What to do with largest Buck Mule Deer of my life

johngalt · Nov 25, 2014

My three brothers and I have been putting-in for a limited entry hunt near our cabin for 14 years. We all drew rifle tags this year, and all ended up with 4-pointers. I had the whole deer into a refrigerated room within 24 hours (was only 60F outside), and I skinned and quartered it 3 days later. I wrapped the meat in a clean sheet and put it in my fridge and set the fridge to its coldest setting. It has now been 4 weeks. It's time to do something with the meat. In the past I have cut the tenderloins and backstraps into steaks, and cubed and bottled the rest. Venison meat has always been too dry, stringy, and gamey for my family but bottling it makes it more tender and mild.

But now I have a smoker. Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone with wifi. I've been having a lot of fun mostly with turkeys, hamburgers and bratwurst. I am hoping for suggestions on what to do with all this meat other than bottling it.

I'm considering:

Curing it and smoking a hind-quarter as outlined here.
Roasting a hind-quarter as shown here. I like the picture by Flash
Smoked tenderloin: brined or no? temperature?
Smoke the backstrap steaks: Temperature? Cure? Brine?

I have lots of questions, and am willing to try anything. But I have a limited window of time. Whatever isn't in some stage of preparation in the next week either goes into the freezer or a bottle. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK WOULD BE AWESOME.

Thanks in advance!

4-bros-hunt.jpg

johngalt
Nov 25, 2014

boykjo · Nov 25, 2014

This is what I would do with it

IMG_1177.JPG

boykjo
Jan 2, 2014

burgers, bulk sausage, jerky (you can make jerky with ground meat) add 50% pork shoulder to cut the game flavor to almost nothing. Your family wont even know. A heads up. Msg will also cut down the game flavor if you dont mind using it...... A.C Legg has some very good seasonings.......

Joe

bassman · Nov 25, 2014

You could use some of the roasts to make corned venison or pastrami. This is an elk roast that I just did and

it came out great.

100_3355.jpg

bassman
Nov 25, 2014

100_3356.jpg

bassman
Nov 25, 2014

100_3357.jpg

bassman
Nov 25, 2014

100_3358.jpg

bassman
Nov 25, 2014

100_3359.jpg

bassman
Nov 25, 2014

Bearcarver · Nov 25, 2014

Congrats to you & your Brothers, John!!!

I don't know if you've ever done an y curing, but this is what I'd do with the Hind Quarters & Backstraps:

Hind Quarters:

Smoked Venison Dried Beef

Backstraps:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/166047/venison-backstrap-dried-beef

http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN0794.jpg.html

Bear

atomicsmoke · Nov 25, 2014

Nice animals. Were they brothers too?

themule69 · Nov 25, 2014

Nice kill. The reason wild animals taste or smell gammy is because of the way they are handled after the kill. You said it was in the cooler within 24 hours and the outside temp was 60°. At that temp the blood is starting to spoil. A cow would have the same bad flavor if it was allowed to remain unrefriderated for that time. Even if it is put in the cooler right after it is killed it takes a long time for that big of a animal to cool down.

Happy smoken.

David

bigtrain74 · Nov 25, 2014

themule69 said:
Nice kill. The reason wild animals taste or smell gammy is because of the way they are handled after the kill. You said it was in the cooler within 24 hours and the outside temp was 60°. At that temp the blood is starting to spoil. A cow would have the same bad flavor if it was allowed to remain unrefriderated for that time. Even if it is put in the cooler right after it is killed it takes a long time for that big of a animal to cool down.

Happy smoken.

David

Great points mule!

johngalt · Nov 25, 2014

Yeah, I guess that's true. I've always just hung my kill in a tree at camp, but normally I hunt at higher elevations. This deer was killed right before dusk, temperature was 50 when I finished cleaning it, and it got down below 40 degrees that night. It most likely cooled to 40 degrees within a few hours. The following morning I drove it to town to put it in the fridge around 3pm. It would have been above 40 degrees for 4-5 hours, maximum 60 degrees right before it going in the fridge.

