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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
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In terms of taste, antelope, elk and mule deer in that order for us. And the mulies are generally a distant third, although we've had some really good ones, including nice buck I shot several years back.
Coyote Hunter - NRA Patriot Life, NRA Whittington Center Life, GOA, DAD - and I VOTE!
No, I'm not a Ruger bigot - just an unabashed fan of their revolvers, M77's and #1's.
A good .30-06 is a 99% solution.
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 24,262 Likes: 10
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 24,262 Likes: 10 |
Headed out on my first ever mule deer hunt this fall. From what I can tell, it’ll be pre-rut in New Mexico the week I go, November 7th- 11th.
To date, I haven’t heard from any hunting buddies that the meat is that tasty. What’s your opinion? Eaten whitetail all my life, elk , moose too. My first antelope last year was fantastic.....just wondering how mule deer compares.
Thanx in advance. Mule deer in comparable to whitetail and Ive eating dozens and dozens of both. Get the hide off and field dressed or just bone out. Eat great
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 95,717 Likes: 2
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 95,717 Likes: 2 |
I dont care for any meat from rutted up horned or antlered antelope, whitetail, mule or elk.
Fat bucks or bulls taken early as in Archery season.znd before the rut can be great meat there is.
I've had whitetail bucks taken off sorghum fields by the vaqueros who lived on huge ranches in South Texas taken in August and September many years ago that were unreal good. I can respecially remember a couple of big velvet racked bucks covered in fat, but that was a bygone time and place.
Last edited by jaguartx; 08/11/20.
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
I Dindo Nuffin
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 95,717 Likes: 2
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 95,717 Likes: 2 |
Elmer used to let big bucks in the rut hang for 30 days and age before skinning and eating... He was a meat hunt compared to almost any writer from his time and most of those from today!! I have had only a couple bucks killed late that were gamey , had I followed Elmer’s advice, they may have be better... I think that's why so many bulls and bucks killed late and after the rut in snow country become edible. I.killed a big old antelope buck once that stunk so bad I was nearly puking the entire time I gutted it. I gave it away.
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
I Dindo Nuffin
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,130
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,130 |
Between Northern Montana muleys and whitetails I prefer whitetail, both of which are rutting when I hunt them!
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,482
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,482 |
Mulies are good. Take care of the meat and it’s good
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 8,260 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 8,260 Likes: 2 |
I prefer the meat of a smaller Mule deer buck, 2pt or smaller 4pt to other game meat from any horned animal. I have shot lots of Mule deer, and later in the rut the bigger bucks are pretty hard to eat. We always marinade with sage and Olive oil, and I also find Mule deer to be consistantly good if taken before the rut even the big bucks. The stinky bucks get the sausage treatment and even then it can be nasty if its a really rank buck.
I think what happens is the fat on a Mule deer tastes rank at anytime of year, so when they go to rutting they dont eat and run all over the place using the fat reserves up and it runs throughout the meat, making it unpalatable
Last edited by 673; 08/23/20.
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Joined: May 2012
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2012
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sound's so good, make chili verda, food of the hunting gods!
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 2,476
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 2,476 |
Any animal is better if killed on the gain. Have had early season whitetails taste better then late season elk and I love elk. At my house elk and antelope go on the grill. Deer (mulies and whitetails) go in the burger/sausage and to friends that need meat.
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21,183 |
Any animal is better if killed on the gain. Have had early season whitetails taste better then late season elk and I love elk. At my house elk and antelope go on the grill. Deer (mulies and whitetails) go in the burger/sausage and to friends that need meat. Yep! 👍
Ping pong balls for the win. Once you've wrestled everything else in life is easy. Dan Gable I keep my circle small, I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.
Ain’t easy havin pals.
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 25,107
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 25,107 |
I imagine diet plays a pretty big part, as well as carcass condition.
Have taken both off of wheat fields and both were excellent. A tired old sage buck might not be as good.
“Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die.”
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 9,555
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 9,555 |
As many have said, proper care goes a LONG ways. Get the hide off, then get any leftover hair, weeds, dust, and visceral material off then get the meat cooling and it'll be great.
Wrap it up in a blue tarp, strap it down onto the "yuppie-rack" plugged into the receiver hitch for a few days marinating the carcass in dust, diesel fumes, all while not allowing any moisture to escape and you might just as well find a dumpster for the whole works.
While this may sound sarcastic, I see carcasses on yuppie racks wrapped in tarps headed down the interstate every fall. Even when it's really cold the hide holds heat, the blue tarps hold moisture, neither keep out the dust nor exhaust fumes. BLECH!!!!!
I can walk on water.......................but I do stagger a bit on alcohol.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,086
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,086 |
I figure any wild game you have to add a bunch of spices while cooking to mask the flavor and smell isn't worth shooting.Best mule deer for me have come out of high mountains. Particularly the Flat Tops in Colorado.Worst were in the eastern CO plains where they fed on on prairie grass or west of Colorado Springs in the sage brush/oak brush country
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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