Best tasting wild game

[Hunting Wife]

Ever, all-time, including things I didn’t personally harvest:

Bighorn sheep
Elk
Antelope
Deer (WT/Mule/Blacktail all fairly similar in my experience)
Moose
Mountain lion
Mountain goat

Birds:
Ruffed grouse/other mountain grouse
Pheasants and Huns about tied
Sharptail
Crane
Turkey
Teal
Whitefronts
Mallards
Canada’s
Other ducks
Snow Geese

 

[Europe]

North America scored well with Antelope and Elk leading the field. Moose right behind those two and if one groups "deer", whitetail, mule, coues, blacktail then deer is also a well liked meal.

Aussie Hunter JD----I did not enjoy Kangaroo

Hunting Wife, it is nice to see someone else add Crane to their list. I was beginning to think Brent was right that I had forgotten that it was bad, not good and at my age, that is a very real possibility LOL

 

[ImBillT]

Squirrel
Elk
Crane
Rabbit


Javelina
Mule deer
Whitetail
Quail
Goose

Duck
Dove


Pigeon—ick!

I suspect anyone who does not place crane near the top, or javelina in the middle is having some issues that could be cured. For crane, only the breast meat is really any good without grinding, and is best kept on the rare side like a duck. The legs, wings and thigh are full of connective tissue and when cooked, a cranes connective tissue becomes incredibly formidable. The answer is to grind them. I love crane bergers, spaghetti, sausage, etc. Myself and my wife would rather cook ground crane than ground beef. With javelina, put on gloves, remove the scent glands, change your gloves and clean your knife. That stuff leaks and penetrates. Then keepnthe hair off the meat. Their hair is covered in scent they’ve been distributing, but there’s not nearly as much as what comes out of the glands. Also, don’t gut shoot them. Their inner workings are extra foul as well. Javelina tastes like a sweet nutty pork. I find it similar to a leaner tougher version of what would happen if you crossed a hog and a squirrel. Diet could have an impact as well. Perhaps I haven’t had a bed one yet. I’ve only had a few, but everyone who likes them says that care in the field is key.

 

[Nameless Range]

Pronghorn and Blue Grouse - each in their own way.

 

[maxx]

Ruff Grouse
Whitetail (Iowa whitetails are pretty hard to beat. They basically eat grain all year. Even rutty bucks are good)
Elk
Mule Deer
Pheasant
Turkey
Moose (Never shot one but have had it a few times)
Ducks
Rabbits (haven't had one for ever need to get out and shoot a few)
Bear

I didn't really like the bear I shot that much. It was ok not terrible but it isn't something I would find myself hunting consistently for the meat which is why I may not hunt one again but I kind of want to shoot one more cause the one I shot was small.

I want to try antelope really bad. I may go again this fall for a short trip to NE. It is cheap and easy to do hunt but hard to be successful. NR are archery only and they are half way pressured.

 

[shootbrownelk]

For the wife and myself the list is...
BigHorn Sheep
Moose
Elk
Whitetail off hay fields
Mule deer off hay fields
Antelope off hay fields
Mountain Lion
Cardboard
Mountain Goat

Wood Ducks
Canvasbacks
Mallards
Pintail

Blue Grouse/Ruffed Grouse....tied
Sharptail Grouse

 

[Hunting Wife]

Hunting Wife, it is nice to see someone else add Crane to their list. I was beginning to think Brent was right that I had forgotten that it was bad, not good and at my age, that is a very real possibility LOL

Rest assured you remember correctly. I think it isn’t more popular partly because hunting opportunities for them are somewhat limited these days. I also think to be fully enjoyed it needs to be treated more like beef and less like a “bird” in the kitchen too

 

[LCH]

If we're including feral hogs, then I rank that at the top of my list. Followed by elk.

I also enjoy pronghorn, whitetail, and mule deer, of the 3 I have no preference.

 

[Sytes]

Wow! You've had some amazing treats along your life's travels, Europe! A few made me cringe while others raised a curious eyebrow.

Each have their succulent flavors based on how they are prepared.
In general - no specific order though the common freezer fillers of wild game;
Elk, deer, pronghorn, bear, duck, geese... Reading Europe's and others has me thinking I need to expand my freezer variety however, in the meantime I'm quite happy with the general wild game I maintain.

I still do drool over a well prepared beef, turkey and pork plate as well for the domestic table-fare.

