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View Full Version : Are young Mule Deer good eating?



Marlin Junky
10-06-2007, 03:37 PM
I just bought a property in northern WY that's adjacent to 2200 acres of state land lousy with mule deer does and young deer. I was wondering if anyone has a special way of preparing mule deer for the table or are they better left to grow up and mount on the wall.

MJ

MT Gianni
10-06-2007, 06:16 PM
I grew up eating mule deer. Like most things taste depends on what they eat but I will kill another only if it is huge. I am hooked on river bottom whitetail. Try it and see. At the least you have burger and sausage, kielbasa etc. Gianni

Moose
10-06-2007, 07:30 PM
Grampa used to say " If you shoot it, eat it -- unless it is something trying to EAT you! Then you can be picky." At the age of 11 I dropped a Great Heron in his presence, and he made me eat it. Yum. Tasted like a rubber bait bucket. As far as whitetail vs mule/blacktail? Whitetail is tender, blacktail/mulie ain't.

Marlin Junky
10-07-2007, 12:03 AM
The older the deer, usually the tougher they become but in the area I'm moving to, any deer can be harvested on private land during the first two weeks of October. I thought I would plant a little soybean in the ravines after the wife and I build our house. I don't want the deer leaving our 38 acres after he/she takes a boolit; therefore, as soon as I pull the trigger, I want to see feet in the air. I suppose a heavy .358" SWC should do the trick... perhaps launched from the .35 Remington.

MJ

JSH
10-07-2007, 09:00 AM
Only mule deer I have ever eaten were all ground into sausage, so I can't comment much.
I will agree that what they eat is a whole lot of it. My dad swore he would not eat one of thsoe "goats". He had eaten deer years back before they were common in the "flat" farm country. He and my mom showed up one weekend and I happened to have some back strap in I talian dressing wrapped in bacon ready for the grill. After eating two he wanted to know where i got them. He just couldn't beleive it after I told him.
Call me mean or cruel, the best eating are the ones that still have a hint of spots. Int this case it is the quality not the quantity.
The buck I shot last year will be the last one I shoot for a long time, gravy was even tough.
Jeff

hivoltfl
10-07-2007, 09:07 AM
Hahahaha never heard of tough gravy, thats gotta be a tough animal :bigsmyl2:

MT Gianni
10-07-2007, 10:55 AM
What I see is that the meat has a coarser grain and a different odor and taste.

kodiak1
10-07-2007, 07:37 PM
Was Raised on Mulies and prefer them to White Tails. Far as I am concerned a white tail should be shot and ground add spices and stuff into casings then smoked.
In an over all though I think Antelope and Elk are the top two but have eaten some really nasty Antelope when they were hungry and got to eating off the sage brush.
Shoot one and try it.
Ken.

obssd1958
10-07-2007, 11:54 PM
MJ,
We have killed and eaten Mulies from button bucks and young does to a fair sized 3x4 - all were very good. We are also blessed to have permission to hunt a farm in northern Idaho where I have killed several "grain fed" whitetail does - also, very good eating. Like most wild game, I believe that if you keep it clean and get it skinned and cooled quickly, the flavor will be all you were hoping for.
By the way, if you should need any help keeping the herd down...[smilie=1:

Take care!

Don

Marlin Junky
10-08-2007, 06:18 AM
By the way, if you should need any help keeping the herd down...[smilie=1:

Take care!

Don

Don,

There's a 38 acre parcel next door to mine for sale that also borders state land. Let me see if there's a finder's fee in it for me. :mrgreen:

I don't know for sure what the deer are eating but the area is covered with a grain that looks like wild oats.

MJ

Scrounger
10-08-2007, 08:44 AM
Probably is wild oats. I've been hearing about guys sowing them all my life, so they're probably everywhere...

MtJerry
10-08-2007, 08:51 AM
Prepare ANY venison with the following and it will be so good, it'll make you jump up and slap yur momma!
______________

6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
4 steaks

Make Mustard Butter by mixing first 3 ingredients and storing in refrigerator until ready to use.

Make a paste with the remaining ingredients.

Rub paste onto the steaks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.

Allow steaks to warm to room temp.

Grill to desired doneness.

Top with Mustard Butter and serve.

Marlin Junky
10-08-2007, 03:43 PM
That sounds pretty good. Have you ever tried substituting an inexpensive merlot or cab for the Worchestershire sauce?

MJ

Lloyd Smale
10-08-2007, 04:04 PM
Mule deer that i have eaten were excellent. Ive ate alot more whitetail then mule deer but Ive yet to see anything from either species that wasnt excellent table fare with the exception of a really big trophy buck. Nice thing is i dont get to shoot to many of those anyway!!!! and if you they make just as good of burger and sausage as a small one. Anyone that would grind the loins of a mule deer doe into sausage needs his head checked!!

frank505
10-08-2007, 04:44 PM
We eat buffalo, elk, white tails and then somewhere down towards the bottom of the list is mule deer and way at the bottom is antelope. Our house has lived on game or buffalo for quite a while and nothing pen raised comes even close.
My dear wife absoluly loves moose but permits are very hard to get in wolf ridden Wyoming.

