Does anyone else consider themselves strictly a meat hunter?

[ZeroJunk]

Quail and pheasant are good to eat. Mallard is pretty good, smaller ducks not so much. Squirrel and rabbit make the best gravy on the planet. But, if you think deer are good to eat you are just convincing yourself of that because you shot it. I get it all ground up and add enough beef or pork fat to give it some flavor and make it stick together. Good for spaghetti and meatloaf sort of thing. I use it but certainly would never seek it out because I wanted something to eat. You raise hogs, chickens, and cattle for that.

 

[hipoint]

Like Officers Wife, it's mostly about pest control here with the added benefit of getting meat. The wardens asked that we only remove Doe unless we catch a buck eating our profits. That was the purpose of my deer meat thread, we're overrun with it... Not a bad problem to have, except for the whole decimating of our farm thing.

I allow hunters to come here during season and try to stay out of their way and not ruin their hunting.

We live in an area where there are lots of artists so no one else allows hunting in an area that I would guess is about 5 thousand to 10 thousand acres so there is a pretty fair amount of them running around. Our little 30 acre island is the only area that they get shot. Dang things still won't learn to stay away though haha

 

[MCgunner]

I use it but certainly would never seek it out because I wanted something to eat. You raise hogs, chickens, and cattle for that.

Some folks just don't know what's good, I guess, or good for you. Good lean ground venison is the best chili meat there is. And, I'd NEVER GRIND BACKSTRAP!!!!! I rather like my crock potted rump and round roasts, too. I'll sometimes jerk venison and I'll add pork fat for sausage, but I have plenty of wild hog sausage right now, so I used the ground on the spike buck I shot the other day for chili meat.

You can keep your fatty old beef hamburger....

 

[1911 guy]

I take it that ZeroJunk has never had venison prepared well. Tastes very good. Like any animal, some cuts are better than others, but especially the tenderloin, AKA "backstrap", is a prime cut. Butterfly it, stuff with a little cheese, onions and mushrooms, then slow cook in a crock or well sealed roaster. That's good stuff, Maynard!

 

[Officers'Wife]

Quail and pheasant are good to eat. Mallard is pretty good, smaller ducks not so much. Squirrel and rabbit make the best gravy on the planet. But, if you think deer are good to eat you are just convincing yourself of that because you shot it. I get it all ground up and add enough beef or pork fat to give it some flavor and make it stick together. Good for spaghetti and meatloaf sort of thing. I use it but certainly would never seek it out because I wanted something to eat. You raise hogs, chickens, and cattle for that.

Hi Zerojunk,

You have never had molasses cured venison ham or you wouldn't say that. I won't even go into the health benefits of venison vs. pork. Venison takes more skill to prepare than the average McDonald's fry cook is capable of but that doesn't mean it isn't a tasty meal for someone that knows how to cook.

 

[Davek1977]

Nope, I'm not a meat hunter. I enjoy the meat, but I hunt because I love to hunt, not because I want or need the meat. In fact, I've started donating about one deer a year to sportsmen against hunger, which pays for the processing and distributes venison to needy families throughout the state. If I can partake of my favorite passion, and put food in someone's stomach who might not otherwise eat, I can't see the downside. If I had to pay access fees and high license fees, I may feel otherwise, but I hunt on the family ranch exclusively, and can get a 3 tag license for about $40.

 

[wyohome]

especially the tenderloin, AKA "backstrap", is a prime cut.

Backstraps and tenderloins are not the same thing. Backstraps are the large muscle that is along the spine on the outside of the ribcage, tenderloins are inside the ribcage.

 

[wankerjake]

Zerojunk, that is CRAZYtalk!

I've had a few really gamey muleys though I admit. It was gaminess, not rot. Still more than edible though, but I like the way they taste. Whitetails and elk have been consistently delicious, I much prefer it to beef and pork and chicken from the store which is why I put in for antlerless elk hunts and shoot small bucks. I eat game 6 days a week consistently.

Once I get property though, I do believe I'll raise a few lambs and try to draw bull tags, and hold out for larger bucks. I'll gladly eat lamb in between elk years. My trophy hunting days are ahead of me yet though.

 

[newfalguy101]

Turns out, I am more of a "get up early and bundle up to watch deer and throw bullets in their general direction to watch em run" kinda guy...................yea, I missed a PAIR of easy "chip shots" this morning............broadside 50ish yards

 

[ZeroJunk]

I figured that might stir something up. But, I really don't care for venison. I can eat it and eat a lot of it although it's ground up. But, as far as putting a piece on the grill, frying, or baking, ya'll can have it. If you put enough other stuff on it you can make it edible where as a good piece of pork, chicken, or beef doesn't need anything.

 

[hipoint]

I understand where zerojunk is coming from, maybe for other reasons than his but I kinda feel the same way. If it were legal, I'd take out an ad in the paper and trade my venison for beef haha. Beef is a real treat for us, we're just starting out as young farmers and invest all our money in to the farm. Buying beef at the store just isn't happening right now, makes me sad to walk past all those yummy steaks... But, the Lord provides for us just fine and even though our deer are a problem for the farm, they're a blessing for us since we have plenty of meat. We eat storebought sausages since I haven't figured out a good sausage recipe yet and storebought chicken since the raccoons ate all of ours, but red meat and fish all come off of our land and we eat that almost exclusively.

