Mt Goat & Ibex meat?

SDBugler · Jun 12, 2011

I drew my first mountain goat tag this year and my son drew an ibex tag. For those of you that have been lucky enough to harvest these, how was the meat and what do you recommend to do with the cuts (burger, sausage, steaks, etc)? Was the meat gamey? Tough/tender? Dry/moist? We butcher and process our own, so looking for suggestions/recommendations.
Thanks
Brian

ridgetops · Jun 12, 2011

I can't answer your question directly but I was really worried about the taste of my Bighorn sheep. I shot an older ram in the middle of the rut but I did age it for about 18 days before it was cut up and that made all the difference.IMHO It has been very mild and not too tough. Good luck on your hunts.

Longeye · Jun 12, 2011

I killed a Mountain Goat in UT 2010 and my goat was aged at 6 I butchered my goat myself after a 5 day age and my only problem was he was tough, flavor was really good for wild game but really tough to chew! I did make a lot into burger mixing in 15% beef and pork fat which turned out really good. Good luck huntin.

Horniac · Jun 12, 2011

Congrats on the tags!

I was lucky enough to draw both a mountain goat tag and an ibex tag in the past 5 years.

I had my mtn goat processed just like an elk or deer (jerkey, burger, steaks, etc.) and it was all excellent. I heard from others that their mountain goat wasn't very good and some said their goat was - much how people talk about antelope.

I didn't fill my Ibex tag but my outfitter told me he only cooks the meat outside and downwind of his house in a crockpot with a very long extension cord if that tells you anything!

Good luck to you and your son on your hunts!

Horniac

PleaseDear · Jun 12, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Jun-13-11 AT 03:43AM (MST)[p]No Ibex experience----

but on Mnt. Goats I notice one pack is tasty and not real chewy and the next pack will be a jaw buster tough.

I would do more in burger/sausage in the future.

Robb

ElmerFudd · Jun 13, 2011

My mtn Goat had a nice flavor, but was really tough. Ended up just grinding (one pack at a time upon thawing) or stewing the whole thing. They are not a true goat.

Let me know about the ibex...I go after your son, have a muzz tag. They are closely related to goats...Some people like goat meat....

coyote · Jun 13, 2011

My Billy wasn't that old but still was very tough, It tasted fine just had to chew for awhile. Ended up mixing the rest of it with my bear and had summersauge made. And that was great

Zeke · Jun 13, 2011

I've eaten a couple Mtn goats (Id 1996, UT 2009). If you butcher your own game then you already know which muscle groups are tough and which are tender. The back-straps and a couple muscle groups in the bum are quite tender. Cut these into steaks. The other rump should be roasts. We always grind the shoulders on everything we kill, mixed with 10% beef suet. The goats were fine fare. Don't over-cook the steaks!

I shot a couple Ibex in Mongolia (1986). We were not part of the butchering process. The parts we ate were not too bad at all. They tended to over-cook the meat. I would like to have been able to cut and cook my own to get a better taste for what they were like. We ate more sheep meat while we were there. That's great!

I would treat them like any other big game animal. Skin, cool, age and cut it yourself!

Good luck on your hunts. It should be a great experience.

Zeke

PS. I really liked the goat "rocky mtn oysters". Skin, cut, bread and fry in butter. Delicious! NO JOKE.

falloutwest · Jun 13, 2011

I shot a 7 year old billy last fall. It hung for a week in the walk-in before I butchered it myself. I was a little concerned about the toughness so I did a handful of steaks, quite a few roasts, and quite a bit of burger. I have been pleasantly surprised. The steaks are a bit tougher than most game but not bad, and the flavor is great. The roasts have been outstanding in the crockpot cooked to medium rare, very tender and flavorfull, and the burger has been great in chilli, meatballs, tacos, etc.

SDBugler · Jun 14, 2011

Thanks for the feedback everyone. You confirmed my suspicions.

I won't have time to age the ibex and mountain goat. The ibex hunt is 9/24 - 10/2 and the goat hunt is 9/23 - 10/9. I also have a NM 16D elk hunt that starts on 10/15. Coming from South Dakota, I plan to drop off a small chest freezer at my sister-in-law's in Colorado Springs. After my son gets his ibex I will cut it up right away and drop it off in the freezer and head to my Colorado goat hunt. Then after I get my goat, I will cut it up and head back down to NM to scout for the elk hunt. I will have to do the grinding after I get back home.

Three once-in-a-lifetime hunts all within a 4 week period!!!

idahonative · Jun 14, 2011

Pick your favorite red meat recipe, prepare the meat, season to taste, cook it, throw it away, and eat something else.

Can't say I'm enjoying my mountain goat.

Zeke · Jun 14, 2011

I heard a joke like that: "Place the raw meat on an oak shingle, season to taste, broil until medium rare, remove from the broiler, throw away the meat and eat the shingle!"

I actually do enjoy the better cuts of mtn goat as steaks. I do grind a bunch (probably more than most) and mix it with 10% beef suet. That make anything taste great.

again, Zeke

littlejoe · Jun 14, 2011

Cannot speak for Ibex but the smell of them is enough to make me gag.

As for mtn goat. I shot one in BC a few years ago and I would not even give it to my dog it was so old and tough. My guide thought it was great and took all the meat. To each his own but no Mtn Goat meat for me.

Good luck on your hunts.