# Antelope Hunting Basics



## pheasantphool (Nov 30, 2007)

As this is my first time hunting antelope I have some questions. 

1. I have read that you need to get there meat on ice within 30 minutes of the kill. What is the best way to field dress them? Any particular cuts of meat to pay attention to? 

Any other info would be greatly appreciated!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You don't need to get them on ice but cooled out quickly helps. The last couple that I have harvested I have had them skinned out within 30 minutes and hanging in a tree in the shade. Now if you are somewhere there is no trees then after skinning them a cooler with frozen milk jugs in the bottom will help a lot. 

As for field dressing them, they are no different than a deer.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

My approach is this: 
Since success is pretty easy on antelope hunts, I drive around with 2-3 bags of ice in the cooler. When you find your hilltop and start your stalk, you reasonably have ice nearby in the truck. Once the 'lope is down, I use the gutless method to remove the quarters and skin the quarters off as well. Typically all of this can be done truck side via dragging the antelope or driving to the kill spot, so you can just put your skinless quarters directly in the cooler with ice(it is important to leave the meat on the bone until after rigor mortis leaves as this helps you have tender meat ~12+ hours after it stiffens up).With the hind quarters off, I roll the 'lope on its belly, splay the front legs and skin the back to get the straps off, then I take off the shoulders, skin them, and straight to the cooler. Make a small cut at the end of the rib cage along the spine towards the rear and you can access the tenderloins and cut them out. Takes about 15 minutes or so, and very little mess(if you had a well placed shot that is). And a nice bonus to this....antelope guts are some of the smelliest I have come across....and this way you get to avoid them! Stop by the gas station on the way home, get another 2-3 bags of ice to pour on top of the meat and you are golden!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

+1 on what Critter said.

Historically, antelope hunting seasons were early, in hot weather, so many goats didn't get taken care of soon enough and ended up tasting bad.

Again like Critter said, I carry frozen milk jugs in warm weather, but for all the big game species.

I have an interesting Pronghorn taste test study from the University of Wyoming. It's a large doocument and I don't have an electronic version. Through blind taste tests they claim the flavor is not improved by immediately skinning the animal, which is contrary to what most read or hear. 

The U of W study also looks at the flavor and the meat tenderness (shear factor) between hanging versus not hanging, skin on, skin off. They claim Pronghorn Antelope meat doesn't require hanging like other big game animals to meet a certain tenderness level. 

Antelope can be gamey. Try to harvest them when they are settled down, quiet. Keep them clean. If shooting from alongside the road just drag it to the truck guts and all and take care of it on the tailgate. I never cut the pelvic region or the rib cage in the field. I cut a circle around the rectum, and then pull the intestines, and the heart and lungs, out through a slice in the belly. I drag it to the road and then stuff 2 frozen milk jugs in it. If there's no ice, I finish splitting it open to help cool it down, air it out. 

my 2 cents


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

In my many years of cutting antalope it seems that the worst spot on the animal for getting RIPE was in the neck and shoulder area.Maybe the heat from the animal settles to that point?We always split the neck and front qtrs,it seems to help.IMOPO.


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## 4pointmuley (Sep 18, 2007)

I shot a Antelope years ago on the San Rafeal unit. I took care of it quickly put it on ice. etc.. I took it home to have a nice steak, I thought! Man it tasted like eating a piece of sagebrush. I was able to finish the steak with lots of A-1. I had the trimmings left on my plate. I threw it to my house dog whinch normally wil eat any meat. She just turned her nose and left it! What does that tell you?? If I were you I would make it into jerky, or summer sausage!!


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## RoosterKiller (May 27, 2011)

4pointmuley said:


> I shot a Antelope years ago on the San Rafeal unit. I took care of it quickly put it on ice. etc.. I took it home to have a nice steak, I thought! Man it tasted like eating a piece of sagebrush. I was able to finish the steak with lots of A-1. I had the trimmings left on my plate. I threw it to my house dog whinch normally wil eat any meat. She just turned her nose and left it! What does that tell you?? If I were you I would make it into jerky, or summer sausage!!


I would have cooked it with a Mexican receipe called Birria. It's usally made with goat and an antelope is a goat.


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

If you want to know what antelope tastes like eat sagebrush. No matter how I've cooked them the taste the same. Its good jerky though. Have fun hunting them. One of my favorite animals to hunt.


