Meat Taste from Rut??

[RockAndSage]

I've seen or heard a few people here and there say that mule deer venison taken during the rut "isn't any good"... can anyone share a little compare and contrast between it and muley venison taken at other times of the year?

If there is much truth to this, does anyone have any tips on how to prepare it that can make a difference?

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Never had that problem. Have killed dozens during the rut.

 

[WCB]

I've killed Deer from August through January. Mule Deer and Whitetails....ZERO difference. I would lay money down on anyone being able to tell the difference of when the deer was shot. Same with Antelope. Everybody always says Antelope during the rut taste horrible etc. Again killed and ate a bunch. Antelope properly handled and on ice quick ZERO difference.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

I've seen or heard a few people here and there say that mule deer venison taken during the rut "isn't any good"... can anyone share a little compare and contrast between it and muley venison taken at other times of the year?

If there is much truth to this, does anyone have any tips on how to prepare it that can make a difference?

Eaten whitetail all my life. Loved every bite. Took a 5.5 yr old mule deer buck this year & every tiny bit of fat on him had the most bitter sage/cat piss flavor. I took the whole damn thing to a Midwest butcher & will be getting back mostly whitetail meat (they grind everything in big batches) in return. I kept like 5 steaks from him that I will be eating happily, even if it’s bad loved my hunt more than anything & would do it again just as fast. But it was not good food.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

About 1-2 weeks into the rut

 

[RockAndSage]

I've never hunted whitetail, and every mulie I've ever had has been non-rut. But one tip I can provide is that it's absolutely critical to remove every speck of fat, and ensure absolutely no bone shards/dust or hair is allowed to sit on that meat. It creates the flavor you're talking about, and what I've heard some people call the "gamey" taste. It really does taint the meat. This is actually why I don't have a game processor or local butcher do anything with my mule deer - it seems to be uncommon knowledge even here in mule deer country, and it will also be more labor intensive. But in my experience, you do have to be that nit-picky with fat, hair, and bone fragment with mule deer venison, if you want the best tasting meat.

This is actually part of what I've been wondering about when I've heard people talking about the rut making the meat taste bad. Like maybe that taste from mulie fat was somehow tainting the meat more thoroughly, from burning it while rutting around. I'm very happy to see some Roksliders saying it doesn't make a difference at all.

 

[isItFallYet]

I’ve never witnessed deer drink urine, but evidently it happens.

 

[journeyman713]

I doubt the rut has any affect on the taste of the deer. At least it does not with whitetails I’ve taken, normally during the rut each year. Occasionally, non-rut bucks and Does are taken as well. Almost impossible to tell the difference.

Have noticed a difference in other variables, such as a non-quick kill, habitat there were taken in, and improperly handling.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Every time someone tells me their meat is gamey I can almost always dice it down to bad field processing. Either they didn't get the meat cooled quick enough, or (especially during rut) touched scent glands/patches on the inner hocks and then handled their meat. I now have 3 rules of thumb that have yielded nothing but fantastic results on many mule deer and also a few bulls. Obviously first and foremost try to make a lethal and ethical first shot, then -

1. Gutless method, skin immediately and get the meat cooling. It spoils from the bone out so if I'm in hot weather with no shade or creek bottoms, it gets boned out and hung in game bags in makeshift shade.
2. Don't touch the freakin scent glands.
3. Don't cut it up for 72hrs minimum. Anymore I hang it in a fridge for a week so it's guaranteed to be relaxed from rigor, I cut a bull up too fast once and the taste was fine but steaks were tough. Learned the hard way.

 

[ckleeves]

I’ll be the odd man out and say there is a big difference. I’m not going to directly say it’s the rut, I just know that there is a HUGE difference from a September archery season buck taken above timberline to one taken in the same unit in November. That’s from dozens of samples, not one or two.

September mule deer is one of my favorite game meats, I would put it up there with antelope and take it over elk. November mulie is my least favorite. You can even smell the difference in the uncooked meat.

As far as the field and final processing I’m way more careful with rifle mulies because I know what I’m getting into. Archery deer usually have about a 2” fat cap on them and although I cut it off while processing it doesn’t affect flavor at all if a little gets in the meat/grind.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Around my way, rule of thumb is more to do with what they are eating. Sage Mulies-no good. Mtn Mulies good.

