A question for tractor drivers that go deer hunting

steve n carol · Nov 13, 2009

I haven't hunted deer....yet, but the day is coming.

(Q) After you kill Bambi, is there a 'musk' gland, (or somthing of that nature) that you need to remove??

I heard speak of this decades ago, but am unsure..
thanks,
steve

Anonymous-0 · Nov 13, 2009

Steve,

When you skin the deer (pull the hide off) the glands come off with the skin depending on how far you pull it down on the legs or if you stop short at the joint just above glands then simply cut legs off with glands on them.

PJH · Nov 13, 2009

On the inside of the hind legs, an oval spot with the hair kinda "different". It's about the first joint in the leg below the hip. Some folks slice them off - some folks don't. I kinda privately thought it was an old wives tale, but usually removed them - just in case. . .

I was always told to not use the same knife on the glands that you use on the rest of the animal.

Have fun,
Paul

OH Boy · Nov 14, 2009

Dont mess with those glands or you'll get it on not only your knife but also your fingers and then your whole deer will wind up with that wonderful flavor! I just leave 'em alone and cut the leg off above the glands when processing the deer.

PJH · Nov 14, 2009

Steve, I'm going to contradict my own advice and agree with OH Boy. There'll be deer hanging all over the country with those musk glands intact. You can do more harm than good by fooling with them, especially for the first time. If you choose to cut them off, I still say - Use a different knife on the rest of your cuts.

Paul

Anonymous-0 · Nov 14, 2009

IT's an ole wives tale ,,,, no doubt about it,
there has Never been proof that this gland does any harm to anything for the meat,

you will always have superstitious people around, and live off of wives tales..
however, to bring you up to date,
these glands or called Metatarsal glands, and used by the deer for urination during the fall for scent purposes,

you have no need to touch that area, but if you want == simply remove them with a seperate knife and use a hand cleaner for your hands,

if you don't remove them, your okay as long as you don't touch them...

kyhayman · Nov 14, 2009

I've done it both ways and cant tell it made any difference.

hayray · Nov 14, 2009

I have never done that but the best thing to do anyways is to immediatley remove the meat from the carcass and get it cleaned of blood, I do this in the field by de-boning right after shooting. Our season opener is tomorrow.

JDemaris · Nov 14, 2009

I've shot a lot of deer over the years and never gave those glands a thought. Many wild animals have some sort of musk glands besides deer. I've eaten a lot of muskrat also, years back. In fact, Muskrat legs used to be some in some food stores as "marsh rabbit."

I never hang my deer like some do. That just gives it a gamey taste for whatever reason. Some people seem to want it gamey, and others just want to hang to show off.

When I shoot a deer (at least when I used to), I skin it, quarter it, and then throw the big chunks into a chest freezer to make it firm up. Then later, cut it up. Very often, other then being lean, it tastes just like beef. Let it hang for a few days, and the taste changes a lot.

I don't shoot them anymore. Kind of like seeing them alive better. Had a big buck walk right up to me this morning, out of breath and looking pretty confused. I suspect some sort of big game season opened today, and the bucks are starting to run around.

buickanddeere · Nov 14, 2009

Never gave it any concern. We just skin the deer at noon or at the end of the day when it's still warm.
The flavor of venison doesn't compare to moose but is ok. If they have been eating corn & beans. Slow roasted with onions & tomato etc in a crock pot helps alot.
If it's late in the season and the deer have been eating cedar etc, blah..........

steve n carol · Nov 14, 2009

Thanks everyone for their input.

I find it interesting that the difference in what and how that would affect the flavor of the meat.

As far as hanging it, isn't beef hung to age, something like weeks?

Do others in the venison family have these metatarsal glands, like moose and elk?

sl

JDemaris · Nov 15, 2009

Beef gets tender when it's hung. So does Deer meat, but the fat on deer meat gives it a gamey taste the longer it hangs. If you hang a deer to get tender, and then strip away all the original fat and add beef fat instead, it will usually taste fine. But, as Mr. Buick-Deere stated, it depends much on what that deer had been eating.

A fat doe that's been eating corn and not running around very much will often taste a lot better then some female-crazed buck that's been chasing does for a month and living off of cedar branches and rotten apples.

In regard to other animals with musk glands in back? Goats. Their worst stink glands are on their head but they also have small ones in back (so I'm told). Goat meat sold in stores is usually called "chevon." I guess it sells better that way, instead of saying "goat meat for sale."

I've buthered many old farm goats and just did them like a small deer.

African Boer goats were supposed to be the "new supermarket meat" but it never happened. More goats in the US get butchered for dog food than table meat.

steve n carol · Nov 15, 2009

JD, interesting that you should bring up Goats. I was going to ask about them.
Years ago, A neighbor let a bunch of them go (about 12 of them), around our place. I saw them the other day, the young ones are fun to watch, but they were decimating some trees I had planted.
Being across the nation from you , we have goat meat all over the place, it's called "Bieeria". It's okay. I keep visualizing those stinky critters when I eat it and it takes my appetite away.

These glands on the goats, do they hang off of the lower jaw?
steve

A question for tractor drivers that go deer hunting

steve n carol

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Anonymous-0

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PJH

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OH Boy

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PJH

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Anonymous-0

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kyhayman

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hayray

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JDemaris

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buickanddeere

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steve n carol

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steve n carol

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