5 Keys to Great-Tasting Venison
By Kenneth Piper
Bow seasons are in full swing pretty much everywhere, so hopefully you are out getting in some stand time — and that your stand time is productive.
With daytime temperatures still on the warm side throughout most of the country, taking proper care of your deer immediately and in the few minutes after recovery is critical to ensuring good-tasting venison.
Following are a few tips to help ensure the whole family will enjoy tasty meals from your success.
1) Don’t push the deer immediately after the shot.
Most lethally shot whitetails bed within 100 yards or so of impact. If you bump a deer from that initial bed, your chances of recovery plummet. I also believe a deer that is pushed doesn’t taste as good as one that expires in its initial bed. Is it adrenaline or some other compound that courses through a deer’s muscles on a lethal run? I don’t know, but I’ve experienced it too many times for there not to be some truth there. Unless you see your deer fall and know it’s down for good, give it an hour or two after the shot, even in warm weather.
2) Field dress your deer as soon as possible.
I was shocked when I first moved to the South and learned that many hunters here don’t immediately gut their deer. It’s common for southerners to hang their deer at camp or home and do the gutting then. It’s a clean and efficient way to do it, but unless you can get it hung and gutted within a few minutes, it’s better to do the job in the field. Bacteria begins to reproduce immediately after the deer expires, so every minute that goes by means there is more bacteria growing inside your deer. Warm temperatures accelerate the process. I have never seen other deer spook at a gut pile and don’t believe it affects later hunts.
3) Be prepared.
Performing a quick, clean field-dressing job requires a few tools. Have them with you in your pack. I like to wear long field-dressing gloves to keep my clothing cleaner. I invariably cut the gloves during the process, but they still help. A sharp knife is essential, and a small saw is very helpful. Sawing through the pelvic bone provides much easier access to the body cavity and some of the most bacteria-filled digestive and reproductive materials. I fear they may no longer be in production, but my favorite tool is the Zip Saw from New Archery Products. It’s a super light and compact wire saw with a handle at either end that can easily be fed through the cavity just below the pelvic bone. It cuts through the entire pelvic bone in about 3 seconds and is super light and compact. There are more traditional folding saws available that are easy to carry and will do the job, too. Consider using a field-dressing pouch that contains your knife, gloves, saw and a few zip ties (for your tag). Most states now require a deer to be tagged before it is moved from the site of harvest.
4) Keep it clean.
I don’t mean to keep harping on field dressing, but the less a deer’s entrails come in contact with edible meat, the better. It can be difficult when you’re alone, but if you have help on hand, don’t be shy about having friends hold a leg out of the way or move the deer to a better angle to keep the meat away from the gut pile. Bugs can be a problem in warmer weather; I can’t stand seeing flies all over my deer while I’m dragging it or transporting it. Commonly used out West, game bags are a great way to keep dirt, flies and other bacteria-carrying insects from contaminating your meat. I’m not talking about reusable quarter bags that are made for protecting hams, shoulders and other cuts from quartered game. Instead, there are light, inexpensive (less than $10) bags that cover an entire deer. They’re breathable but keep the bugs out, and they’re not cumbersome to keep in your pack. Koola Buck is one company that offers these handy bags: koolabuck.com
5) Keep it cool.
Finally, the cooler the meat, the better ... and time is once again a key factor. Ice or ice bags inserted into the body cavity help cool meat, but nothing beats getting the hide off and chilling the deer in a refrigerator or freezer. Of course you don’t want the meat to be rock hard before you cut it into portions, but it takes an extended length of time to freeze a deer solid, so that is rarely an issue. We’re big fans of getting lots of tasteful pictures with your deer; you’ll cherish the memories created and preserved by taking some extra time for great photos, but keep the meat at the forefront of your thoughts. If you have access to a walk-in cooler, you can even pose the deer in the cooler to allow photos to be taken later. Tucking the deer’s legs and propping up the head in the cooler will allow for much easier pictures after the meat has cooled sufficiently.