On the plus side, the shot was perfect, not damaging any meat and the deer died quickly before getting all worked up. I hope I handled it quickly enough to be able to enjoy it.

themule69 · Nov 25, 2014

johngalt said:
Yeah, I guess that's true. I've always just hung my kill in a tree at camp, but normally I hunt at higher elevations. This deer was killed right before dusk, temperature was 50 when I finished cleaning it, and it got down below 40 degrees that night. It most likely cooled to 40 degrees within a few hours. The following morning I drove it to town to put it in the fridge around 3pm. It would have been above 40 degrees for 4-5 hours, maximum 60 degrees right before it going in the fridge.

On the plus side, the shot was perfect, not damaging any meat and the deer died quickly before getting all worked up. I hope I handled it quickly enough to be able to enjoy it.

The way I handle it is gut as soon as possible (back to spoiling blood). Skin as soon as possible ( a fur coat will keep freezing temperature out for days) Get it in a below 40° as soon as possible. If it is going to be longer than a couple of hours I Quarter it and put in a ice chest filled with ice. Leave the drain open on the cooler because blood does not make a good marinade. If you have a place to hang their is nothing wrong with aging as long as it is cool enough. I never take it to get processed as most places will cut and grind a lot of deer before cleaning their equipment. If the deer before hasn't been handled correctly it gets on yours. Some places don't even give you back your deer. They weigh your deer and lets say it has a field dressed weight of 150 LB then the figure a meat yield of 113 LB so they give you 113 LB of meat and you never know the difference.

That is why a lot of people don't like venison or any wild meat. The gamy taste comes from mishandling not from the critter. Also most people over cook wild game.

Happy smoken.

David

themule69 · Nov 25, 2014

Happy smoken.

David

Bearcarver · Nov 25, 2014

Yup---What David said is true.

Also it matters how clean a kill it is. If you have to track a deer awhile after shooting, the adrenaline gets pumped, and that affects the flavor of the meat too.

I once helped a farmer catch 4 Black Angus Steers that broke loose the day before they were supposed to be slaughtered. We chased them on foot for hours, and I roped the last one about 2 miles from where they broke loose. My legs were shredded right through my pants legs from running through the briars & thistles. Then they tied that last one to the back of a tractor to walk it back to the barn. The farmer told me they had to wait a few days to slaughter them, since the adrenaline was pumped into the meat from the chase. I forget how many days he said, but it was at least 3 days.

BTW: Obviously I was a lot younger when this happened. If that happened now, I'd just say "Good Luck!---Hope you catch them!"

Bear

johngalt · Dec 10, 2014

Bassman said:
You could use some of the roasts to make corned venison or pastrami. This is an elk roast that I just did and

it came out great.

100_3359.jpg

bassman

Nov 25, 2014

Did you do a write-up on here of how you made this? It looks INCREDIBLE! I'd be interested in making something like this.

bassman · Dec 10, 2014

johngalt said:
Did you do a write-up on here of how you made this? It looks INCREDIBLE! I'd be interested in making something like this.

I used the recipe found in Rytek Kutas' book but cut the brine amount in half.

jerseyhunter · Dec 18, 2014

looks great bassman, yes for just one piece you would not need to make that much brine. I use his brine also.

kenn1320 · Dec 19, 2014

Congrats, nice bucks. I've never tried mule deer. Will you use sage brush to smoke them to preserve their natural flavor? j/k of course.

I'm shocked by the info above about handling deer after the kill. Took me 1.5hrs to get it out of the woods, another 3hr drive home. That meat was likely going bad before I got home. Do you guys really get them into the cooler that fast? By the sound of it, Id have to quarter them at the car and into an ice cooler before leaving the property. Im not disagreeing with you, since Ive never cut one up or got one on ice as fast as you guys mentioned. To me it all tastes the same, but Id bet 95% of the deer Ive tried have all been handled the same way(not your way).

themule69 · Dec 19, 2014

kenn1320 said:
Congrats, nice bucks. I've never tried mule deer. Will you use sage brush to smoke them to preserve their natural flavor? j/k of course.

