Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Lope meat - Dark ?

Loins are super dark, hind quarters are darker than deer meat.

That normal?

Spot

Yes, in my experience anyway. As long as it doesn't smell bad as in rotten, you are golden!

Shouldn't be - I dropped him in his tracks, and got him cooled of pretty fast.

Sound be interesting -

Best way to cook it grilling ?

Spot

Rather dry but very good grilled. Might want to wrap bacon around the loin and slow cook on the grill. Do not overcook! I really like antelope steaks lightly floured and cooked in a fry pan.

Spotshooter: I really enjoy Antelope meat and my main cooking tip is to NOT overcook it!
It is a delicate meat.
I have killed many many dozens of Antelope begining back in the 1960's but I have never noticed the meat being noticeably darker than Deer meat.
Probably, I have just not been paying attention to the shade of the meat.
If it was a clean kill and you got it cooled quickly I am sure it should be fine.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

This one happens to be a western KS lope, mostly eats milo...
and it's big time dark..
The locals tell me it's gonna stink.. only one way to find out.

like 76 said, if it don't stink your good to go.

One leg did smell, the other didn't... off the same critter.

Wierd.

It smelled rotten?

I think mule deer is darker than whitetail? Antelope looks dark to me.

Dang! Grain fed pronghorn. Sounds good to me. I like mine on the rare side please!

elkhunter76; man I agree with you on flour and pan fry for antelope. GOOOOD stuff! The one I shot in Calif in 2007 had been eating alfalfa[the hooves were green stained!], and damn, that antelope was the best wild meat I've ever tasted. Tom

I have never noticed a difference in meat color from my lopes to deer, but maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention.

As for eats, I would rather eat lope straps over mule deer I shoot in MT or whitetails in western SD. I was a little apprehensive about my WY lope from last month. There was much more sagebrush habitat than where I kill my lopes here in MT. Pleasantly surprised with the cubed back straps I had last night. I rolled them in flour and about 90 seconds in olive oil at 425. Good eats.

Yeah, I have heard the theory that pronghorns living in country with lots of sagebrush taste "too sagey," but have not found that to be true. In fact I have never been able to tell any substantial difference.

But I have also never butchered an antelope (and I have butchered every one my wife and i have ever taken) and noticed the meat being darker than a deer's.

Pronghorn antelope is the color of horse meat, very dark, end of story...

I eat a lot of game meat, always have, love deer even better than elk btw, guess because I was raised on deer meat until folks started paying for hunting our deer, then we ate beef and it took me several years to develope a taste for beef because is tasted greasy, and fatty, but its now my favorite meat...

Even today deer meat cut without any fat or sinue and chicken fried with a dollop of pico de gallo on it, flour tortillas or biscuits and gravy with pinto beans is my all time favorite meal.

I have never liked antelope. I have tried them in all sizes and with all the care meat can be given, and I just do not like it..I will eat it, but only if I have to.

Which is amazing because I'm rather like a coyote, I will eat and enjoy such things as sangre de frito, Menudo, Son of a gun, love Mt. Oysters, lamb, goat, have drink Masai milk/beer/blood from a goard, and all those things that civilized folks turn up their nose at...:):) BTW never try the Masai stuff, it can kill you and tastes like something dead smells.

Atkinson: The only possible reason I can figure for you not enjoying Antelope meat in the past is you are cooking it wrong or cooking it to long!
The Antelope I prepare for myself and my family is GREATLY appreciated!
Try it again and do NOT over-cook it!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Mule Deer: I have to agree with you on the relatively similar flesh color of both Antelope and that of Blacktail Deer, Mule Deer and Whitetailed Deer!
I have had wonderful Antelope meat from both areas with and without cultivated crops nearby.
By the way Antelope hamburger (mixed with some store bought hamburger!) makes absolutely wonderful Burritos and Chilli!
I have relatives that are non-Hunters and they actually prefer the tiny and delicate Antelope staeks to venison.
I like it all and know and respect/appreciate the differences in tastes of the various Deer, Bear, Elk, Moose, Cougar and Antelope!
Yum-yum, I am getting hungry just thinking about some fresh Antelope steaks.
Hopefully by this time next week there will be a fresh killed Antelope in the back of the VarmintMobile and I will be driving it home to be carefully butchered and wrapped!
Long live Antilocapra Americana!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have seen Wyoming antelope & compared NW Georgia whitetail it has a darker more grey apperance.

I have eaten lots of antelope and never had a bad one. Where do you find antelope where there isn't sage?

I have my antelope all ground into hamburger. I have the butcher add about 15% beef fat to the burger for flavor.