So, new to the concept of hunting for meat

Bobbygun · Jul 20, 2023

joken said:
I have butchered livestock that we raised from birth and it's a bit emotional for me, but it's part of life. If you ever have the opportunity, try some Antelope meat. It is superior to any wild animal I have ever put in the freezer.

My dad might have agreed with you on the antelope meat, although he never hunted them except tagging along with me the one time I had a tag. I liked it as well but wouldn't put it above deer or elk. As @Yarome said, it's too tough to draw a tag to really develop a taste for them in Oregon. I should be drawing my second one soon as I'm approaching 20 preference points.

Member 34319 · Jul 20, 2023

Alfalfa fed antelope is extremely sweet and very good meat. Beautiful animals too.

thorborg · Jul 20, 2023

Cavedweller said:
Understatement of the year!

I would rather starve than eat venison.

Elk, however, is a different story.

So far, everyone I know that has said something similar doesn't know how cook. I never liked sturgeon till I stopped pan frying it and started oven slow cooking it with accompanying and complementing........ Smoked is good for sturgeon too.,
Or liver till I stopped over cooking it.
Like most things its all in the way its cooked, vis a vis; fried, boiled, baked, etc. along with the rub / brine / seasoning, sauce etc.
Of coarse I'll admit Deer that browse considerably on sage is a dang tough and potent sell unless its in chili.
I buy Venison from grocery outlet for around six bucks a pound which works cooks up great for taco meat (after you squeeze all the water out of it)..

Yarome · Jul 20, 2023

thorborg said:
Of coarse I'll admit Deer that browse considerably on sage is a dang tough and potent sell unless its in chili.

That's what I like though. A nice Eastern Oregon Muley. But I find them plenty tender and sweet as well. You certainly can't cook them like a beef steak though or they can toughen up real tight.

To me, the western OR deer "kind of" taste like what vension should actually taste like, but very watered down and leaves you a bit wanting.

I'm the type though that isn't really into "slight variations" of beef flavors, but distinctly different. I've tried farm raised venison and elk... supposedly the best you can get... sweet and tender... but they pretty much had the same affect. Basically a really lean beef with just a hint of what they are supposed to taste like. Ultimately... at what I had to pay per pound for it... I felt pretty ripped off.

A nice juicy slab of dead cow with the fatty goodness that comes with it would have been much more enjoyable... at less than half the price.

joken · Jul 20, 2023

Yarome said:
I do really love antelope too, but not near as much as elk. It's not really a reliable part of our yearly diet though. Tags are a bugger to get, taking an animal is pretty tough and really doesn't put much poundage in the freezer... even when successful.

You can go on those really spendy guided hunts out of state, but the return on investment is just too astronomical for my budget.

Canadian moose.... that's a bit more my speed in the bang for your buck department. It used to be every other year or so, but not so often in the later years. Once the kids where all of hunting age... freezer space runs at a premium trying to keep up with just the yearly "basic meat" influx.

Me and a couple of friends got tags last year and it only took 17 years. It's no trophy but it's on the wall because it's the only one I will ever kill

bionic knees · Jul 20, 2023

To me there seems to be three distinct categories of mule deer when it comes to eating. You have your high timber deer, living high up in the hills. They can be pretty good table fare. Then there are the desert muleys, the younger ones aren't too hard to eat, but dang the bigger bucks can get downright rank, tenderloin, backstrap, and grind the rest. Then there are the ones chowing down on alfalfa all summer. Plenty of fresh water and high quality alfalfa makes for some fine eating. Of course how they are killed, handled after the kill, and how they are cooked all play an important role.

Wombat of Doom · Jul 20, 2023

Cavedweller said:
Understatement of the year!

I would rather starve than eat venison.

Elk, however, is a different story.

I would rather eat woodchuck than starve, though I dare say the flavor left much to be desired.

Yarome · Jul 21, 2023

bionic knees said:
To me there seems to be three distinct categories of mule deer when it comes to eating. You have your high timber deer, living high up in the hills. They can be pretty good table fare. Then there are the desert muleys, the younger ones aren't too hard to eat, but dang the bigger bucks can get downright rank, tenderloin, backstrap, and grind the rest. Then there are the ones chowing down on alfalfa all summer. Plenty of fresh water and high quality alfalfa makes for some fine eating. Of course how they are killed, handled after the kill, and how they are cooked all play an important role.

That's a pretty fair assessment. Doing your due diligence on herd patterns, selecting which units to hunt.. and then knowing how to hunt that particular type of unit/terrain is key to success. And when I say "success"... I don't just mean downing some meat... but targeting and downing the "type" of meat that's going to sit well on your plate.

That's where "going with someone who knows" can't really be replaced by watching youboobs. It's not like a person can't work it out as they go, and if that's your best current option... strap your boots on and get out there. The more time you can spend in your intended hunt area in the off season... the more likely you'll be to put meat on your table.

That touches on another point not mentioned yet.

Hone your camping skills! Hunting is as much about woodsmanship and field craft as it is about the hunt. If you can't take care of yourself under the conditions, the less likely you are to enjoy yourself and choose to go back again. Especially if your hunt is unsuccessful.

The other dimension to that... if you are hunting with a second party... you don't want to be "that guy" that has to be babysat. If your buddy has to spend an inordinate amount of time just taking care of you, you may not get reinvited.

justonemorear · Jul 22, 2023

Wombat of Doom said:
The family and I are moving to Idaho with some major life changes planned ahead. I am a good shot, so ethical kills do not worry me. I am not the kind to make a shot I can't be sure of. Probably would use a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39 or a Ruger in .308. Other option would be a T/C encore. It is the gun I shoot best, and well, I have at least a dozen caliber options.

I have a background in eliminating nuisance animals years ago. However, there is a difference in bringing a mangy coyote body in for bounty and hunting for food. I have never butchered a kill. I have never been on a deer hunt or a hunt that I was not on private land with very limited access.

How does one start Deer hunting? Butchering? I know I would need licenses, tags and all that. Any good books?

welcome to Idaho