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## Oblivion5888 (Sep 12, 2011)

My brother let me try a 'lope steak that his neighbor gave him one time. I don't know what his neighbor did, but that was some of the best meat I've ever eaten.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have never had a bad piece of antelope. I personally believe that the bad tasting ones are coming from hunters that shoot one that has been ran for miles and not cooled off before it is shot, or one that has ridden around in the back of a truck from early morning until they get back to their camp that night. But like I said I have never had a bad one so who knows.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

We have taken several speed goats over the years, and the only bad eating one we ever had was one that got thrown in the back of the truck for the rest of the day while everyone else hunted, just like Critter talks about. Tried to tell the guy that when he shot it, would not take any advice. He ended up throwing the whole thing away. All the others have been very good, even the hamburger.
I have bow hunted them, the most fun hunt I've ever had. Love to watch 'em run.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Critter said:


> I have never had a bad piece of antelope. I personally believe that the bad tasting ones are coming from hunters that shoot one that has been ran for miles and not cooled off before it is shot, or one that has ridden around in the back of a truck from early morning until they get back to their camp that night. But like I said I have never had a bad one so who knows.


Mrs Goob and I just figured our family of 5 has easily put up over a 100 antelope through the years. Not tough to do living in Wyoming. We figure about 45 have been mature bucks. Only 3 or 4 have been bad, one of which had an infection from a previous injury and the others ran hard or ran off wounded before dying.

The wife likes antelope over deer. We often have it grilled, medium rare, on the BBQ grill. We package the meat in vacuum bags. Always do a large amount of sausage and jerky every year, most of which we give away. We usually do 12 to 18 pint bottles of canned (bottled) antelope a year. Never did much antelope burger; that's what elk are for.

In one way or another we start cooling pronghorns down as soon as they hit the ground. I take the animal home, skin it, cut it up in quarters and put it in my basement cooler. We debone every antelope and remove all the fat and sinew. Antelope fat and antelope bone dust is very gamey.

I have 3 tags this year. Mrs Goob doesn't hunt anymore but my grandkids do. I'll fill at least 2 of the my tags, and not one pound will be wasted and every bite will be savored by family and friends.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

First off, you will not be successful finding any antelope in Utah, they don't exist and therefore the state does not issue a single tag. Are you going to Africa? I think that is the only place where they can be hunted except for a few exotic game farms in Texas. 
If you have a pronghorn tag congratulations! Many say they are really good when handled correctly, but terrible when they are not done correctly. Good luck!


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## 2litl2l8 (Jan 16, 2008)

I shot my antelope 1st thing in the morning as it came into water. I skinned, gutted and quartered right there, drove my vehicle up to it and put it in the cooler with ice....all done within 1 hour if sticking it. Best meat I have had, honestly I would rather have antelope then deer, deer is sage tasting....antelope was awesome!!!! 

Edited to say, I was going to change antelope to pronghorn to satisfy Huge....but I am lazy and everyone but Huge knows what we are talking about anyway!!


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Goob is wise. Do everything that Goob said and you'll be golden. 

For cooking - my favorite way to have pronghorn (eat that Huge!) is to crock pot a roast with some apple slices and carrots, then when cooked but not falling apart, refrigerate the roast for a day, and then thin slice it for deli sandwiches.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

GaryFish said:


> Goob is wise. Do everything that Goob said and you'll be golden.
> 
> .............................................quote]
> 
> ...


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

We did lots of experimenting with cooking the pronghorn. 
Onions+pronghorn=strong flavor. 
Apples+pronghorn=very mild and a touch sweet flavor. Ya gots to use crispy, preferably green varieties over the golden or red delicious. Granny smiths are probably the best.


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

I think the biggest thing with any animal - but especially antelope is kill them when they're calm and haven't been running. In biology you learn about lactic acid and anaerobic respiration. I've heard this referred to as fermentation (production of lactic acid, alcohol and CO2). Anyhow - this might explain poor taste in a muscle if it hasn't had time to recover. Some of the worst tasting animals I've ever shot were ones that had been running. 

But cooling off an antelope quickly makes a lot of difference, keep the meat clean, get the hair off, debone it as quickly as possible. For some reason antelope seem more sensitive than other big game and it makes a difference. Other factors that will affect the "tastyness" are the age of the animal, browse, and how much barbeque sauce you put on it.

Seriously though, antelope is pretty decent most of the time. I do think it makes the best jerky and usually steak the backstraps and loins and jerky the rest.


