thundermug

I will give Howler a thumbs up! The most gamey tastes will come from sawing thru the bone. Anyone who does not beleive this should try it sometime.
Silver skin will detract from meat, too.
Clint... I beleive what you are refering to are the tarsal glands and can definately affect the meat.

rhetoric

Clint, I cut off that gland. Right at the backwards "knee," on the inside of the leg is a tuft of hair about 3 inches in circumference that hides a gland. And, if the guy who told me is shooting straight, the deer also pee on this gland to intensify the scent. I was told (buy a fellow hunter and a video) to cut this tuft off completely with a separate knife and a special gland glove (to hold the tuft). It does reek big-time so it can't help the meet should it make contact, but I've seen boat loads of hunters ignore it when dressing a deer. As for me and my house, we cut it off.

Funny how ideosyncratic gutting, dressing, butchering is. Everybody is sure they do it the right way and everybody does it different. Reminds me of a story... a newlywed was preparing her first Sunday dinner and she cut off the end of the ham. Her husband asked her why and after a dozen "that's the way it's done" replies finally got her to admit she had no idea -- just the way her mother did it. So he called his mother in law and got the same response so he called his Grandmother in law and she said she cut off the end cause her roaster was too small.

I will say, however, it's the fat. Sometime grill a hunk of meat w/ a hunk of fat on it. Eat the meat and it should be good. Then eat the fat and it will be nasty. Beef fat is good. Venison fat is nasty. That's why you should skin right way and get the fat off -- even if you let it hand for a long time. The longer that fat is in contact with the meat...

badshotbob

Guy's wife I know (who is a GREAT cook) boils the meat and scoops off all white foam, then grills. It is good cold! They of course strip all fat and silver skin too, but that was the best venison I've had in quite some time.

Tree climber

the most important thing in getting the gamey taste out is in the way you handle the animal after the shot.

no matter how old the animal is,if you treat it bad it will taste bad.never touch the glands and then the meat,same with the blader and guts.the more you handle the inter parts and then the meat the worst the taste.

the tarsel glands on the legs are the worst,but they are several others that will mess up the meat also.always avoid contacting theoutside of the skin with the meat.

I alway keep the water running and wash my knife and hands at every move.never use the same knife to cut the glands or to gut with unless you wash it very good.

you would not want to go to the bath room and take a pee and get it on your hands and then go eat a sandwich without washing your hands.[]

skeeter 7MM

Tree climber funny my buddy who is a butcher has said to guys who use the old my wife line "My wife don't like wild meat much" His response "she wouldn't like beef/steak if we treated it like you treat your wild meat either"!!!

atlasman

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.

GroundHunter

If you don't want or desire a gamey taste, then don't shoot it or eat it. Just run down to your corner store and by some beef.....

Jeeeeeezzzzzzzzz.........That's the best part about eating an animal you have killed (gamey).

Marinate to your liking, but it will always have that "gamey" tastee that I desire...

skeeter 7MM

I agree GH, but there is a difference between "Gamey" and the natural wild flavor...I think that what we are eluding to here. My suggestions are to get the best quality of meat not to remove the natural flavor of the meat. I believe this is the intend of everyone who posted on this subject. Chewing on silver skin or a hunk of talc don't do it for me, I would much rather savor the flavor of nice piece of meat any day.

If I want beef I'll eat beef, but you can still ensure that your wild meat is top quality by taking a few simple steps...thus making it more appealing to all who munch on the offering.

Merinades can mask but they can also enhance the flavor, it really depends on the people who are eating it what is the best way..not everybody likes the flavor I serve it to straight up. Personally I prefer spiced up beef too and rarely eat a steak without some sort of spice on it.

Coastie

Ground Hunter and Skeeter, I have to agree with both of you. If I want something that tastes like beef, I'll buy beef. I have been told that the first solid food I ate was Venison and I've been loving it ever since. I can honestly say I have never tasted anything "Gamey" about venison or any other wild meat, I really don't know what the heck people are talking about when they refer to it as being "Gamey"

Ed McDonald

I think the gamey taste is partially caused by Adrenaline. The deer that drop in their tracks don't seem to have that "strong taste" whereas the deer that run after the shot do have it. Just an opinion .