Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer liver

I'm sure opinions vary here on saving and eating the liver out of your deer. I happen to like liver, deer or bovine, and usually save it from my kills. My father, who loved beef liver, wouldn't eat deer liver because he found flukes in a couple many years ago. Said it turned his stomach and wouldn't touch it again. I was processing a liver today from a buck I shot, and in trimming and getting the blood clots out, these two flukes slid out. I did a google search and apparently they're not harmful for consumption of the liver, just "distasteful". Well, that liver went in the trash! If I ever decide to eat venison liver again I'll be on the lookout for any sign of 'em! Anyone else find these buggers in their deer's liver?

(Sorry in advance if this image turns some stomachs, and yeah, they were still alive)

Lost my taste for liver some years ago. Still like chicken and turkey livers once in a while, stewed while fixing stuffing for both, or fried chicken livers about once a year.

Never tried venison liver. Those look like they would blend in quite well though. I have eaten speckled trout and black drum that have had spaghetti worms in them. Sort of unappetizing but don’t have a taste & aren't harmful.

I finally gave up on keeping caribou livers after finding critters in every one of them. I have never found one in dozens of deer and elk livers. One of my favorite eating parts

i only ever trusted fawn liver and that liver cooked/fried right is mighty tasty.

This is the only way I like my livers...

If you ain't had fried livers & gizzards from Go Chicken Go, put 'er on your bucket list.

The older the animal the higher the chance of Flukes. I have eaten a lot of deer livers but they all were from young deer.
I usually don't even keep the liver from a mature buck cause the ones I've seen had flukes.

I love deer liver. I have a couple cooling right now.

Nope - won't eat the body's filter. If it's got crap, it's likely to be there. Like using your car's oil filter for a water glass.

Aw, man, that analogy ruined my appetite for liver forever.

If I actually gut a critter I always take the liver, wind up like a disc thrower and chuck that nasty thing as far away from me as possible.

It is a tradition of mine.

South Olathe or Troost?

Turner, @635 & Shawnee Drive. Though if coming home from the south, I'll hit up the S. Olathe location.

10-4. Didn't know there was one over there.

Troost always good for people watching. Face the doors and keep your hand on your shooting iron!!🤣🤣

Liver from young deer seem best to me. Older deer can be okay if you slice them real thin, soak in buttermilk the fry in strips.

Heart is much better to me though.

Just got around to trying deer liver this fall after over 40 years of deer hunting. Good stuff IMHO. Did a fair bit of research that suggested the liver from a younger critter should be better. I feel better after a meal of liver for a few days. Hard to explain the sense of satisfaction after a meal of deer liver. Tend to stay satisfied for much longer after the meal.

I am healing from a just recognized Gluten intolerance condition / Celiacs, So that may play in why I am now craving liver.

I never could stand the smell of liver let alone the taste but fresh deer or elk liver the following morning after killing it with a Bloody Mary consumed after the morning hunt became a tradition.

I couldn’t stand the smell of steak and kidney pies at the shops in England and NOTHING could get me to eat that crap. Fish and chips fine….kebabs fine…curry and mushy peas fine but that organ pie is disgusting. I don’t eat organs anymore….

I really liver. I don't like it after it has been frozen.Unfortunately organ meats are the worst for high cholesterol so I don't est it anymore.

Favorite recipe was sautéed onions,with thin slices of liver on top. The when almost done, drain a can of peas and the dump on top until they just start to brown.

I keep the hearts for myself but the dogs get the livers. They absolutely love them.

Love it. Liver and onions ... make for each other.