Need advice from Self-Processors

[tkuehn5410]

I've been processing my own deer for about the last 10 years, and usually do 5 or 6 deer per year. My wife shot a whitetail buck, and ever since I deboned the meat, it has smelled like a rutted up buck...I've had the deer on ice now for 20 days draining and re-adding ice daily, and the meat still smells like a rutty buck.

I've never had a deer that has had this scent, and wondering if I can make dried jerky or possibly snack sticks or dried sausage out of the deer, or if the deer will just be a total loss.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

[glen]

Yea you can make most sausage type. Something you are mixing other meat with and adding spices and flavor too. You have done right aging for 20 days and done everything you can. It will be fine but I still wouldn't grill and eat plain.

[tkuehn5410]

Thanks! Doing one last pure flush right now with water ice and vinegar, and gonna check in the morning...all other advice and input is welcome!

[Skinny]

Jerky


Skinny

[kry226]

I agree with the jerky idea.

I shot a nasty, rutted-up Kansas buck back in 2010 and while the meat didn't stink, it was sho' 'nuff tough to cut up. There were three of us working on him and we all kept thinking our knives were dull. So our resident sharpener who can strop a blade to razor sharp collected our knives and went over them. When he gave them back, there was absolutely no change to how tough it was to cut up the meat. It was like cutting rubber, and nothing like what we'd seen before. Not to mention it was the worst tasting deer any of us had ever eaten. Wasn't fit for anything but jerky.

I think sometimes you just stumble on one of those weird bucks that really makes you scratch your head.

[Swampa]

I second the jerky idea. I grilled some steaks from a buck like that the other night. Soaked in milk etc, and they still had that foul musky, nasty smell and taste. Don’t think you can get rid of it.


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[Rubi513]

I can tell you what not to do.
Don’t buy pork butt or brisket and mix with your deer if it has that smell.
It will still taste like crap!

[Smart]

Need advice from Self-Processors

Jerky with a heavy wet marinade. I'd avoid a dry marinade if you want to mask some musk. I've got a recipe that that will knock out any smell and have it smelling grand...

[cram369]

Would go with jerky.

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[tkuehn5410]

I can tell you what not to do.
Don’t buy pork butt or brisket and mix with your deer if it has that smell.
It will still taste like crap!

We did this once many years ago with a hog, and it stunk up the entire house...wife was so mad...tasted decent, but man did it stink!!!

[tkuehn5410]

Jerky with a heavy wet marinade. I'd avoid a dry marinade if you want to mask some musk. I've got a recipe that that will knock out any smell and have it smelling grand...

I used your recipe last year for jerky and it came out great! Will lan to do the sae this year.

[Smart]

I used your recipe last year for jerky and it came out great! Will lan to do the sae this year.

Good deal.... That Allegro will make a 5 year old shoe taste and smell good.

[N.DaWoods]

Um. I'm going against the norm on this one. I wouldn't eat. Calling turkey bacon doesn't make it taste like pork. So adding spices and salts to stanky meat isn't going to get stank out. I'm not one to waste, but that deer wouldn't make it to my dinner table. My wife is a great cook, but I don't fill our freezer with stuff that smells bad to start with, ever. Let us know how it turns out, luckily I've only ran into that situation once, I chose trash over freezer.

[pafdrn]

About 10 years ago I shot a 6 point in East Texas, was 3 at the oldest, and processed it with a pig I shot in South Texas. Well, when i got it back from the processor and tried to cook a pot of chili, we emptied every seasoning we had in the house trying to make it edible. It stunk and was nasty. Ended up throwing all $125 worth of packages in the garbage. I was never sure if it was the buck or the hog that made it nasty. At that time I had killed plenty of does before that never stunk; this was my first buck ever, but i have killed a few bucks since then and never had any stink up the house like that again. Because of that, I also usually leave the hogs I shoot in South Texas as coyote food. How many people on here use wild pork from South Texas in their deer?

[Kingfisher789]

Can't make chicken salad out of chicken @@@@! Too many good deer to eat than eat a stinky one.