A question for those that are meat hunters and antelope

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

How is the best way to consume the critters. I have never hunted them, but have heard ugly

rumors that they are sage brush eaters and I am wondering how that affects the meat.

 

For deer, the apple orchard is a prime place for find Sunday's dinner. Or near one.

 

IMHO

[Assassin]

Antelope that eat grass are good eating, those that eat sage not so good. Same with deer, it's all about what they eat.

[Cheyenne Culpepper 32827]

beans and corn make for good deer meat tuu. I git 5 or 6 a year out of orchards and bean fields.

 

 

mostly young ones.... but did take a 140 lb and 160 lb field dressed this year

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

Pronghorn Antelope taste like domestic goat. Prepare as you would for goat.

 

P.S. I don't particularly care for either domestic goat or Pronghorn.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

So if you are going to hunt them, grass land is the ticket?

[T.J. Bones SASS# 75616]

Trim the fat and grind the whole thing (except the loins) into hamburger adding a little (10%) beef fat. Grill the burgers or loins to no more than medium. They will be some of the best burgers you will ever eat. Deer doesn't come anywhere close to being as good as antelope. Our Kansas antelope are mostly grass fed.

[J. Frank Norfleet]

It is really a misnomer to say that antelope are grass eaters. Grass only makes up roughly 18% of their diet. The rest of their diet is browse and weeds. Grass does not provide enough nutrients for them to survive. Which is why they are the first to die off in a drought. Before the last 15 dry years we had herds of 100 plus, now I'm happy to see 10 or 15. It is also the reason that sheep will starve out the antelope. Sheep eat 40% grass and 60% browse. The antelope can't compete.

 

While we don't have sage, I would imagine that it would give the meat a strong flavor. As stated above antelope has a unique "goat" flavor. The younger the animal and the better the condition, the better the meat. I killed a fat yearling once that you couldn't tell it from beef. Most are trophy hunting and kill an older buck and the hunts happening right now are in the middle of rut. Not conducive to producing pleasant flavored meat. That said, I like mine cut in thin strips and chicken fried. Some will soak it in milk before it is chicken fried. We have also canned it which totally removes any game taste.

L

[evil dogooder]

I prefer it fried in inbacon grease with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and fresh garlic

[Cheyenne Culpepper 32827]

I prefer it fried in inbacon grease with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and fresh garlic

hmmm, I gotta try that!!!

[Utah Bob #35998]

I prefer my meat and sauces seasoned with a bit of sage.

Externally though.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Thanks for all the good information. Now I need to find somebody with a pet antelope.

 

My neighbor has two goats but I suppose that he would miss one right away.

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

I took an antelope last season - been 22 years since I was last drawn- and was concerned about the meat flavor since I had heard all the talk about them being like stringy goats. Mine was a nice buck and sort of middle aged I'd guess. At the butchers shop I asked to have most of the meat made into sausage thinking the taste would be muted. The butchers wife was taking my order and seemed to be in agreement with me but the butcher, overhearing the conversation,. came flying out of the back room and told me that my buck would be some of the sweetest tasting wild game I'd ever experience. Well, he was right. We got steaks and chops and roasts and just a little sausage. Last night we dined on fine pronghorn rib eye steaks - I think it was the end of the meat . We sort of spaced out the pronghorn dining experiences over the year cause there isn't too much meat on those things. BTW the hunt was the most enjoyable and memorable hunt I've ever had for a bunch of reasons. That pronghorn is the only critter I have ever had mounted and every time I walk down the hall and see it my heart is filled with joy at the memories.

[Utah Bob #35998]

Thanks for all the good information. Now I need to find somebody with a pet antelope.

 

My neighbor has two goats but I suppose that he would miss one right away.

Try to find one that has been fed a diet of brown sugar, Prudhomme spices, and Cheddar.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

As with any game animal it depends upon age, diet,sex, and most importantly, how the carcass is handled and processed. Done right it's most all excellent.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Try to find one that has been fed a diet of brown sugar, Prudhomme spices, and Cheddar.

HAHAHA!

 

my neighbor keeps coming over to get cedar branches and ivy to feed them. Said it was like caviar to them.

 

Wonder how that would taste?

[Mule Town Jack Sass #20083]

I have eaten a number of antelope and actually prefer them to deer. I've only had one that was sagey and that was my fault. The trick is to be careful as you field dress the animal. It's very easy to rub the animals hair, then reach inside to gut the animal. This carries the sage into the meat. I carry shoulder length veterinarian gloves and as soon as I cut the belly to gut the animal, I put on the gloves. Same thing for skinning. Avoid touching the meat until the skin is off. Now cut your steaks and enjoy. I've seen several hunters reach inside the animal to gut it then rub their bloody hands on the hair and reach back in to finish the job. Bad deal.

