Inedible

[R.K.]

Kinda sounds like you got cold shortening in the muscle. Well known problem in the beef industry, and their coolers are designed with that problem in mind.

I’ve had whitetail that I cooked the tenderloins fresh and it was tough as hell. The other cuts that got some age on them (dry or wet aging) were tender and delicious. Happened to me at least three times.

Since it’s already processed, I’d suggest having vacuum-sealed chunks of meat sit in the fridge for at least a few days before you try eating them. The only thing is you have to be 110% confident in your cleanliness during the butchering process. I’ve had meat in the fridge for 3+ weeks with no problem, but can’t say that’s the ideal method.

I know that we used to hang beef sides 11 days, and venison would hang for 14 days at the butcher shop I worked in high school. Food for thought.

 

[6mm Remington]

Hamburger, sausages (several types), jerky. All will be exceptionally good and won't be chewy in my experience. I really like making my own jerky and such and I can season it how I like.

Cheap fatty pork shoulder roasts work great for mix on sausage and burger. For jerky seasoning blends and sausages, Hi Country out of Montana and Hi Mountain out of Wyoming both make great mixes that I have really enjoyed.

Wild Game Breakfast Sausage Spice Box - Italian Blend

Italian Blend Breakfast Sausage Seasoning Kit is offered by Hi Country Snack Foods. Now direct to your door for the wild game hunters. Makes about 12 lbs of sausages.

hicountry.com

Hi Mountain Seasonings

Wrangle up Big Western Flavor with Hi Mountain Seasonings, bold western flavors, make your own jerky, sausage, smoked meats

himtnjerky.com

 

[schmalts]

I have had elk that were tough, even back straps but never rutty. I have had 2 Montana mule deer that I offloaded the game bags to someone at the earliest opportunity before they could get a whiff. Had a couple WI deer just as bad. When the game bags smell like they been pissed on you know there's trouble. The all time worst was an AK bou! I wasted money bringing it home, it should have been fed to sled dogs. It is a timing thing is my guess. Every single person in WI who has had a rut inedible deer has killed it between Nov 6 and Nov 11 in bow season. Tough meat just gets ground up, the chewing is done for you.

 

[bugggy]

I've only had one tough deer over the years. It was a blacktail that I shot around midday. Deboned it, took it home and processed it immediately. Maybe 5 hours from the shot until it was in the freezer. Flavor was good but extremely tough! I was later told it was caused by not letting rigor mortis come and go before cutting it up. Supposedly the muscle constricts when cut cross grain. I now let them hang for a couple days before processing. I haven't had any tough ones since.

 

[caddiscrazy]

I use a Sous vide on a lot of my meat before I finish them on the grill or cast iron. My Nebraska mule deer from this past November was excellent. Also, absolutely love pronghorn cooked this way.

 

[howl]

Learned something new today @R.K. : "Cold shortening has been studied since the 1960s (Locker, 1985). Locker and Hagyard (1963) defined cold shortening as a rapid decline in muscle temperature to less than 14-19 °C before the onset phase of rigor mortis."

I've only had trouble with something that may have been cold shortening when I had to break an animal down to fit a smaller cooler and use bag ice.

Also agree with deboning before the muscle relaxes again being an unfortunate expediency.

 

[TakeABreakAndTouchGrass]

Learned something new today @R.K. : "Cold shortening has been studied since the 1960s (Locker, 1985). Locker and Hagyard (1963) defined cold shortening as a rapid decline in muscle temperature to less than 14-19 °C before the onset phase of rigor mortis."

I've only had trouble with something that may have been cold shortening when I had to break an animal down to fit a smaller cooler and use bag ice.

Also agree with deboning before the muscle relaxes again being an unfortunate expediency.

 

[Addicting]

Learned something new today @R.K. : "Cold shortening has been studied since the 1960s (Locker, 1985). Locker and Hagyard (1963) defined cold shortening as a rapid decline in muscle temperature to less than 14-19 °C before the onset phase of rigor mortis."

I've only had trouble with something that may have been cold shortening when I had to break an animal down to fit a smaller cooler and use bag ice.

Also agree with deboning before the muscle relaxes again being an unfortunate expediency.

That easily what could of happened with the deer. Funny thing is that is standard operating procedure when it comes to antelope. Mine go from living to a ice bath as soon as possible. I’ve had several that were shot near a road that I could drive up to them. They are quartered, set in large freezer bags, then thrown into a ice bath cooler for the ride home. The whole process is only an hour or so. Never had a bad antelope with that SOP.