When you think about it, consistency in flavor cannot be controlled in wild meat as it can in agricultural animals. What the animals eat or don't eat varies greatly.
Some city folk don't quite realize what farm animals produce. Once when I did pony rentals in town for birthday parties etc a woman wanted me to bring the pony into here house!? onto shiney hard wood floors!!! I tried to object but she offered more money and begged. Thunder controlled himself and we got photo ops but it could have been a disaster.
Yes, to rattlesnake and squirrel, but no to raccoon. @Ken Anderson Have you even eaten a muskrat? I did on one of the survival trips in the mountains I guided. Very muddy and unpleasant flavor.
People are the same way. If you're around people who eat lots of garlic and/or heavy spices that you don't, they give off an odor you can smell from 10 feet away. Likewise, those who come from cultures that don't eat a lot of red meat claim that most Americans smell sickly sweet from it. I wonder if the flavor of game might vary based upon the seasons and what foods are available that time of year in that location.
We had muskrats in the area, but I've never bitten into one. For someone who grew up on a farm, I was squeamish about a lot of stuff.
I have heard good things and bad about muskrats. But since I have no intention of preparing them 'correctly' I think I will skip them.
I think I’ve had rabbit before, not positive though. There’s a restaurant near us that had an absolutely delicious duck dish. I’m sure it must have had something to do with preparation but that was a memorable dish. Unfortunately, they rotate their menu around fairly often so it disappeared.
I've had roast duck and goose at Evans Farm Inn when it was there near Tyson's Corner. Of course, I've had Peking Duck a number of times.
Peking Duck at a good Chinese restaurant is delicious. The inflate the duck to separate the skin from the body and let it air-dry so the skin is extra-crisp. Then they roast it. When it's made this way, it's not real greasy, but it is richer than other fowl (except maybe goose.) A couple of times a year I'd go to Peking Gourmet in Falls Church VA with friends. The duck was their specialty. (I had goose when I was pretty young, and I don't remember how it was.)