Bacon Wrapped Vension (Muley) Tenderloin

smokinhusker · Jul 17, 2012

Decided I'd be brave and try smoking the tenderloin from the muley I took last hunting season. Marinated in Grill Mates Peppercorn and Garlic. Wrapped in thick slice bacon and into the MES 40 at 225* with JD Whiskey Oak Barrel Chips. Wasn't huge so I knew it wouldn't take long.

Well got to having a few cocktails and gabbing with my BF - he had just gotten home from out of town work and I had it on there a bit too long before we pulled it to crisp the bacon on the grill.

Here's the plate shot and you can see it was over cooked. Great flavor, moist just too done for us. The potatoes are Ore Ida Grillerz and they aren't worth it IMHO.

Since it was too done, but tasted great, I'll be slicing it and frying it up with some Yukon Golds, bell peppers and onions tonight for dinner!

I will be trying an Elk Loin in the future.

Thanks for looking.

daveomak · Jul 18, 2012

Well got to having a few cocktails and gabbing with my BF - he had just gotten home from out of town work and I had it on there a bit too long before we pulled it to crisp the bacon on the grill.

Alesia , morning.... Sooooo.... now you are blaming the BF for overcooking meat in the smoker..... There are therms that will announce finished temps......

.....

smokinhusker · Jul 18, 2012

Nope Dave not blaming him at all! I do the smoking here and take full responsibility! He's been working out of town for the past 2 yrs and only home on weekends - he came home for good on Friday. NO MORE OUT OF TOWN WORK!!!!!!

bluebombersfan · Jul 18, 2012

Looks great always wanted to try Muley only white tails up here.

roller · Jul 18, 2012

I killed me share of them but none in Louisiana either...Nice job..

smokinhusker · Jul 18, 2012

Thank you! I grew up in Ohio, so I'm very familiar with White Tail. Muleys are good eats unless you get one with a diet of primarily sage brush, IMHO. This one was bedded down and bumped him out of his bed, then shot him. No adrenaline or running so he was tender and no gamey taste at all. The area we hunt has lots of grassy meadows and they eat the same as the elk.

BlueBombersfan said:
Looks great always wanted to try Muley only white tails up here.

Thank you! My first Muley with the muzzle loader. I prefer my 7mm Rem Mag! There are some huge ones where we hunt (didn't draw a tag this year though)

Roller said:
I killed me share of them but none in Louisiana either...Nice job..

rbranstner · Jul 18, 2012

Looks like you are well on your way to perfecting the wild game loin. The key is to not over cook it which can be challenging as you found. Great job!

smokinhusker · Jul 18, 2012

rbranstner said:
Looks like you are well on your way to perfecting the wild game loin. The key is to not over cook it which can be challenging as you found. Great job!

Thank you! Yep it was entirely my fault...but sliced it last night and threw it in with some fried Yukon Golds, bell peppers, onions, bacon, steak seasoning, steak sauce and some au jus and it was perfect!

bluebombersfan · Jul 18, 2012

SmokinHusker said:
Thank you! I grew up in Ohio, so I'm very familiar with White Tail. Muleys are good eats unless you get one with a diet of primarily sage brush, IMHO. This one was bedded down and bumped him out of his bed, then shot him. No adrenaline or running so he was tender and no gamey taste at all. The area we hunt has lots of grassy meadows and they eat the same as the elk.

BlueBombersfan said:

Looks great always wanted to try Muley only white tails up here.

Click to expand...

Thank you! My first Muley with the muzzle loader. I prefer my 7mm Rem Mag! There are some huge ones where we hunt (didn't draw a tag this year though)

Roller said:

I killed me share of them but none in Louisiana either...Nice job..

Click to expand...

Sounds good!!! I Love muzzle loader season up here!! But with the last few winters being so harsh we are only allowed one deer in any season

smokinhusker · Jul 18, 2012

We had a mild winter last year, but mule deer (male and female) has been draw only license for several years in all seasons. My BF, Rock, thought he needed an excuse to buy muzzle loaders and we submitted our applications 2 yrs ago, didn't draw but got a preference point and then was able to draw last year. None this year, got the preference point so we'll more than likely draw them next year. Our muzzle loader season is a month long starting the end of August through the end of September. It's fun!

bluebombersfan · Jul 19, 2012

SmokinHusker said:
We had a mild winter last year, but mule deer (male and female) has been draw only license for several years in all seasons. My BF, Rock, thought he needed an excuse to buy muzzle loaders and we submitted our applications 2 yrs ago, didn't draw but got a preference point and then was able to draw last year. None this year, got the preference point so we'll more than likely draw them next year. Our muzzle loader season is a month long starting the end of August through the end of September. It's fun!

