I'm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, and while there are some agricultural areas here, the areas I hunt are at least ten miles from the nearest cornfield. The deer forage on natural browse, acorns, and perhaps a food plot here and there. While I grew up hunting deer, my wife's family (five siblings) never hunted. Every one of her siblings asks us to host their birthday parties and provide venison. They LOVE it! We put up eight large deer last fall, and I ran out of meat over two months ago.
Turkeys are another matter. When there is ample mast or moisture for other food sources, the turkeys taste great. However, I remember a year about twenty years ago when every turkey I killed tasted exactly like wild onions. They weren't even good in turkey salad!
We gut our deer as quickly as we can. I do not allow a deer to stay in the woods overnight; I will hold my comments on the numerous hunting shows that shoot big bucks while wearing thin clothing, then wait overnight to recover the deer because of a marginal shot. I left one deer overnight that was hit in the paunch because when I began tracking her four hours later she jumped and ran. I went in the next morning and she was still alive.
If daily highs are below 50 I will leave the deer hanging in a shed a few days...doesn't happen here very often. Usually I quarter the deer and put it in a cooler of ice within hours of being killed. I will cut it up within 2-5 days of being put in the cooler. Freeze in vacuum sealed bags for years (though we typically eat it within one year).
My favorite recipe--cut any hind-quarter muscle or the loin into pieces about 2-3" diameter x 3-6" long (smaller or larger is fine, but this is the sweet spot). Coat with a liberal dousing of Famous Daves Rib Rub (I've tried many, and that one is by far my favorite). Then coat in olive oil (just make sure each piece is coated in olive oil...no need to use a ton of oil to cover all the pieces). Let sit ten to thirty minutes while you do something else, like getting the grill as hot as you can get it (mine goes to about 450). Put the pieces on the grill for a few minutes on each side. The middle needs to remain RED. My three sons get upset if the middle is pink. Take off the grill, let stand for five minutes so the meat relaxes and heat disperses throughout. Serve to someone who "doesn't like deer" and watch them say "OMG". There will be no leftovers.
My wife's favorite recipe--take two whole muscles from the hindquarters or the whole loin and grill at high temp until medium rare (still pink or red all the way through, but cooked). Let sit five minutes. If cooked at high heat the outside will be burnt...slice any charred layer off. Then slice the muscle very thinly (perhaps 1/8") across the grain. Place slices in a serving dish. Make a sauce by mixing 1 stick butter, about 3/4 cup zesty italian dressing, 3/4-1 cup brown sugar (sugar to taste...we like it a little sweet), 1/2 cup sweet barbeque sauce, 3/4 cup A-1, 1 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tbsp soy. Bring these to a boil while stirring...boil for 3-5 minutes to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the meat. Serve to someone who "doesn't like deer" and watch them say "OMG" and ask to take the leftovers home...
Last edited by Tree Farmer; 10/04/13 09:33 AM.
