Deer liver and heart?

[GmanNM]

I used to save liver & heart - if either was in good shape. For the heart, clean it off really good. Soak the heart in water with pickling spice overnight in the refrigerator. Slice it thin (1/4 in thick), flour it and fry in bacon grease just until it's brown. Mmm, good.!

I have a funny tale about saving deer liver... I was hunting in Maryland in some thick woods fairly close to my father one morning. I shot a nice young doe. I gutted her out and put the liver in the ziplock bag I carry in my pack and put the bag back in my pack - the heart wasn't salvageable.

I had just started dragging my deer when .. ka-boom! my father shot. We each had cheap 2-way radios back then to stay in touch, so after about 15 minutes, I called him and asked what he got. He said could only find hair, so I told him I would walk over towards the sound of his shot ( I had plenty of orange on). I finally got over to him and we commenced a circular search of the area around the hair. After a few minutes, my father found a few drops of blood. So he marked it with TP and kept following the blood, marking each drop with TP. After a while, we noticed that the darned deer was making a strange-shaped circle! Remember that ziplock with the liver in my pack? Well, unbeknownst to my father, it was in my pack, and unbeknownst to me, it was leaking! This all became evident when we we standing discussing the odd behavior of the "deer" that we were "tracking". My father noticed the pool of blood where I was standing and thought that deer must be right there somewhere. He was really disappointed when I revealed what I found with my pack.

I put the pack down and we started searching the direction the deer originally went - since any blood near the initial hair was probably from the liver. By following the kicked up leaves and broken branches, we were able to located that deer about 50 - 60 yards away from the initial hair through the heavy, holly & laurel thicket. We never found a single drop of that deer's blood until we got to where he laid.

I think that was the last liver I kept, but still kept, and plan on keeping, any hearts that are in good shape.

 

[BlackPowderGuy (AJHS)]

I grind the heart up and mix it with other grinder meat. The liver depends on how it looks. I’ve had them look funky and tossed them. If the look good, I slice them them maybe 1/4 inch, soak overnight in milk (learned that from meateater) fry bacon pieces, save, fry onions in the grease and then the liver…serve them all together. Delicious. Tossed this one. Not sure what those were but not touching it. I’ve also turned liver into jerky strips for my dog.

 

[one-shot]

For heart, clean it good and when ready to cook. I boil it once, change water and boil again. Slice 1/2 inch and eat warm with A-1 sauce.

 

[Wildrangeringreen]

Organ Meat sausages are pretty good (I like Blutwurst, but there's not much blood left in the deer by the time you get it back home)

Otherwise, we tended to pressure-cook heart. (didn't matter what animal it came out of (other than smaller animals like rabbit and chicken)

 

[bigdan1965]

In the past, most hunters would relish the thought of eating heart and liver. Traditionally, this was the first thing eaten when in hunting camp. I fondly remember the first deer, a nice buck, I shot as a teenager in the Keystone State with my Dad. We were happy and I remember the words," You are now a man". Very important social marker that is sadly missing in society.

Anyways. That taste of heart and liver from the deer was great. But over time, some health experts have decreed such things as being rather unhealthy. The liver can hold toxins like nickle, cadmium and mercury. Back then, most people couldn't spell cholesterol never mind know or care what it is. The heart now is supposed to be filled with it.

So. What is your opinion of heart and liver? Do you eat it? Do you leave it in the woods? Do you give it away? Thanks.

I always save the liver and heart if it's not shot up to bad.
Love liver and onions smothered down in gravy served over rice !!!
Cut the heart up and fry it up . It's a little tough but has good flavore.

 

[bigdan1965]

In the past, most hunters would relish the thought of eating heart and liver. Traditionally, this was the first thing eaten when in hunting camp. I fondly remember the first deer, a nice buck, I shot as a teenager in the Keystone State with my Dad. We were happy and I remember the words," You are now a man". Very important social marker that is sadly missing in society.

Anyways. That taste of heart and liver from the deer was great. But over time, some health experts have decreed such things as being rather unhealthy. The liver can hold toxins like nickle, cadmium and mercury. Back then, most people couldn't spell cholesterol never mind know or care what it is. The heart now is supposed to be filled with it.

