THE SINFUL 7

That headline “The Sinful 7” may be a little overboard … but then again, maybe not, considering the yearlong effort we as whitetail fanatics put into the hunt.

And when we are successful in terms of a deer on the ground — from a gnarly old recluse buck to a king-of-the-back-40 monarch to a sleek yearling six-pointer or forkhorn to a fat doe to, yes, a plump “deer-of-year” (also known as a fawn) — one of the greatest rewards of all is at hand: prime whitetail venison.

Every deer can provide prime venison. No deer is inherently tough or bad-flavored or “gamey.” Yes, some whitetails may inherently taste better than others, and cooking itself certainly plays a part in the equation. But I have to be honest: Among all the deer I have eaten in my life, the only “bad” ones could be traced