Thinking back to the time I spent in Kodiak. The Blacktails I killed there were the best wild game I have ever eaten. They were mild and tender. I always had them boned out and in the backpack immediately though. I wonder if that has anything to do with it or if they are just much better table fare.
I think it has lots more to do with your method than the species. We've been de-boning whitetail right after the kill and have done so for a number of years now, and the outcome has always been superb. The meat is tender and tasty.
I honestly feel many people just don't know how to handle meat properly. A relative once gave us a few packages of venison, and I threw it out. It had a distinct gamy odor to it, and cooking did not help at all. On another occasion, when one of our kids shot his first buck, the taxidermist processed the deer for us as I was having a rough day with my health issues. When I picked it up, I opened the ice chest and was hit with a pungent/musky smell. I am not sure if he contaminated the knife with the tarsals or what happened, but it was NOT fit for human consumption. That was the last time I ever had anyone other than ourselves tend to a deer. Incidents like this make me wonder how many folks don't like wild game because of similar experiences -- and perhaps think that is how wild game actually smells/tastes.
