[TechAdmin]

I've never hunted for deer before. Used to live where there wasen't many deer and since moving to Texas just haven't had access to good land.

However, our homestead borders a preserve with tons of deer. In a survival situation can someone explain what the best sex and age I should hunt for in terms of quality of meat.

 

[marsvoltafan]

What do the wild deer in your area mostly feed off of?

 

[ke4sky]

In WV You Can Eat Your Road Kill

Young does are the best eating. Deer will forage almost anything. In the wild forage they like acorns and any kind of berries and dropped nuts or fruit. They also like corn and most domestic crops, vegetables and flowers and can destroy your victory garden unless you keep it well fenced and add noisemakers and predator scent spots. In some areas farmers and large gardeners can obtain deer damage permits which enable them to kill a certain number of deer based on their tilled acreage.

Road Kill, It's What's for Dinner In West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia motorists who run down the odd critter can legally take it home for dinner under a new law passed by the Legislature. The bill, which has made West Virginia the butt of jokes nationally, would let drivers keep their road kill provided they report it to conservation or police officers within 12 hours. The measure became law when Gov. Cecil Underwood declined to veto it by a Thursday deadline. Pro-road kill legislators envision people eating deer hit on he road, but the bill allows drivers to take home any wildlife, except protected birds, spotted fawn or bear cubs. Proponents said if drivers can be encouraged to eat their road kill, the state would save money it now pays Division of Highways workers to remove the dead animals. Current law allows people to take possession of road kill only after they've contacted authorities, by then the meat has spoiled, said supporters.

Grab the honey mustard, Elma, and hop in the pickup, let's go for a ride. I'm getting hungry!

 

[TimB]

As ke4sky said, young does are the best. For the best taste it's important to field dress the deer immediately and cool the meat. The best tasting deer I ever had was a young doe we submerged in a fast running creek to keep overnight. The next day when we were ready to leave, the meat was almost white from the water washing all the blood out.

Tim

 

[Bearman405]

As ke4sky said, young does are the best. For the best taste it's important to field dress the deer immediately and cool the meat. The best tasting deer I ever had was a young doe we submerged in a fast running creek to keep overnight. The next day when we were ready to leave, the meat was almost white from the water washing all the blood out.

Tim

A three or four year old "DRY" doe mades good eating..................stay well away from the bucks in rut.........

 

[krock]

younger deer are best,but any deer is good if you cook it long and slow.marinating is good too.

 

[Homer_Simpson]

In a I have to eat or feed my family I'm not really to worried about how old it is, the old slow cooker will work it's magic.

But as stated above if hunting and not under the stress of a survival situation younger deer are much better tasting

 

[Dr. Know]

I've never hunted for deer before. Used to live where there wasen't many deer and since moving to Texas just haven't had access to good land.

However, our homestead borders a preserve with tons of deer. In a survival situation can someone explain what the best sex and age I should hunt for in terms of quality of meat.

Dean, remeber one thing. How the deer was killed and handled afterward has a lot to do with the quality of the meat. I've killed hundreds of deer and its kind of like how a cut of beef can very from cow to cow, in tenderness, flavor etc.

Rule of thumb:
1. Quick, clean kill is best. Wounded and long pursued deer will have an impact on the meat, even with that said, I've never been able to turn any deer meat down at the supper table.

2. Processing is a key point! Lots of clean water for washing off hair and blood, keeping skinning tools clean, washing off bone dust from sawing through bones is a must. Cool the meat quickly as possible, a good thing is a few hours in a cool water soak. The hair and other things will float to the top and you can easly float this out and keep the water changed out too!

3. Some people try to age thier meat BUT deer have fat (tallow) that surrounds the meat unlike beef which have marbled fat that runs through the meat. Beef can be aged, deer, well I think its a waste of time but to each his own I guess.

4. Cooking: a) fry the back strap and loin, B) roast the hams and neck, c) grind everything else into sausage (patty and smoked)

Dr.

 

[grumpyhillbilly]

Young does are the best eating. Deer will forage almost anything. In the wild forage they like acorns and any kind of berries and dropped nuts or fruit. They also like corn and most domestic crops, vegetables and flowers and can destroy your victory garden unless you keep it well fenced and add noisemakers and predator scent spots. In some areas farmers and large gardeners can obtain deer damage permits which enable them to kill a certain number of deer based on their tilled acreage.

