OT: I find it interesting that you think whitetail baetter eating than elk. Typically in the west, whitetails are considered a nuisance and the locals prefer mule deer or elk. An outfitter in Alberta feeds his clients kills to his wolves, and grudginly eats elk. His preference it for beef. After butchering numerous whitetails over the years, I can tell you beef feels greasy to the touch compared to venison. Its hard to beat fresh backstraps!
As for walnut, it varies considerably. I've milled eastern black walnut that has varied from deep, dark brown/black to almost greenish. It depends upon where it was grown. I've seen locally grown (Pa) English that was fabulous, and others that was pathetic. I think Claro the best bang for the buck for figure and curl. I've bought "Oregon Black" from Goby Walnut in Oregon and have been amazed at how beautiful some of it is.
Bastogne is a crossbreed variety of walnut that grows quickly, is very dense, and can have beautiful figure and color. English/French/Turkish is all of the "thin shell" variety vs the "thick shell" that we have domestically. It all varies in density, color and figure as does any other wood. Gunstock makers like the "thin shell" varieties because they cut well without splintering, and generally have thighter pores.
Had some oryx steaks couple nights ago, but prefer elk.
