First off, any deer you eat should be less than two years old and 100lbs or so
I (respectfully) disagree.
Some of the oldest deer I have killed have been the best eating: taste and tenderness wise.
Some of the youngest have been the chewiest.
I've also seen the exact opposite.
I still have a lot to learn, but am convinced that field preparation and care of the meat, aging, how you cook it and especially the temperature during aging---is significantly more important than age or size when it comes to meat quality.
Sometimes, there appears to be no rhyme or reason. I shot a six point elk, with only four teeth left in his mouth, counting one ivory. Hit him a little low (steep downhill angle) and was unable to recover until shortly after dawn the next morning. The animal turned out exceptional, very tender.
Young daughter killed a calf elk on a youth hunt in December, well below zero. Field boned it, and put it up immediately. Toughest thing I ever ate. However, leaving the steaks in the fridge for 10-14 days after taking it out of the freezer turned them from very tough to very nice.
I’m no longer paranoid about getting hide off immediately to cool animals, though antelope still get field skinned at the first opportune moment, given the usual high temps during antelope hunts.