So. What is your opinion of heart and liver? Do you eat it? Do you leave it in the woods? Do you give it away? Thanks.

I love me some deer liver smothered down in onion gravy served over smashed taters or rice.

 

[Ninering62]

In the past, most hunters would relish the thought of eating heart and liver. Traditionally, this was the first thing eaten when in hunting camp. I fondly remember the first deer, a nice buck, I shot as a teenager in the Keystone State with my Dad. We were happy and I remember the words," You are now a man". Very important social marker that is sadly missing in society.

Anyways. That taste of heart and liver from the deer was great. But over time, some health experts have decreed such things as being rather unhealthy. The liver can hold toxins like nickle, cadmium and mercury. Back then, most people couldn't spell cholesterol never mind know or care what it is. The heart now is supposed to be filled with it.

So. What is your opinion of heart and liver? Do you eat it? Do you leave it in the woods? Do you give it away? Thanks.

I come from country folk, so hearts & liver were eaten. I've never ever liked any liver, I can't even stand the smell of it being cooked, but we were forced to eat it when thats what momma made. I still keep & eat the hearts & I'm another one that doesn't care in the least about cholesterol. I'll eat, drink, & smoke what I like & won't what I don't like, until its check out time & that's just that.. My fam would eat brains too, NOT ME

 

[Va Hunter]

I know a guy who puts the heart in the refrigerator to marinate them slices it 1/4” thick for a sandwich. Doesn’t even cook it

 

[Pattray]

In the past, most hunters would relish the thought of eating heart and liver. Traditionally, this was the first thing eaten when in hunting camp. I fondly remember the first deer, a nice buck, I shot as a teenager in the Keystone State with my Dad. We were happy and I remember the words," You are now a man". Very important social marker that is sadly missing in society.

Anyways. That taste of heart and liver from the deer was great. But over time, some health experts have decreed such things as being rather unhealthy. The liver can hold toxins like nickle, cadmium and mercury. Back then, most people couldn't spell cholesterol never mind know or care what it is. The heart now is supposed to be filled with it.

So. What is your opinion of heart and liver? Do you eat it? Do you leave it in the woods? Do you give it away? Thanks.

I keep it for the cats

 

[Shorty]

I grind the parts of venison that i do not eat, including hearts and livers. I freeze the meat and use it for dog food along with dry dog food. My dogs are very healthy and this saves me a little money for muzzy supplies…

 

[Hausser1]

I keep it for the cats

would those be blackpowder or smokeless cats?

 

[Hanshi]

I've eaten many things that are disgusting and that would make one's mama throw up. But, I will never eat any internal organs (did once) from a critter and I can only think YUK!

 

[MrTom]

I will never eat any internal organs (did once) from a critter and I can only think YUK!

My motto when it comes to animal organs, etc.... I eat no nuts, no guts.

 

[CGhost]

I have never tried neither, I'd be more apt to try the heart over liver. I don't do Liver. But ill eat chicken gizzards? Chicken hearts and gizzards are controversial around here.

 

[CGhost]

I know a guy who puts the heart in the refrigerator to marinate them slices it 1/4” thick for a sandwich. Doesn’t even cook it

now thats pretty primitive there LOL

 

[deerlessbob]

The gonads are pretty good fried gently in butter a la Meateater. Fed it to half a dozen club members and all complimented it.

 

[jd24.5.48]

I'm with the No nuts and No Guts! I've always wanted to try the venison liver but I never did! I do like beef liver and onions!

 

[alternate]

Whenever there's a buck on the ground camp supper that night is heart, liver, potatoes and onions. I'm drooling just typing this!

 

[Hausser1]

The gonads are pretty good fried gently in butter a la Meateater. Fed it to half a dozen club members and all complimented it.

when did you tell them what it was?

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Back when I was at home, til I joined the Army at 18, we ate whatever mom/grandmom cooked. Have eaten plenty of deer/elk heart and liver. Once I left home, "No thank you".