Generally I like to cook and eat most game that I shoot, both domestic and foreign. This may pertain to BIG game but with your kind indulgence I will interject small game as well.

Things I like:

Elk
Antelope
Moose.
Hogs, wild boars.
Wild turkey.
Pheasant.
Rabbits.
Quail.
Partridge.
Wood Cock.

Things I'm not crazy about but will eat.

Mule deer.
White tail deer.
Ground hog.
Squirrels.

Things that I really don't like:

Caribou.
Canadian Geese
Oppossum.

As to African game I really don't have much experience eating even though I lived there for many years.

Can the Afrikaners shed some light on the various game shot and cooked and give an opinion.

I suppose that it is asking too much to solicit recipes but I will really appreciate personal experienced from those who are savants.

I'm kinda surprised you being from Wyoming and don't even have antelope or elk on any lists

Some of my favorites in order
1) Axis deer
2) Ling
3) Elk
4) Crappie
5) Eland
6) Nilgai

Some of my least favorites

1) Auodad
2) Duck
3) Mule Deer
4) Crawdad

Lonny:

Oops, guess I had a senior moment. I eat it all the time.

My bad. I edited to include.

Thanks

Wood Cock is not Woodcock. The later is real tasty. Someone else will have to chime in on the former.

My little problem's are that apparently I haven't mastered the art of cooking some wild game and making it tasty and palatable.

And much of my family really doesn't care much for it. Some actually REFUSE to eat it at all.

When I shoot the bigger animals and bring them home I'm stuck with most of the meat which I can't consume in reasonable time. I can't even give it all away. So I've taken to leaving 1/2 with the guide/outfitters.

My main thrust here was to elicit some suggestions/help with recipes and/or tips on how to get rid of the gamey taste.

Maybe I posted this in the wrong place.

I suspect game care in the field and camp is lacking if the meat is unpalatable. In every case of gamey taste I've personally seen, it was in different stages of rot.

With that said, if it's not to gamey, jerky, stew and chili are your friends.

Kent

Kent:

Agree.

My game is immediately processed, sent to a professional handler who cuts it and packages the same day.

From my belief the taste of game depends on a multitude of factors.

Age

Male female

Season, in heat/ testosterone

Body parts/ back strap/ tenderloin/ neck bones/ legs/ liver/ kidneys/ tongue - other.

I read about one Canada Goose recipe in American Rifleman that was so grotesque and complicated that it went to extremes with
spics, condiments and additives so extensively that it disguised the goose completely.

I'm a very basic, keep it simple - stupid person. Minimize everything - heat and serve. But it doesn't work for me with wild game that has a very strong gamey taste.

Any suggestions to suppress distaste the will be appreciated.

OK... meat care starts immediately after death, in the field, not the processor.

Here in az I've found the gameiness proportionate to how long the skin is left on. Also guides don't concern themselves much with immediate meat care and more on trophy care.

I'm not surprised with your findings.

That said...

Stew, everyone's favorite.

Cube meat after searing or sear in pan after cubing, have meat seasoned regardless. Crockpot, cut in your favorite vegetables. Mine are potatoes, onions, tomatoes, celery, carrots. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and a packet of stew mix from the grocery.

Pepper steak.

Season steaks, flour and sear in oil, turn heat down, add onion slices and cut green peppers on top, cover with lid, flip to brown both sides.

Jerky is always a good choice.

Kent

Is this what you're thinking of?

A Friendly Suggestion per African game. Consider posting that request on the African Forum.

From personal experience which sounds similar to yours so far, I/we never cared for deer UNTIL....

I learned to 'age' the meat BEFORE freezing.
IF the weather is above 32 F and below 50, I leave it hang outside 3-5 days BEFORE cutting and freezing.


IF the weather is above 50 F or BELOW 32 F, I cut it up and keep it in COOLERS, with ice & water, but NOT frozen 3-5 days.

It's AMAZING what aging will do for the flavor and tenderness of meat.


As Far As I Know (AFAIK) all beef that is sold in stores or to restaurants is AGED, sometimes for much longer than 3-5 days.


It's very important to keep it COLD w/o being frozen.

