Antelope Question

L

lizziedog1

New member
I didn't draw an antelope tag again. At least my points are adding up. I should be ahead of what the Raiders score on an average game.:D Anyway, what are they like as far as being good table fare? This is one game animal that seems to bring out extremes in opinions.

Most folks agree that elk is very good to eat. Regular deer meat seems to get favorable reviews from people that have tried it. Ask ten people if they like antelope, you are likely to get five to say they love it and the other five say they can't stand it.

Who likes antelope meat? How would you compare to other game animals?
 
I've only killed one antelope. Yummy-tasty. Very rich and surprisingly filling. It took less than I expected to feel quite sated. But I hated to quit! :D
 
It isn't my favorite, that is Elk. However I will not turn down properly prepared Pronghorn. A lot of people overcook their game meat and destroy the taste of it.

Another problem with pronghorn is how much they have been ran before they were shot, or how long it took people to take care of their meat. Pronghorn season runs when temps could be as high as 90 degrees. If you don't get the hide off and the meat cooled ASAP it is bound to be a little funky.
 
Has anyone notice a difference between the taste of alfalfa field (or any field) antelope and those that live soley on the sage flats? My buddy and I were speculating that may be why there is such a range of opinions on the taste. The one time I had it, it was OK at best - but I have no knowledge about how it was handled in the field.
 
I prefer the taste of antelope to just about any other meat I've eaten...as long as the meat is well cared for.

Most of them I've eaten were taken off of alfalfa fields in Colorado, and I prefer the taste of the meat to deer, elk, buffalo, or caribou when it's cared for properly. One I took in northern Az on a grassy high country meadow was just as good.

If you don't take really good care of the meat, they probably aren't worth eating. it can get pretty rank at times if neglected.

I've taken two with a bow, and two with a rifle, and all four were excellent eating.

ETA (to answer the post above this one) I've never eaten antelope from a sage flat, but I've eaten some elk that was taken from cedar covered hills. The meat was...lwt's say, less than tasty. What they're eating can definitely make a difference.

Daryl
 
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fondued, cooked with teriyaki, wrapped with bacon - there are many ways that it tastes good. As mentioned above - this is one animal you want to anchor DRT with your shot and dressed and skinned immediately
 
I killed a lot of Antelope in eastern Montana when I was a kid ......

For the most part - we cooked it like a "Swiss Steak" - brown it first, then cook it in a gravy sauce with onions, bacon ..whatever you like - to tenderize it a little. I prefer a non-tomato based gravy / but that's just me. It tends to be tough / but the sauce takes a lot of the gameiness out of it too.

Part of the trick to Antelope - is you don't want to kill one that has been run for 10,000 yards accross the prarie / its better to catch them near a break in the prarie when they are coming to water in the morning or evening.
 
Antelope is real lean meat / and you're only going to get 35 lbs of meat or so out an animal anyway ......but I guess what I was trying to say is cook it like you would a "goat" .......

cut it into medalions, pound it pretty thin, use a little flower, a good rich gravy with some onions and mushrooms ( damn, there is a reason I grew up to be 6'5" and 290 lbs ..) but my grandma was the "head cook" in the family ......if you have a roast, treat it like a "pot roast" and put it in the oven in a heavy pot - with carrots, onions, mushrooms ..... / the same technique works for venizon too ( especially if you killed an old buck - that you should have probably passed on ....).

The other option is to grind it up / into big sausage patties - but you need to mix it with something fatty ( like black bear, or pork, or get some pork fat trimmings ) ........ we used to do that with venizon too / grandpa and my dad and I ate sausage patties for breakfast a lot ....when I was a kid ( fried in bacon grease..) at grandma's house. damn, I'm hungry now .....
 
Antelope is the BEST wild game I've ever tasted. Now, I've heard more than a few people talk about how nasty antelope can be.

My theory is of course that sage feeding antelope have a difference taste than antelope that have been eating other fare. Just my theory of course, as all of my antelope have been plains antelope where sage had to be most of their diet.

All of my antelope have come from the Casper, Wyoming area by the way. As mentioned, it is very lean and I have my suet added to my ground antelope to help with cooking. The prime cuts are tasty by themselves.
 
Like any game animal, if it has been stressed and running the blood and adrenaline get pumped through the muscle tissue and give a strong taste. Antelope feeding on sage and running will taste like sage. Take one that is calm and relaxing at a waterhole, they are great eating.
 
It is my favorite followed closely by elk. As others have said, the hide has to come off quick and get it cool as fast as you can. The key to cooking it is to add a little fat of some kind and dont over cook. In my experience it does not do good on the grill as it is too lean, even wrapped in bacon it dries out too fast.
 
[I prefer the taste of antelope to just about any other meat I've eaten/QUOTE]

What he said ^

Quite tasty, and fun to hunt too. Throw it in a skillet with half a stick of butter, some onions, and cook it up on medium heat...........my mouth is watering just from typing that. I have heard many people say it is too gamey, or just down right nasty, but would have to say they had meat that wasnt properly cared for.
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I just shot my 31st antelope 2 weeks ago. I have shot them in every kind of food sourse. I can attest to their excellent taste. One of my favorite wild meats.
 
Prarie Maggots are good stuff. You just have to get them skinned, cooled, and butchered much faster than most game.

As far as alfalfa vs sage goes... I have no idea. All I can tell you is that I still love antelope, and every one I've ever eaten was of the 'sage' variety.


Speed Goats!!
 
Yep, opinions vary. I too have eaten them off of alfalfa as well as sage. The alfalfa variety seems a lot better to me. Still below elk, deer, and moose on my scale. Sage types get turned into jerky or sausage sticks. Alfalfa variety at least ends up partially as steak.
elkman06
 
Seems to me that there is no middle ground on goat. It is either good eats or it ain't fit to feed the dogs:barf:.... Has a lot to do with how it was shot. (did you run it for a couple of miles with one or more holes shot through it?:eek: If so it ain't going to be very tasty!:D And how it is taken care of after the fun part is over is key to the taste..I carry atleast ten gallons of water to clean the blood and hair from the critter and to help cool the meat...Most of the hunting in SW Wyoming is done during warm weather and getting the animal cooled down is important. I also believe that little is gained in "aging" antelope as it is a delicate meat. Mine is usually in the freeze within 24 hours. I like antelope meat better than deer and almost as well as Elk.
 
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