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## 4pointmuley (Sep 18, 2007)

Maybe my buck I shot in Utah was running a lot before I shot him with my rifle? I know he stood broadside when I shot. I don't know. He came up over a hill. I still think they taste like s**t! Look at what they have to eat! I did properly care for this Antelope as well. Quartered, de-boned, and on ice before I left the kill site. Oh well I only wanted 1 in my life! Makes a nice mount!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

4pointmuley said:


> Maybe my buck I shot in Utah was running a lot before I shot him with my rifle? I know he stood broadside when I shot. I don't know. He came up over a hill. I still think they taste like s**t! Look at what they have to eat! I did properly care for this Antelope as well. Quartered, de-boned, and on ice before I left the kill site. Oh well I only wanted 1 in my life! Makes a nice mount!


That's a goodun'.


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## pintail18 (Jun 16, 2011)

5 years ago my wife had a tag for antelope, second day of the hunt we saw 1 laying under a tree attempting to get out of the heat, it stood up in its bed, and she put it right back down in its bed. gutted it out put it back of the truck with some ice in the body cavity and drove it straight home to get processed. some of the best and most tender meat we have ever eaten. it was also a fairly young buck, so that may have had some to do with the tenderness of it. that was the only one I have ever eaten though, and my wife doesnt like wild game, and she LOVED the antelope meat, she was pretty sad when it ran out. I think antelope are like any other meat, there are some people that are going to say its the best tasting out there, and others are going to say its not even worth feeding your dogs with. its all a personal preference and you arent going to know where you stand with it until you have tried it.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Time for a story. 

My daughter-in-law is a Mexican from Chihuahua. The first time she visited us we served chicken-fried antelope round steaks. Man were they good, with little, if any, wild game flavor. We didn't tell her it was wild game. She only ate a small amount though. Mrs Goob asked her how she liked the meat and she answered:

"Uh, ok, but I don't care much for liver." 



My point is I've eaten so much antelope I don't look for it to taste bad or gamey. I just go in thinking it's all good.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I do the gutless method, deboneing them into cotton game bags, then into a cooler protected from the water. I like antelope. BUT, I think if you gut them you won't like the meat. They are by far the stinkiest big game animal to deal with. Rubber gloves are a must for me. One last bit of advice, don't drag them if you want to have a mount done-- antelope hair/capes are very temperamental. Best of luck and have fun.


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## mr.seven (Sep 18, 2007)

dont leave the ribcage attached to any meat the smell and taste will be way better


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## Squigie (Aug 4, 2012)

I'm really long-winded, so I'm going to have to break this up into 3 posts to keep from killing everyone's eyes. :roll: 
---

Antilocapra Americana is my favorite species of big game.
Most people look forward to the Deer hunt or Elk hunt, all year. I look forward to the Pronghorn hunt. 

Having participated in hunting, cleaning, transporting, butchering, and storing more Pronghorn than I can count, I've developed some pretty strong opinions on how to handle them. 
-Just an example of why I can't remember the total... In from 1990-1994, my family had fairly average years hunting just south of Rawlins Wyoming. The "worst" year we had saw 26 tags filled. The "best" year saw 37 tags filled. In those 5 years, alone, we filled more than 125 tags. (This was when, under certain circumstances in certain units, even non-residents could have 4 doe tags and 2 buck tags, each.) In the 18 years that have followed, I've just completely lost count. 


My rules for good meat:
1. A doe will always taste better. If you want good meat, don't bother with a male (same for most big game). If you do have a Buck tag, look for a "pretty" one with a clean coat and minimal evidence of sparring, not an old one that is beat up and past his prime. He'll be tough, and taste like crap.
2. Don't run them, and don't shoot one that has been run. It'll taste like crap.
3. High testosterone levels can make bucks taste bad. If they're rutting, it's even worse. 
4. Shoot them while they're calm, not spooked. They might still run a hundred yards or so, but rarely go full throttle.
5. Sunrise and the animals' afternoon rest (chewing their cud ~12-2 pm) are the best times to take them. These periods of inactivity let their muscles recover from being run at all, and they're very relaxed.
6. Double-lung or head shots result in the smallest amount of ruined meat (if any). Avoid heart shots, they're not needed for Pronghorn - they have massive circulatory systems and bleed out quickly. You'll often lose 20-40% of the meat by taking a 'normal' heart shot, versus zero to nearly zero for a double-lung.
7. Get close. It allows for precise shot placement. Antelope are much more approachable than most hunters believe. My average shot over the last 10 years is about 135 yards. Many of those involved me walking directly toward the animals, in plain sight.


