Mule Deer vs. Whitetail Flavor

[BigMiss]

I live in the midwest. We eat anywhere from 2-3 whitetails per year. Last year, I shot my first MD buck. As I've eaten down the freezer in the past few weeks getting ready for this season, I've noticed that the flavor of my MD buck varies from package to package. I've had a number of backstrap chunks that tasted pretty sagey, but the last package I ate had zero sage/gamey flavor to it. I'm wondering if the sagey flavor I experienced in some of this deer's cuts was due to my meat handling. For reference, when I shot my buck last year it was about 40°. We got it fully quartered in about 90 minutes from the shot, and had roughly two hours packing it the 4 miles back to the truck. We drove 45min to our coolers, where it got on ice. I am wondering if the cooler was too full, which caused warm pockets to be sustained? The deer sat on ice in a cool garage for max 36 hours (including the drive back home) till I cut it up and packaged it. I've never had a cut-to-cut flavor difference in a deer before, and for the first half dozen meals we had of it, I just assumed the flavor was standard for a rutting mule deer. I've stuffed a lot of whitetail quarters in coolers with ice in the past, and am scratching my head. The deer was still great, but I am just confused by the flavor difference I've seen between packages of backstraps. Thoughts from more experienced folks?

 

[TradLife406]

Depends where the mulie was at. Sage brush mulies are gross if they never had any aug fields to feed in. But aug mulies that share the landscape with whitetails seem to taste the same as WT.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Depends on what their feeding on and how the meat is taken care of.

I've shot mulies and whitetails from the same hay field in Wyoming and they taste no different. I've shot a mule deer 2 or 3 mile away in the sage in the same area and they taste the same. I have shot mulies here in Colorado that are not around ag fields and some are great and some are a little sagey, which I don't mind.

 

[BigMiss]

This was a sage country deer. The closest field was between 3 and 4 miles from where I harvested him. I don't know enough about them to know whether they would travel there in their normal range. I thought the deer was great, I was just confused by the flavor difference between individual pieces of backstrap.

 

[robby denning]

I live in the midwest. We eat anywhere from 2-3 whitetails per year. Last year, I shot my first MD buck. As I've eaten down the freezer in the past few weeks getting ready for this season, I've noticed that the flavor of my MD buck varies from package to package. I've had a number of backstrap chunks that tasted pretty sagey, but the last package I ate had zero sage/gamey flavor to it. I'm wondering if the sagey flavor I experienced in some of this deer's cuts was due to my meat handling. For reference, when I shot my buck last year it was about 40°. We got it fully quartered in about 90 minutes from the shot, and had roughly two hours packing it the 4 miles back to the truck. We drove 45min to our coolers, where it got on ice. I am wondering if the cooler was too full, which caused warm pockets to be sustained? The deer sat on ice in a cool garage for max 36 hours (including the drive back home) till I cut it up and packaged it. I've never had a cut-to-cut flavor difference in a deer before, and for the first half dozen meals we had of it, I just assumed the flavor was standard for a rutting mule deer. I've stuffed a lot of whitetail quarters in coolers with ice in the past, and am scratching my head. The deer was still great, but I am just confused by the flavor difference I've seen between packages of backstraps. Thoughts from more experienced folks?

probably handling IMHO

But if you're not dry-aging those rutting bucks (or any buck for that matter), for 14 days (25+ better) IMHO you're not getting the best flavor and tenderness

right @VANDAL ?

 

[BigMiss]

probably handling IMHO

But if you're not dry-aging those rutting bucks (or any buck for that matter), for 14 days (25+ better) IMHO you're not getting the best flavor and tenderness

right @VANDAL ?

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.

 

[minas stiris]

I have eaten both from the same grain fields and could not tell the difference. At the same time last year I arrowhead a mule deer at 7000 ft in the pines that tastes better than a 2 y/o whitetail my daughter shot in a grain field. In general I think that any deer that is eating grain is going to taste better than one eating sage, but there are exceptions it seems.

