Deer fat

[ukwil]

Got a question about the color of deer fat.
Dad and I both killed bucks on his place that were bigger bodied. I field dressed both and noticed a considerable difference between the two in terms of the fat color. My 8 point was what I considered a healthy mature deer and had the typical white fat. Dads 9 point was either a BIG 2.5 year old or a small 3.5 year old with a messed up antler on the right side. The only indication of any injury we could see was on his right front hoof one side was almost an inch shorter than the other. The color of the fat was almost a dark yellow like field corn. First time I'd ever seen fat that color on a deer. Any ideas why the difference?

[blackmouthcur]

www.deeranddeerhunting.com/articles/deer-news/heres-what-causes-that-nasty-yellow-fat-in-a-deers-body

[scrub-buster]

Could he be a EHD survivor? I know it can mess up their hooves.

[budd]

Funny you bring this up, first weekend of rifle season I had a buck brought in that had almost neon yellow fat, even deep in the center of hams around the glands, between the layers of rib meat. I've cut thousands but never seen this bright of yellow before in deer fat. Was a beautiful buck in his prime, I never noticed any old injuries anywhere.

[stevein]

I killed a nice buck a few years ago that had yellowish fat. If I get another deer with fat like that I will leave it in the field. Worst tasting meat I ever got off a buck. There was no unusual smell when I gutted him. He had a slug hole through his ankle and was limping bad. The injury was swollen and full of puss. I have killed two other deer that had injuries from autos and one that had a slug hole above the shoulders but they tasted fine.

[steiny]

Buck I killed in IL was all run down and had very little fat. What fat was on it was quite yellow.
Kill a buck like that in early archery season and he'll have clean white fat, just like a healthy doe.

[Deleted]

My buck had no fat to very little. What was there was pink to red. Meat was tough as nails. Next year a young doe and only a monster buck (180+).

[freedomhunter]

My girlfriend's buck was healthy and didn't have much fat. A buddy killed what we think is a 3 year old buck close to where I hunt (low 150's) and it looked like it had run a marathon and was busted up pretty bad from fighting. All the young bucks I have passed look skinny, of course the mature buck I didn't get a shot on looked like a cow. Hopefully we keep mild this winter.

[MuzzleLoader]

Nov 27, 2018 7:33:51 GMT -5 @waynes said:

My buck had no fat to very little. What was there was pink to red. Meat was tough as nails. Next year a young doe and only a monster buck (180+).

Yep. I give away any buck meat and keep the does for myself.

[chewbacca]

All my older bucks get ground into burger with 10-15% beef fat added. That's the only way I can eat them. Better than beef in my wife's opinion. All the does get cut into as many steaks as possible with the rest being ground.

[oldhoyt]

I've killed 2 bucks over 200 lbs, and both were killed in archery. One at Halloween and the other this past November 3. The first one had a ton of fat on it. The second had a lot less fat, but it was white. Both deer were getting rutty and smelled like a buck. The meat from the first deer was perfect and what I've had from the recent one has been great too.

I'm trying to think of a buck killed in firearms that had weird fat and/or tasted bad and I can't think of one. I do recall back in NH my buddy said the meat from his buck was awful. But this deer was taken to a processor, so who can say what happened there.

[tynimiller]

My mature buck this year had some of the most tender tenderloins I've ever had...was unbelievable for being an older brute.

As for the fat color, I've noticed more yellowing in the fat as the winter comes in and food sources change. Just an observation not stating that is why but I've NEVER noticed any yellowing of the fat in early archery season.

[Deleted]

www.deeranddeerhunting.com/articles/deer-news/heres-what-causes-that-nasty-yellow-fat-in-a-deers-body