 

[noharleyyet]

Many of my favorites are available locally....dove, quail, frog legs, crappie, catfish, sandhill crane.....battered and deep fried preferably.

Have gun will travel for delicious and soul filling elk and mule deer.

 

[scubohuntr]

Bear tops the list, easily, followed by moose. Then deer (whitetail or muleys, properly handled there is very little difference). Unlike small game, I haven't found anything that wasn't tasty when handled properly. Elk tastes a lot like tag soup in my experience, although I keep hoping to change that. I haven't gotten around to pronghorn yet.

For small game, ruffed grouse, then dusky grouse (or whatever they're calling them this month), quail, pheasant, rabbit, gray squirrels, goose, fox squirrels, and way down near the bottom, spruce grouse, doves, ducks, snipe, woodpeckers, pigeons, beaver tail, snapping turtle.

Fish starts out with yellow perch, halibut, smelt, northern pike, crappie, sunfish, walleye, lake whitefish, catfish, frozen fish sticks, trout, salmon.

 

[Europe]

Scubohuntr, fish could fill up a new thread, glad you mentioned them

Sytes--thank you, I have been very fortunate and my dad started me hunting bunnies and birds approx 75 plus years ago ---lol

Nick 87---got your joke about geese --lol

Khunter, Schmales, Hunting wife, Shotbrownelk ---Glad you guys mentioned sheep, surprised more didn't. Between Rocky Mtn, Desert , Stone and Dall, Dall is my favorite to eat, but loved hunting all four of them.

Goat and Sheep were great hunts--scenery, challenge, as well as the meals later. We almost always spike camped and that was also something I enjoyed. But sheep and goat hunting was always one of my favorite hunts

p.s. nobody else likes Zebra--lol admittedly those of you who mentioned Oryx, I agree, excellent table fare as well

 

[kansasdad]

Eland (and shockingly eland liver) was a camp favorite for our family in Kenya. And my dad always said that the animal that had the least amount of locals showing up to help harvest the meat and make sure every morsel was utilized was when a zebra was down.

I have watched Cape buffalo go from breathing to completely broken down and parted out for the village in under two hours....and that was when it took an hour's hike for the village to get to the kill site.

 

[Backcountry Hunter 2]

From the game I've tried:

Pronghorn
Elk
Wild Boar
Gator
Venison
Bear

Can't wait to try, or draw these tags lol:
Moose
Sheep
Goat

 

[muskeg]

early season Sitka Blacktail …

 

[Repair4]

Man, those are some impressive lists folks, they're definitely adding some game to my list of "Have to try before I die"
Mine would be:

Fall wild boar (acorn fed)
Adak island caribou (not in the rut) tasted completely different than the north slope caribou I've taken
Aoudad
Cow elk
Halibut
Rockfish
Fall Blue berry fed black bear
Bull Elk
Green lip mussels
Mule deer buck
Antelope doe
Speckle belly
Mallard duck
Dirt
Dog treats
Coots
Black bears that have been perusing the delicacies of the national park trash cans
Caribou in the rut

 

[Europe]

yes sir , it is amazing to watch. Same with an elephant. they skin and butcher one side , turn it over and do the same to the other side and quickly! As all can imagine they had to do it quickly because of the heat and they were also competing with 4 legged critters sometimes for the downed animal. We loved Africa and not just the hunting, but the people, the herds of and variety of animals, the scenery, fishing, wonderful memories--thank you Kansasdad

thanks to all who have responded I have enjoyed reading your lists and comments

 

[----]

It seems like we have this thread at least once a year. It'd be interesting to look back and see how a persons ranking changes from year to year.

It's also interesting to look at how much an animal like Bighorn varies on different lists, where each person eats maybe one or two in a lifetime.

Ranking the big game I've been lucky enough to have in my freezer from favorite to least-
Pronghorn
Whitetail
Mule deer
Moose
Elk
Mountain goat
Mountain lion
Bighorn ewe
Caribou
Black bear

My favorite fish I've caught are-
Black rockfish
Ling/burbot
King salmon
Brook trout

 

[TimeOnTarget]

Elk
Antelope
Whitetail

 

[utah400elk]

My favorites:
elk
eastern whitetail
ruffed or blue grouse
pheasant

I was shocked when I moved out east how much better the whitetail deer taste than mule deer