I'm shocked by the info above about handling deer after the kill. Took me 1.5hrs to get it out of the woods, another 3hr drive home. That meat was likely going bad before I got home. Do you guys really get them into the cooler that fast? By the sound of it, Id have to quarter them at the car and into an ice cooler before leaving the property. Im not disagreeing with you, since Ive never cut one up or got one on ice as fast as you guys mentioned. To me it all tastes the same, but Id bet 95% of the deer Ive tried have all been handled the same way(not your way).

Yes I get them cooled that fast. Yes I hunt in a remote area, You can put a unskinned deer in a freezer and it will take days to cool to a safe temp. By then it is buzzard food.

Happy smoken.

David

Bearcarver · Dec 19, 2014

kenn1320 said:
Congrats, nice bucks. I've never tried mule deer. Will you use sage brush to smoke them to preserve their natural flavor? j/k of course.

I'm shocked by the info above about handling deer after the kill. Took me 1.5hrs to get it out of the woods, another 3hr drive home. That meat was likely going bad before I got home. Do you guys really get them into the cooler that fast? By the sound of it, Id have to quarter them at the car and into an ice cooler before leaving the property. Im not disagreeing with you, since Ive never cut one up or got one on ice as fast as you guys mentioned. To me it all tastes the same, but Id bet 95% of the deer Ive tried have all been handled the same way(not your way).

Yup---Agree----That's why we always like it good & cold during Deer season. We normally stayed at our cabin for a few days, and what was killed the first day got gutted & cleaned up & hung in a tree outside the cabin until we headed home. Never noticed any going bad, but I have to repeat that a quick kill is important. If you have to track a deer any distance, the meat just isn't the same, once the adrenalin gets flowing.

Bear

kenn1320 · Dec 20, 2014

themule69 said:
The way I handle it is gut as soon as possible (back to spoiling blood). Skin as soon as possible ( a fur coat will keep freezing temperature out for days) Get it in a below 40° as soon as possible. If it is going to be longer than a couple of hours I Quarter it and put in a ice chest filled with ice. Leave the drain open on the cooler because blood does not make a good marinade. If you have a place to hang their is nothing wrong with aging as long as it is cool enough. I never take it to get processed as most places will cut and grind a lot of deer before cleaning their equipment. If the deer before hasn't been handled correctly it gets on yours. Some places don't even give you back your deer. They weigh your deer and lets say it has a field dressed weight of 150 LB then the figure a meat yield of 113 LB so they give you 113 LB of meat and you never know the difference.

That is why a lot of people don't like venison or any wild meat. The gamy taste comes from mishandling not from the critter. Also most people over cook wild game.

Happy smoken.

David

Something you mentioned I overlooked the first time. I deboned a deer(due to transporting across state line rules) and didnt bag it or leave the drain open. I thought being in ice water would ensure it was all being cooled. The meat turned white and when I got it to the butcher he said it was bad. He said you cant leave meat soaking in water like that. Hope others can learn from my mistake.

themule69 · Dec 20, 2014

kenn1320 said:
Something you mentioned I overlooked the first time. I deboned a deer(due to transporting across state line rules) and didnt bag it or leave the drain open. I thought being in ice water would ensure it was all being cooled. The meat turned white and when I got it to the butcher he said it was bad. He said you cant leave meat soaking in water like that. Hope others can learn from my mistake.

I hate it for you.

Happy smoken.

David

Bearcarver · Dec 20, 2014

kenn1320 said:
Something you mentioned I overlooked the first time. I deboned a deer(due to transporting across state line rules) and didnt bag it or leave the drain open. I thought being in ice water would ensure it was all being cooled. The meat turned white and when I got it to the butcher he said it was bad. He said you cant leave meat soaking in water like that. Hope others can learn from my mistake.

We always hung our Deer up at home & hosed the inside out to get rid of hair, leaves, & such. Our butchers used to tell us not to do that, but we still did, if we had the chance.

Soaking gets blood out & turns it pale pink---Not good.

Bear

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