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## Squigie (Aug 4, 2012)

My rules for carcass and meat handling:
1. If you don't have it gutted (via whatever method you prefer) within 30 minutes, you'll regret it. Antelope bloat very quickly - especially if they've just eaten. The pressure in the stomach and intestines will come back to haunt you, if you wait too long to get started.

1.a. Skin it at whatever point you prefer. It doesn't really matter, as long as you keep the meat clean and cool. You'll just have to fillet the "dry skin" off the meat when you butcher it, if you skin early.

2. Wash thoroughly. The classic idea that using water will speed up decomposition is only partly true, under very specific circumstances. If you take proper care of the carcass/meat, you won't see those circumstances. You're better off washing the animal, than letting contaminants ruin the meat.

3. Cool it quickly, but don't freeze it or let the meat come in contact with anything frozen. The Pronghorn's lean meat it is extremely sensitive to "cold shortening" where the muscle tissue tightens and shrinks from being cooled too quickly, resulting in dry, tough meat. If cold shortening occurs, it's nearly impossible to get moisture back into the tissue and the texture will remain tough.

4. Don't hang Antelope outside, in a garage, or in a shed. Even though you might think you're "aging" the meat like a Deer, Elk, or Beef, you're just accelerating decomposition by keeping it warm. Get it cool, and keep it cool.

-Provided that you can get the carcass temperature to below 60 degrees within 3 hours of the kill... Antelope should be "aged" absolutely no more than 48 hours at 56 degrees F, 72 hours at 52 degrees F, or 96 hours at 48 degrees F (lower temperatures extend the deadline further, but are almost never seen when Antelope are harvested). But, that "no more" deadline is the point at which decomposition can be identified. So, if you can only get the carcass cooled to 56 degrees, you really only have about 36 hours to get started on having it completely processed and packaged. That generally means you should be butchering it the day after the kill. If you absolutely cannot get to the carcass immediately, and must hang it before butchering, hang it in a cool part of your basement with some air circulation.

5. Rigor mortis should always be allowed to pass, before butchering game ...except in warm weather. This is one of the times where you must balance meat temperature, Rigor, and accelerating decomposition. Most times, it means you have to start cutting on Antelope before Rigor has fully passed. Even though the meat might be _slightly_ tougher, it will taste better than if it starts to spoil.

6. Remove ALL fat/tallow. Never get bone marrow on the meat. Don't saw any bones you don't absolutely have to. And, don't even bother with the slivers of "meat" around the ribs. Even the state of Wyoming doesn't consider those pieces of meat to be edible, if that tells you anything.

7. Don't cut steaks out of muscle groups, like with Beef, Pork, or even Elk. Separate the individual muscles, or you'll have fat globules and lymph nodes trapped between some of the muscles. Neither tastes very good, at all.

Properly cared for Antelope can be fed to anyone, without a complaint. Bad antelope (not rotten - just tough or testosterone-laced) will pucker the face of even some people that like the meat. In my family, "bad" antelope is only used in jerky, strong marinades (or milk marinades), and burger for strongly-spiced meals (tacos, mainly)... but it never goes to waste.

Rotten Antelope is rotten Antelope... it shouldn't be eaten, and never should have been allowed to get that way in the first place.


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## Squigie (Aug 4, 2012)

It doesn't effect meat as much, but I'm fairly opinionated on tactics, as well. Some concepts based on my pet peeves of the average Pronghorn hunter:

-If the animals are on the move, get ahead and let them come to you. Don't chase them. Don't spook them. Just quietly set up for an ambush, and let them browse their way into range. This is hunting 101 stuff. If you're lazy, the 'trophy' will show it.

-Unless you're handicapped, get out of your truck. Once you find the Antelope, get out of the friggin vehicle. Driving all over the place, chasing the animals will do far more harm than good. The total number of Antelope I have shot from within 200 feet of a road is _one_ (I caught them at a water hole right off the dirt road). Antelope know where the roads are, and look for threats in those specific areas. If you're on foot in the sage brush, you stand a substantially better chance of being ignored or actually _investigated_ by the Antelope, than if you're on a hill top, road, ATV trail, or hiking trail.