I like venison, but I prefer a nice bone in chuck roast grilled for a couple of hours

 

[wyohome]

There is a reason that deer have not been large-scale domesticated and raised...beef is hard to beat.

 

[wankerjake]

It depends on the beef but I agree, great beef is basically unbeatable. A lot of it sucks though. Plus it's ZERO fun to go get!

I prefer lamb to beef generally. It has the fat marbling, but a little extra flavor closer to deer.

Good pork is also outstanding.

Chicken does not belong in the same conversation as red meat, in my opinon.

 

[MCgunner]

Backstraps and tenderloins are not the same thing. Backstraps are the large muscle that is along the spine on the outside of the ribcage, tenderloins are inside the ribcage.

^Yup, what he said^

I figured that might stir something up. But, I really don't care for venison. I can eat it and eat a lot of it although it's ground up. But, as far as putting a piece on the grill, frying, or baking, ya'll can have it. If you put enough other stuff on it you can make it edible where as a good piece of pork, chicken, or beef doesn't need anything.

Now, I'm not one to turn down a good T bone, mind you, but the difference in beef and venison, aside from marbling, (can be a bad thing for cooking as well as health) is that the beef is prepared for you, aged and butchered for you by unknown minions. You never see the process, but it's done. I doubt you'd like beef from a grass fed cow if butchered the wrong way without bleeding/aging. Me, I prefer to do it myself, take pride in my non-gamey venison. Yeah, it's more work and requires knowledge only gained through experience, but it's worth the effort to me to have healthy, delicious meat in the freezer. Besides, if I shoot it, I eat it, unless it's a coyote or something.

Edit the post, but I also prefer ground venison to fatty hamburger meat for chili. Even coarse ground for chili meat, beef is too fat. Ever fry a burger and watch it shrink by 1/2? The good lean burger is NOT cheap. But, it's fine, I just prefer venison chili.

But, yeah, I like quality beef T bones. I ain't that broke that I can't spring for 'em now and then, either, but I ain't dissin' my venison. Beef does grill better, more fat, but I like grilling wild pork, too. Wild pork is more fatty than venison, though it's lean compared to farm pigs. I still prefer to crock pot a venison roast to pork, though, less fat in it and it falls right off the bone. Sometimes, pork turns to mush in the crock pot.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

If I didn't like the way deer tasted, trust me, I wouldn't spend 10x what beef costs (taking in everything that goes into deer hunting) and then get up at dark thirty on top of that to get it.

I understand that it is not for everyone though. I love it if prepared correctly, but if its overcooked it is worthless. The lack of fat makes it inedible if overcooked.

 

[joeschmoe]

I have no interest in hunting animals I can't eat. I have no opinion on those that do. Just for me I see no purpose in shooting coyotes or cats since I have no desire to eat them.

 

[hipoint]

^Yup, what he said^



Now, I'm not one to turn down a good T bone, mind you, but the difference in beef and venison, aside from marbling, (can be a bad thing for cooking as well as health) is that the beef is prepared for you, aged and butchered for you by unknown minions. You never see the process, but it's done. I doubt you'd like beef from a grass fed cow if butchered the wrong way without bleeding/aging. Me, I prefer to do it myself, take pride in my non-gamey venison. Yeah, it's more work and requires knowledge only gained through experience, but it's worth the effort to me to have healthy, delicious meat in the freezer. Besides, if I shoot it, I eat it, unless it's a coyote or something.

Edit the post, but I also prefer ground venison to fatty hamburger meat for chili. Even coarse ground for chili meat, beef is too fat. Ever fry a burger and watch it shrink by 1/2? The good lean burger is NOT cheap. But, it's fine, I just prefer venison chili.

But, yeah, I like quality beef T bones. I ain't that broke that I can't spring for 'em now and then, either, but I ain't dissin' my venison. Beef does grill better, more fat, but I like grilling wild pork, too. Wild pork is more fatty than venison, though it's lean compared to farm pigs. I still prefer to crock pot a venison roast to pork, though, less fat in it and it falls right off the bone. Sometimes, pork turns to mush in the crock pot.

Good point! When I eat other folks venison, the gamey taste puts me off. Over the last few years I've gotten much better at handling them. Without having a walk-in to hang them in (yet) I made a really nice meat washer out of 2 rubbermaid tubs. drilled holes in one, put the meat in it, set it in the second one with some water bottles to keep them well seperated and a drain hose in the outer tub. I'll leave it like that for a few days and run bags of ice through to wash/age the meat. Does a pretty good job too. You gotta mix it up some about half-way through but boy oh boy it does make a difference from when I just put 'em right in the freezer.

