Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Does bull Elk meat taste horrible, Need help here.

I talked to a local meat processer in the area I will be Elk hunting in. Asked him about aging elk meat, he said it didn�t make a big difference. He also said that the big bulls taste horrible and didn�t know why anyone would like the taste.
I have never killed an Elk or have eaten any Elk.
Is this guy full of poop or not?

Thanks for your time.
Mike

i've eaten great ones and i've eaten 'OK' ones, but i haven't had one i'd call horrible. IMO, it depends on how far into the rut it was when it was killed

A big rutted up bull might be a little challenging but its all in the field care, aging and your talent in the kitchen.

+1 - what he said. I take care in handling the meat in the field, transportation and aging, my wife is the talent in the kitchen.

If the hide has been left on in warm weather, meat drug through the pine needles, dirt, well-coated with hair, aged in 70 degree weather, and all the rules of meat care broken, yes, it could be "horrible."

As a side note, I donated a deer to the local Food Bank and when dropping it off at the meat processor, I was flat-[bleep] amazed at the dirty looking meat that was hanging in the cooler. There was no saving most of that crap no matter how long it was aged or what a chef tricks you might pull out.

From my experience, if you take care of it correctly, older bulls are often just as good as younger animals, but can be a bit tougher. Age accordingly (usually a few days longer), cube and burger when necessary and cook to tenderize and it will be great tasting.

I've only killed one elk in my life, a 5x5 last year post-rut. But I've raised beef cattle all my life and I'm almost ashamed to admit the wife and I prefer the elk meat to any steer we've ever whacked. And she's far from any culinary artist!

I have killed quite a few bulls here in Arizona, and while some bulls were better table fare than others, generally, they were stronger and tougher than the cow elk I have eaten. All these animals were relatively handled the same in after shot care and butchering. Just my experience. Some even hung in a cooler for quite a few days.

Helped a friend retrieve his Arizona 6X6 archery bull just yesterday - ate some backstrap sitting around the campfire last night. While obviously not aged, it was, like the rest of the bulls I have eaten, stronger in flavor. Surely edible, just stronger.

+2 or +3 on what has been said already. Proper care of the meat in the field is key.

You know I have had only one bad tasting Elk ( not completely bad but not good) and its was the one time we dropped off the elk at the processor because we had killed 7 elk as a group and didn't have time to butcher them all. We normally butcher our own and we have since then and not a bad elk steak in 8 years.

You mean like this???



You just have to take care in cooling the meat. Honestly, I have killed and eaten most of 60 elk, from calves to 380 bulls. The best part is the tenderloins. Not to be confused with backstraps, because no one really knows what backstrap is, but real tenderloins. Season and cook them on a smoker grill and you will have as good a piece of red meat as you can find.











Another thing, those that say they prefer elk to beef, I will trade an elk a year for your beef, minus the tenderloins of course...

Yep he is. Always hang my elk in camp a few days. Then I have my butcher hang it for at least another week. I had some big bulls they were all pretty tasty. Ken always commented on how clean my meat was when I brought it in. Take good care of it and you will like what you eat.

You might ask that guy if it tastes like chicken.

How far you deliver?

I had a fellow telling me the other day the meat cutter would clean it up for him and it would be fine.
Having said that, I have NEVER taken ANY game to a butcher, meat or smoke shop in all my 40 years of hunting.
I've also never had any bad elk, deer, moose, antelope or fowl.
Every piece is fat, hair and dirt free.
If I'm having steak, burger, jerky or salami.....I made it.

I will deliver anywhere in the United States, but you had better have a good turkey hunting spot and be able to put up with me for around 3 weeks...

You can pop as many turkeys as you want off my back porch, but you better bring your Swift as it's 250 yards to the woodline.

3 weeks? You willing to give my wife cooking lessons?

She's not a vegetarian, is she???

A friend gave us some cow meat that was inedible. He was a bow hunter, poked it just before dark and let it sit overnight before finding it.

Hunting buddy neck shot one and we didn't find it until early the next morning. Even though temps were around freezing during the day and zero at night, the meat was so spoiled the processor wouldn't take it. That hide is an amazing insulator and spoilage occurs quickly.

I'll take a cow any day, haven't had a bad one yet. Biggest bull was a 6x6 and the bulls have all been good, too, but maybe somewhat tougher.

Taking care of the meat once it is down is important and plays a big role in determining the final outcome. We get the animals dressed out quickly so major cooling can start. If hide remains on the quarters it comes off as soon as is practical. Back at the truck the meat may get iced down, especially if it is deer or antelope that can fit in a big cooler or two.

Take a prime angus steer, punch a hole in the gut and chase him around for a half a day. Give up and come back the following day, find him dead and laying in the sun.

Take your time and slowly flip the quarters around and drag them around in the dirt till you get around to hanging them, extra points if you hang them all sticking together.

As quickly as you can, haul the quarters around in the bottom of a warm truck-bed, extra points if you haul them in full sun , if you can?

Cut the quarters blindfolded as soon as you can after the kill, score extra if this is done in the sun. Wrap the meat and freeze it as slowly as possibly, again, score extra if it is all bunched together to slow the freezing process!

Best beef on earth is close to the average elk, any one could ruin the either.

Take care of your elk.

Skin and quarter your elk quickly of it is hot/warm. Get the quarters off the ground as quickly as you can. Up on a log is better then on the ground. The body heat needs to air down as soon as you can.

Couple weather is less critical. But I am a firm believer in ageing beef , deer and elk. At least a week.

Here is an elk from the first day of second season, being processed on (aged 10 days or so) Halloween. One of the better pictures of yours-truly!



Might look a little dried out to some from aging. But what an eater!

I have always managed to take my elk in an efficient and quick manner during archery ml and firearms season. I get the hide off and bone out and meat cooled down ASAP. temps permitting I hang the meat for a few days and I butcher all of my game.

I much prefer elk to beef and I buy a half of free range beef from the neighbor.

As others have said, field care is the key. and i process all my own, i think that helps too.
elk is excellent eating.

Kevin

I've eaten a lot of elk and I can honestly say that I've never eaten a bad tasting one. That's NOT saying I haven't 'eaten' a tough one. I've had a couple that were unchewable. The meat tasted good, though. I haven't found a sure fire method of assuring that the meat is even remotely tender.