Is mule deer good to eat? The simple answer is yes. The longer answer is, it depends on how it was prepared and where the mule deer came from.
Mule deer is a meat that can taste very good. However, it depends on a few different factors. The first and biggest factor is where the mule deer grew up. Like most meats, mule deer meat taste can be influenced by what they eat. As an example of this, I have harvested mule deer that grew up around corn and alfalfa (hay) fields in Utah. These were some of the best-tasting mule deer I personally have ever had. I also once had a mule deer that was harvested near some hot springs here in Utah. This mule deer meat was some of the grossest food I have ever put in my mouth. The sulfur had influenced the taste of the meat and I ended up throwing the plate away because it was so bad.
Another big factor in mule deer taste is who made it. Simply speaking some people are just awful at cooking and a lot of times these people are connected with people that are just trying mule deer meat. This can be helped with a few simple recipes.
Lemon Pepper Deer
- Cut the deer meat into 1 inch cubes
- Add 1 tablespoons of lemon pepper per pound of deer meat
- Then add 1/8 cup of water to the pan
- Add a table spoon of lemon juice
- Cook until meat turns brown
Crock Pot Mule Deer dinner
- Start by adding 4 cups of water to your crock pot
- Put 1 dry powder packet of Ranch seasoning into the water
- Then add 1 table spoon of Cayenne pepper
- Add 1/2 a tablespoon of salt
- Add 4 tablespoons of brown gravey
- Melt a full stick of butter in a pan
- Sear the sides of a deer roast
- Put the deer roast and the butter into the crock pot
- Cook on high for 6 hours
If you need a few more recipes for mule deer here are a few more! For some foods, you simply have to have the right recipe for them to taste good. These are just a few recipes that have worked for us and usually are good for hesitant first time deer meat tasters.
Another factor that can affect the taste of mule deer is, how quickly the person was able to cool off the meat after they have harvested their mule deer. Most meats if kept at the wrong temperature will spoil and taste nasty. This can be hard to do as most mule deer are harvested in the mountains. This means that oftentimes mule deer meat may have to go a long time without being cooled.
Mule deer also are a great source of protein. According to My Fitness Pal in 3.5 ounces of mule deer meat, there are 25 grams of protein! Also, like most meats, it has no carbohydrates.