 

[HOWARD J]

I was up there for over 36 hunting seasons---the only vacation I took during the year.
I went up there to relax--I even took a camera with me & shot a lot more deer with it than with my rifle. My oldest & myself always took some meat home--the rest of the family did not like eating deer. I gave most of my deer every year to the meat hunters I was camping with. They are all gone now & I miss them
I enjoyed getting away from the office a lot more than deer hunting but I did take 22 deer during that time.
My legs are too bad to go anymore & the kids are all busy at work & do not hunt anymore.
Enjoy yourself & good hunting
HJ

 

[ZeroJunk]

I doubt you'd like beef from a grass fed cow

That's pretty much what I grew up on. We would feed them corn for a few weeks before we killed them but never took them off the grass. I never saw the big deal other than that the fat was a little yellow.

 

[MCgunner]

Good point! When I eat other folks venison, the gamey taste puts me off. Over the last few years I've gotten much better at handling them. Without having a walk-in to hang them in (yet) I made a really nice meat washer out of 2 rubbermaid tubs. drilled holes in one, put the meat in it, set it in the second one with some water bottles to keep them well seperated and a drain hose in the outer tub. I'll leave it like that for a few days and run bags of ice through to wash/age the meat. Does a pretty good job too. You gotta mix it up some about half-way through but boy oh boy it does make a difference from when I just put 'em right in the freezer.

I simply "age" mine on ice in a 120 quart cooler for 3 to four days for a big buck, as little as over night for a young deer (venison veal if you will). I change the water out daily during the process. I've not had a gamey deer in 25 years since I learned to do this.

 

[Resist Evil]

I simply "age" mine on ice in a 120 quart cooler for 3 to four days for a big buck, as little as over night for a young deer (venison veal if you will). I change the water out daily during the process. I've not had a gamey deer in 25 years since I learned to do this.

Thank you for posting that method. Ageing has been mentioned, but the clarity of your post made it click in my head.

 

[oneounceload]

Shooting birds on the ground is unethical, and in many locales, illegal. Pheasants aren't hard to hit, but like big game hunting, you DO need to practice beforehand

 

[wyohome]

Shooting birds on the ground is unethical, and in many locales, illegal.

If I have learned anything on THR, it is that ethics are regional. Baiting deer comes to mind. Talk about fish in a barrel. A running rooster is a harder target than a deer buried to its ears in a bucket of corn.

 

[MCgunner]

Shooting birds on the ground is unethical, and in many locales, illegal. Pheasants aren't hard to hit, but like big game hunting, you DO need to practice beforehand

Well, beyond that, it's just no fun, no challenge to ground swat a dove, let's say. Any idiot can shoot a dove off a wire, out of a tree, or off the ground. Dove ain't THAT easy to hit on the wing and THAT is the point of hunting them! It ain't about the two bites of meat on the breasts for your shotgun shell. I hunt birds for the FUN. If you hit one with every shot, it'd still cost you probably 10 bucks a pound. For that matter, I HUNT for the fun. The meat is a bonus. I have grocery stores within 20 miles of me in either direction and I have a decent income in my now semi retirement, not 6 figures, but well up into 5. I just like to hunt. I don't really trophy hunt, though, but I'll take one if it gives me a shot! And, I do like venison.

Hey, ain't many of us like old Caribou down here in the lower 48. What I kill supplements my meat stores, keeps me from having to buy a lot of meat, but I don't starve if I don't shoot something. I have chickens, too. Now, that's mainly because my wife likes 'em. With all the money I've spent building a pen/hutch, buying scratch and worm treats for the wife to feed her pets, those damned eggs probably cost me 50 bucks a dozen. Funny thing, too, we don't eat that many eggs. 3 hens and we wind up giving away eggs to neighbors and relatives and putting one every morning on the dog's gravy train. She loves 'em. But, I guess they're kinda cool and I wouldn't be buying those expensive worm treats if it weren't for the wife. Heck, I'm even thinkin' of getting an incubator to raise some chickens for slaughter. That's kinda stupid, too, since chicken is the CHEAPEST meat in the store...

Oh, well, I love the rural life. I grew up with chickens and hunting in the woods, same kind of woods, oaks, though there were more live oaks there, mostly post oaks here. Still, beats the heck out of living in Port Lavaca or Corpus. I've dreamed of this for a while. Hunting is just part of it.

Now, far as hunting for meat goes, mostly, that's why I trap pigs. BUT, even THAT I find enjoyable. That's the one thing that's cheap. Deer hunting is cheap for me, too, since I do it behind the house on my own land. Corn for feeders and baiting the trap are my only expenses and my buddy who farms up north of Waco always gives me a bunch when I make my annual dove hunting pilgrimage up there. One good thing, price of corn is coming down, 7 bucks a 50 pound bag, now. I don't really use THAT much, so deer and hogs are cheap meat. STILL, it's more for the fun than the meat that I do it. I just enjoy hunting and fishing! So sue me! Heck, I've been doing it a long, long time. It's not something I'm about to give up anytime soon.

 

[Jason_W]

Shooting birds on the ground is unethical

So, you only shoot at running deer?

Like I said, I'm out there to enjoy the outdoors and hopefully bring in some meat. Not show everyone how great I am at shooting down flying objects.