Ever wonder if wild deer meat, venison, has a different taste and or meat quality during the year? Which is better table fare; a buck, doe or fawn? Many a deer hunting camp have hotly debated the second question, but it seems no one talks about or even thinks about the first question. Perhaps, this is because due to work and family commitments most deer hunters have a limited window of time to hunt and as a result hunt during their state’s firearm season. Most gun seasons are open later in the fall, so without a thought of hunting any other time they go out to fill freezer when they can.
Deer killed in November and December are good to eat and for many outdoor folks, some very excellent eats indeed.
Whitetail deer numbers have grown significantly since the late 1960’s, and early 70’s when some states had to close deer season due to the small numbers or in some areas where there were no deer. Nowadays, deer are found all over the country with very liberal deer hunting 
seasons.
Here in Wisconsin farm country, deer season starts with archery mid-September continuing with a variety of seasons into January. The long season structures give deer hunters the chance to shoot, eat and compare table venison each month of the fall.
I have killed deer throughout all of the seasons, in many years I have taken deer during each month of the open hunting periods and found early season (mid-September to mid-October) venison is the best eating. Here’s why:
- No matter which sex the deer, they have less fat or tallow on and in their flesh. Tallow is not pleasant to eat, without the fat build up the venison’s flavor is not tainted nor gamey.
- Deer food sources are abundant and varied, so the animal does not need to travel very far to eat. Nor do they need to eat a lot during the summer months, so their meat is more tender due to much less effort required to live comfortably.
- Neither bucks or does pay much attention to each other, for the most they stay in their chosen territories eating and sleeping to build up strength for the upcoming rut in early November.
- The reproduction hormones are not flowing yet. The production of these hormones seems to change both the texture and flavor, not saying it’s bad, just different.
- Starting late October the deer begin to move about much more. Bucks are on the move setting up breeding territories while the does attempt to avoid them. All the extra exercise firms up the muscles which have a direct effect on the texture of the table venison.
Several times when I have had dinner guests we dined on venison from each month, and there has not been a single guest who did not prefer the early season deer over the later season. All the venison is delicious no matter when it’s taken so continue hunting and enjoying yours. Just, if you get the chance at a September deer, take it and see what you think.
WRC says
I agree 100%, I do most of my hunting in Sept, for table fare, The deer haven’t started running around much and the meat is a lot better tasting. For those big bucks you’ve been watching all summer or getting trail cam pics of still continue to use their summer patterns and the food sources. Your best chances for a real trophy are the first two weeks of the season, the bucks haven’t been sparring, or fighting, rubbing trees and brush, so their racks are in the best shape they can be!
FirstBubba says
Down here in southwestern OK, seasons don’t start until Oct 1 with an archery that runs into January. (15th I think!)
Deer here just don’t develope fat or tallow. Any “games” tastes come from mishandling during processing.
Guy I knew griped about gamey tasting venison.
He would string his deer up into a tree and immediately
immediately remove the atrial glands with his bare hands, wipe his knife on his pants leg then gut his deer. He never washed his hands or knife before gutting.
I had a guy ask me if the venison I brought was a doe or buck? “I can tell.” he boasted.
“Then you tell me!”, I replied.
“Doe!” he said as he chewed thoughtfully.
It came off of a 140 pound
rutting buck!
FirstBubba says
“…atrial glands…”?
Stupid spill chick!
“…TARSAL glands…”!
huntfishtrap says
Been so busy the last few months that I’ve fallen behind on your posts. Just catching up now.
I hate to disagree with you, charlie, but bucks killed before the rut commences – i.e., in September and early-to-mid October – have much more fat on them than bucks killed during or after the rut. So your statement that “No matter which sex the deer, they have less fat or tallow on and in their flesh” in Sep. and Oct. isn’t completely accurate. That does apply to does, but definitely not bucks.
busy hunter says
I killed a trophy buck on September 27 this year and it had very little fat.
huntfishtrap says
It might depend on where you’re hunting. Here in the IA farm country, I’ve never seen a buck that was killed before the last week of October that didn’t have a thick layer of fat.
Charlie says
During a half century of killing deer across the Midwest, I have never noticed any significant difference in fat content between the males and females in September through early October. Does do have more fat than bucks from late October – November. Then about midway through December the bucks start building more fat reserves. Generally speaking, there could be some regional variations. I killed a 200-pound buck on October 13th, he had almost no body fat and his meat is delicious.
huntfishtrap says
I agree, bucks and does usually have about the same amount of fat in the early season. I can only speak to what I’ve seen, and almost all the bucks I’ve seen that were killed in September and October were very fat. One of my brothers shot a big buck on October 7th, and we trimmed off almost a 5-gallon bucket full of fat. That’s not out of the ordinary for that time period, in my experience.
Tioughnioga says
Not being a bowhunter yet, and having a gun season that never starts before the third week of November, nearly all of my venison has been post-rut. And really really good. Good article, Charlie.
Charlie says
Thanks for visiting Tioughnioga. I did not mean to imply there was anything untasty about later season deer, they’re good too.
During the doldrums of winter, we’ve had venison tasting dinner parties where multiple deer from various times of the year have been prepared. The early season deer regularly get the most thumbs up.
Tioughnioga says
No worries, Charlie, you didn’t imply that at all — indeed, you mention deer killed in Nov and Dec as “excellent.’ I was just saying that given my season schedule, I don’t really have much basis for comparison, but figured I’d chime in anyway ( and get my first recorded charlieelk.com comment on the books!). Actually, I probably shouldn’t say most of my deer have been post-rut, as fairly often we do see a lot of chasing in the first few days of the season.
R. Johnston says
It has been my findings that bucks taken during the rut have a stronger gamey taste than those before the rut. And I do prefer the taste of a doe over a buck. I know several of my hunting buddies disagree with my findings but that does not help to change my taste buds ! I will agree with certainy that the handling of the meat during the cleaning process has much to do with the quality of the table fare. Since I have found that “horns” make for poor eating, I generally prefer to shoot a doe, although I will admit that “horns” do make the heart pump louder ! The most important thing is that the meat be eaten and not wasted, be it from a doe or a buck in rut.
Archie says
The wild taste can be removed by soaking in salf water over night.
N.C.L.W. says
I love it all! I don’t believe time of year has a bearing on the tastiness of a Deer. I have had farmed and Whitetail from sept. through Dec. and all were great. A true blessing!
Archie says
Yes wild meat is best eaten in the fall. Before the feed on cedar for the winter.
Archie says
My experience is they eat cedar in the winter n taste awful
Charlie says
A diet of any evergreen will taint the meat. I’ve killed some Western state deer that apparently ate a lot of sage brush and they were strong flavored to say the least.