I prefer ones that are shot on the left side and run less than 10 yards. It makes the taste so much better as this means from my stand placement they are headed to the truck. Also a rising moon and only shoot one at least 15 minutes with-in the top or bottom of the hour!!! The key to a good deer meal is condiments and seasoning. Plus if the deer is dead it will taste better. Running deer are always tougher to eat then standing or lying deer. Hanging them is fine but animal rights people frown on it somewhat. If you hang them at least let them have one final cigarette !!!!!

But seriously Meat handling can make all the difference in the world

I would agree, diet is a big factor. Alot of guys in the east are eating grain fed critters. In the west everything tastes pretty gamey unless it found somebodies fields.