Whether or not deer meat tastes gamey has a lot to do with the individual animal, where it lives, and what it's diet consists of - but compared with a corn-fed beef, venison definitely has a bit more of a grassy flavor and can sometimes have a gamey "funk". Cooking venison in a stew, with lots of herbs, red wine, vegetables, and slowly tenderizing the meat helps to develop a rich, hearty flavor that isn't gamey.