What is the best tasting deer species

[tonyf3]

My wife and girls prefer elk, then whitetail so i always try to get a doe or cow tag.
My wife gets ****ed at me if I shoot a mule deer, especially during the rut.

I have eaten some tastey mule deer when i was hunting in Oregon years ago but those deer had access to crops. If I'm hunting the last week in Califonia or in MT its a gamble . I shot a good sized rutting buck on the last day of the Ca season that tasted like the meat sat in a barrel of salt and heavy pepper. It was so awful I made it into jerky and left out the pepper in the recipe. It wasn't the best tasting jerky either, but it was edible. It was the buck in my member pic.

 

[Ol' Red]

For me the best is Moose. Caribou is second, but it depends on handling and how it's cooked. Elk, Whitetail and muley follow in that order.

 

[scpaul]

Tony, that mules looks to be fairly old. If so no wonder it was bad. I've had old whitetail that was terrible. They still hunt with dogs and shotguns here. Talk about the possibility of strong, gamey, tough meat. More times than not they are divided up and pieces are in the freezer that night. No processing or bleeding, just wrapped and frozen. It's a shame to do good meat that way.

 

[Hoppsing55]

Whatever my beautiful wife of 50 years puts in black iron skillet with olive oil & butter and a shot of bourbon to finish. Sometimes with a few mushrooms and onions, and homemade chewy french rolls for sopping!

 

[Salmonhead]

It's been a while, but the Sitka Blackmail on Kodiak Island stand out in my mind as exceptionally tasty little guys.

 

[tonyf3]

Tony, that mules looks to be fairly old. If so no wonder it was bad. I've had old whitetail that was terrible. They still hunt with dogs and shotguns here. Talk about the possibility of strong, gamey, tough meat. More times than not they are divided up and pieces are in the freezer that night. No processing or bleeding, just wrapped and frozen. It's a shame to do good meat that way.

I think he lived a good life, but his teeth were a little worn and I suspect he was just past his prime.

 

[SportsmanNH]

Had moose roast in Alaska that tasted better the Prime rib. Outstanding meat.

About 10-12 years ago one of my buddies at my hunting camp/house in Maine drew a bull tag for New Hampshire . He shot a 680 lb bull with a small rack. probably a 3 yr old moose. He brought 2 roasts up to cook for dinner. maybe 15-16 lbs total. We decided to cook both so we would have some leftovers for sandwiches . There were 5 of us at camp. Well there wasn't anything left for sandwiches. How does that go ? " I Cant Believe We Ate The WHOLE Thing ! " I LOVE Prime Rib , but those moose roasts were incredible. Just melted in your mouth.

On another note , a guy I know drew a cow tag in zone 4 in Maine a couple years ago. They shot a BIG older cow. He said it was the toughest meat he ever tried to eat. He said that if they cut one inch thick slabs and drilled them with a 3 inch hole saw, they could of sold them to the Boston Bruins for hockey pucks . . They ended up grinding all the meat up into hamburger just to make it somewhat edible.

 

[flyguy1]

Elk and moose first. Antelope that haven't been chased and quickly iced among the best.
Our caribou was in the rut and inedible.
Our whitetails are fed on alfalfa and have always been good, even big bucks. One was really tough, but still good.
Had a mule deer and a whitetail the same year, both of which had been feeding on sugar beets and they were among the best we have had.
Most other mulies we shoot in wheat fields and they have all been good.
Shot a calf elk in the spring near Yellowstone when that was a thing and it was, oddly enough, pretty bad.

 

[Grizzly60]

Of whitetails and axis, axis are top notch. My wife doesn't care for whitetail, but she'll eat up some axis.

 

[tknuts103]

Axis deer 100%

 

[SportsmanNH]

Shot a calf elk in the spring near Yellowstone when that was a thing and it was, oddly enough, pretty bad.

I'm thinking that statement is not far fetched when I think of the timing . The calf made it through its 1st winter with no fat left so the meat would be stringy. The calf sucked out all the nutrients out of its body to survive so the meat would be tasteless or bland . It would resemble old meat left in the freezer way past its time.

Had to be 20 years ago now a friend of mine hit a deer with his car in early march that year on an icy road in Vermont. Not much damage to the deer. Somehow he only ran over its head and neck and had some clotting in the brisket. Police told him he could take it if he wanted to , which he did . Deer only weighed maybe 65 lbs . He said it was the worst tasting venison he ever tried. Said even the rear quarters were worthless . I figure it was the time of year with deer eating nothing but low quality winter food

 

[swampbug]

Axis or antelope backstrap

 

[mcerick]

What is the best tasting deer species? I eat mostly whitetail because that is what I am able to hunt the most frequently. But I have had buddies that calm mulies are more gamey. I'm not sure if it is their prep or the deer have a gamey taste. What is y'all's opinions.

Elk all the way!

 

[txaggie1]

Axis Deer is probably the best free range (if you have that) deer I've eaten.

Exotics fed well are sure hard to beat, i've had gemsbuck, red stag, blue wildebeast, fallow, axis all are great for the table and we eat it often. Eland is on the list and will know here in a short month or so.

I don't eat sheep or goats we shoot!

Wild I've had antelope the ones not eating sage are very good as well, i suspect that's the same with deer (so I've heard) do not know from experience.

I'm told the stag we had is similar to elk, but i've heard elk is better guess I need to shoot an elk and just see!