Wondering how mule deer taste.
- Thread starter captonion
- Start date
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
Pronghorn is excellent , mulie , get 'em early 
before the rut 
before the rut 
I can't tell the difference between muley and whitetail meat.......
Antelope Ive had in a stew and I liked it. Id like to have it again but I havent shot one for years........
Maybe someone wants to do a roast trade......? Moose for antelope? 2 moose roasts for 1 antelope roast...? Let me know.
Antelope Ive had in a stew and I liked it. Id like to have it again but I havent shot one for years........
Maybe someone wants to do a roast trade......? Moose for antelope? 2 moose roasts for 1 antelope roast...? Let me know.
That is kinda subjective. In our home, there is one rule - I cook all meat, and that means BBQ, NOT stove top. My wife marinates the meat in her most secret marinade for 24 hours before I grill. Anyhow, this pretty well takes care of the gamey taste. So, as far as I can tell you, mulie nor whitetail come out gamey. Gamey tastes IMHO usually are a result of other circumstances such as improper field dressing etc. But on the whole, I'd say mulie is just as yummy as WT. As far as the antelope goes, the one (and only one) that I've eaten tasted like I might as well have been grazing on sage brush. But then again, I've talked to people who claim it's the best they've had. Oh, just so I don't hijack your thread, let me know if you want me to post my wife's "most secret" marinade so everyone else can have it too.
2 tbsp - lemon juice
2 tbsp - worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp - soya sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp - garlic powder (to taste)
1/2 cup of water
This will marinate approx. 2 lbs of meat. Put your meat in a ziplock bag with the marinate in the fridge for 24 hours. You can put it in frozen too, it doesn't matter. You can also use the vac-seal bags, but just seal, don't vaccum. Flip it over everyonce in a while.
2 tbsp - worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp - soya sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp - garlic powder (to taste)
1/2 cup of water
This will marinate approx. 2 lbs of meat. Put your meat in a ziplock bag with the marinate in the fridge for 24 hours. You can put it in frozen too, it doesn't matter. You can also use the vac-seal bags, but just seal, don't vaccum. Flip it over everyonce in a while.
On the down side, mulie has a stronger smell when raw.
And that is where the down side ends. Mulie is awesome, much better than WT. A young mulie, as good as veal.
I cooked a young mulie loin on the bbq and my buddy said it was the best piece of meat he has ever eaten.
And that is where the down side ends. Mulie is awesome, much better than WT. A young mulie, as good as veal.
I cooked a young mulie loin on the bbq and my buddy said it was the best piece of meat he has ever eaten.
- Location
- AB foothills
Habitat and diet will most certainly determine the taste of the animal. In Alberta, mountain mule deer and whitetails taste much diiferent than prarie deer.
Mountain deer are usually much tougher and have a stronger taste. They all taste good, just different.
Handling and preparing the meat can also make or break a great meal. Take care when handling the meat from the field to your home or butcher, but that is a whole other subject.
Mountain deer are usually much tougher and have a stronger taste. They all taste good, just different.
Handling and preparing the meat can also make or break a great meal. Take care when handling the meat from the field to your home or butcher, but that is a whole other subject.
While habitat and diet is a deciding factor on taste, I found that when deer are butchered, if ALL the fat is removed from the ALL the meat including the grinds, it makes a huge positive difference in the taste experience.crazy_davey said:
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- Location
- AB foothills
SuperCub said:
You are right, but like I said above a different subject. If you have ever shot an old mountain mule deer buck, you will know exactly what I meant in my above post.
Removing the fat from any wild animal is the key to a better taste experiance, but that is a given. Maybe we need to start a new post on "how you handle your meat"
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
Bone the animal , and you got something. But the key is proper aging, hang a deer with the hide on for 21 days under controlled conditions(at or 1 degree above freezing), its the best around. For most of us this is not poss. without a cooler, so close monitor of the animal , and keeping it cool for up to a week will help the change that happens to the meat.
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- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
I rarley hang meat, but take all the fat off I can.
I wash it as soon as possible, alsoo.
Proper hanndleing from gutting tto packaging is one of the keys, as is what the critter has been eating.
I have fouund no difference in my mule deer and white tails, like it all!
Cat
I wash it as soon as possible, alsoo.
Proper hanndleing from gutting tto packaging is one of the keys, as is what the critter has been eating.
I have fouund no difference in my mule deer and white tails, like it all!
Cat
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
If you wash it, its a good thing you don't hang it. Bacteria would become a problem.
. The darker the meat becomes the better it will taste I find anyway, some meat cutters may have their own opinion
Picked this up off a site, pretty much what I do. Some differences are temps, a bit colder, if poss to find a cooler.
Aging Meat: Aging meat is the practice of holding carcasses or cuts of meat at temperatures of 34 to 37 ｰF for 7 to 14 days to allow the enzymes in the meat to break down some of the complex proteins in the carcass. Aged meat is often more tender and flavorful. Do not age any game carcass if it was shot during warm weather and not chilled rapidly, if the animal was severely stressed prior to the kill, if gunshot areas are extensive, or if the animal was under 1 year of age. Aging is not recommended for carcasses with little or no fat covering because they may dry out during aging, and are more susceptible to deterioration through microbial growth. If the meat will be ground into sausage, aging is unnecessary.
Leave the hide on and maintain the proper temperature when aging a carcass. Aging game that has been skinned often results in drying and high weight loss. For this reason, properly chilled game should be aged with the hide on unless it is to be aged in a cooler where humidity is high. If you do not have the proper cooler space, spoil-age or dehydration may result.
Do not trim fat from game meat before it is aged because the fat protects the meat. However, fat should be trimmed after aging to avoid undesirable flavors associated with the fat.
Limit aging to a maximum of two weeks at 34 to 37 ｰF. At this point tenderization slows down, and bacterial slime develops which then must be trimmed.
Cold shortening, which causes meat to be tough, occurs if the internal muscle temperature drops to 32 ｰF within 12 hours after the kill, such as if carcasses under 100 pounds are slaughtered when the temperature is below freezing. Frozen carcasses should be thawed and aged at 34 ｰF for 14 days
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One other thing that I find effects the taste is how stressed the animal is at death either run hard before hand or a mucked-up shot and long tracking job. Some of the worst deer I have had was from the days we used to do deer drives.
I don't hang meat all that long but it usually ends up being a couple of days before the deer is butchered. The de-boning and stripping the fat along with proper field handling will get the most out of any animal
Mulie doe is one of my favorite meat tags (a young mulie doe is still pretty big), but in general I find it hard to tell them apart. Though mulie buck seem to get a little tougher but it still tastes good.
The one antelop I had was fantastic, but I do hear it is realy variable. Then again they do get run really hard though the season.
I don't hang meat all that long but it usually ends up being a couple of days before the deer is butchered. The de-boning and stripping the fat along with proper field handling will get the most out of any animal
Mulie doe is one of my favorite meat tags (a young mulie doe is still pretty big), but in general I find it hard to tell them apart. Though mulie buck seem to get a little tougher but it still tastes good.
The one antelop I had was fantastic, but I do hear it is realy variable. Then again they do get run really hard though the season.
