Mule Deer vs. Whitetail Flavor

[BigMiss]

We got this year's bucks cooled down ice cold ASAP. The backstraps smell great, the hams/neck smell terrible. We really focused on clean meat handling. No hair on meat, clean gloves on meat etc. I will be curious to see how they taste!

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

For years now I've been "wet aging." I cut my deer up then either wrap tight in saran wrap, or vac seal then toss in the fridge for 7 days. I don't have a way to regulate temps outside of my fridge, so hanging is not an option. This process came to me from a good friend who has been a butcher for the better part of 25 years, and I've been pleased with the results.

This is what I’ve done in warm hunt climates like California and Arizona for years.

We get the quarters and meat on ice, if we have time we de-bone. Then, when back home, we process it all, vacuum seal it, and into the fridge for a week or so.

Usually have a couple steaks and then the rest goes into the freezer. Works fantastic.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

We compared our WTD vs Mule deer. Both forested public land with some sage. Tenderloins, cooked same time, exactly the same way, same temperature. Both were field dressed, on ice asap, we process our own animals.
I would explain it like this. The base venison flavor is the same IMO. The mule deer meat had a few extra shakes of venison flavor.

 

[Huntnnw]

Killed lots of muleys in all sorts of country and never had a bad one or this term "sagey" in my life. I can say that a early september whitetail deer killed in ag fields and orchards is by far better.

 

[TradLife406]

My mountain mulie this year tastes ok. But the straps were shoe leather. Rest of him went into hamburger.

 

[Mike Dettorre]

Package to package difference out of the same deer is odd. I struggle that the variability in temperature pockets in the cooler would have a noticeable difference. Was there a big difference form the first quarters getting on ice to the last quarters?

 

[BigMiss]

Package to package difference out of the same deer is odd. I struggle that the variability in temperature pockets in the cooler would have a noticeable difference. Was there a big difference form the first quarters getting on ice to the last quarters?

Couldn't tell you at this point, I cannot remember how I packed the cooler. This year's buck's straps are great, but the hams smelled rutty as all getout. He was turned into sticks and sausage.

 

[MarkOrtiz]

I have never had a difference in taste from cut to cut on the same animal. I always age in a cooler on ice for 5-7 days and even my sage brush bucks have no "sage" flavor. Maybe just some of the meat didn't cool as fast or similar in order to get a different flavor in one cut. Is it sage flavor, iron flavor (blood), or on the verge of spoiling? how did it smell?

 

[LongWayAround]

It sounds like your meat handling was very diligent. I'm betting it just got a little bit "seasoned" while skinning in the field. Differential cooling while on ice in the cooler may have also contributed.

Personally, at 40° I'm probably leaving it outside of a cooler for awhile. You'll get plenty of passive heat loss and won't be melting ice with the meat warmth.

I'm pretty OCD about my meat trimming and still get some that taste a little funny. Maybe not bad, but something noticeable.

 

[BigMiss]

I have never had a difference in taste from cut to cut on the same animal. I always age in a cooler on ice for 5-7 days and even my sage brush bucks have no "sage" flavor. Maybe just some of the meat didn't cool as fast or similar in order to get a different flavor in one cut. Is it sage flavor, iron flavor (blood), or on the verge of spoiling? how did it smell?

Smelled like a rutted up mule deer buck lol. You know how in the evening when the thermals pull down into those shaded draws you can smell the deer in there before you see them? Thats how the hams smelled. I think we have some learning to do on keeping the hide-touching hands off of our meat. I would agree with LongWayAround, we must have seasoned it in the field. The backstraps and tenderloins don't require much hand work at all (not holding the legs up to cut around the ball joint or trying to keep them out of the dirt) so I am guessing that is why they taste better. No worries, I've canned/ground the rest and have brats, sausage, and sticks, plus whitetail for my whole muscle roasts.