My friends and I process all our own game. We always get our deer dressed out and quartered and the meat on ice with lots of salt within a couple hours. At that point we do nothing but add more ice and salt for at least 7 days, sometimes 10. This seems to do a great job getting all the blood, and gamey flavor, out of the meat. I used to not care for wild game until I was taught to do it this way. I've had many people who have never cared for deer meat eat compliment on the quality of the meat prepared this way and the lack of gamey flavor.

Looks like jwall and I had the same thoughts and were typing at the same time. Wild game quality is determined by what you do BEFORE the meat ever goes in the freezer.

Soak it in milk overnight before cooking. It neutralizes a lot of the "gamey" flavor.

ABSOLUTELY !

I don't know about great minds........<G>

but experience is the best teacher.

Thanks all:

Very helpful and plausible suggestions.

Soaking in milk:

It definitely works with bluefish.

Salting and ageing:

I have a big chain store not far way that dry ages beef 30 days. It is excellent. My son says it is by far the best he has ever tasted. But - he says don't do anything to it - just cook and eat. Don't spoil it with additives. They just have a big glass case at room temperature but it may have some ventilation. It does not spoil but the outer crust gets cut off. It shrinks quite a bit and sells for $30 per pound.

I've tried various marinades too. All of the store bought were a big disappointment and sat in my frig for months. Fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire seemed to work best.

Based on the input I'm changing my approach to handling.

Much appreciated help.

You might consider the results of what you are shooting on it's palatability too. A young tender fawn is always better eating than an old buck in rut.

I killed a very old doe a couple years ago that I turned everything but for a little bit of jerky and the back straps into hamburger. I don't know for sure, but My best guess was that she was past ten. I've only ever had one big buck that was good eating. Some are just good for stew/grind meat. I've never had a bad yearling/fawn in 60 years though.

Great stuff jwall, and I could not agree more.

Antelope has been some of my best and worst eating.Young elk tops the list, but a 12 year old bull or cow a can be tasty ,but very chewy to say the least.

Rocky Mountain Big Horn is another that can be the best or worst.

Deer either muley or whitetail that live in the corn fields in eastern Colorado are very good table fare.Sage brush and osk brush fed , som eof the worst. The corn fed deer go itno the fields when the corn is 2-3 feet high and don't come out until the corn is cut. Most of the time if it is irrigated corn in a pivot circle,there is enough water leaking out at the well head to get them by.

I don't hunt geese or ducks as they usually taste like mud.

Cooking ,I very seldom use more than salt/pepper nd ground sage,unles I am making a pot roast. I don't
get soaking the meat in milk or marinade.

My experience is limited to primarily coastal blacktail where sage and acorns are present so may not be applicable to other areas but here is what I try to do after the game is down.
First get it skinned ASAP. Hang it until it cools, usually overnight. I take mine to a local processor and they usually hang it for 2-3 weeks. I have been told that hanging deer does not make a difference as they don't have the same enzymes as beef but this works for me.
When ready to cook, make sure all fat and any meat exposed during the hanging process is cut off. You want only lean red meat, no grey or browned edges. I usually BBQ and marinade in balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil and garlic at least 4 hours but up to a day or so.
BBQ on a hot fire very quickly 3-4min per side for a 1 inch steak. It has to be rare, if it isn't, it will be tough and dry.
This works with our local deer and it still tastes like deer but the balsamic gives it a sweet flavor and there is no gamey taste whatsoever.
AS far as meat in Africa, my experience has been that it is cooked with all kinds of sauces and curry and it is more about the cook than the meat.

I don't know about deer enzymes but here's a little experiment that won't cost you anything.


Cut off a chunk of deer and FREEZE it ASAP. Later, no matter how much longer, cook it. You'll TASTE a diff.


The aging does 2 things.
A. allows blood to drain, evaporate, or dry out of the meat. IMO the blood gives that 'gamey' taste.

B. When not frozen, the muscle tissue breaks down and the meat will be more tender.


I began deer hunting in 1972 and didn't learn about aging till 1981. My and my whole family's attitude changed for the better about eating venison. I've gotten friends and fellow hunters to JUST TRY it and EVERY one of them prefer it.

Don't shoot caribou in the rut.

Do take care of them properly in the field.

Do take care of the meat properly at home.

You will discover they are about as fine eating as there is!

Can't help you with the opposum or the geese.

