Big bucks don’t taste good

[Kraftd]

Aging definitely makes for better meat. Doesn’t mean I aged meat is bad, just that aging is better.

Also, I do a lot of post thaw aging for cuts and that works almost as well as just letting the whole deer hang.

Ryan the hind quarter muscle groups all have different functions. Some get used more or for different movements, some less. That’s a big part of the difference In texture/tenderness. Not the more used groups may not be quite as tender but also tend to be more flavorful because of some of the things you mentioned.

There was a meateater podcast earlier this year with a meat expert that goes really deep I to all of this stuff that was great. Don’t remember which number.

[MichiganMike]

I dont notice a difference in taste, but a lot of the older deer I've shot have more fatty tissue and membrane in the meat. butchering is a little more challenging as you dont get as tender of cuts you would get on a young deer. But to me- I dont really tell a big taste differnce.

[Hawthorne]

I shot a 1.5 year old buck last year. First one in a long time. I did tell someone it was the best eating deer I’ve had in awhile. Not an excuse for shooting a small buck just my observation. I could of shot many 1.5s this year. Lol

[Jackson Marsh]

Nobody here talking about aging their deer?! Man it makes a massive difference. For me I ideally want them to get passed rigor mortis for sure. That usually takes a good 24 hours in cooler weather. After that if I have ideal hanging temps (high 30s, low 40s) I’m happy to leave them hanging in my shop for a week.

I can absolutely notice a difference in tenderness and taste between an aged and properly cared for deer and one that was butchered right away.

I feel it makes a difference as well. Too many people are worried about it spoiling. Next day butchering should be considered a crime!

I shot my buck Sunday morning. Temps were around 50 Monday and will be again today. Sunday and Tuesday were more desirable… 40ish for a high. I’d like to let him hang longer but will butcher tonight since the temps were a hair higher than I’d like.

This years buck was butchered at the kill site. Tastes good so far

[WIswampdweller20]

Nobody here talking about aging their deer?! Man it makes a massive difference. For me I ideally want them to get passed rigor mortis for sure. That usually takes a good 24 hours in cooler weather. After that if I have ideal hanging temps (high 30s, low 40s) I’m happy to leave them hanging in my shop for a week.

I can absolutely notice a difference in tenderness and taste between an aged and properly cared for deer and one that was butchered right away.

I feel it makes a difference as well. Too many people are worried about it spoiling. Next day butchering should be considered a crime!



I shot my buck Sunday morning. Temps were around 50 Monday and will be again today. Sunday and Tuesday were more desirable… 40ish for a high. I’d like to let him hang longer but will butcher tonight since the temps were a hair higher than I’d like.

This years buck was butchered at the kill site. Tastes good so far

I mean…why? Or maybe you get deer in your back yard too?

[Jackson Marsh]

Nobody here talking about aging their deer?! Man it makes a massive difference. For me I ideally want them to get passed rigor mortis for sure. That usually takes a good 24 hours in cooler weather. After that if I have ideal hanging temps (high 30s, low 40s) I’m happy to leave them hanging in my shop for a week.

I can absolutely notice a difference in tenderness and taste between an aged and properly cared for deer and one that was butchered right away.

I feel it makes a difference as well. Too many people are worried about it spoiling. Next day butchering should be considered a crime!



I shot my buck Sunday morning. Temps were around 50 Monday and will be again today. Sunday and Tuesday were more desirable… 40ish for a high. I’d like to let him hang longer but will butcher tonight since the temps were a hair higher than I’d like.

This years buck was butchered at the kill site. Tastes good so far

I mean…why? Or maybe you get deer in your back yard too?

I was by myself and think it's way easier to pack them out when hunting solo.

20211021_120520.jpg

[WIswampdweller20]

Nobody here talking about aging their deer?! Man it makes a massive difference. For me I ideally want them to get passed rigor mortis for sure. That usually takes a good 24 hours in cooler weather. After that if I have ideal hanging temps (high 30s, low 40s) I’m happy to leave them hanging in my shop for a week.

I can absolutely notice a difference in tenderness and taste between an aged and properly cared for deer and one that was butchered right away.

I feel it makes a difference as well. Too many people are worried about it spoiling. Next day butchering should be considered a crime!



I shot my buck Sunday morning. Temps were around 50 Monday and will be again today. Sunday and Tuesday were more desirable… 40ish for a high. I’d like to let him hang longer but will butcher tonight since the temps were a hair higher than I’d like.

This years buck was butchered at the kill site. Tastes good so far

I mean…why? Or maybe you get deer in your back yard too?

I was by myself and think it's way easier to pack them out when hunting solo.

20211021_120520.jpg

That’s a good buck! Congrats! You don’t have to cut steaks when you pack em out though…just sayin

[DEERSLAYER]

Lies! Man alive am I tired of hearing that big buck meat is garbage. I have had good steak off an ancient MULE DEER buck. Does it taste the same as a whitetail? No. I can tell the difference. Is a big whitetail buck as tender as a fawn or yearling doe? No it’s not. But it’s still very good.

