Years ago (back east) my dad shot a decent-sized buck who had lived in a swamp, the worst tasting deer meat I've every eaten! Bacon helped but not much
He was also in the full rut but I don't think that affected the meat that much. My dad shot the buck with one shot and it dropped in it's tracks, we gutted the animal where it laid (as we normally did). The animal was processed as we normally did - we let it hang for a couple of day, if I remember it was cold as hell after the deer was shot.
I've shot bucks in a full rut and the meat tasted fine.
He was also in the full rut but I don't think that affected the meat that much. My dad shot the buck with one shot and it dropped in it's tracks, we gutted the animal where it laid (as we normally did). The animal was processed as we normally did - we let it hang for a couple of day, if I remember it was cold as hell after the deer was shot.
I've shot bucks in a full rut and the meat tasted fine.