Mule Deer VS White Tail - taste differences, what's better

[Cody Lightfoot]

If I would have known, I could have given you a few steaks or something when you were out here hunting. Let me know if you're out here next year and I have some, I'll share. I live right on 550 and the deer get hammered right in front of the house, so I get a permit and cut them up! I can either smell them or eat them and I usually get 40lbs or more of perfect meat off of them. If it's bloodshot, I just leave it alone and dump it all the next morning.

 

[Jordan Budd]

I'm on the whitetail side, although I love hunting mule deer. I just have MD ground into burger and sausage. I just broke out a tenderloin last night from my high country deer this year and good lord. Still tasted about like he smelled and that was the middle of September. Seems like whitetail have a more consistent taste, and mule deer are wild cards. Soy sauce and famous daves seasoning helps it out quite a lot, haha.

 

[Mtslackcountry]

elk Never had a muley taste better than a whitetail.

 

[wyodan]

The late September mule deer I usually get are light years above the whitetail I've ever had, including the 2 I shot this year. I'm assuming it has to do with the rut on the whitetail, but I will take my mule deer anytime.

 

[maninthemaze]

I've never tried mule deer, but a doe whitetail tastes less gamey than a buck. One thing I do before the animal is taking to the processor is to soak the meat in a cooler, changing the ice/water every day. Seems to pull a lot of the blood and gamey taste out of a rutting buck.

+1 on the Dave's seasoning.

Just my 2 cents and worth the price charged.

 

[KJH]

There is a noticeable difference to me. We eat them both... often.

I prefer corn/alfalfa fed WT, and MD just doesn't t taste the same. Its not bad by any means, but it isn't the same. I assume its because of the type of food they eat.

 

[Lou (Louis)]

Menza Menza

Mezzo e mezzo

 

[jdmaxwell]

Harvest both ever year and process ourselves..
My wife and I both will take mule deer ever time over whitetail. Just our taste.

 

[Rich M]

Mule deer is stronger. Ive only shot 1.

Whitetail is milder. Alfalfa, corn, acorn fed deer are great.

Antelope is mild. Sage flavor.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Overall I prefer WT but the best deer I’ve ever eaten was an August high country Muley.

 

[TFrank]

Whatever one you grew up eating the most

 

[Travis Hobbs]

As a die hard mule deer guy, that has killed around 50 mule deer in every environment imaginable…from the Mexican border all the way up into Canada, deserts and high country, ag fields, everything inbetween…..it pains me to say this.

But….

A whitetail is much better imo. Every time I grill a whitetail steak, burger, roast whatever I’m always blown away at how great they taste.

I have killed whitetail and mule deer in the exact same fields/habitat, and whitetail win, every time.

It pisses me off cause I can’t figure out why.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I have killed a lot of both but mainly in the mountains of wester montana. The worst whitetail had about 2 inches of fat on it and was tallowy/waxy. A little bit loke eating a candle.

The worst Muley was a forky my son shot and he was rank to say the least. I've killed some big old bucks that had some age on them and I couldn't tell them from the whitetail.

However there is a huge difference between a western montana muley and an eastern montana muley and I have never killed one of those.

 

[jdcareyidaho]

Whitetail has my vote. Muleys do taste good though.

 

[BugleMeTimber]

Another vote for Whitetail. Mule Deer just don't taste as good, must be the sage diet where I hunt them.

 

[Mojave]

Sitka blacktails are the best tasting American deer.

 

[Lou (Louis)]

Sitka blacktails are the best tasting American deer.

Have you had Columbia, sir? If so, how would you rate them compared to Sitka?

 

[Jon Boy]

Have you had Columbia, sir? If so, how would you rate them compared to Sitka?

I have had both. Nothing compares to an August killed sitka. Not antelope, not elk, not moose not Columbia's. Sitkas are at the top and I've had everything except caribou and coues.

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[Clarktar]

Can't beat a hoh river blacktail. Specifically the ones in the river bottom.

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[Lou (Louis)]

I have had both. Nothing compares to an August killed sitka. Not antelope, not elk, not moose not Columbia's. Sitkas are at the top and I've had everything except caribou and coues.

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I wish hunts up there were a tad cheaper
Thank you for the response!