I don’t know what these people are doing with their buck meat but I have never had a problem. I compare it to someone turning down a ribeye because it didn’t grade prime

Anyone else feel this way? People say “but… I need meat!” Then shoot a deer that provides half the meat a bigger deer will. An average 160-170 lb two year old buck will give you pretty close to twice the yield of an average doe. But they don’t want it because it doesn’t taste as good?

I have shots bucks as old as 6-7 years old & I bet you would have to put the steaks side by side to maybe tell the difference. Granted, my oldest bucks have been corn fed, but I really don't see any truth to the old, tough, testosterone filled old buck doesn't taste good argument. If you are a meat hunter you should want all the meat a mature buck will provide instead of the little sack of meat a yearling produces.

I also don't gut my deer & then drag it through stinky swamp water though either. The sooner I can get it cooled down & in the freezer the better I like it too. And so do the people I have cooked it for. Including some that said they didn't like the taste of venison until they had mine.

I also don't buy the "I need the meat" argument either. At least not in the vast majority of cases. People say they "need" the meat but routinely spend more on hunting than the money the meat saves them and/or they have money for alcohol, drugs, cigarettes', going to the bar, racing motorcycle's or cars, eating out regularly, & the list goes on. There are very few hunters out there that genuinely "need" the meat.

[WIswampdweller20]

Lies! Man alive am I tired of hearing that big buck meat is garbage. I have had good steak off an ancient MULE DEER buck. Does it taste the same as a whitetail? No. I can tell the difference. Is a big whitetail buck as tender as a fawn or yearling doe? No it’s not. But it’s still very good.

I don’t know what these people are doing with their buck meat but I have never had a problem. I compare it to someone turning down a ribeye because it didn’t grade prime

Anyone else feel this way? People say “but… I need meat!” Then shoot a deer that provides half the meat a bigger deer will. An average 160-170 lb two year old buck will give you pretty close to twice the yield of an average doe. But they don’t want it because it doesn’t taste as good?

I have shots bucks as old as 6-7 years old & I bet you would have to put the steaks side by side to maybe tell the difference. Granted, my oldest bucks have been corn fed, but I really don't see any truth to the old, tough, testosterone filled old buck doesn't taste good argument. If you are a meat hunter you should want all the meat a mature buck will provide instead of the little sack of meat a yearling produces.

I also don't gut my deer & then drag it through stinky swamp water though either. The sooner I can get it cooled down & in the freezer the better I like it too. And so do the people I have cooked it for. Including some that said they didn't like the taste of venison until they had mine.

I also don't buy the "I need the meat" argument either. At least not in the vast majority of cases. People say they "need" the meat but routinely spend more on hunting than the money the meat saves them and/or they have money for alcohol, drugs, cigarettes', going to the bar, racing motorcycle's or cars, eating out regularly, & the list goes on. There are very few hunters out there that genuinely "need" the meat.

No swamp water?!? Bruh…you don’t know what your missing! I keep a spray bottle by the grill! Seriously though, a carcass is more waterproof than you seem to think- and freezing a fresh kill too soon is something I have to beg to differ on.

[Deerkins]

I killed a 7.5+ last year, and it was the best tasting deer I’ve ever had. He was full of wintergreen. Not sure if that had anything to do with it.

[Uncle Lou]

Great topic. I am a field to table person myself, shoot a lot of does and smaller bucks. I used to be a big advocate of hanging as long as I can, 2-3 weeks. This year all three does that I shot got a great first chill, then weather warmed so I cut right away, within about three days. All have been good.

For me I always have a vision in my head of where they were and what they were eating. Shot some does in the UP several years back under an apple tree, everytime I ate those I think I had it in my head that they were sweeter tasting. Love venison, definitely don't need the meat, but definitely enjoy having something that I took out of the field. Just feels a little more natural to get your own meat. I don't grow a garden, but fresh out of the garden is probably a mentality as well, and likely less chemicals.

[greenhorndave]

My deer tasted spectacular this year and I had them in the cooler within 30 minutes of getting them to the truck. I think they sat one or two days in the cooler before I got the chops. Best I ever tasted. Maybe it would have been better aged, but I’ve had aged stuff that was nowhere near as good, so I’m not sold on it.

[gsquared23]

I much prefer eating a fawn over an adult doe or buck, but they are all good. Just like with any meat, proper cooling, handling, butchering and AGING especially are very important, but especially with adult animals. Every steak you buy at a high end restaurant has been aged a few weeks. It’s a critical component of maximizing the flavor and tenderness of any cut. So butchering an adult deer on the same day of harvest is a huge mistake; less critical with fawns.

[upwind predator]

Iv never noticed a difference in taste yet in older bucks. I heard thru the grapevine this year a ex buddy of mine shot a big one during gun season and caped it and threw the rest of the deer away cause it was apparently no good cause of the bucks age. Got a pic sent to me from another guy of it. Deer looked to be 6yrs old Instantly angered me cause all that meat went to waste.

[Lockdown]

Iv never noticed a difference in taste yet in older bucks. I heard thru the grapevine this year a ex buddy of mine shot a big one during gun season and caped it and threw the rest of the deer away cause it was apparently no good cause of the bucks age. Got a pic sent to me from another guy of it. Deer looked to be 6yrs old Instantly angered me cause all that meat went to waste.

What an idiot. You could at least grind it or make jerky…