venison flavor buck vs doe

[JOLLYMON]

Last year I got two bucks. The early buck had a very strong gamey taste. Had to be heavily seasoned. The second buck was much better. This year I got two late season does. First taste was far better than either of last years bucks. I have never noticed such a difference before. Are does in general better than bucks? Does it depend on time of year or how the meat is cleaned/processed? What affects flavor?

[TooManyHobbies]

The only difference I ever see is between fawn and mature deer. Obviously fawn is more tender.
If I get a foul (gamey?) taste, it may have been a gut shot, or perforated paunch while field dressing. Get it unzipped and cooled ASAP and not usually a problem with buck OR doe.

[wingnut]

I've never had a difference except for the "or how the meat is cleaned/processed"

If not cooled properly and kept clean any deer from a fawn to a big buck can be gamey.  BTW that gamey taste is because it is starting to decay.

Mike

I kill does and bucks every year, and could not tell you which was which. Pigs, on the other hand, run from absolutely fantastic, to darn near inedible!

Bisch

[tomsm44]

I don't think there's a difference based just on the sex.  I think the time of the season it's killed can affect it.  Here where I'm at, we have about a month long dog season.  We don't hunt with dogs on our lease, but the leases around us do.  A deer that's been running from a pack of hounds half the day can be downright funky.  Especially if it's during one of our heat waves, like today and tomorrow when it's 80 degrees.  The timber company that owns most of the land on our lease and the ones around us stopped allowing dog hunting on their property this year, so that won't be a big issue for us anymore.  Hot days like this, and especially early season when we still sometimes have highs in mid 80s and lows around 70, make the issues of processing soon after killing a deer an even bigger concern.

[fnshtr]

Originally posted by Bisch:
I kill does and bucks every year, and could not tell you which was which. Pigs, on the other hand, run from absolutely fantastic, to darn near inedible!

Bisch

Well stated!

[AZ_Longbow]

Well in AZ a buck in the rut tasted a bit more..... earthy I will say. though it really comes down to diet. the low desert scrub brush muelys taste good, but the pine and oak mountain deer that feed on ferns and flowers taste much much better. Of coarse my deer that I killed 2 years ago back in Wisconsin was feeding in a corn field and tasted incredible.
So I would say it is much more diet than gender.

[BWallace10327]

Doe steak is usually more tender and buck in rut tends to have a stronger flavor due to the high levels of hormones.

[PaulDeadringer29]

I gut mine asap and hang in a walk-in cooler for 5-7 days. No one would be able to tell the difference between a rutting buck or a small doe. Just like anything else.....preparation is key.

[Cwilder]

Never could tell then difference. I normally let my deer hang in the walkin for a week to week in a half

[Al Dean]

Wyoming sagebrush country you might want to leave a buck in rut alone.

[stickandstring]

A quick kill and careful cleaning are essential. Next, wash the cavity and hang in 40 degree temps for four days.

[bucksakemmer]

I have found that if the going to the trouble to process it properly makes all of the difference in the world,
Gut the deer as soon as possible and be carefull not to cut the sac and DO NOT break the bladder.
I bone the the deer out and remove ALL of the fat and and silver and tendon material. On the hams break the muscle groups apart and remove the fat, also look for the nodules about the size of your little fingertip,they are dark red and need to be removed. Now that its boned out place in a container,I put a metal rack on the bottom, its a cake cooling rack from Wally World or Target and cover with wrap, and refigerate for 12 DAYS
The lets the meat go thru the process of cell break down. You will be amazed that  their will be no odor when you remove the wrap. Its a lot of work and goes over better with the wife if you have a seperate fridge so they dont have to see this.
If you try this you will be amazed at how GOOD deer meat can taste if cured properly.
Think how good a beef steak would taste if you killed one today and ate it the tomorrow.
One more caution, when skinning and cleaning NEVER put water or ICE directly on the meat.

[Longtoke]

I have heard many people say that doe are better tasting than bucks. In my own experience I have found diet makes a bigger difference than sex

[Tom]

My wife prefers me to take does or young bucks but I prefer whatever gives me a good shot. Proper field care is essential and quick cool down as well.Well handled deer meat is a gift from above and our responsibility to follow through with proper handling.

[Broken Arrows]

One early season here a friend shot a nice doe we took care of it gutted & skinned but it was very hot and we had no place we could keep at a cool 35 to 40 degrees so we placed into the deep freeze and pulled it out the very next morning, This was a very big mistake the out side froze first and allowed the center to bone sourer before it froze we had to through it out. What a waste this will never happen again! Like above I haven't noticed any real difference between a buck or doe in taste.

Dave

[ChuckC]

I think that they both come in Venison Flavor.  

Unlike Pringles and other similar delicacies, I doubt you can locate any that are Cheddar cheese / Jalapeno / boston baked bean flavor, at least not out of the can.

Chuck
Merry Xmas

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I have to agree with chuck on this one....

There is a lot of variation based on how it is handled after the shot. Plus if you use a  butcher, how they handle it as well.

I used to leave silver skin and some fat on the meat when I was in my early 20's because I didn't want to waste anything.  I have learned there's no better way to ruin the flavor and turn people off venison.

Now when processing my meat I spend the time to get the silver skin and all fat off before packaging and freezing.  In my opinion it makes ALL the difference in the world.

I was able to convince my wife, the vegetarian that deer meat is good.  It was like a  double edged sword because she put an awful lot of pressure to bring home deer this year. lol. which I was unsuccessful, but they say absence makes the heart grow fonder ha.

[John Scifres]

There are certainly differences between individual deer.  Just like beef, there are different grades.  None of it is bad if prepped correctly.  It's just that some of it is better.  Turn the "better" into steaks.  Turn the lesser grades or cuts into stew meat, burger, or sausage.  Or crockpot it all into italian sandwich meat.  Skim the fat off the top before you eat it.  Or can it.  It's all food.  Man's gotta eat.

[RedStag5728]

Our family has determined that what gender the deer are doesn't really effect the tastiness but more of the tenderness, depending on the age of the animal. A young buck will taste and be as tender as a doe, but an old buck tends to be a little tougher. What really determines taste is what they eat and their nutrition throughout their life.

We hunt on a 400 acre leased farm for which we have permission and the farmers often plant corn or soybeans. The deer we harvest regardless of gender taste way better (less gamey) than those we sometimes kill around the house who browse on twigs, grasses, leaves and acorns.

Like mentioned before hormones are definitely present in the taste. A big ol Buck in the rut is tough and gamey.

This is just what we have observed throughout our years of hunting