MTJ

[Hamley]

The most important thing to a good eating antelope, is a good clean kill. While this is important with any meat, it has more of an impact on the flavor of antelope than any other game. This is also more important than what they are eating since they eat mainly browse. They will only eat sage if there is nothing else. Sheep will eat sage before antelope will.

 

It is best to get one in the evening when they have settled down and are relaxed. Also makes it easier to get them cooled out.

 

My grandmother used to soak it in buttermilk to make it tender, then batter it in flour and fry it in bacon grease. I can almost taste it now. I will take a good antelope over the best deer any day.

[SASS# 23321 Canelo Kid]

Antelope steaks, at least 1- 1 1/2 inches thick, cook 2 minutes on very hot grill. Turn over and cover completely with roasted Green chile strips. Grill 2 more minutes. Don't overcook it, same as any game meat.

 

My uncle used to go to Wyoming for 'lopes and between him and his 5-6 partners they would get 20-30 tags and usually fill them. He always made summer sausage out of all of his.

[Captain Clark]

Actually had antelope for dinner tonight, about as fresh as you can ask for considering we bagged it only 9 days ago. Not sure about it tasting like sage filled stringy goat , my wife thinks that it is much milder than mule deer! Hamley is spot on about good processing and proper handling of the meat. Ours went from down to ice in less than an hour. Of course the antelope in New Mexico are obviously superior to any other on the planet, but that goes without saying!!!!

[Hamley]

I have eaten a number of antelope and actually prefer them to deer. I've only had one that was sagey and that was my fault. The trick is to be careful as you field dress the animal. It's very easy to rub the animals hair, then reach inside to gut the animal. This carries the sage into the meat. I carry shoulder length veterinarian gloves and as soon as I cut the belly to gut the animal, I put on the gloves. Same thing for skinning. Avoid touching the meat until the skin is off. Now cut your steaks and enjoy. I've seen several hunters reach inside the animal to gut it then rub their bloody hands on the hair and reach back in to finish the job. Bad deal.

MTJ

I totally agree with this.

 

Hamley

[Guest Grass Range #51406]

I was raised on Antelope and we hunted each month. Try leaving home about 4 in the afternoon and riding for a couple hours til there are no roads (wardens), shoot one, wait until dark and then throw it behind your saddle on a hot horse. Only edible if you don't have anything else. Now I have them made into jerky and sausage.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

I'm a meat hunter but not an antelope.

 

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Poor syntax on my part.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

Same with deer...the hair will sure taint the meat!

[Three Foot Johnson]

If you get a bad one, you don't have to put up with it very long - even with clean head shots, I've yet to get 40 pounds of meat from an antelope.

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

I have a butcher who will turn the entire antelope into sausage, and it's the best sausage I've ever had!

[Shorty Jack Hammer]

HAHAHA!

 

my neighbor keeps coming over to get cedar branches and ivy to feed them. Said it was like caviar to them.

 

Wonder how that would taste?

I don't know how they would taste but if you kept one I your closet it might keep the moths away

[Duffield, SASS #23454]

I took an antelope last season - been 22 years since I was last drawn- and was concerned about the meat flavor since I had heard all the talk about them being like stringy goats. Mine was a nice buck and sort of middle aged I'd guess. At the butchers shop I asked to have most of the meat made into sausage thinking the taste would be muted. The butchers wife was taking my order and seemed to be in agreement with me but the butcher, overhearing the conversation,. came flying out of the back room and told me that my buck would be some of the sweetest tasting wild game I'd ever experience. Well, he was right. We got steaks and chops and roasts and just a little sausage. Last night we dined on fine pronghorn rib eye steaks - I think it was the end of the meat . We sort of spaced out the pronghorn dining experiences over the year cause there isn't too much meat on those things. BTW the hunt was the most enjoyable and memorable hunt I've ever had for a bunch of reasons. That pronghorn is the only critter I have ever had mounted and every time I walk down the hall and see it my heart is filled with joy at the memories.

This has been my experience also. And if you have some ground without adding anything, it will make the best chili that you ever tasted.

 

Duffield

[Jack Ash]

For those who bread and fry try a buttermilk soak and dredge through 1/2 cracker crumbs and 1/2 crushed jalapeño potato chips. It mitigates some of the gamey flavor and makes a good crunch. I stumbled on this when our flour got wet and haven't went back.