Bummer

[wolc123]

36 minutes ago, Belo said:

I won’t argue with you on this process because you’re absolutely right. However, I will point out that it’s not the one and only way to decent venison.


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One other way to tenderize is to can them.  My buddy did an 8.5 year old moose that way.  The frozen roasts were so tough you couldn’t chew them.  He thawed them all out and canned them with a pressure cooker.  That made the meat super tender. 
 

Your road kill  buck looks 2.5 to me.  It is relatively easy to tell a 2.5 from a 3.5, by comparing skull size after you get the hide off.  They gain lots of width and length between 2.5 and 3.5 years.  
 

in this photo, the euro on the bottom and the top are 2.5, and the three in the middle are 3.5. Skull size is a much better indicator of age than antler size or body size.  
 

On these three 3.5’s, the skulls are nearly identical in size,  but the one with the smallest antlers had the largest body.

The size of the body might be more dependent on available food, and the antlers on genetics, but each of those has a little less bearing on the size of the skull, making that a better way to judge age.

 

[Five Seasons]

One other way to tenderize is to can them.  My buddy did an 8.5 year old moose that way.  The frozen roasts were so tough you couldn’t chew them.  He thawed them all out and canned them with a pressure cooker.  That made the meat super tender. 
 
Your road kill  buck looks 2.5 to me.  It is relatively easy to tell a 2.5 from a 3.5, by comparing skull size after you get the hide off.  They gain lots of width and length between 2.5 and 3.5 years.  
 
in this photo, the euro on the bottom and the top are 2.5, and the three in the middle are 3.5. Skull size is a much better indicator of age than antler size or body size.  
 
On these three 3.5’s, the skulls are nearly identical in size,  but the one with the smallest antlers had the largest body.
The size of the body might be more dependent on available food, and the antlers on genetics, but each of those has a little less bearing on the size of the skull, making that a better way to judge age.
 

Did someone jaw age them or is this another PA girth chart?

Bucks around here with 18” spreads and 9” tines are not 2.5.


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[The_Real_TCIII]

20 hours ago, Belo said:

He was still pretty warm, but I think broken back and ribs as some of the straps were bruised and tossed.

If you didn’t know it was a roadkill you’d look at the chops and be all excited to bite in. Going to keep them frozen for a bit as I understand that extended freezing can help with any possible food issues and hope for the best. Worst case I’m out some vac bags and my time.


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Ive heard that adrenaline can toughen the meat? Some think that a bad shot results in tougher venison because the deer is "stressed". Who knows. The deer I cut up was hit by two different cars, each driven by a friend of my daughter lol! What are the odds? The trooper held a light while I cut out the straps and the rack, all he asked was that I get the carcass well off the road. When I was done I said "Theres nothing more I can do for him, Im calling it. 8:16PM." he looked at me like I had three heads

[phade]

Bummer to see, but there will be more bucks to chase.

[Arcade Hunter]

23 hours ago, wolc123 said:

One other way to tenderize is to can them.  My buddy did an 8.5 year old moose that way.  The frozen roasts were so tough you couldn’t chew them.  He thawed them all out and canned them with a pressure cooker.  That made the meat super tender. 
 

Your road kill  buck looks 2.5 to me.  It is relatively easy to tell a 2.5 from a 3.5, by comparing skull size after you get the hide off.  They gain lots of width and length between 2.5 and 3.5 years.  
 

in this photo, the euro on the bottom and the top are 2.5, and the three in the middle are 3.5. Skull size is a much better indicator of age than antler size or body size.  
 

On these three 3.5’s, the skulls are nearly identical in size,  but the one with the smallest antlers had the largest body.

The size of the body might be more dependent on available food, and the antlers on genetics, but each of those has a little less bearing on the size of the skull, making that a better way to judge age.

 

I recently bought a pressure canner for this very reason.  Gave it a trial run and canned 7lbs of butternut squash over the weekend.  Im dying to put some venison through the process