Big game should be carefully field dressed and refrigerated as soon as possible. Remove all visible fat, bones, and silver skin from steaks and roasts. Thin, silver skin on the outside of meat is very tough. Better to cut it away and discard a small amount of meat than to ruin an excellent meal later. Cut red meat into a thickness of 1 inch or less. Any thicker and the outside will dry out before the inside is cooked. Marinades can be used to improved strong flavored meat but be careful, too long in an acidic solution can toughen your meal.

Most important, don’t overcook!!! The difference between an awesome roast and shoe leather can be as little as a few minutes. Wild game is very low in fat and cannot be cooked any more than medium-rare. For antlered game, strive for an internal temperature of 125 degrees (rare) or up to 140 degrees (medium-rare). The exception is any wild hog or bear meat. They must be cooked to a minimum of 160 degrees as a precaution against parasites. A cooking thermometer is well worth the $5 investment here.