Here's one for you. This year I hunted northern BC for Moose. I met a guy in camp that had hunted moose sheep in NWT the year prior whose guide claimed that moose in that region tasted awful. I forget his exact words, but the gist was very gamey. Never heard of such a thing. every moose I've killed in BC has been wonderful in flavor. Anyone have other experiences?

Bulls in the rut can get gamey. If they go into the rut in poor condition (drought, lack of good feed) it seems they get "gamier". Otherwise, though, if you take a bull that still has a bit of fat on him I've never tasted a bad one....my exprerience is limited to SE BC, Northern BC and the Yukon though.

Cheers,
Canuck

Mosse is great, I've never had an issue wiht it. Yum!

The second last moose that I ate was a little bull with antlers about ... maybe 10 inches long ... If I ever have two bulls together ... one with 36 " antlers - the other just a little guy - I'll smoke that tadpole.

I've never ate a bad tasting moose, but a couple I've shot were a bit on the chewy side...

I think any time you get a big bull in the rut, there is a chance the meat might be tougher than a young bull or cow. But I don't buy the idea that all cows or young bulls are tender. I think it depends on the situation.

And proper cooking goes a long ways too.

This year the conditions were ideal for a good hang time. Nobody believes they're eating moose!
Now my family is looking to make or buy a nice size cooler.

In my experience there is usually one of four reasons for someone saying their Moose meat tastes "gamey":

1. Improper handling of the meat during field dressing, hanging, or in cutting/packaging. You need to keep your meat clean, especially the body cavity. I don't know how many novices I've seen or guys to lazy to go that extra bit to make sure stomach contents, bladder, etc...doesn't end up in or on their meat. Same for keeping skinned quarters clean. Such contamination, if it isn't instantly removed and washed off can certainly impact the final product.

2. Meat is improperly aged/hung or at the wrong temperature. Moose, the same as beef, tastes better if it is properly hung and at the correct temperature. Hanging the meat allows the tissue to partially break down, yielding a more tender final product.

3. Meat is improperly trimmed/packaged for freezer storage. Wild game fat can turn rancid, even after only a couple of months in the freezer, unlike domestic beef, etc... One of the main reasons I cut up my own moose is to ensure I remove as much fat, membrane and vellum as I possibly can. It takes a lot longer, but the end product is the pay off, with zero gamey taste.

4. Meat is improperly cooked. Most wild game, including Moose, is extremely high in protein and low in fat. As a result, it is often best prepared using a moist or wet cooking method. It really doesn't take well to an extremely high heat and dry conditions and becomes tough very quickly. Add a little water to your roasting/baking pan, or oil to your frying pan. If I'm not making stew or soup, I usually try to sear the meat quickly to seal in the juices to prevent the meat from drying out. Works great for stri frys and Belgian Beef type dishes.

That said, there are circumstances when the meat can be legitimately considered unpalatable. Big bulls full of hormones can be tough/gamey on occasion, especially if they've been doing a lot of running/fighting or have been shot at a lot and run ragged. I usually try to work is so that the moose I take drops immediately. Bang, flop, usually equals a better moose. Also, toward the latter part of the season, or when the sweeter browse is exhausted and the moose is feeding primarily on evergreen bough tips, you may find that the meat is a little stronger tasting. I usually try to take my moose in the first day or two to ensure I get the best quality animal if I'm hunting close to home. If I'm hunting further afield and am gone primarily "for the trip," I'll usually try putting off harvesting an animal so tht I can fully enjoy the trip with my hunting buddies.

Dugga Boy has it right. A little cooking tip is to get a meat thermometer. Sear the outside of the meat as mentioned and stick the meat thermometer into the center. Just before it reaches 140 get it out of the oven and let it sit on the counter until the center temperature rises to 140 and you will have a perfect roast. Due to the meat not being marbled with fat as in beef, if you cook it to well done all you are doing is drying out the roast and making it tougher.
Take good care,
Dave

Dave's right about the thermometer. Truthfully searing doesn't seal in the juices though, it actually helps to dry the meat out further. When I was working for a meat supplier I did test after test on this one and others have too. Also keep the heat in the oven down to around 300 or 325. If you prefer a more caramelzed exterior, the reason most people sear, all you have to do is rub the meat with flavourings before cooking. You can use ground coffee, cocoa powder, browning sauce like Maggie etc.

yum

the chef

Now you're making me hungry

You got some nice whitetails, Demonical. But why do you shoot the young'uns with little such little horns?

Well when it comes to cooking Moose my mom has it down to a science. When roasting moose that is on the strong end of the scale place a couple of apples in the pan with the roast. Don't ask me how it works but it makes a huge difference and she never goes over 250F on the oven temp.

About 10 yrs ago my patner and I got 2 Moose in the Parsnip R. area. The big bull was in full rut. I called him in just as were were about to lose the light. That ole bugger was the only Bull I have ever taken that was just lousey eatin. Totally gamey. The smaller one was primo tho.

There is no lousy eating moose, it is all in how you handle the meat - it is all between your ears....

Vasa

I've never tasted a moose I didn't like. There's a lot of steps involved to getting good meat but it isn't rocket science, you don't have to do things 100% perfect to wind up with nice tasting meat. I find there's enough leeway with moose that you should always be able to get some nice, flavorful meat it you follow Dugga Boy's steps relatively closely.