Need Advice- Musky bull elk

[dcreiss]

This year I was beyond fortunate to take a bull much better than I have ever deserved. Big and very, very musky during the middle of the rut. That rutty smell was extremely strong while quartering and remained strong when butchering and packaging. Shot placement was right and not gut shot. I got the bull cooled quickly with dry ice and into the freezer in another day. Now the meat coming out of the freezer still smells a bit rutty, but to a much lesser degree.

The only things I can think that are different between this bull and others I have taken in the past for smell/taste is his age, him being the dominant herd bull, and the fact that these elk were coming down out of public to feed on center pivot corn in the valley. Any thoughts on this issue and any advice on getting rutty smell out of meat?

 

[ntodwild]

Been there. Not a lot you can do. It's a compromise when you kill a mature bull in the middle of the rut. Not always but it is one of those things. If you want to spend the money or you have a smoker, the time and the will you can turn it into smoked meats of some sort (spicy sausage, pepperoni, jerky, summer sausage, breakfast sausage which can help). Roasts and stews are solid choices or bacon wrapped anything???

It's always Nice to kill a big bull but man would I rather eat cow elk or a young spike any day. Just my .02

 

[Big Slick]

I’ve never shot a bull elk before, but I wonder if letting it hang for a few days would help?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Try aging in your refrigerator for a few days. Even meat I was able to hang in November for a week I try to age for a couple more days in the refrigerator. Seems to help.

 

[wyoboypt]

This year I was beyond fortunate to take a bull much better than I have ever deserved. Big and very, very musky during the middle of the rut. That rutty smell was extremely strong while quartering and remained strong when butchering and packaging. Shot placement was right and not gut shot. I got the bull cooled quickly with dry ice and into the freezer in another day. Now the meat coming out of the freezer still smells a bit rutty, but to a much lesser degree.

The only things I can think that are different between this bull and others I have taken in the past for smell/taste is his age, him being the dominant herd bull, and the fact that these elk were coming down out of public to feed on center pivot corn in the valley. Any thoughts on this issue and any advice on getting rutty smell out of meat?

Be cleaner. Leave the skin on until you can hang and skin neatly with a clean place to put it. And if you put it in dry ice while it was still warm, that may not be a good idea. We’ve always let ours cool down all the way before freezing or refrigerating, and have never had a bad elk. Has nothing to do with age. My dad has killed some old bulls and the only difference is they have more silver skin, making them a slight bit chewy. Flavor has always been good.

 

[jejack26]

I dealt with this multiple times. I don't have the best answe, but the whole meat cuts I just slow cook with some spice and a tomotor base. Hamburger seems to be bigger problem. I Dela gate the burger for chili, or jerky. Congrats on the bull