Antelope is the probably the easiest big game animal to hunt successfully, but it isn't the nicest to eat. Many hunters in Wyoming won't even bother to hunt antelope as a meat animal. Our family does, because they are relatively easy to get, so it is an easier species to use to teach kids to hunt.

Many antelope have a “sagey” or “gamey” taste to them. There are several theories on this:

1 - Some of hunters say that it depends on where the antelope have been feeding. They say that antelope that have been feeding on wheat or corn fields taste better than those who have been feeding on native prairie grasses and sage.

2 - Some people say that you have to get them skinned as soon as you have shot and gutted one. These people say that the “off” flavor that the antelope tend to have is because of the drying process, once the animal is dead. If you get the skin off quickly, then your animal should taste fine. They also say that you can't let any of the hair of the antelope get on the meat, while you are skinning it.

I can't really say that is true, from my personal experience. With both my deer and my antelope, I gut the animal out in the field, as I should, but I haven't skinned my animals until I have gotten them home. (One of the advantages to living out in the middle of nowhere, close to huntable areas.) My first buck, and the doe that I got two years ago had good “sweet” tasting meat. We even made a few small steaks from the doe.

3 - Others say that the animal tastes gamey because it was shot while it was up and active, even running. They say that the adrenaline gets into the meat, and causes it to have the characteristic off flavor. These folks say that you need to shoot your antelope while it is napping or grazing, and hasn't been spooked, or alerted.