Which Is The Best Tasting Critter?

[timberman56]

1. caribou tenderloin 11:00 at night after a 4 hr pack and all day hunt above the arctic circle. 2. fried wild quail my grandmother used to cook 3. fried squirrel my other grandmother used to cook 4. grilled fresh elk backstrap 5. " " 'lope "

 

[EYJONAS!]

I don't think a guy can have just one. Almost anything cooked right is great.
Antelope straps marinated in buttermilk cooked medium rare
Stuffed elk backstrap mushrooms jalapeños onion cream cheese
Mountain lion is phenomenal
Blue grouse
Pheasant in mushroom gravy
Walleye need I say more
The list goes on and on.........

Bacon wrapped quail or dove

I just wish I was a better cook...... like @jryoung.

 

[Nick87]

Mallards.

 

[Big Fin]

Among the hoofed animals, I've been lucky to take two free-range bison. I put them on the top and see why indigenous peoples built their food systems around bison, especially when considering excellent flavor, abundance of the time, and the huge yield for effort expended.

After that, I'd go with pronghorn as a super close 1A/1B contest. Over 50 pronghorn have traveled through our freezers, with ever single one being delicious. I must be lucky, as I've never had one of those "gamey tasting" samples.

Moose is not far behind, but would be a solid B, followed closely by elk, Coues deer and alfalfa-fed whitetails.

When it comes to the birds, I am a ruffed grouse fan. Huns and quail are a very close second, but I just can't find a better choice than ruffies. I'll never turn down a good pheasant dinner.

 

[rwc101]

Now that I have killed an elk I hate how much I like it. I'll be disappointed if I don't get another next year.

 

[huntin24/7]

For big game, I’d put elk and antelope at a tie at the top. For small game, pheasant and huns are both excellent, although I’ve never had the mountain grouse species to compare.

 

[Dave N]

Pretty much a whitetail guy here since I haven't been able to compare too many different animals. My bear made great stew, though. Walleye and crappie for fish with wild salmon or halibut running a close 2nd.

For a more in-depth comparison of "critters", if any of you fine folks would care enough to send me some samples to try I would be more than happy to make a report to the masses on the results!

 

[bobbydean]

I have eaten barbary, antelope, elk, mule deer and oryx. By far, the oryx is the best tasting.

Do not bird hunt much, but I have heard that sandhill crane is delicious.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I have eaten barbary, antelope, elk, mule deer and oryx. By far, the oryx is the best tasting.

Do not bird hunt much, but I have heard that sandhill crane is delicious.

I think everyone I’ve heard from who has tried oryx puts it at the top. Intriguing.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

A friend gave me a Sika deer roast from her hunt in New Zealand. Definitely the best game I’ve eaten!

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I would have a different answer every day for big game, birds and fish, I like most all of it. Something I very rarely get that is incredible is abalone. Razor clams are also good.

 

[TOGIE]

my wife, who i introduced to wild game foods, is more upset than i am when i don't draw doe pronghorn tags.

weirdly, the least interesting, not least enjoyable, just most boring tasting animal i've killed to date was an alfalfa fed white tail doe.

in reality none of it's bad, and thus far in my experience, between the ungulates, very generally i've decided if they taste greatly different it's mostly just because you're telling yourself that, or one of them was handled poorly

 

[OntarioHunter]

I think everyone I’ve heard from who has tried oryx puts it at the top. Intriguing.

For African game everyone said little springbuck is the best ... but gemsbuck (oryx) a close second. Gemsbuck has very light coloured meat. I never got to eat any (lady guests at the lodge were not into wild meat) but I saw mine skinned out. Finally was able to eat some kudu backstrap. Pretty good though not cooked enough for my taste. I don't like my meat jumping off the plate.

 

[MarvB]

My cousin is over in Newport, about ready to embark on polishing off the fruit of his spoils from yesterday...def one of my favs!

 

[Southern Elk]

Elk for red meat.
Crappie is my favorite fish.

 

[geetar]

Best wild meat I’ve ever eaten was Cajun deep fried wild turkey.
Most surprisingly good was mountain goat heart.
Most disappointing smallmouth bass.

 

[Europe]

I would have a different answer every day for big game, birds and fish, I like most all of it.

This was where I was at most of the time as well. Some of the Asian dishes left me cold, but for the most part, I was game for trying something new.

Hunting Wife: the Gemsbok provide excellent table fare, as does the Kudu. Zebra has a very nice taste to it, a little chewy, but good and good for you as well.. We had Giraffe Ribs at Victoria Falls and it was fantastic, but I think the sauce it had on it was the key. Termites are very tasty and we took them to the field with us to snack on.

But all things being equal my favorites are closer to home. Dall Sheep, Coues Deer, Cranes, Pheasant , and I always want to include frog legs, but my husband use to tell me that the frog legs prepared at the outdoor party we attended in Louisiana that I liked were not that good. He said I thought they were good because I liked the home brew

 

[Valley1320]

1. I love pronghorn especially bacon wrapped tenderloins, keeps them so deliciously moist.
2. Elk
3.Mule deer
4. Bear.
5. Desert bighorn
6. Had lion to its good but nothing like the above 5 imo.


When I wrap tenderloins or backstraps in bacon here recently I have started using jus enough bacon to do one wrap around it so you don't have so much bacon flavor and get more flavor of your other meat. Contradictory to that pic I posted here. That was before I started doing that.

 

[rwc101]

Cottontail and grouse are tied for small game. Pheasant at #3. And the sleeper pick: jacks.

Crappie and walleye are the best freshwater fish IMO followed closely by brook trout.

 

[shrapnel]

What a great idea this was to share our cuisine. I am convinced about elk tenderloins and blue grouse as great food, but when i hear comments and pictures of crab, rock fish, halibut and other such delicacies, I am convinced that Montana is short changed in it's lack of access to those salt water dishes.

Back to elk tenderloins and grouse, the elk is as good as it gets for red meat. I haven't done my moose tenderloins yet, I will know more by Tuesday night...