Hi Greg,
I haven't tasted venison since I was 13 and my daddy shot a Whitetail with a bow and arrow. I didn't like it then because as you say, it's pretty gamey to say the least. I'm told it's an acquired taste. From my experiance, people either really like it or the hate it.
I know it's a simple technicality, but when an animal does't shed them ever, it's called horn. When they shed them (deer), it's called antler. I know it can be confusing especially when people like me call it "buckhorn". And yes, you are right about a couple of cousins of the Sambar that are being raised on ranches in Texas. A few other states actually have them running wild as well. However, if you want the actual Sambar, you can get it now from an East Indian company in Texas that has permission to sell it from their government for a limited time but it's expensive. I just found them in my new issue of "Blade" yesterday. You can find them at
www.IndiaSambarStag.com.
You can reach me directly at
zylrcue@hotmail.com if you'd like to talk about what I've learned about antler and horn or whatever. Take care and shoot straight. Kerry Z.