Any difference compared to a younger deer? Does it taste worse, better, more fatty?

All the deer I have killed have been under 5 years old...curious if hamburger out of a deer this old will taste different.

I do not think ground venison will taste different...

Gonna depend on just how rutted down he was. I have eaten bucks that were very mature and they are usually tougher, gamier to say the least. Hamburger is better than steaks for sure. If you skinned him and got him on ice really quick then it will be better. I would let him age about 5 days on ice draining the water and adding ice daily. If hanging in a walkin then let him age 5-10 days with the skin off.

X2 on what stxranchman said, if still in good shape and not rutted down bad he should still be good. Actually old ones like this work best for large cuts like a ham slow smoked than a young tender one.

My choice for older mature bucks is to turn them into German or Polish smoked sausage. My favorite recipe involves adding some pork fat for moisture plus/minus a little jalapeno and cheese. Summer sausage can be good too.

I generally have enough does for steaks, chops, roasts, etc.

Jerky or dry sausage can also be made from older bucks.

I have never really noticed a difference if it is in ground meat or any type of sausage. Older deer are tougher on steaks and such, but cant say I have ever noticed a stronger or gamey flavor and different than a 2 year old doe.

matt

SOME of the older deer are noticeably "gamier" but not to the point where you'd want to spit it out. Like Stxranchman said, it all depends on how worn down they are. If an older buck has been well fed and hasn't had to fight every day of his life, he'll taste more or less like a 3-4 year old buck.

It's the equivalent of a 55 year old man that still has the build of a 30 year old. They took care of themselves and it shows.

i shot an old rutty buck year before last, i don't know what caused it but i just could not eat it in steaks. meat actually stunk.

got a few pounds of hamburger mixed with bacon and still the same thing. ended up throwing the deer away.

i've got a 7 year old buck in the freezer now that i've been munching on for the past few weeks, he tastes fine, not as good as a yearling doe but good enough for stews and such. but he was taken in november, well before the rut.

most of the bucks i take after the rut i end up giving away

I think stxranchman summed it up. Before the rut an 8 year old buck may be tolerable to the palate, afterwards they can be downright awful. Several suggestions from sausage to jerky are ok, but hunters for the hungry is usually my option on an old buck. From experience, my wife and daughter can tell if I used venison from a doe vs any buck older than 3.5!

I've shot a few old, rutted up, nasty S. Tx. bucks and ate every one of them. I can't tell the difference. I make mine into bacon-burger, jalapeno sausage and steaks for chicken fried.

I think it has more to do with how you care for the meat after the kill. I always get 'em quartered and on ice as soon as possible after the kill.

I shot my buck in late October (MLD property)
When I got to it (about 5 minutes after I shot it as it was stoned cold dead) and got within 10 ft it wreaked

Field dressed it and got it in a walk in cooler within 30 minutes and it was a nice cool morning.

We aged it for a week and even the tenderloins after 24 hrs of marinating were nasty, tasted like it smelled.

First and only buck I have had like that.... even it chili it was just not enjoyable to eat..
We the meat away...

Sir; you are correct!!!!!

I have never noticed deer to have a smell based on any age or time of rut or year.

All bets are off if they have been eating sage though, that chit makes them stink! I have eaten them and its still ok but those definatley stink.

matt

When you kill your first post mature buck on your land that is rutted down in a bad year like this one around New Years you will know what the smell is and understand that some will taste like it.

You could always eat 'em with waffles.

I may have already in breakfast sausage

Thanks,,,,,,,,we donated the meat but next time we will give it a try. I didn't want to pay for processing, and regret it.

I bet it would make a great chili..

Grind it....it'll be fine but if there is doubt on eating it before pulling the trigger, dare I say don't do it....antlers or not. A whole animal going to waste is a shame.

Chili meat.

This is why I put an arrow through 4 points. I eat them and they taste very good.

people look at me like i'm crazy when i tell them I can smell a buck when he's down(if the wind is right) long before i see them

I agree. You can smell them before they get close to you with the wind right when they are still alive. I have found quite a few bucks by smelling them first when getting close.