Antelope downright stink!

[coloyooper]

..smells live Beaver. Which is one of the best smells in the wild.

Depends on the gal

 

[hutty]

Antelope do have a distinct smell but nothing over the top. Worst smelling animal ever was a hyena I shot in Zimbabwe. You could smell if 30 yards away up wind. Imagine leaving your bait bucket out n the driveway for seven days and then times that by 100. Felt horrible for the guy in the skinning shed.

 

[Robinhood21]

I love the smell of popcorn

 

[Danomite]

I wonder if it has something to do with what they're eating. I've killed 8 or 10 in northeast New Mexico where they're eating good grass, and none stunk. The meat has been uniformly very good. I've had some meat from antelope killed in desert sage that didn't taste as good.

 

[manitou1]

I don't mind the smell either. Like popcorn/frito odor. Now a rutting elk, whitetail, or muley with pissed up tarsals... they stink! Yeah, and javelina are on a whole other level.

 

[Tobey]

I agree with Danomite, our New Mexico goats seem to have a more subtle aroma, distinctive but not pervasive. Wyoming goats linger on the hands clothes and truck for a long time. Ibex have the rowdiest odor I've encountered, similar to javas but louder

 

[justin davis]

They have a unique smell forsure. But man do I love their meat! Super neat critters

 

[Page Master]

Pronghorn definitely have a corn chip smell. Reminds me of my dogs paws and ears when he was a puppy. I find it pleasing as petrichor.

Elk definitely smell like a stable.

 

[Danomite]

I agree with Danomite, our New Mexico goats seem to have a more subtle aroma, distinctive but not pervasive. Wyoming goats linger on the hands clothes and truck for a long time. Ibex have the rowdiest odor I've encountered, similar to javas but louder

I agree on the ibex. I actually gagged a couple times and had to step away while cleaning one a couple years ago.

 

[prongbuck]

The smell comes from the black cheek patch on the neck. It is a gland that increases in size during the rut. Pre rut bucks have a smaller gland and less smell. The more mature dominant bucks have a quite swollen and "smelly gland". Try to avoid touching the gland while you are dealing with the meat. Just like the gland on the back of a javelina or the gland on the back inside leg of a mule deer, you don't want that secretion on your meat or your gloves. That being said if you can't smell it you still have a tag.

 

[Downeaster]

Dont know if its regional, but mine have all been WY goats. LOVE that smell. You can still get whiffs of it off mounts done years ago.
Brings back all those awesome memories!

 

[dbratton14]

My daughter was not a fan of the smell. It didn’t really bother me though; reminded me of Fritos hahaha

 

[NMframed]

It’s one of those smells that when you get it on your fingers for the first time you can’t stop taking a whiff.

Smells a little different but sure does taste
good.

 

[elkman224]

If you can smell em, its a good thing. Just killed mine August 15 and love when you get the chance to get a good whiff. Just like elk!

 

[MOcluck]

What a minute........
I've smelt that smell.
He he. Love it!

 

[OXN939]

Closeup of the scent gland from the cheek of my '19 Pronghorn a few hours after caping it out. You can see the beads of that oily substance forming- that is what everyone is referring to in this thread. It's virtually impossible to get out of anything it touches. This is also what most people who say "Pronghorn taste bad" failed to avoid while skinning and transferred to their meat.

 

[Short Track]

9 of 10 people say Antelope is amazing meat. Now we know why the 1 person doesn't like it....

 

[grefdog]

The smell comes from the black cheek patch on the neck. It is a gland that increases in size during the rut. Pre rut bucks have a smaller gland and less smell. The more mature dominant bucks have a quite swollen and "smelly gland". Try to avoid touching the gland while you are dealing with the meat. Just like the gland on the back of a javelina or the gland on the back inside leg of a mule deer, you don't want that secretion on your meat or your gloves. That being said if you can't smell it you still have a tag.

It’s also interesting if you look closely at a lot of taxidermy mounts, commonly the size of the gland is downplayed.

One of my high school my art projects was an antelope mount. Learned a lot working with a taxidermist about antelope and these glands.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Antelope smell like antelope. Different from venison. Taste so good!!