 

[highcountrymuley]

So many variables. Mule deer early season at 10k ft eating prime feed taste way better than rutted up whitetails in Nov Missouri woods. If you don't get hair all over the different quarters it's amazing how good they all can be. Lots of people think whitetails are better than muleys- period! Not true to my taste buds

 

[HilltopHitman]

Grew up hunting whitetails in the Midwest, now live ID. It seems to be how fast, how lethal the kill was and how well you take care of it. I’ve had whitetail that were wounded and run down, taste awful. The last few mule deer I shot were very very good, but they were killed with a 215 Berger and didn’t take one step.

We hang for a few days if possible always, skin on.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

We kill both species and both are great eating. However, we don’t get many animals that feed on crops so I can’t compare to those. I read about people who have bad experiences with various game but in several decades of eating deer, elk, antelope, moose, etc…, I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad one.

 

[Laramie]

Package to package difference is a meat handling issue for the most part. Trimming also makes a difference. The gamey taste is 90% in the animals fat and connective tissues. Trimming that off completely results in very mild meat if all else is done correctly.

 

[Jtb.kfd]

I live in the midwest. We eat anywhere from 2-3 whitetails per year. Last year, I shot my first MD buck. As I've eaten down the freezer in the past few weeks getting ready for this season, I've noticed that the flavor of my MD buck varies from package to package. I've had a number of backstrap chunks that tasted pretty sagey, but the last package I ate had zero sage/gamey flavor to it. I'm wondering if the sagey flavor I experienced in some of this deer's cuts was due to my meat handling. For reference, when I shot my buck last year it was about 40°. We got it fully quartered in about 90 minutes from the shot, and had roughly two hours packing it the 4 miles back to the truck. We drove 45min to our coolers, where it got on ice. I am wondering if the cooler was too full, which caused warm pockets to be sustained? The deer sat on ice in a cool garage for max 36 hours (including the drive back home) till I cut it up and packaged it. I've never had a cut-to-cut flavor difference in a deer before, and for the first half dozen meals we had of it, I just assumed the flavor was standard for a rutting mule deer. I've stuffed a lot of whitetail quarters in coolers with ice in the past, and am scratching my head. The deer was still great, but I am just confused by the flavor difference I've seen between packages of backstraps. Thoughts from more

I have had this with a bear years ago with some roasts taking strong/gamey and others tasting great. Normally we leave all the fat that is mottled through the meat on bears. This particular bear had a different color mottled fat than we normally saw. The outer sheet fat was white and tasted normal. This bear was in the rut and fat in the meat is what made for the gamey taste. I have heard that fat mottled in the meat is there all year and plays a major role in regulating hormone production, therefore it can taste different for an animal in the rut. I am wondering if your deer had some of this fat in some cuts and not others? On elk and deer we take every bit of fat off we can and maybe you did the same?

 

[waspocrew]

Personally, my tastebuds prefer whitetail over mule deer. That being said, most of the whitetail I shoot have been eating in our alfalfa fields.

 

[Laramie]

To add, I keep several gallon zip locks in my pack for back straps, tenders, and sirloins. I trim them in the field before packing and then wet age in the fridge. That keeps them from having any dry loss and it keeps them perfectly clean.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

My property was surrounded by soy beans last year. The WT I killed were the best I ever ate. Very plump too.

 

[BigMiss]

Well after reading all of your responses, I've settled on meat handling mistakes. The only thing I can think of that would have caused any issue in my handling is having meat on meat contact in the cooler and the quarters staying warmer than ideal for too long. Again, this deer has been great overall. I am meticulous about my trimming during butchering, and keeping hair/dirt/etc. off the meat in the field. This year if I am successful I will make sure I get the meat cooled consistently and thoroughly. It likely would have helped had I hung the quarters in the 40 degree weather for a couple hours before tossing them in a cooler with ice.