Harvesting deer for meat

[Crazybrave]

Hi everyone,

Is there a better time of year to harvest deer meat? Eg does the rut affect meat etc?

Does a buck taste different to a doe?

Forgive my ignorance I haven't been so lucky as to chase deer yet.

Thanks all!

[cmoore]

Not sure about times to harvest or tastes ect....but if you get a deer ill happy buy the tendons off you

[perry]

Yesterday I was given some Venison from a Rusa Stag. It was Bowshot on Tuesday. Rusa are coming into the Rut in a few Weeks Time, the Hormones have not kicked in yet and the Meat has not been tainted. It has not been Aged for long enough but it is still reasonably Tender for such an old Stag. Cooking a Rusa, Vegetable, Red Wine Casserole as we speak actually and it is coming up a Treat

I was presented with some lovely Rump Steaks, a Roast, a 1/2 Backstrap for Roast or Medalions, Gorgeous Mince from about the fattest Deer I have ever seen. So Fat infact that my Mate ground some Mince and made 100% Venison Sausages that fryed up a treat.

In my experience the Meat from Mature Male Game Animals is more Flavoursome but tends to be tougher and requires longer Cooking times than the milder Does. 3.5 Hours in a Camp Oven with a cup of Water and a few Vegies is about the best most Tender Game Meat Feed you can have in my view.

I do not buy the Story about Eating young Animals only. With the proper Hanging/ Ageing / Butchering and proper Cooking, Meat from a Mature Game Animal is the best in my View. You must also weigh what the Beasts have been Eating. A Red Stag pumped up in the middle of the Rut with little about but Lantana would be about the Rankest Feed you could think of, except perhaps a Mature Boar that's spent a hard Season eating Carrion. Either Animal grown Fat on a good Season on a Farmers Improved Pasture, plenty of Herb etc and it's likely to be about the Best

Species of Deer is a consideration. To my Taste Fallow is not as Tasty as Rusa. Red is ordinary and Chital is the Best Eating. Mind you I'd rather Eat some Wild Shot Venison that Supermarket bought Beef

regards Perry

[Crazybrave]

Thanks heaps for that reply mate!

So the rut and the hormones foul up the meat by the sound of it?

How do you age the venison?

[jindydiver]

The only deer meat in Australia that has real changes to quality because of rutting is fallow, and even then it isn't as big a drama as people make out.
Fallow meat changes in quality during the rut because of the loss of condition of the deer. You also have to take care that you do not allow any of the taint on the outside of the deer get onto your meat, and with careful field dressing and butchering this is not hard to do.
If you are hunting for meat then just avoid animals that are worn out and go for animals that are in top condition.
One easy way of determining this is by using the body fat score system (Called Body Condition Score or BCS for short)..... http://www.deernz.org/productivity-impr ... 6YS6Pna58E

If you only take deer that score 3 or above you will do fine