Road Kill, It's What's for Dinner In West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia motorists who run down the odd critter can legally take it home for dinner under a new law passed by the Legislature. The bill, which has made West Virginia the butt of jokes nationally, would let drivers keep their road kill provided they report it to conservation or police officers within 12 hours. The measure became law when Gov. Cecil Underwood declined to veto it by a Thursday deadline. Pro-road kill legislators envision people eating deer hit on he road, but the bill allows drivers to take home any wildlife, except protected birds, spotted fawn or bear cubs. Proponents said if drivers can be encouraged to eat their road kill, the state would save money it now pays Division of Highways workers to remove the dead animals. Current law allows people to take possession of road kill only after they've contacted authorities, by then the meat has spoiled, said supporters.

Grab the honey mustard, Elma, and hop in the pickup, let's go for a ride. I'm getting hungry!

Possum ain't bad!

our own government makes us look like a bunch of back woods nut cases!

 

[Dr. Know]

Possum ain't bad!

our own government makes us look like a bunch of back woods nut cases!

I've had racoon, It wasn't bad at all!

 

[Tribal Warlord Thug]

every state in which i have ever lived in alows you to take "road kill"....just get ahold of the conservation office in the area and they'll get some questions about the kill....age, sex, if it was bearing, where and how of death.......then they send out a tag to put with the kill when its processed and put up in the freezer. lots of times they're more than happy to help you out with getting road killed animals for consumption. just remember that when an animal is hit by a vehicle, it does a lot more damage to the meat then normal so a thourough inspection of your carcass is a MUST when dressing out. processes more than a dozen or so of these type of kills in the passed 30+ years.

 

[Jason]

Along those same lines, my neighbor, who has a produce farm, "red tag" kills deer and gives them to the Game Commission, who distributes them to those in need. As an alternative to the road kill, your state's game commission or wildlife office or whatever may be able to hook you up with something like that.

 

[kyfarmer]

Deer is fantastic table fair. I for me do hang my deer for 2-3 day's if the temp's are below 40. The one thing i never do is saw any bone at all. I'll hang mine by the head, makes it easier to keep hair off and i take mine off the bone, when done it's nothing but the skeleton hanging. I trim each cut of the fat and sliver skin as it comes off, go's in the dish pan ready to cut and package. I have been doing this for years, the Ky. dept. fish and game has a video on how to do this method and it's well worth the $15 i think. So far this season i have a goose egg but still have some bow season left yet. I have what i call the critter patroll a few folk's look every morning on the interstate and other road's. They find a fresh road kill i get a call and have fresh neat. I put up 4 this way last year. Our whole family loves deer meat and it don't last long here. Family health issues have kept me outa the wood's so far this season, but i think we'll still have plenty of deer in the freezer. The critter thang has scored some nice pelt's to. Country boy can survive i reckon ol hank is right.

 

[NaeKid]

kyfarmer, interesting. I haven't heard of hanging by the head before. Everyone that I know always hung from the back-legs, head-down, so, that's how I do it as well.

Can you provide a link to that $15 video showing how to dress a deer hanging from its head so that I can snag a copy of it for myself?

 

[TechAdmin]

I was taught head down too.

 

[UncleJoe]

Ditto. I never hung one by the head.

 

[kyfarmer]

I hope this works. https://secure.kentucky.gov/Mall/St...738/Product/2457ec1426cd42e2b5d4cbb53d6d2387/ The video is about working up the deer with out sawing it up. The by the neck thang i read some where, i,ll let ya know if i can remember where i seen it. I used this method the first time and it did help to keep the hair off the meat. That is supposed to be the purpose anyway. Hope that link work's. I still use either end that is handy.

 

[NaeKid]

kyfarmer,

Thanks for that link. I went through the process of ordering, but, when I get to the part about delivery, there are no drop-menus for anything outside of Kentucky so I am wondering if I might not be able to have it delivered to my place here in Canada.

I fired off a message to their "Contact Us" department and I am hoping for a reply early in the new year. If I can order it, I'll get to it right quick.

 

[testhop]

any deer will do

DEAN
for survival you take any deer you can .
and most any thing else you can eat .

 

[Jarhead0311]

In a survival situation can someone explain what the best sex and age I should hunt for in terms of quality of meat.

In a survival situation I would go for the live ones first, then the ones that hadn't been dead to long next.