we eat it). But I would like to know if there is a difference in taste also.

RE: when is the best time??
 

I think the meat's tougher on a deer form late season.

RE: when is the best time??
 

I know that some times cattle get fed grain for a few weeks before being killed. So, I'd have to guess that if for some reason a deer were eating grain, and switched due to the season or hunting pressure to briars and such, there may be a difference.

If you're concerned about the quality of the meat you should pay attention to a few key details.
- Kill them with good clean hits.
- Clean them up quickly.
- Age the meat properly.
- Don't use venison as a substitute meat in other recipes. Get good recipes that call for venison only.
- Do not over cook venison, and serve it on a plate that has been preheated.
- Try to make only as much as you plan to eat in that sitting.
- Buy a good book on aging/butchering venison so you can read more than I'm willing to type.

Meat tastes “gamey” for a few reasons.
-under a large amount of stress before being killed, like from a poorly placed shot and a long period of time before dying, or running them.
-Sick animal.
-Animal not properly cared for after the shot/kill.
-Meat not aged properly.
-Not a good selection of meat for a given recipe.
Over cooked.
Good luck,
KP