# Buck Meat Taste?



## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Does meat from an intact buck/buckling have any funky taste to it like a bucky type of taste? Or would it taste just the same as any goat meat? I have a buck kid that I may be butchering and trying to decide if it's worth it to castrate him, or just let the extra testosterone help him to grow better.


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## Horsehair Braider (Mar 11, 2011)

This is like with milk - if you do it properly there is no "bucky" taste. Are you doing it yourself or having it done? If you are having it done by a professional, I would not worry about it. If you are doing it yourself, simply use good practices to avoid contaminating the meat, care for the carcass properly during the hanging period and then get it frozen quickly once you cut and package.

One of the reasons that market goat programs use wethers is because they don't waste energy developing secondary sex characteristics - like big fancy horns or a thick neck - they put it all into growing. So if you want a good meat animal, castrate, and the sooner the better in my experience.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Not sure if it's the same everywhere, but around here a lot of slaughter houses will not accept bucks over 3 months of age. They claim the smell of an intact buck will cause problems with smell in other peoples meat animals. Whatever, i guess. I think they just don't want to deal with bucks.


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## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

We had a buck done by a professional - we could not eat the meat. It was bucky... even the smoked sausage links. Pitiful.

A goat under 8 months should be ok though.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

I would think that a big, mature, urine soaked buck would taste exactly the way it smells. If housing a buck with your milking does can affect the taste of the milk, I can only imagine what it would do to the carcass of the animal itself..bleh. But a young buck that hasn't started that kind of rut would probably be alright.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

They don't taste like anything different than goat meat! People eat HUGE 12 year old mule deer and elk and moose that have been reproductive for years and think it is just yummy! Handling is the key. We put a 5 year old buck in the freezer during rut. He was just like eating any other large mammal. (gross of you are a vegetarian) People around the table were groaning because it was so good! Think about it- the urine decay making the odor is on the hair and the pelt. It is not in the meat. You do have more development of myoglobin for oxygen transport but I doubt if it changes flavor esp if you brine at butchering to draw out increased blood supply in larger muscles. If you have poor handling techniques you will have those flavors ON your meat. Not in it.
Do any of you eat the big ole bucks your hunter brings home? Nothing much stronger flavored than a deer roast but it does not taste like urine tar!
Lee


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

:yeahthat 

Agree 100% with Lee on this one  It's all on how you handle it. 
Or in some cases on how you cook it as well.

Lynn


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