Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Your wild game dining preference?

I have eaten WT, of course, as well as Mouflon, Blackbuck, Squirrel & Axis. Did not like the Elk I have tried. Don't really care for WT unless it is in sausage.

My favorite is Axis & Squirrel. I am wondering about Pronghorn especially.

What's your fancy?

Elk, moose, deer in that order. Not a fan of goose/ducks. Small game I can live without as well. I like bison alot but think all I've had has been ranched and not wild.

Antelope is ok but is stronger than any of my preferred 3 above. Black bear is ok but can be greasy. Never had anything African that I can recall.

Elk, antelope, moose then deer. Dove is at the top of my list too.

Pronghorn is my favorite. I've shot and eaten an even dozen and never had a bad one. I skin and chill them quickly and cut up my own. I think this makes a difference. And I never shoot at one that is running, some people say that makes a difference in taste. One shot, one kill, on an unsuspecting goat is the way to go.

A calf or yearling elk is really great too!

Nilgai, Bighorn Sheep, elk, moose, pronghorn

Smoker-grilled elk tenderloins or saut�ed Blue Grouse with garlic. There is nothing better wild or domestic...

Wild birds stuffed with oyster dressing.







And there is only one bird that matters.

I've eaten so much elk for so long that the taste, still enjoyable, has become rather commonplace.

Recently have been partial to bighorn sheep.

I've noticed that if I go a while without waterfowl, venison, antelope, (and actually even beef) then each tastes better when I resume eating it again.

I haven't had the opportunity to try a large variety of game like many here have. Most folks around here seem to prefer elk to anything else, and I'd probably rate the elk tenderloins grilled/smoked on charcoal as Shrapnel posted as about tops for me. After the tenderloins are gone, I've generally found the deer I've shot to be more tender than the majority of elk I've had so probably would lean that direction with whitetail preferred to mule deer, but not by much. Add in upland birds, either mountain grouse or pheasant...

This really does make the difference !

You're in control of your own meat.

Age for upto 7 days at correct temperature.

No hair, no fat & no silverskin/connective tissue left on my meat. Always vacuum packed & frozen !

Was taught by a friend & am eternally thankful. Have had other peoples wild game meat & can tell how "anal" they are with their cutting & processing.

Hmmm...

Don't much care for racoon or bear. Muskrat, beaver squirrels and bunnies are good. WT deer are capable of being truly outstanding when cooked well. Never had some moose. Elk, Bison antelope is good. Wild boar, various snakes are good too.

I'd have to rate my favorite being WT deer because I know how to make them really special. I suppose any of the others could be as good or better in the right hands.

Of the birds, Woodcock first then ruffed grouse, wood ducks, then teal. I would bet though that in the wrong hands any birds can be awful, like most people do woodcock, and in the right hands any of them can be superb too.

Nilgai
Squirrel
Axis
Elk
Whitetail
Dink mule deer

Pronghorn, when properly cared for (skinned and gutted, IMMEDIATELY after hitting the ground), is top table fare, IMO.

For my wife and myself, our preferences are:

Pronghorn and Whitetail deer
Nilgai
Elk
Wild Turkey
Bighorn Sheep (not a lot of opportunity here! Need a few permits in a lifetime.)
Moose
Mule Deer doe or young buck

Kudu
Oryx
Nilgai
Elk
White-tailed deer
Mule Deer
Pronghorn

I have enjoyed some moose cuts, but have not eaten enough to have a firm opinion.

Elk
Pronghorn
White tail
Mule Deer

Still waiting on tags for moose and sheep!

Properly cooked, elk and deer are **excellent**. The quality of the output is determined by the weakest link between it walking and it landing on your plate. Proper field care makes a huge difference. Proper hanging makes a huge difference. Proper cooking makes a huge difference. Most people flat out don't know what they're doing but rather than accept responsibility for their mistakes, they blame the meat as if somehow it was responsible for how they mishandle it.

First thing, don't shoot anything that is running or "hot" with the adrenaline flowing, it changes the flavor for the worse.

Second thing, as soon as it hits the ground, get the blood out of the carcass, then get the hide off NOW and get the meat cooling. A carcass can stay warm for many hours with the hide on and every one of those hours degrades the meat.

Many people do not have proper cold storage to hang meat to "age" it. "Green" meat which has been cut/processed too soon tastes funny.

Only after you get all of those truly right does the recipe matter. If you don't, you recipe has to cover the foul taste of your earlier mistakes, but if you get those right, then you can choose a recipe that brings out the flavors.

My favorite is blacktailed deer with elk a close second. I haven't had pronghorn in quite a while but it ranks right up there ... when done right. I'm not that fond of waterfowl, most of what we got when I was a kid were birds living on snails and stuff like that, there were no grain crops for probably 100 miles, so everything was just a little "fishy" except the ones that were gawd awful "fishy".

Tom

Young sagehen
Eland hump
Cow elk
Pronghorn
Blue/spruce/ruffed grouse
Pintails off grain fields

Then about everything else equally. I love it all!

Oryx
Springbok
Mtn Zebra steaks
Kudu
Pronghorn
Blue Wildebeest
Axis
Deer

Antelope or deer provided they are not rutting. Early season bucks always are better.


Grilled pheasant is pretty good. Just like a good steak don't overcook it!

Pronghorn antelope, mountain lion, and caribou.