Mule deer

[Dom]

I was thinking why do we not have Mule deer here in NY?Is our land area to small to hold/keep them?To some this is a DUMB ?I have never hunted them nor eaten them do they taste near the same as a Whitetail.

[Marion]

I think they eat lots of sage out west. To my knowledge we don't have sage but I very well could be wrong

You Can't Beat My Meat!

[BizCT]

Not sure to be honest. Maybe they could survive? Elk got moved to PA and Kentucky and they live. I assume Muleys prefer dryer climate and higher elevations.

Same goes for Coues deer, blacktail, etc. as well as antelope, Grizzlies, mountain lion, etc.

Regarding taste, it depends on what they are eating. I'm sure the ones eating corn taste a lot better than the ones eating cactus.

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Edited February 16, 2016 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Marion]

Well along the lines Biz was saying. One must also remember that elk were native to the north east many moons ago

You Can't Beat My Meat!

[Pygmy]

I don't think mule deer were ever native east of the Mississippi. Mother nature probably had a good reason for that.

As far as eating them, it depends...My partner and I killed two adult mule deer bucks in Colorado in 2000 on an early high country ( above treeline) hunt in early September. They were delicious, as good as any venison I have ever eaten. It was probably two months prior to the rut.

In November of 2014, another partner and I shot two rutting mule deer bucks in Colorado. I did not eat any of the meat, but my outfitter told me that when they are rutting they are not worth bringing home. We donated the meat to a food bank that makes it into burger and sausage for underpriveledged people, rather than paying the big $$$ to bring it home and then not have it be fit to eat.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Pygmy

[Nomad]

My Montana mullie tasted the same as our whitetails .

[solon]

1 guy in our group got a muley in Colorado a few years back - it tasted great.

[wolc123]

The post-rut mule deer buck I shot in the high desert of Colorado was awful.   You could taste the sage flavor in the meat.  A very far cry from the corn and acorn fed whitetails we have here in NY.  Oddly enough, post-rut bull elk that we have taken in the same general area have always tasted very good, maybe even a bit better than your average whitetail.  I suppose a mule deer buck taken earlier, or a doe might not be as bad, especially if they had access to better feed.   Our outfitter out there loves to come over to NY for whitetail because they are so much tastier.  In fact, I don't know anyone who would choose mule deer meat over whitetail.  I also prefer the coloring, the antler shape, and the challenge, of whitetails over mule deer.  I am thankful that the mule deer does not inhabit our state.  The other side of the Mississippi is a fine place for them.   I would welcome elk and a few more moose however as there is nothing wrong with that meat.       

[Zem18]

My FIL has shot muleys from Colorado and the ones we've eaten have had a sage flavor to them. Also the meat is stringy but it is as good as venison from NY. The Elk is good too but did not have the sage flavor. As others have said, it depends on their feed.

[jjb4900]

I always wondered why they weren't offered on Game Farm hunts.....Whitetail are big business, but I can't recall ever seeing Mulies offered.

[BizCT]

I always wondered why they weren't offered on Game Farm hunts.....Whitetail are big business, but I can't recall ever seeing Mulies offered.

I asked FSW about this, and I don't remember what he said. I think some states out west don't allow high fence operations. Wyoming is one of these, if I remember correctly.

Nothing like spot and stalking a muley!

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[Four Season Whitetail's]

I always wondered why they weren't offered on Game Farm hunts.....Whitetail are big business, but I can't recall ever seeing Mulies offered.

Your not looking hard enough.. lol   They are out there but most are crossing the Mule and the Whitetail together to get the best of both.I crossed my first this last fall. If she took i will have the crosses started here.

[Marion]

What does sage even taste like?

You Can't Beat My Meat!

[BizCT]

What does sage even taste like?

You Can't Beat My Meat!

I've never had that experience but have heard of it with rutted bucks. Every time I went west I hunted opening weekend 1st weekend in October when bucks are in bachelor groups so the meat was fine.

I love the smell of sage, in fact I have sage air freshener in my office/trophy room

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