Tenderloin and backstrap are not the same cuts of meat. The backstraps run along the back of a deer while the tenderloin is tucked inside the abdominal cavity under the spine. Backstraps are often mistakenly called tenderloins, likely because the backstraps are also referred to as loins. Backstraps and tenderloins are both prized cuts of meat because of their tenderness and lack of connective tissue.