A month long!!!! that has gotta be fun!

smokinhusker · Jul 19, 2012

Oops I had a brain dump...that's archery elk season. Muzzle loader starts Sept 8 - Sept 16 this year. Already anticipating archery season I guess!!!! Sorry about that...we camp during all the hunting seasons, that we hunt in. Archery cow elk is over the counter license (no draw), muzzle loader is limited draw, and then we hunt Rifle Bull from approx Oct 22-31...usually have snow then too. We've got 2 atvs that we use and hunt public land. Not a huge herd but it works. We saw elk every day last yr except one during rifle season.

fpnmf · Jul 19, 2012

Looks good from here...

What's snow??

LanceR · Jul 19, 2012

Snow is the stuff that causes some of us to have snowblowers on our tractors big enough to have their own zip codes.

It's also why I have three kinds of snowshoes and have used them all while hunting.

Good looking loin all the same.... Good luck this season.

Lance

PS Snow is also the stuff that makes late season scouting easier so you can find where the big boys are bedding and get set up to ambush them next season without the risk of fall scouting blowing them out of the area.

smokinhusker · Jul 19, 2012

Thank you! Snow is one of the reasons I live here and we didn't have very much of it last winter at all.

fpnmf said:
Looks good from here...

What's snow??

Thank you! No I don't have a snowblower/tractor big enough for a zip code...sometimes I wish I did, but CO DOT is really good about getting on the roads when it starts accumulating and I have a shovel for home, which is fine when we don't get feet

We have atvs with chains and winches for hunting. We're lucky enough to get snow during the season we rifle hunt so it does make it easier to track them! We also ride atvs where we hunt throughout the year scouting, which really helps.

Good luck to you as well this year!

LanceR said:
Snow is the stuff that causes some of us to have snowblowers on our tractors big enough to have their own zip codes.

It's also why I have three kinds of snowshoes and have used them all while hunting.

Good looking loin all the same.... Good luck this season.

Lance

PS Snow is also the stuff that makes late season scouting easier so you can find where the big boys are bedding and get set up to ambush them next season without the risk of fall scouting blowing them out of the area.

bluebombersfan · Jul 19, 2012

SmokinHusker said:
Oops I had a brain dump...that's archery elk season. Muzzle loader starts Sept 8 - Sept 16 this year. Already anticipating archery season I guess!!!! Sorry about that...we camp during all the hunting seasons, that we hunt in. Archery cow elk is over the counter license (no draw), muzzle loader is limited draw, and then we hunt Rifle Bull from approx Oct 22-31...usually have snow then too. We've got 2 atvs that we use and hunt public land. Not a huge herd but it works. We saw elk every day last yr except one during rifle season.

That sounds similar to us, we camp in an old prospectors tent with a wood stove. Our muzzloader season is Oct. 29 - Nov. 11 and then rifle from Nov. 12 - 25. Up where I live that means the weather can be pretty cold and by Nov we always have plenty of snow. Our Elk season is by draw and I have not been lucky enough to get one yet. good luck this year!

smokinhusker · Jul 19, 2012

We have a pop up that we camp in with a Mr Buddy Heater, but I want a hard side camper that's bigger! Oh well someday! Last year we got quite a bit of snow during our 2nd season hunt and it was bitter cold, with negative temps at night and not much above 10-20* some days. The heater worked great, not a balmy 70* but not freezing either. Oh well we enjoy it and that's what counts.

fpnmf · Jul 19, 2012

I do know what snow is....

Grew up next to Lake Ontario...

bluebombersfan · Jul 20, 2012

SmokinHusker said:
We have a pop up that we camp in with a Mr Buddy Heater, but I want a hard side camper that's bigger! Oh well someday! Last year we got quite a bit of snow during our 2nd season hunt and it was bitter cold, with negative temps at night and not much above 10-20* some days. The heater worked great, not a balmy 70* but not freezing either. Oh well we enjoy it and that's what counts.

I agree!! We are looking for a 20' - 25' Scamper for this year. Our weather dips to -20 (-4F) -30C (-22F) sometimes during rifle season. That means we have to keep the wood stove buring non stop. I can usually sleep through the cold but a few of the older guys wake up few times a night to keep it going! Your right it is all about having a good time!!!!

smokinhusker · Jul 20, 2012

Yes you definitely know what snow is growing up there!!!! No wonder you live in FL!

fpnmf said:
I do know what snow is....

Grew up next to Lake Ontario...

BlueBombersfan said:
SmokinHusker said:

We have a pop up that we camp in with a Mr Buddy Heater, but I want a hard side camper that's bigger! Oh well someday! Last year we got quite a bit of snow during our 2nd season hunt and it was bitter cold, with negative temps at night and not much above 10-20* some days. The heater worked great, not a balmy 70* but not freezing either. Oh well we enjoy it and that's what counts.

Click to expand...

I agree!! We are looking for a 20' - 25' Scamper for this year. Our weather dips to -20 (-4F) -30C (-22F) sometimes during rifle season. That means we have to keep the wood stove buring non stop. I can usually sleep through the cold but a few of the older guys wake up few times a night to keep it going! Your right it is all about having a good time!!!!

That's about the size we're interested in as well. Doesn't get quite that cold while we're hunting.

Bacon Wrapped Vension (Muley) Tenderloin

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