In my opinion

Paul_Crawford · Sep 29, 2020

CA venison tastes better than Rocky Mountain venison. Poison oak adds a little something. Sage brush makes it taste stronger? Just my opinion. pc

HIcountryman · Sep 29, 2020

my small 4 pt this year has a smell to him. meat smells a bit while cooking but does not taste funky. have had many great CO bucks but no CA bucks to compare.

NECALI · Sep 29, 2020

Every buck and one doe that I’ve eaten from CA., Utah and WY. Have all tasted like venison. Strong gamey taste. We thought the alfalfa and corn fed doe would be great, but it tasted just like the bucks killed in the sage, timber, oaks or wherever. We now grind all of our deer into hamburger mixed with pork shoulder. Best tasting venison we’ve ever had. Delicious.

RELH · Sep 29, 2020

I have found with almost all game animals it is very important to get them dressed out and skin off to cool them down as fast as possible for the best tasting meat. When my animal hits the ground, I am field dressing him within 5 minutes.
One year we shot several deer that had been feeding in a alfalfa field for several months and the meat was great for flavor.

RELH

eelgrass · Sep 29, 2020

Maybe it's the heat in California that causes a guy to jump on the skinning and cooling process asap but all things being equal, I'd trade a 200 pound Mule Deer for a 100 pound Blacktail Deer any time.

tailchasers · Sep 29, 2020

NW Colorado Muley is sausage meat. Even then we mix nearly 30+% pork fat or cover with jerky season. Just a strong flavor even when handled with prime care.

Bluehair · Sep 29, 2020

Hey PC, I was standing on a peak the other day, and decided to snap a pic of Beaver Park for you unit 70 fans. East side of lone cone.

Wiszard · Sep 29, 2020

I haven't shot a buck in A Zone for 12 years. The last one I shot was on Cuesta Grade and I had to make sausage out of him. Most bucks I have killed locally taste horrible. I don't have permission to hunt vineyards or alfalfa fields. If I did, I certainly would be killing more deer here.

Paul_Crawford · Sep 29, 2020

Bluehair, thanks for the pic. I'll be there in November. Ever drive Gallaway road? Or, is it Callaway? The sign is long gone.

Steve, what rig will you be driving on the Pine Valley hunt?

Trix4me · Sep 29, 2020

I don’t know about CA venison, but the backstrap I cooked last night was absolutely delicious. Not gamey at all. Shot him in scrub oak.

Tradman · Sep 29, 2020

They should slap CA Prop 95 on the critters in CA.

Wiszard · Sep 29, 2020

Paul_Crawford said:
Bluehair, thanks for the pic. I'll be there in November. Ever drive Gallaway road? Or, is it Callaway? The sign is long gone.

Steve, what rig will you be driving on the Pine Valley hunt?

My Dad and I will be in a newer white Chevy crew cab with an ARE shell. My plan is to camp south of Enterprise. Your son has a tag?

DeerHunter53 · Sep 30, 2020

My Dad always had us cut off the scent glands on the hind quarters first and make sure that they don't touch any of the meat. I use a pair of plastic gloves to do this and then throw them away before I start to field dress.
My deer are mild tasting and delicious in any state> I did have an old one I shot that was tough as leather so we ground him up.

Does anyone else cut off the scent glands first?

notdonhunting · Sep 30, 2020

In my opinion what deer are feeding on has some effects on how they taste but for the most part it is how you take care of the meat. If you clean it quickly and get it colled down venison will have a minimal gaminess taste to it.