What’s the healthiest venison? Well, that’s kind of a trick question, because all venison is extremely healthy. In fact, it’s the healthiest red meat on the planet! But there’s lots of different kinds of venison. In fact, that’s a topic in and of itself.
Venison, by its very definition, is any type of wild game. Well, that was the definition when the word was coined. Today, ask anyone if they “like venison,” and they will automatically think you’re talking about deer meat. So, that’s what we will focus on here in this quick blog post.
I just got off a week-long trip to West Texas, where we hunted free-ranging axis deer with our friend Keith Miller during the rut. That’s not a typo. Axis deer rut in the heat of the summer — insane as that sounds. These fascinating critters (indigenous to India), have no biological clock like their Northern cousins.
But I digress. I’ve eaten axis venison several times before (including from a giant buck I shot while hunting Hawaii with my buddy Chad Schearer five years ago), and I must say that I think axis venison is the best-tasting venison by far. And I will even include elk in that statement. It’s THAT good! Granted, moose tenderloin is absolutely fantastic, as well, but I’ve only had that once, and my memory is starting to fade.
Anyway, here’s a quick look at the nutrient levels in axis vs. whitetail vs. two domestic meats you’ve probably had (at least once) within the past week:
Meat Source: Fat (grams) Protein (grams) Calories Cholesterol (mg)
Axis Deer 1.9 grams 25 grams 120 59 mg
Whitetail 2.2 grams 27 grams 128 70 mg
Ground Beef 18.5 grams 29 grams 290 95 mg (extra-lean ground beef)
Grilled Chicken 5.7 grams 28 grams 189 55 mg (skinless)
Stunning numbers, aren’t they? In the final analysis, axis venison is 3X healthier (fat-wise) than skinless chicken breast; lower in cholesterol than all of those other meats; with fewer calories and almost the same amount of protein per 4-ounce serving.
