Antelope-good to eat?

[clemens]

Thought i would ask this question. What does it taste like, i have had lot of peaple tell me that it don't taste good. now I'm guessing that would have a lot to do with how it's cared for especially getting hide off as soon as possible It can ruin the meat pretty quick from the lanalin in the hide so I have been told. Those of you who live, breath and sleep Antelope can you give me a honest answer. I have never hunted antelope would like to some day, but curiosity has got the best of me. Thanks guys for any reply's . I'm thinking sausage

 

[270Weatherby]

I have really enjoyed antelope meat. BBQ the back straps med rare, awesome. Tastes kinda sweet, makes great sausage too.

 

[wyomingblizzard]

My therory on hunting antelope, aim for the front shoulders with the biggest gun you can get your hands on,thats half you dont have to eat! Personaly I dont like antelope. If I kill one I either give it away or make jerky of the whole thing. Guess thats why I only trophy hunt, if it isnt big I would rather eat my tag. Tag soup yummy.....not!

 

[Hairtrigger]

I did not care for the meat after I shot an Antelope... It stinks when cooking bad enough I cooked mine outside.
I put mine in Chili to get rid of it

 

[Broz]

Thought i would ask this question. What does it taste like, i have had lot of peaple tell me that it don't taste good. now I'm guessing that would have a lot to do with how it's cared for especially getting hide off as soon as possible It can ruin the meat pretty quick from the lanalin in the hide so I have been told. Those of you who live, breath and sleep Antelope can you give me a honest answer. I have never hunted antelope would like to some day, but curiosity has got the best of me. Thanks guys for any reply's . I'm thinking sausage

Had chicken fried antelope steak last night for dinner. It was awesome. You can cut it with a fork and I like it as good as any beef steak. You nailed it in your post. Get the hide off it and cilled asap! That is the key. We typically hunt them on warm days, you leave them lay around and they will not taste good. I actually prefer it to elk, believe it or not. And the hamberger is to die for. We eat about 6 to 8 of them a year. We like it so well we go out of state to get enough tags. You take care of it properly you are in for a treat. Leave it lay around on a warm day ..... well I can tell you for sure it ain't the antelope to blame.

Jeff

 

[royinidaho]

What Broz said!!!!!

 

[bigngreen]

Antelope can go both ways and it depends on the care in the field, if you throw one up under a topper for the day while driving around it will be horrifying, get it skinned, washed and cooled down ASAP and it's about as good as can be had. My buddy is very handy at the grill and he does a rub on a whole antelope back strap that will blow your mind, I can eat myself sick and leftover antelope steak sandwich, WOW!! I like the sausage to so I end up taking the prime cuts and steaking them and making a snack sticks for the rest of the hunting season from the trim which is very lean on goat.

 

[Tikkamike]

I have to disagree with Broz and Roy. not saying their way doesnt work but I know for a fact the hide does not have to come off. I have been shooting 4-6 antelope per year (probably no more than either of them) but its enough to know what I do works also. It is all about how clean you keep them.
As Broz stated we typically shoot them when its warm out so get the meat out of the heat asap. It is ok to let it hang with the hide on. I leave hide on for one reason, It keeps the meat from drying out. When you are cutting it up keep everything very clean, antelope hair is tubular and it seems to hold a lot of scent, so continually wipe down your cutting surface, knives etc... as you are cutting anything white or the shiney stuff needs to be cut off, this will ensure good flavor and a tender piece of meat. (there are several of those grainy muscles in the hind quarters that you simply cant remove all the shiney stuff, for me that goes to hamburger, jerky, roast etc... And the most important thing I think we can all agree on is keep all hair off the meat. I get pretty extreme with it. if there is a hair on the meat i dont pick it off il actually cut that piece of meat off that the hair is touching, the hair is so potent it can ruin meat one hair in a package of meat can sometimes make that whole package taste "off" so keep it super clean and you will not find a better piece of meat.

 

[jde512]

I grew up on a Wyoming ranch and hunted them every year. Shoot the does they are better eating than the bucks. One thing I found is don't run them if you Do they will taste strong. Make sure to wash them good. I always let them hang for a day after skinning. I also use a propan weed burner and flash burn any hair left on after skinning. Always trim the meat before cooking. A good doe taken care of will taste milder than deer or elk and better than beef. If you wound one and don't knock it down it can turn into a long hunt and the meat will taste strong.

 

[kennygss]

As stated above, all good advice, and I'll second the "running speed goat" sentiment. They dont taste the same if they have been run, ( to me) as compared to stoning one while it is just standing there. Also, my dad was a big proponent of gutting and cooling. He used to put a couple bags of ice inside the carcass on the way home. He swore by that.

 

[mtntrapper1]

I Lived in WY and MT for most of my years, and hunted Antelope for years. Big Bucks eat fine also. I like Antelope meat better than any other wild game generally. Sweet, mild and very fine grained meat. Depends somewhat on feed. I noted that the Grass Range / Lewistown MT area Bucks ate better than the Cody, WY, and Broadus, MT Bucks. One of my biggest bucks was in S.West MT near the continental divide and Idaho border up high and hung out in steep country and some timber too, It was one of the best eatin bucks I ever shot. Longer and thicker hair than any other from living at high altitude also. One of the best ways to get good meat is to absolutely not run them hard. Find them by scouting well, get to them early in the am and shoot them as they rise from their bedding areas, or their first drink area of the day, or early am grazing. Then cool them off fast and keep clean like Tikka Mike says. I leave the hide on to keep from drying out meat also. I'll take Antelope over any other wild game when I can !! They are a blast to hunt also!

 

[HARPERC]

My therory on hunting antelope, aim for the front shoulders with the biggest gun you can get your hands on,thats half you dont have to eat! Personaly I dont like antelope. If I kill one I either give it away or make jerky of the whole thing. Guess thats why I only trophy hunt, if it isnt big I would rather eat my tag. Tag soup yummy.....not!

This was my plan after the first trip. Sausage everything from the bullet holes back. It works, but I gradually learned what everyone has already said. I would emphasize what they eat plays a big role.

 

[cowboy]

I and my sons prefer antelope over deer and elk. All good advise given up above. Keep in mind that it's been a long time since I gutted an animal - bone 'em right where they fall even if that means 100 yds from a vehicle and leave the guts in the rib cage. We have coolers with ice and just put the meat sacks in the large coolers when we get back to a vehicle.

Even in the back country on horse back where we won't get out for days we bone them on the spot. If it gets really warm we lay some down timber across a creek in the shade and set the sacks of meat on the lodge poles about 4-6" above water line. That air above a running creek will keep meat cool a long time.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

I like the Steaks the rest to hamburger to put in Chile & Spaghetti & sausage the Roasts suck so I dont get them any more.......