Ted

There can only be two explanations for that: either, you are a vegetarian (which other selections suggest you’re not), or you’ve only eaten it in poor condition.

Soak a filleted goose breast in saltwater for 4 hours before cooking then season lightly and grill to rare like a beef steak. Don't let the blood bother you just close your eyes and enjoy it. Cook it any longer and it will be gamely as all hell.

yep in my experience those that dont like goose cook it like chicken or turkey to well done.....cook it like beef(rare/med rare at most) and most love it....with most wild game if you have to have well done either use moist cooking techniques(stews/casseroles/braising/ect) or if you want a grilled steak, cut them thin and cook them hot and fast and you can get them well done without the gamey taste or making them tough....my ex could not stand blood so we cut her steaks real thin(1/4-1/3 inch thick) and they cooked all the way through without turning into liver tasting shoe leather...

my favorites:

nilgai
feral hog(not an old boar)
pronghorn(if i shoot it and take care of the meat)
goose
pheasant
bison


ok/no problem eating:

deer(mule deer or whitetail havent noticed much difference)
elk

cant stand:
pronghorn(if not properly cared for like most seem to do)

Wow, what great advice.

It's quite a welcome learning experience for me. Great tips, thanks.

On the matter of caribou last hunt the scenario was that the guides disgorged, skinned and dismember the animal on the spot and took back only the basic legs and some carcass not including ribs. Apparently they only carry what they can as about 100 pounds. I specifically asked that the ribs be also transported and the guide said OK but never did it.

There were 6 in camp. The cook prepared caribou ribs that were absolutely delicious. At home I was never able to duplicate that flavor ????? I saw him cook it. We were in a closed cabin in close quarters. But I don't know what he did.

I have to concur with the valuable advice here.

Again Thanks for the input. Very much appreciated.

Plus 1 on aging. My wife and I usually hang our big game 6 to 14 days weather permitting. I think it takes some of the toughness out so to speak. One or both of us usually shoots a rutted up, run down buck every year. Out of countless animals only ever had one that I couldn't eat.

As far as not tasting gamey, WHY?

Game animals taste gamey, isn't that the point. If a person didn't want to taste game, eat farm critters.

An iced saltwater brine, as mentioned, goes a long ways twds good tasting game meat.

One of the things I notice the most in regards to game meat taste is the area and habitat they are killed in. I used to think Antelope was disgusting until we killed some on farm lands. Deer are similar. Hogs also can have a big variance in flavor depending on their diet.

Caribou has already been covered here. I've eaten it and is was as tasty as any moose I've eaten. It was shot in early rut and looked after properly.

The last time I had CDN good, the fellow had some boneless breasts browned on the BBQ and then into a crock pot for the day with water, red wine, salt and pepper. They were delish. The next good I get will be cooked the same way but the drums and thighs will go in too.

I've never eaten mule deer, but can tell you that when I get WT deer, I hang it hide off for a week, remove ALL fat from the cuts and do not cut it with a saw. All meat is filleted with a knife to avoid yucky bone dust on the muscle.

Trust me ...... It works.

What would a professional meat cutter from New Brunswick know about any of this?

I do well remember enjoying that caribou with you and your daughter on the lake shore. That was some good eating!

Ted

Yes it was, and the fish was some good too.

i guess there is gamey and then there is gamey...dont mind how deer and such usually tastes without doing any of the soaking in milk ect some do..i dont try and make it taste like beef or any of that.....but also dont like the heavy livery taste when you over cook wild game or when the meat hasnt been properly cared for(cooled down quick ect).....if you did to beef what alot of people do to wild game before you butcher it it would prolly not taste all that great either....i cant believe what i see some people do to pronghorn in our usually warm first few weeks of the season and then complain when it tastes like an old goat smells.....

My wife killed a great big cow caribou one winter that was absolutely the toughest creature I've ever laid teeth too. Literally could not chew it, even the tenderloin. It was an ancient old toothless gal and tasted just fine, we just couldn't eat it in a normal fashion. Every bull we've killed since then, we have been kinda trophy hunting, was really good table fare. All have been pre rut, in fact all but one has been in velvet though most were beginning to peel. And they have been really good. Out of 8 head not one has been tough or the slightest bit gamey. I'm still working on the 5 sets of back straps we put in the freezer last fall and they are still dang good. They were killed in late August and hung in the shade for 7-9 days before we were able to trim and slice them. Carved the rind off and sliced about 1" steaks, frozen in two layers of Saran Wrap and then butcher paper.

