h2u
Village Idiot
MANY factors contribute to the "gamey" taste of venison.
-shot placement (heart/lung = good) if you gut shoot it and all of the various bodily fluids are able to soak into the meat.
-how quickly the deer is recovered and field dressed to allow the heat to escape and spoil the meat. Also, if shot in early season, September heat can cook and spoil a deer if it isn't found and dressed.
-proper field dressing - getting out all of the innards. Not poking the stomach, intestines, or bladder allowing bad stuff to soak into the meat. Getting out ALL of the fat. Deer fat is the opposite of beef fat. Beef fat tastes good and is beneficial in cooking with the meat. Deer fat becomes rancid quickly and is a leading cause in the gamey taste. NEVER cook venison with any fat on it IMO. I hose out the carcass as much as I can before taking it to the butcher. Especially if they hang it for a couple of days to tenderize it. Blood, fat, and anything else will definitely create a gamey taste as the meat tenderizes and soaks all that crap in.
Other Factors:
-age (tender vs stringy/tough)
-sex (bucks in rut with all of the hormones)
-some have said if a deer is alert when you shoot it- it's got adrenaline coursing through it and that contributes to bad taste. Jury is still out on that one for me as all deer are ALWAYS in an alert state. Regardless of if they appear to be at ease while feeding.
I'm sure there are a couple of other things I'm forgetting at the moment (supposed to actually be working) that others will add.
-shot placement (heart/lung = good) if you gut shoot it and all of the various bodily fluids are able to soak into the meat.
-how quickly the deer is recovered and field dressed to allow the heat to escape and spoil the meat. Also, if shot in early season, September heat can cook and spoil a deer if it isn't found and dressed.
-proper field dressing - getting out all of the innards. Not poking the stomach, intestines, or bladder allowing bad stuff to soak into the meat. Getting out ALL of the fat. Deer fat is the opposite of beef fat. Beef fat tastes good and is beneficial in cooking with the meat. Deer fat becomes rancid quickly and is a leading cause in the gamey taste. NEVER cook venison with any fat on it IMO. I hose out the carcass as much as I can before taking it to the butcher. Especially if they hang it for a couple of days to tenderize it. Blood, fat, and anything else will definitely create a gamey taste as the meat tenderizes and soaks all that crap in.
Other Factors:
-age (tender vs stringy/tough)
-sex (bucks in rut with all of the hormones)
-some have said if a deer is alert when you shoot it- it's got adrenaline coursing through it and that contributes to bad taste. Jury is still out on that one for me as all deer are ALWAYS in an alert state. Regardless of if they appear to be at ease while feeding.
I'm sure there are a couple of other things I'm forgetting at the moment (supposed to actually be working) that others will add.