Scrounger
10-08-2007, 05:17 PM
We eat buffalo, elk, white tails and then somewhere down towards the bottom of the list is mule deer and way at the bottom is antelope. Our house has lived on game or buffalo for quite a while and nothing pen raised comes even close.
My dear wife absoluly loves moose but permits are very hard to get in wolf ridden Wyoming.

Speaking of wolves, there was a woman killed by a pack of dogs last week. The animal control people said it was wolves (here in southern Nevada????), but the sheriff is a little more level headed, he says it's wild dogs.
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2007/Oct-05-Fri-2007/news/17119295.html

DanWalker
10-08-2007, 05:19 PM
My dear wife absoluly loves moose but permits are very hard to get in wolf ridden Wyoming.
I'll make you a deal pard,
Show me where I actually have a remote chance of drawing a cow tag,(I have 4 preference points saved up) where I can get decent access, and I'll pay for the processing and split the meat with you...

scrapcan
10-08-2007, 06:07 PM
You guys and your moose tags, just keep applying or paying your points fee and they will come. Then you will shoot the big bullwinkle and you will be sorry, your will eat tough meat for years. head north for moose.

As for the mule deer, I too have eaten it all my life and prefer it to most other big game in Wyoming. If you get some that is too gamey for you, you can always marinade it in milk overnight and that will help. Works with speed goat also (that would be antelope for the uninformed).

MT Gianni
10-08-2007, 06:56 PM
Italian dressing is a good marinade for tough meat also. Gianni

DanWalker
10-08-2007, 07:01 PM
All I want is a chance at a young cow moose with my blackhawk. I have no interest in a tough old bull. My friends dad shot an old timer a few years ago and can't give the meat away it's so tough and gamey.

Old Ironsights
10-08-2007, 09:09 PM
Nothing wrong with Mulie. Hell, I rub sage into all my meat anyway.

Any young ruminant will be good as long as the meat is treated right/ain't gut-shot...

frank505
10-09-2007, 10:46 AM
Dan;
I have no idea which moose area is a decent draw anymore. Used to be(pre federal terrorist wolf days) south of Jackson's Hole but that is empty now. The omly moose Iv' e taken was in way northern Alberta and he was wonderful meat. 330 pounds of some of the best, this bull had holes in his neck I could stick my hand in and one broken tine from fighting. I was very happily surprised at the table, I thought he would be tough.
And if you can draw a moose tag I will gladly help pack as long as you use a Keith bullet.

DanWalker
10-09-2007, 12:14 PM
And if you can draw a moose tag I will gladly help pack as long as you use a Keith bullet.

DEAL!

kodiak1
10-09-2007, 08:35 PM
Frank you imported moose from Canada into the USA........ LOL.
If you were way up North they are usually very good unless they have had a chance to vote then they usually make tough sausage.
Ken.

piwo
10-10-2007, 10:03 AM
I prefer the taste of Mule deer over whitetail as I've never had a bad experience with any of them I've taken. Living in Missouri and eating all these "corn fed" deer, their superiority doesn't resonate with me. I've had good ones; I've had some not so good ones. Having said that, what happens IMEADIATELY after you have "brown on the ground" is probably more important then whether they are mule deer or whitetail.

Does will bee tastier as a rule then bucks, simply because bucks are engorged with hormones during the rut (usually hunting season), spend all day and night fighting and fornicating, not eating or resting. A large buck will lose 20% or more of his body weight in the rut for the aforementioned reasons, and none of that transforms into tasty meat. Doe's on the other hand go about the business, of business as usual. If they've had fawns earlier in the year, may still carry milk. The Almighty's design tends to provide for expectant females of any specie, so it's a good bet their meat will have the enzyme and hormone balance more inline with what we will find tasty. I know my buddy from Poland (whom I make kielbasa with) says you shouldn't make kielbasa from green hams of a hog, only a sow because the hog's meat is too "strong" or wild for the 'BEST" kielbasa..... Not my area of expertise, but I defer to his professional advice.

That’s my take. Where about did you buy your land? Hunted up near Clark, Sunlight basin, Meeteetsee over the years........

Marlin Junky
11-06-2007, 09:04 AM
Sorry it took so long to respond... been real busy lately.


Where about did you buy your land? Hunted up near Clark, Sunlight basin, Meeteetsee over the years........

Sheridan County about 4 miles outside of town adjacent to a couple thousand arces of state land where the Crow and Sioux used to hunt, so I hear. I looked around Cody a couple years ago but like Sheridan a whole lot better.

