BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[maineguide]

I have heard that caribou taste better than deer.
Is this true?

[ChesterGolf]

I'd take caribou anyday over deer but it tastes like... well, caribou.:smile:

[bitmasher]

I have heard it has a "mellow" taste more like grain fed beef. Although I can't verify from personal experience.

I have eaten vension for years and every once in a while we get a "strong buck". Meaning the meat tastes like sage brush! Sage brush is a ubiquitious bush that is common in semi-arid climates (in case you don't know) and isn't a great taste to have in the meat. Usually the sage taste occurs more in older, bigger bucks.

This "big-buck-bad-taste" thing, always causes a problem when we are hunting. Do we shoot the big one and deal with the taste? Or it can be a bright spot when you bag a "bitty buck"...then you can say "Oh well, at least it will taste ok!" Of course you really feel screwed when you end up "settling" for bitty buck AND it tastes like $hit. :smile:

Of the big game meats I have tried, elk is my favorite.

[ChesterGolf]

It is closer to the taste of domestic cows but would be best descibed IMO as a cross between beef and venison.

[maineguide]

It sounds like I should try a bou hunt sometime.
I just figured that if it didn't taste good then I didn't want to hunt one.

I have had deer that have eaten cedar and that taste like sh#t. LOL

Moose meat is about the same. You get a cow and you have good meat, but a big bull forget it. NASTY
Lots of guys go for the rack, but to me you can't eat that.

[ChesterGolf]

Amen to that Maine. I think as a whole us northern hunters go for meat more than antlers. Maybe that is because our deer tend to be bigger but antlers are not as impressive (not to say we don't have some impressive deer just ours are 5 years old and Southern deer are 2.5 yrs. old)

[bitmasher]

Yeah, the game must just pick up the taste/smell in the meat from what they eat. Too bad they all can't eat a "terrakyi plant" or something like that! Instant jerky!

Although I think cedar vension would probably be better than sage brush vension. Yugghhh....

Now I bet a big ole moose bull probably can get nasty, seeing as they hang around marshland. Swamp rat taste is definitely on the bottom of the list!

Chestergolf is right though, I think the age has something to do with it. Younger bucks seem to run a lower chance of tasting bad.

[muskrat]

I agree with Chester and Maine.... I like moose meat better than deer meat. Caribou is the best I have had (big game). Black bear was so-so.... not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but not wonderful either. Partridge just fried is great. I grew up in NB, then lived in Maine - I agree about the meat hunter thing..I made a similar comment in another forum...big deer, small racks....

[expatriate]

Ditto on the comments about diet affecting meat. I said it before on another post, but I know from firsthand experience that there's a huge taste difference between a midwestern that grew up eating alfalfa and corn versus a western mulie that spent its life nibbling sage brush.

Love the teriyaki plant idea, Bit. If you ever develop that, let me know before you go public with the stock. :smile:

The sad thing about sagebrush is that its potential is wasted on mammals. If we could just get turkeys to eat it...

[cdhunt]

my wife claims caribou is better than moose--me i like all wild meat.
moose-excellent
caribou-better than moose
elk-in between moose and caribou
bison-best of all
deer-smaller than others so it tends to pick up tastes of what it eats faster
rocky mt. ram-different, equal to moose almost
grouse-fit for the gods

[dgrant]

Moose and caribou do not have the fat and tallow that deer have and as a result the deer have a tendacy to taste stronger and more closely to what their diet consists of. Big bull moose in the 4 to 7 years of age range can get very strong tasting and tough to eat if they are shot when they are in full rut. They don't eat much and are on the travel looking for cows and ready to fend off any compitition from other bulls. I like all types of wild game and like muskrat I like partridge (ruff grouse) fried. I usually de-bone them and then roll them in Italien style bread crumbs and the fry them on a medium low heat so as they don't get tough and dry. They are prepared pretty much like a veal cutlett. Another way I love them is just roll the de-boned breast halves in some flour with salt/pepper and then brown them in a pan then transfer them to a baking dish and then pour in whipping cream (un-whipped) until the breasts are about half sub-merged and bake them at about 325 for 20 to 30 minutes, turn them over and continue for anothe 20 to 30 minutes until they are done. They are delicious this way

[pigman]

Caribou tastes great. Just like good beef. I would have to say that Elk is the best, but Caribou ranks an extremely close second.

[Madfraga]

caribou tastes great, only had it one time tho. Any good recipes?

[newfie caribou hunter]

Well I am new to this board so...... hello all. I was born and raised in NL but left for Toronto at 19 now I have returned to NL at 36 and got my first caribou last year. I have had moose meat and caribou around me all my life since my dad hunted every year but I never ate much of it till now. The caribou I got last year yeilded 120 lbs of meat. I had it done like this. 3 types of sausage 20lbs.used, 20 lbs of ground, then steaks and roasts. Every last bit of it has been delicious. i especially like the sausages. Steaks marinated for longer than 24 hours ....magnificent. Roasts cut up for big pot of stew fantastic well you get the message.Wife makes all kinds of stuff with the ground meat meatloaf, burgers, meat pie....man I gotta go eat some caribou. Screw the rack I WANT MEAT. By the way I have been going some reading online and people always mention Pope and Young B and C but they never say how good the meat was .....never. Are they actually eating it or just mounting the rack on the wall and showing a freezer full of meat to their friends years after the hunt is over lol.

[atomikall]

i agree with cdhunt