Deer with Infection

[----]

My wife shot a whitetail last week, that I assume had been stuck with an arrow.

At the top of his shoulder, base of his spine, he had an infection with a puss sack about the size of a softball. Pretty gross.

The buck was in pretty sad shape. His front shoulders were in pretty bad atrophy, with his shoulderbones sticking out pretty bad. The hinds hadn't atrophied much, but didn't have much fat on them either.

The meat, even the stuff right around the infection, looks completely normal. No smell, no off color, nothing.

My question is, would any of you hesitate to eat the deer? Is there any reason the meat could be bad? I'm thinking as long as there isn't smell or off color, it's got to be fine. My butcher agrees.

I'd just like some other opinions on this before we dig in.

 

[TheTone]

I'd eat it. I might be a little picky about the stuff directly around the wound, but other than that if it looks and smells normal I'd give it a go. I've handled more than a couple animals in bad shape and as long as the infection hadn't gone systemic I think things will be alright. When all else fails I tell folks to take the opinion of a butcher as they are probably a better source on meat quality.

 

[buglum]

I would eat it. Same scenario happened to me a few years ago. Because their was a pus sack, that indicates that the deers body was confining the infection and thus it was not systemic. The atrophy is probably due to the deer "unfavoring" the front end due to discomfort, but not due to the inflammatory infection itself.

 

[buglum]

Ha, apparently Tone and I had the same though simultaneously.

 

[belly-deep]

I killed a bull a few years ago that had survived an arrow to the guts. The tenderloins had an "interesting" taste, but they didn't make me sick.

Cook it good and maybe tell the butcher to keep that meat separate from the rest of it, just in case. It would be a shame to taint all of your deer burger with it.

 

[ismith]

Sounds like my bull elk. My wife was a little wierded out by the light colored meat from the atrophied hind quarter and it tasted different, but the dark colored meat tastes fine.

 

[WyOpitz]

It sounds like it was likely an infection of some sort but have you ruled out chronic wasting disease (possibly an infection secondary to this)? The muscle atrophy is what worries me a bit. I would probably have my meat checked out but I can be picky sometimes.

 

[genesis273]

I don`t think I`d eat it. If I have doubt about something my family will be eating, I don`t chance it. You may be fine eating it, but if not, there could be some repercussions. I hate to see any meat go to waste and will take all I can get, but not in a case like this. I would look at it as taking the animal out of it`s misery.

 

[sweetnectar]

Cooking things well should take care of everything. You should be able to eat the puss if you cook it long enough. However, we live in America where food is plentiful. I'd settle for cow tongue from the grocery store before eating the puss. Just sayin.

 

[Bambistew]

You should be able to get another tag from the Fish and Game, but I think you would have to surrender your antlers.

I think it should be fine. My moose this year had puss pockets in his hind quarters. I trimmed around and left it on the hill. The meat tastes fine, but I haven't had any round steak yet. I read that using a little vinegar around the infected areas will kill most of the bacteria? But I'd rather just trash it and no worry about it.

 

[----]

We would have to turn in the rack as well. The wife would just as soon be done hunting for the year, and is happy with the buck, so I'd have a hard time exchanging it for a tag.

We're gonna watch the meat, and err on the side of well done, but eat it as normal.
I can't find any reason not to eat it. Everything I can find says that the meat would show obvious signs of infection.

I am curious how it will be as far as taste. I'm not sure if it'll be real tender due to not moving around much, or tough due to not getting much nutrition.

I did kind of think it was odd that he let us stalk up to him from 400 yards to 180, in the wide open. I don't think he had much time left at all.

 

[Outdooraddict]

If you eat it or not- you guys did the right thing by putting him down. A little piece of mind for whatever decision you make.

 

[devon deer]

If the lymph nodes were inspected and were clear then i'm sure it would be ok to eat.
To be sure just make cetain it is cooked well.
Cheers
Richard