Wild big game taste ratings

[LIK2HNT]

Would like to get everyone’s opinion on wild game ranking. Given I have not killed and ate all species. But here are mine, please post up yours. Best to worst, I know things might be different depending on time of year and location.

Elk - all have been great
Antelope - all have been great
Black tail deer - all have been great
Wild pigs - very good
Moose (WY & Idaho) - both great
Mtn. Goat (Colorado) very good
Oryx (NM) - good , very dark and strong flavor
Mule deer (some have been great, some not
so much).
Desert Bighorn Ram (NV) - sort of edible
Rocky Big Horn (UT) - chocked down every bit
Smiling (185 3/8 net)

Might of missed something, but that’s my preference. Generally I really like wild game and have been very happy with taste except the bighorns and a few low sage country archery mule deer.

Hopefully try whitetail deer in the next few years. And maybe draw another bighorn tag so I can rate a good tasting one.

 

[2lumpy]

Antelope
Whitetail
Caribou
Moose
Mule Deer

 

[nocwalker]

my top 3

1 Moose
2 Caribou
3 Elk

 

[Rie bread]

It was a neat day when the smell and taste of beef tasted a bit funny to me.
Happy to hear mtn goat is good eating

 

[yotebuster17]

This is my list, my wife is an exceptional chef and she enjoys taking on tricky and new game. We haven’t bought meat (besides bacon) in 10-12 years so I feel like my taste has changed slightly from that.

1: antelope
2: rocky bighorn
3: desert bighorn
4: blacktail deer
5: coues deer
6: moose
7: eastern whitetail
8: bison
9: oryx
10: mountain goat
11: mountain lion
12: elk
13: muskox
14: ibex (this is the only one I couldn’t choke down and had to grind for jerky)

 

[eelgrass]

Pronghorn and Blacktail tied for 1st.
Roosevelt Elk
RM Elk
Mule Deer
I had one meal of Caribou. it was good. Wolverines got the rest of it.
Whitetail from Idaho. Yuck.

 

[CFMuley]

Axis deer/velvet caribou
Antelope
Whitetail
Oryx
Bison
Elk
Red Stag
Moose
Bighorn sheep
Bear
Ibex
Rutting caribou

I know there’s a bunch I’m forgetting, but that’s what I’ve got off the top of my head.

 

[RELH]

Antelope
Bison
Elk
Blacktail deer
Mule deer
Moose
I am also lucky in that my wife is great on cooking wild game, her mother did a great job of teaching her on wild game cooking.
RELH

 

[montezumarchery]

Elk--
Coues deer--
Pronghorn--
Mountain lion--
Mule deer--
Oryx--
Black bear--
Javalina--
Barbary sheep--
There's my list and opinion on the meat.

 

[sticksender]

For larger North American Game, not including exotics, I'd probably group them into categories like this:

These species all seem very similar, flavor-wise, which gives lots of options for cooking/preparing which can ultimately make them "delicious":

Elk (all species), Deer (all species), pronghorn, sheep (Rocky, Desert, Dall's, Stone's), caribou (all species)

Mountain Lion I'd put in it's own category and it's surprisingly good.

Wild pigs are really good, esp when smaller in size.

A couple species I'd call "take it or leave it". Providing lots of meat but not really a lot of flavor:

Moose (all species), Muskox, and Bison.

These are species that, while edible, I wouldn't go after specifically for love of the meat:

Mountain Goat, Javelina, Turkeys, Bears

And of course there's a lot of small game that's great too.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

1 elk and bear
2 antelope
3 whitetail deer
4 turkey
5 mule deer
6 wild pig

 

[DeerMadness]

Whitetail and Blacktail
Moose
Pronghorn
Elk
Bighorn
Mule Deer- way below all else

 

[Servehim]

I'll start with the one critter Not to eat Ibex!! My dog wouldn't eat it.

Lots of great wildgame , probably 80% of the meat we eat is from the feild excluding chicken.

1. Elk
2. Moose
3. Whitetails
4. Mule Deer , not sagebrush kills
5.Antelope
6. Barbary sheep

Haven't ever tried mtn lion or bear.
All are organic so I guess that's a plus.

 

[willfrye027]

1. Whitetail doe
2. Cow elk
3. High country mule deer
4. Blacktail
5. Mule deer



Edible: wild pig, bear

 

[Muleman1]

Elk *****
Wild pig *****
Moose *****
Pronghorn **
Mule deer **
Goat ***
White tailed deer *****
Turkey ***
Bison ****

 

[Blank]

I'll add a few comments, and some others I have tried.

Elk - cows and spikes are much better than rutting bulls

Wild pig - if it's got nuts, they go to the burn pit. Sows are good

Moose - Alaskans/Yukon are like rich beef, Shiras taste great, but are chewy

Pronghorn - half are good, the other half inedible. Cook a steak first, before wasting your time.

Mule deer - I'll eat whitetails first, every time

Goat - Only animal I ever ate, that the pieces got bigger with every chew, until you finally spit it out!

White tailed deer - Never had a bad one.

Turkey - just add honey and mesquite coals, eat them every day

Bison - only had filets and burger. Would pay extra for more!!

In Africa, I'll take Eland/Gemsbok/Kudu over any American game animal!!

 

[Moe]

Springbuc or Eland Bratwurst. Over mesquite coals of course. Whitetail doe or Elk cow.

 

[HIcountryman]

I have had more nasty whitetail than muleys. Rutted up whitetail bucks from Nov vs high country early season big muley bucks. Have never had the chance to try corn or soybean fed wt

 

[Blank]

Why I like hunting Texas! Fill the freezer with does, shoot one old trophy buck. God made deer to make pigs edible!!!

 

[Trix4me]

I like them all. (Except for one antelope buck 30+ years ago). Scimitar horned Oryx was excellent. Nilgai was tough but tasted good

 

[Phantom Hunter]

Antelope is our favorite
Elk is usually very good
Whitetail is also usually very good
Mule deer is not as good as whitetail
Bison can be very tough but ok
Feral pigs good when young or made into sausage
Javelina I usually don’t shoot anymore not very good
Feral goat billies very tough
Axis deer and blackbuck very good
Aoudad young ones good

Some smaller game I have tried—
Coon fair made into stew
Bobcat not bad but was tough
Rattlesnake not worth the effort
Bullfrog legs good
Squirrel and rabbit good fried or in dumplings

 

[Blank]

Hard to beat tree rats and dumplings in a stew

 

[Trix4me]

I met a guy from Myton that made spaghetti sauce with pheasant. Was really good

 

[Napoleon]

Our favorites
Moose
Whitetail
Pronghorn
Elk, prime cuts
Prime = shanks, t-loin, backstrap, flat iron

Give away
Bear
Mule deer
Elk, everything but prime
Black tail
Wild pig

 

[Hntndux]

Blacktail
Elk - I think Tule taste better than RM
Bear
Antelope from CA or NV
Mule deer
Pig (Sow or small boar)
Antelope from WY (all have been taken during the rut)

 

[LIK2HNT]

Our favorites
Moose
Whitetail
Pronghorn
Elk, prime cuts
Prime = shanks, t-loin, backstrap, flat iron

Give away
Bear
Mule deer
Elk, everything but prime
Black tail
Wild pig

Seems like you give away some good tasting meat.