Rost,
probably has a lot to do with the plants available to them and local conditions which translate into meat quality and taste.
The difference in fat from October to December in the rut or post rut is dramatic at least where I hunt. I’ll try to remember to take photos next year.
We hunt in La Grange on our property and in the hill country at Round Mountain whitetail deer.
I see the wild swings on fat too. But as another mentions we trim off all fat. Won't even think about ribs if the deer are fat. Just get rid of deer fat, its adds a bad taste. That said its easy to trim it off.
RE diet. Yes, totally can affect. I"ve eaten mule deer off sage that were not great to me. Ones from the mountains are always great.
Blackbuck I've eaten from all kinds of areas of TX and have yet to eat one that made me think, yep I"d shoot another.
Axis about the same all over TX even in our area. No bad ones yet. Different times of the year too. Guiding for years in Rocksprings I've eaten them all year long.
But Nilgai, great to me before the juisache greens out, ones just after that have been bitter.
I"ve also eaten a fair bit of game thats tough due to age, but flavor has not been bad. Just age it well and use other cuts, but I"ve heard of folks saying hamburger can be tough even..
To be fair we try to avoid shooting/eating anything full rut. It happens at times but we try like heck to avoid it.