Regards,
MJ

Single Shot
11-08-2007, 06:29 PM
Here are a bunch of recipes from the Alberta White-tail & Mule Deer Association.



http://www.venison-meat.com/html/recipes.html

KevMT
05-29-2010, 03:44 PM
Prepare ANY venison with the following and it will be so good, it'll make you jump up and slap yur momma!
______________

6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
4 steaks

Make Mustard Butter by mixing first 3 ingredients and storing in refrigerator until ready to use.

Make a paste with the remaining ingredients.

Rub paste onto the steaks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.

Allow steaks to warm to room temp.

Grill to desired doneness.

Top with Mustard Butter and serve.

I have used this recipe several times except that I put the Mustard right in the marinade and forgo the butter. It is officially the BOMB.

milsurp mike
05-29-2010, 07:53 PM
I have eaten young Doe Mule deer and it was great.Save the big ones for the Wall and sausage.Mike

Old Goat Keeper
05-29-2010, 11:38 PM
Try using Gazebo Room Greek Dressing for a maranade folks. Mity tasty stuff that Gazabo!

Tom who's only ever eaten whitetail and a bit of elk

garbear
05-30-2010, 12:38 PM
Mule deer is fine to eat. It comes down in how it is taken care of and prepared to eat. I will also say this. Try bottled deer meat. Use a pressure cooker. This is my favorite way to eat venison. The reason comes down too ease of cooking. My Grandmother would heat it and serve it over rice or potatoes. She did this when she didn't want or have a lot of time to cook. All she had to do was open the jar and heat it in a pan. Ilike jerky and summer sausage. I cook my straps and loins using a marinade and cut into steaks. Muley is great venison

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
06-07-2010, 02:51 PM
Have eaten "wild Meat" since a young boy.

Hmmmmmmmmm Good.

I remember a number of years back, eating a piece of beef after deer and elk as a diet.

What a come down, no taste!

Have eaten mule deer taken during rut, no problem. Many of the whitetail bucks I get are during rut, no problem.

As stated, it can depend on their diet but mostly on how picky a person is.

Our red meat is mostly Wild, and one of my favorites is backstrap, rolled in flour and fried up nice and crisp, gravey from the dripp'ins, mashed spuds, fresh frozen peas. WOW, dinner of choice for my birthday.

We like roasts, and love berger, deer, elk, moose, all good at this house!:redneck:

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

giz189
06-08-2010, 09:54 PM
If it is to tough to chew, get a tenderizer. If i go to all the work of hunting and killing and cleaning and dragging out and cutting up and wrapping, you can bet is is going to be tender. Whitetails or mulies, both are delicious. Have eaten whitetail all my life, mule deer later in life, squirrels, quail, coons, wild hogs,ducks, most everything wild and never get tired of it.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
06-09-2010, 01:02 PM
Yep, much of the quality of meat is care!

Care of the meat once the animal is on the ground and all the way through storing and cooking.

If you haven't heard the horror stories from wild game butchers, you should ask them about it.

Locally a critter was brought in is such poor condition the butcher wouldn't let it into the cooler.

Thankfully a game officer happen buy and the hunter was issued a ticket for wastage.

Personally I don't like the way a commercial/professional butcher handles a critter.

They are fast and efficient, but I wish to maximize the quality by the extra effort I take.

I separate muscle groups to avoid cross grain in steaks/roast, save the premo steaks like backstrap and loin, good roasts, the rest goes to berger and/or ground meat for jerky etc.

If your meat is processed soon enough to prevent a lot of drying, lots of the trimming from the ribs etc. can go to jerky or sausage, where it is waste if allowed to totally dry out.

Then wrap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Use a good plastic wrap and wrap VERY!!!!!!!!! tight to get all the air out. Then a good heavy butcher paper, again very tight.

We regularly have deer meat go two years with no freezer burn. Comes out as good and bright as the day it went in.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm GOOD!!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

Changeling
06-10-2010, 07:35 PM
All I want is a chance at a young cow moose with my blackhawk. I have no interest in a tough old bull. My friends dad shot an old timer a few years ago and can't give the meat away it's so tough and gamey.

Hi Dan, it's the same basically with all meat, Testosterone is NOT a flavor enhancer. The females always taste better/different. You're dead right in what you want.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
06-10-2010, 08:33 PM
Guess it depends -------------------

The wife and I have both taken our once in a lift time Idaho Bull moose.

Both were very good tasting!!!!!!!! and both chewy.

Both needed creative treatment because of the texture, but nothing was wrong with the flavor. Great in fact!

Mine was taken during heavy rut - late September - and was missing patches of hair from one end to the other.

Sharon's was taken mid- November and showed no marks. Both were equalily fine in taste and equally chewy.

I didn't draw for a cow this year, but hope to try again. However, would take another bull in a heart beat, given the oppertunity.

Don't mind the crockpot and love berger.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol"Coot