About once a week I pull a package out and thaw them for supper. I sprinkle sea salt, a dash of creole seasoning, and fresh ground black pepper on the cuts before quickly grilling them on a super hot grill. When I say quickly I mean about 1:30 per side, 2 minutes if you're faint hearted, and pull them off. Melt a thin slice of real butter on them while the rest for a couple minutes then get after them. They're a little bloody this way, but being aged like they were and coming from late summer animals they are fork tender and flat out delicious.

Of course I've heard from guys who've made the mistake that some rutting bulls, the Ravens and foxes at the dump won't eat. If you want caribou for the table go a little early and just peel your antlers and stain them, your belly will thank you.

I still have some 2013 mule deer buck meat in the freezer.... Full on rut and it is a bit rank.

Post rut, late November whitetail is much better.


And we butchered a steer a year too late and some those steaks are a little chewy compared to premo cuts. And too frikken big.

Lately I have been taking two or three muscles from White Tail deer that I killed on my place, and grilling them. Doesn't matter if loin or whole muscle from the ham. I marinate in Dales seasoning, then grill to rare/medium rare. I eat one meal, as is but the left overs are refrigerated and then instead of warming in the microwave, I slice what I want to eat, real thin, and fry in a butter/vegetable oil mix for a short time. I try to just get it hot and not add too much cooking time to it. Being thin, it does not take long. Since I have a hot pan, I then take a few eggs out and fry them, most times. I like this method of reheating better that most. miles

Sorry J G, didn't mean to ignore your mention !!

Thnx and that came from personal experience.

I've been building a partition in my barn and haven't been on here a couple of days.

Not a problem jwall......I still agree with you!

As has been said here, let the meat hang for a few days. One of the big culprits that contributes to toughness is rigor mortis. That sets in within hours of death. It is a physical process that causes the muscle cells to contract and then you're trying to chew a real wad!

So, hang your animal. Skin it as soon after death as you can. For most things there's a bunch of hair that inevitably gets on the meat during skinning. Ever see a wallow? Or smell one? You don't want that on your meat, so after skinning grab your propane torch, but on the spreader adaptor and singe the meat surface thoroughly; you'll crisp up all the loose hairs. Take a clean rag and a 50:50 vinegar:water mix and wipe down the meat surface.

Put the meat into good quality, clean, cotton game bags. Not those cheese-cloth abortions, but a tight weave cloth; you'd be surprised how small a hole it takes for a fly to get its ovispositor into. If it is a big animal, hang it in quarters. With a big animal, you're going to have loose meat; dump that into its own separate game bag. With a smaller animal, like an antelope, you can likely fit it whole into a game bag. Hang it for a minimum of 4 days to let the rigor pass.

Hang it in the shade. Even if its warm, hang it for the full 4 days. On a few occasions when I've had to hang the quarters in the field, to make sure the sun didn't shine on it, I made a "tent" for each bag out of fir branches. If the bags are hung close enough to each other to touch, shove a stick or two in between them as spacers to provide for air circulation.

After 4 days, butcher the animal. As someone else said, use a knife and cut out the individual muscles, don't just saw it up with a band saw. As you cut out the meat, remove all the fat and connective tissue that you can, and make sure you get it all off the bones. Beef is a really mild meat, so it is hung on the bone and with the fat and all on it so that the slow decomposition of that stuff adds flavor to the meat. You don't want that with game because the muscle already has more flavor than beef and if you ramp that up, you get the gamey flavor.

From there, it doesn't seem to matter much whether you package it right then or put it in more clean bags and hang it longer. My own preference is to give it another few days of hanging, depending on the temperatures.

Vaccuum pack it; else you'll get freezer burn. Get a quality electric grinder. Take all the meat trim (the fat and connective tissue can be boiled for the dog) and add bacon at a 3 parts of bacon to 7 parts of meat ratio. Grind that up and it is fine, fine, burger. As the meat hangs, the outside will dry a bit. You can add that trim to your burger meat and you'll never notice it. You can also take that dried trim meat and soak it in salt water in the fridge overnight to soften it a bit, but I don't think it is necessary.