And, to be pedantic (even though it's probably a bad idea for a new member)...
Antilocapra Americana are not Antelope, just as Huge29 pointed out. But, they are also not closely related to goats, as many people believe ("speed goat" references aside, obviously ). They are the only living member of the family _Antilocapridae_, a family of ruminants unique to North America. Their closest relatives would be those in the family _Giraffidae_, with most of the members of that family also being extinct. The only extant species of Giraffidae are the Giraffe and the Okapi (a zebra/giraffe/donkey-looking conglomeration of an animal).

I should have a book coming out next year, on the very subject discussed above - why most people get it wrong by treating Pronghorn like deer. It is officially untitled right now, but the working title is, "Pronghorn are not Deer." :roll: 
Until then, I'd really like to suggest that anyone interested in really understanding the habits and intricacies of Antilocapra Americana should pick up a copy of what I consider to be some of the best resources available on the subject. There are many more sources to consult; but these are available and informative, but not overly scientific.
(Several of these authors contributed substantially to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, before moving on to write their book(s).)

_Prairie Ghost: Pronghorn and Human Interaction in Early America_. Richard McCabe, Bart O'Gara, Henry Reeves. 2004.

_American Pronghorn: Social Adaptations & the Ghosts of Predators Past_. John Byers. 1997.

_Pronghorn: North America's Unique Antelope: The Practical Guide for Hunters_. Charles Cadieux. 1986. (Much more in-depth look at Pronghorn than just a "hunting book". -Newer editions available. )

And, for something that even the kids could read:
_Pronghorn Hunting: Proven Strategies for Taking North America's Fastest Big-Game Animal_. Toby Bridges, Don Oster. 2001.

Sorry for running so long. But... I _love_ Pronghorn.


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## walter sobchak (Jul 3, 2009)

awesome thread, thanks everyone for the information!


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## stick (Jun 11, 2008)

Ditto! i'm learning alot.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

That was an earful Squigie! Thanks for the info, very insiteful and welcome to the forum!


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## yfzduner450 (Dec 28, 2009)

I do enjoy eating antelope and I've always been told to get the meat off the bone and in the cooler as fast as ya can. I've eaten antelope from Wyoming, Utah, and Oregon. All were in the cooler within 20 minutes of the kill and the Oregon antelope tasted the best. I think it has more to do with what they eat then how the meat is treated. The Oregon goat ate off good alfalfa pivots and had no gamey taste. It hardly smelled gamey while we butchered it. The Wyoming and Utah goats were typical sagebrush eaters. Jmo


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## Squigie (Aug 4, 2012)

yfzduner450 said:


> I do enjoy eating antelope and I've always been told to get the meat off the bone and in the cooler as fast as ya can. I've eaten antelope from Wyoming, Utah, and Oregon. All were in the cooler within 20 minutes of the kill and the Oregon antelope tasted the best. I think it has more to do with what they eat then how the meat is treated. The Oregon goat ate off good alfalfa pivots and had no gamey taste. It hardly smelled gamey while we butchered it. The Wyoming and Utah goats were typical sagebrush eaters. Jmo


Yea, the animal's diet does have a major influence on the way they taste. But, even sage-fed animals taste good if selected and cared for properly.

There are some combinations of factors that make for fantastic meat; like a two year-old doe that gets feeding priority in the herd (or feeds on alfalfa), and has not gone into estrus.
And, there are some combinations of factors that will almost always result in tough meat that may not taste very good; like a 6-8 year-old, combative, breeding male with a lot of battle scars, taken during the rut. Aside from tough meat that has developed from fighting for several years, and the extremely high testosterone levels; the meat will taste bad because the bucks run themselves ragged while keeping their harems together. Once the body runs out of glycogen for fuel, it starts breaking down muscle tissue. ...which results in a _very_ unappealing taste.


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## fstop (Sep 25, 2007)

Really appreciate the info Squigie. I grew up hunting pronghorn with my dad and brother in Wyoming. Finally got a tag in hand for my home state of Utah. I'll try and do as you state, quarter as soon as possible and get the meat into 55-60 degrees. Quick question....I grew up eating pronghorn steaks, roasts, ect...but I'm afraid the family won't appreciate the meat as much as I have. I won't have time to cut this animal up. I'll be chasing big nasty elk on the mountain as soon as my hunt is over. so my question is....What butcher in SLC or nearby is familiar with pronghorn meat/care? Thanks...Adam


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

No offense here - but you won't have time to cut it up? Processing a pronghorn will take at most, 2 hours. But in all reality, less than an hour.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

fstop said:


> What butcher in SLC or nearby is familiar with pronghorn meat/care? Thanks...Adam


 Hunsaker Meats in West Valley.


