Eating ?

[Short Track]

How is Caribou meat? I heard various things..

 

[jmez]

I didn't like it.

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[oregonbowhunter]

I thought it was very good!

 

[brsnow]

Treatment of the meat typically influences the outcome.

 

[VernAK]

Early caribou from August to mid-September are quite good. Bulls from anywhere near the rut can be really bad.

 

[adventure907]

What Vern said....

 

[J20Hunter]

Some of the best meat I have had . But I like the taste of wild game

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Nothing to add unfortunately. Never had it. It's on my list for future hunts!

 

[realunlucky]

I really enjoyed eating it from the three we took it was first week of September

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[bmrfish]

Best meat I have ever eaten.


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[hodgeman]

Cows are good any time. Bulls in velvet are excellent, but I leave them alone from mid September until mid November or so.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I'll concur with what Vern said as well.

 

[Sourdough]

I'll concur with what Vern said as well.

I'll "concur with your "concur"

 

[Northwestalaska]

We eat almost 100% game at my house and I have never had a bad caribou steak in 18 years. Vern is 100% spot on when it comes to the Rut and the start varies across the state. Season ends for most out of state hunters in September because the rut is about to begin. Late winter Caribou tend to have a lot less fat and can be dry. Any one who talks about taste is thinking about deer in the lower 48. I have had some Mule Deer and 1 whitetail that tasted like sage brush and thus not so good. No sage brush up here so no deer like taste. If you don't like the leaner taste of wild game then its not for you but I am having Moose Steaks for dinner tonight and I will be thinking about you guys! Haaaaa

 

[MtGomer]

I killed one July 28 and it was some of the best meat I’ve ever had.

 

[carsonkeys]

Killed one in mid-Sept that was excellent.

 

[coloyooper]

I have a hunt scheduled for late September. Am I going to be pushing it too close to rutty bulls at that point? Worst case, can I turn it into sausage or is it really as bad as people say?

 

[SgtTanner]

Interested in this as well. For those of you that love it, what are the best preparations or recipes?

 

[Northwestalaska]

I have a hunt scheduled for late September. Am I going to be pushing it too close to rutty bulls at that point? Worst case, can I turn it into sausage or is it really as bad as people say?

NO you will be fine. I have taken dozens of caribou and moose over the years and never had a rutty bull in September. Moose are a bit different. They are a lot like elk. When they start rutting they piss and rub in it and its apparent by their behavior but once again that is a week 2-4 of October for the most part.

 

[william schmaltz]

Lone large bull from Sept 18th in NW was fine. Medium size bull with about 10 cows Sept 16th in GMU13 was rough. I ate it without a problem but I could smell it in everything (jalapeño cheddar summer sausage, game bacon, burger, sausage). Never noticed “rut” taste or smell in any other meat besides that caribou including some greasy November white tails and late September moose. My wife tried several times and couldn’t eat it no matter what kind of burger meal we tried to hide it in. We did the Pepsi challenge with several friends and family using that caribou, moose, mtn goat, and black tail. Everyone could eat that caribou, but no one enjoyed it or went back for seconds above other meat. All other bulls have been killed in August and just fine.

Some people grew up eating caribou whenever they came through even if it was late September or October and they were “just fine” because that was the only option. I’ve ate a lot of wild game meals staying with locals in various villages throughout the state that I wouldn’t wish on my enemies. Most of them involved caribou. Once had a special treat in a village that ended up being a Dall Sheep that was killed early December that would make a grizzly bear shiver.....but when the alternative is muktuk, I guess your brain can make anything taste good.