When you grind meat, you want it half frozen, otherwise it will mush up on you rather than letting the grinder blade cut it cleanly. Also, keep the knife and the screen matched. That means that when you buy the grinder, you'll need to buy extra knives; one for each diameter screen you've got. If you don't, the knives won't match the face of the screen exactly, and you'll get more mushy meat.

When you cook it, don't overdo it. Unlike beef, which has a lot of interstitial fat, cervid meat doesn't have that, so it cooks differently. Frankly, game meat makes poor fodder for the grill unless you baste it well as you cook it.

Hope this helps.

I highly recommend Eileen's (Mule Deer's wife) books on game preparation, butchering and cooking. The Big Game book has an excellent discussion, with supporting data, about aging vs non-aging. Very good info and photography. I believe I have them all. Really good books.

Bob

Rupertbear:

I really liked the explicit details. Thanks for making the effort. I'm passing this along to my son and grandson. Really impressive. I'm learning a lot. It's the details and little appropriate procedures that make a difference between mediocre and excellence.

Bobcape:

Thanks too to you !

I spoke to Eileen by phone and ordered two of her books, the Rifle and Sausage. They should be here any day.

What a great bunch of fellows here !

Don't have the range of experience that you guys do, but a breasted puddle duck cooked rare is as good as it gets for me. Baste with butter, lemon juice, grape juice, and Worcestershire sauce, bake at 450-475 for 10-15 minutes, serve with rice.

I haven't had any Elk Mule Deer or antelope in years but like them in that order.
I Love squirrel ducks doves and whitetail deer.
I love pheasants, and quail.
Never tried possum and never had any coon that was good.
Rabbits are good but close to the bottom. Wild turkey is good. Never had any good geese.
Best game meat I have had were 4 little pigs around 20 pounds each. that kept stepping out as I shot them in the head. I strung them up on my drag rope. Drug them to a cold stream and gutted them and tied them out in the cold water to chill them. I cooked them whole on a smokey charcoal fire and they were among the best things I have ever eaten.

Elk
Quail
Dove
Buffalo
Pheasant
Deer Backstraps and Jerky

Just a quick read over this.. I am with Jwall.. We age our mulies at least 7-10 days and our elk 10-14.. I have had one bad mulie killed in the rut.. Several bad elk.. Antelope, we don't age.. They go into jerky or into the freezer for jerky later..

Deer jerky in the dehydrator as I type. Muddy

I like it all some is better than others duck & goose at the bottom of the list .No ground hog as of now ,will have to give that a try.

We have an archery 3D shoot at my house once or twice a year with a deep pit BBQ. All of the meat is seasoned with a dry rub - paprika, garlic, salt, pepper and some other spices. Wrapped in foil with most game in turkey bags then wrapped in wet burlap placed on a bed of oak coals at least 12-14 inches deep covered with a metal plate then buried under 3' of dirt overnight served after about 14 hours in the ground. The meat falls off the bone but stays moist in the cooking bags and is always a big hit.

So far we have cooked deer, elk, boar, moose, rocky mtn goat, dall sheep, wild turkey, duck, and domestic pigs, beef and turkeys. The meat is from more than one source and care method but comes out better than good every time. The entertainment value of digging up lunch is tough to beat.

Even the tough old boar came out tasty and fairly tender. Its an old method used by lots of cultures but is only worth doing for a large gathering. Freezing and or canning the leftovers makes for easy meal prep later.

Rupert's pretty much dead on. I don't add fat or bacon to my game burger. Quality olive oil mixed in just before cooking works well.

Define "gamey" flavor.

If one is talking about rutty animals, I've had some experience with that, unfortunately. (Not all animals obey the calendar - and I might have pushed things a time or two...)

If you are talking about the natural variance of game flavors- just don't hunt the things you don't like... I like the different species flavors, and have no desire to eliminate them or camouflage them with marinades.

As for the OP's flavor list, in my opinion, his taste buds are all ef'ed up..... .

For example, I'll take quality moose, caribou, white-tail, and mule deer in no particular order over elk any day. YMMV. I like pronghorn done right better than elk, also. Bison is below elk, Musk ox up with the first mentioned.

There isn't anything native to NA better than wild sheep or a young mountain goat, IMO