Stank rutting Mule Deer bucks...
- Thread starter 1899
- Start date
I've always try to take my deer as early as possible, but I have shot one mule deer years ago in November on the camp Wainwright but that was very good eating, just a fork horn though, not a big ol' rutted up warrior!
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The stinky Buck I mentioned earlier, I skinned out the lower hind legs, drug him downhill to the FSR, got a neighbour to help me load him whole, he said "that's as big as the Cow Elk I got". Took him home, hung him up, skinned and gutted. Took him to the old Butcher (who'd been a Butcher for 50 years), he said "Holy Smokes" and went and got his camera.
No, he wasn't as big as a Cow Elk, but he was big, and stinky, and was excellent eating. Shot him November 6. It was also one of my easiest hunts, got him 20 minutes after leaving my truck.
No, he wasn't as big as a Cow Elk, but he was big, and stinky, and was excellent eating. Shot him November 6. It was also one of my easiest hunts, got him 20 minutes after leaving my truck.
fingers284
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- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
My own experience...If I have a "mid heavy rut" 200" Whity or Mule in range & a smaller younger buck beside them Im shooting the 200 incher for the meat ( both for size & quality) every time.
The thing with me tho, is that if I cant process that animal within 2 hours I wont pull the trigger. Ive learnt years ago that for "beef quality venison" from the big ol' boys, you have to skin, bone and completely trim every ounce ( every ounce, not just "most of it") of fat from the meat immediately.
I have never had a bad experience with any age of animal since I started to stick to that regiment every time.
The thing with me tho, is that if I cant process that animal within 2 hours I wont pull the trigger. Ive learnt years ago that for "beef quality venison" from the big ol' boys, you have to skin, bone and completely trim every ounce ( every ounce, not just "most of it") of fat from the meat immediately.
I have never had a bad experience with any age of animal since I started to stick to that regiment every time.
like others have said, handling and skinning/field dressing practices are key , though i am sure there are animals out there that for whatever reason, just don't taste that great. Like the one calf moose I took years ago in an open season up in bc 7-28 near witch mountain. Ya figure a big calf moose would taste awesome...... but no and the texture, while veal like, had this grainy wierdness too it. Decided I wouldn't be hunting calf moose again after that experience.
The biggest deer I've taken was a monster bodied 4pt mulie in the rut on rememberance day in 2006, taken while doing a 5k walk and stalk. Took him during last shooting light, 3k from the truck. There was lots of room for error field dressing that beast , he was greasy all down his neck and chest and his rear legs were stinky and greasy too. I had to break him down into packable chunks to get him back to the truck in the dark LOL. I took a lantern with me on the way back from the first trip to the truck and had all the other stuff in my day pack, game bags, gloves, multiple knives, ect. one knife to skin the rear legs starting well above the glands, 2nd knife to do the gutting, Caping knife to remove all the rest of the hide, with a fresh pair of gloves for each knife. That buck tasted fantastic. I don't really think i have ever had a bad or off tasting deer in my freezer , not that i can remember. I have a bit of OCD with my methods so maybe that's why hehe
The biggest deer I've taken was a monster bodied 4pt mulie in the rut on rememberance day in 2006, taken while doing a 5k walk and stalk. Took him during last shooting light, 3k from the truck. There was lots of room for error field dressing that beast , he was greasy all down his neck and chest and his rear legs were stinky and greasy too. I had to break him down into packable chunks to get him back to the truck in the dark LOL. I took a lantern with me on the way back from the first trip to the truck and had all the other stuff in my day pack, game bags, gloves, multiple knives, ect. one knife to skin the rear legs starting well above the glands, 2nd knife to do the gutting, Caping knife to remove all the rest of the hide, with a fresh pair of gloves for each knife. That buck tasted fantastic. I don't really think i have ever had a bad or off tasting deer in my freezer , not that i can remember. I have a bit of OCD with my methods so maybe that's why hehe