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## fstop (Sep 25, 2007)

I'll be hunting pronghorn just a few miles from elk camp. I have a commitment Monday morning. If I kill on Saturday, (opening morning) I'll have time to cut the animal up on Sun and get back. If I get one on Sunday, I won't have time to drive home, cut it up, get back to the mountain, scout and be ready for Monday morning. I don't cut my elk either. I'd prefer to have someone with more knowledge than myself cut them up. I also don't have the time during the hunting season. Too much hunting I guess? Now I'm starting to sound like my wife? My dad still gives me a hard time for not cutting up my own game. Different strokes for different....whatever the saying is...Adam


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Its all good Adam. Just wondering.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

fstop said:


> so my question is....What butcher in SLC or nearby is familiar with pronghorn meat/care? Thanks...Adam


Clays meir in draper off the free way. great people and they do a dang good job.I take all my deer and elk there and my antelope when I get a tag.


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## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

I worked in a butcher shop for four and a half years working my way through school. A couple of those years we processed game (although my employer had more than 30 years of experience processing game). As has been said by others here on the forum, it is sad the condition that some of the carcasses came in. 

When grinding burger, there was always a little bit of meat left behind the grinding plate among the cutting blades. Most of it was gristle, connective tissue, etc. At the end of the day after all the batches were processed, there might be enough meat in there to pick through and make a single tiny bite-size patty out of (before anyone gets excited or accusatory about game processors ‘stealing’ meat, this was a tiny portion, and far less than the suet added to make the burger. We were VERY conscientious about ensuring each person got THEIR meat, and ALL of it that was processable. This was more dregs than it was anything worthy of giving the customer.) 

Most deer and elk were “typical”. Killed and skinned in the field, and hung to cool outdoors or in the garage for a day or two before being brought in. They tasted quite similar. Others would be “aged”, or they would ask us to “age” it in the cooler for an extended period. These latter animals were much more gamey tasting than the quickly processed animal. 

Every once in a while though, an individual would bring in their animal within an hour of it being killed, and it was rolled immediately into the cooler to get it chilled. By far and away, those animals, deer and elk, were the most tender, and most mild tasting meat. A day later when being processed, you could tell the meat was more tender simply by the way it cut with a knife. 

It was clear to me from those experiences, that consistent with common sense, it is best to cool meat ASAP. The faster the better. 

If allowing fresh killed meat to remain warm for any longer than is absolutely necessary was good for the flavor/texture of the meat, why do the professional packing plants have beef hanging an chilled within minutes of being live on the hoof? If any sort of “aging” improved the product, why wouldn’t the big packing plants offer such a value-added product to increase their profit margins? 

The moment an animal dies and blood quits circulating, decomposition begins. The higher the temp, the faster the decomposition. In my opinion, no matter the animal, the faster the meat gets chilled, the better.

Ryan


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

+1 charina.Getting the carcus opened up and cooled as quick as possible is the only way to handle your animal. Hot weather during the early hunts can be devestating on wild game.you kill your animal opening morning, and are going to stay another 2 days could cost you all of your meat.Get it cleaned,get it cooled, and get it off the mountain.Even if you want to cut your own animal,see if a processing plant will put it in there cooler for you until you get back from the hunt. Will probobly charge you, but better than loosing your animal.At least 50 to 60% of animals I have cut on early hot hunts are starting to sour, and there is nothing can be done but dump it. Then the guy wants to know where all of his meat is.ON elk get the neck opened or cut it off,heat settles in the front qtrs. and will sour in 2 hours. It goes a bright colered green and is quite unpleasent to work with.We always check the animal when it is brought in and tell the hunter if there is any problems so he is not shocked that he only got 60 lbs meat out of his 125 lb deer.(which by the way is a big deer) Just remember the way you take care of your game will result in what goes in your freezer.Believe me the butcher has no desire to take home any of your game :!:


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Carson's in American Fork. Might be an extra 10 minute drive, but the end product is worth it and you know you are getting your animal back. Not sure if they cut antelope, but I'd wager they do. We have used other places and regretted it.


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## pheasantphool (Nov 30, 2007)

Original poster here. Thanks for all the great info.


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

Packout said:


> Carson's in American Fork. Might be an extra 10 minute drive, but the end product is worth it and you know you are getting your animal back. Not sure if they cut antelope, but I'd wager they do. We have used other places and regretted it.


Carson's will do anything you take in. Even antelope. I will vouch for them as well.


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