 

[ckleeves]

I’m sure diet has something to do with it. But I have also seen some rank mulie bucks come out of corn/alfalfa and aspen/timber with no sage within 2k feet of elevation. Antelope spend their entire lives in the sage and are freaking delicious so I don’t know?

When you walk up to a dead buck and you can smell your way to him with your eyes closed you know you’re gonna need a double dose of sausage seasoning!

 

[RockAndSage]

Every time someone tells me their meat is gamey I can almost always dice it down to bad field processing. Either they didn't get the meat cooled quick enough, or (especially during rut) touched scent glands/patches on the inner hocks and then handled their meat. I now have 3 rules of thumb that have yielded nothing but fantastic results on many mule deer and also a few bulls. Obviously first and foremost try to make a lethal and ethical first shot, then -

1. Gutless method, skin immediately and get the meat cooling. It spoils from the bone out so if I'm in hot weather with no shade or creek bottoms, it gets boned out and hung in game bags in makeshift shade.
2. Don't touch the freakin scent glands.
3. Don't cut it up for 72hrs minimum. Anymore I hang it in a fridge for a week so it's guaranteed to be relaxed from rigor, I cut a bull up too fast once and the taste was fine but steaks were tough. Learned the hard way.

This is great info, thank you.

 

[Tmac]

I’ll be the odd man out and say there is a big difference. I’m not going to directly say it’s the rut, I just know that there is a HUGE difference from a September archery season buck taken above timberline to one taken in the same unit in November. That’s from dozens of samples, not one or two.

September mule deer is one of my favorite game meats, I would put it up there with antelope and take it over elk. November mulie is my least favorite. You can even smell the difference in the uncooked meat.

As far as the field and final processing I’m way more careful with rifle mulies because I know what I’m getting into. Archery deer usually have about a 2” fat cap on them and although I cut it off while processing it doesn’t affect flavor at all if a little gets in the meat/grind.

Matches my experience. We get the occasional mature fully rutted up mule deer and it’s not usually good table fare. A smaller muley not all rutted up taken on the same ranch can eat fine. Never had an issue with whitetail meat during the rut. I do know how to care for the meat, there is some rut taste some of the muley bucks get. Not all, but nearly every mature rutting muley buck I take, I can taste it. Most taken early to mid-Nov.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

Matches my experience. We get the occasional mature fully rutted up mule deer and it’s not usually good table fare. A smaller muley not all rutted up taken on the same ranch can eat fine. Never had an issue with whitetail meat during the rut. I do know how to care for the meat, there is some rut taste some of the muley bucks get. Not all, but nearly every mature rutting muley buck I take, I can taste it. Most taken early to mid-Nov.

Thank you. Mine was mid Nov, i definitely didn’t mishandle the meat. Just tasted like cat piss, too bad it was my first one so I have nothing to compare it with

 

[actionshooter]

I have killed some rutty and post rut bucks (muley) that were terrible, the trick is getting rid of ALL the fat, after that, it's not so bad.... huge difference between sept and November bucks also.

And I know how to take care of the meat....

 

[Tmac]

Thank you. Mine was mid Nov, i definitely didn’t mishandle the meat. Just tasted like cat piss, too bad it was my first one so I have nothing to compare it with

It happens to some rutting Muleys. It’s not from the fat, I’ve tried plenty of muscle meat that tasted the same. My guess is some just have more of what ever that rut stink is than others. Some hormone possibly?

 

[ProStaffSteve]

It happens to some rutting Muleys. It’s not from the fat, I’ve tried plenty of muscle meat that tasted the same. My guess is some just have more of what ever that rut stink is than others. Some hormone possibly?

Mine is certainly more in the fat than meat. But the meat has the taste too. I feel strongly, that a chemist/medical could get to the bottom of this… probably not much money in this topic though

 

[Huntinaz]

The rutting deer and elk I’ve eaten have tasted no different than any other. Keep the meat clean and cold and it’ll be good

 

[S.Clancy]

I've never noticed a difference, I love eating mule deer. The one thing you need to be careful of is to not let the glands on the hind legs touch meat. Smell is a big part of taste, so if your meat smells like those glands, they will likely have a musty "taste".