Hey all, I'm about to start my second season bowhunting whitetails on public land. However, I have yet to be successful in that endeavor. That being said, I am constantly practicing, reading and researching during off season. I know the dreaded "gut shot" is not what any ethical hunter wants to happen, but it unfortunately is a reality in this passion. So, aside from giving the deer plenty of time to expire, so as not to jump it, what else needs to happen? Field dress immediately? And what about butchering? How can you tell when the meat is bad? I have had the opportunity to skin more than a fair share of deer between me and the old man (Dad), but they were all rifle and no gut shots. I'm curious if it is obvious which meat is good and which is bad. Any insight would be news to me, so let er rip!!
I think if folks chime in you'll get different answers. All I can do is tell you what I do in different circumstances. Before I do that, you need to understand that I try to use every part of the deer: Rib meat, belly meat, bloodshot meat, fat,... everything. What I consider not fit for the wife and I gets ground for the dogs. First, if it's a quick recovery, as in a hard quartering shot that hit vitals and still got the gut, I'll gut it as soon as possible and then get it somewhere to rinse it out thoroughly as quickly as I can. In this situation the inner loins go into the dog grind pile along with the rib and belly meat. I won't even consider eating them out of a gut shot deer. Second, if it's a pure gut shot and the deer is recovered after a long wait I won't mess with the rib or belly meat It just stinks. I know the dogs wouldn't mind it but I'm not willing to have the smell in the house or in the freezer. When this happens I'll either: 1. Go ahead and gut it (while dry heaving a couple of times) and then rinse it out. Not to save any meat but just to cut down on the stench or 2. Skin and quarter it without gutting. I prefer this if the deer falls in a spot where I don't have to drag it a long distance. As to being able to tell if the meat is bad, all I can say is that it is going to depend on the temperature if you let the deer lay overnight. I shot a buck on 28 January this year. It was a HARD quartering to shot. I hit him in front of the left front shoulder and the arrow punched a hole in the hide on the gut. We couldn't find a blood trail that night and since the temps were going to be in the 20's we let him lay overnight and found him the next morning. I did the gutless quartering on him and the meat still smelled just bad enough when I got home two days later that it all got ground for the dogs. I think the dogs actually like the smell. If that had happened during the early season I wouldn't have taken any of the meat.
I've processed many deer some of which have been gut shot. As long as the deer is gutted on the same day, we will take all the meat. After a day we would cut out the bad meat that has been tainted. Sometimes the meat will take on a greenish hue under the silver skin, from a deer that hasn't been gutted in time. I always cut that out and throw it out. Majority of my deer that I process I grind. Usually only have back straps and ground meat off deer. Littlechief's Advice is always on point as well!
But I'm colorblind and can't see a greenish hue under the silver skin. I just go by smell. If it stinks, the dogs get it.
It depends, on where I am. At home I'll trail a deer at midnight necessary. Gut it get it home hang and hose it down . Then I will drench the Inside with a 5% vinegar . White /Apple I don't care. This will help a little with bacteria growth that happens fast . Quarter and put In deer frig. to finish cooling. If possible cold enough to near freezing. Makes cutting easier. If not home basic the same but you can't hose down dowse inside with vinegar. That's what I do.
@LittleChief That's hilarious I'm colorblind too!! Thanks for the replies folks!! Very insightful. Cheers
@oldnotdead the vinegar idea is interesting. Do you leave it on the meat for a while? Or immediately rinse it off? Does it affect the taste of the meat, like a brine?
I'm a self-taught hunter...felt the drive within but didn't have anyone around to teach me. it still surprises me to this day (12 years after picking it up) how my instincts pointed me in the right direction on a lot of things, including processing deer. If it looks or smells like something you don't want to eat, don't eat it (I like the idea of giving to the dogs). I did a lot by the smell test....the nose knows. I don't know if this works for others but worked for me. My stomach's been messed up on food from our garden way more than deer meat. But I don't mess around with gut shot or blood shot...anything questionable doesn't go on my cutting board. Also, with a gut shot deer, gut it before hanging it, and hang by the neck for processing. You don't want tainted blood pooling in the chest/neck. I've thrown out questionable neck meat after making that mistake.
so I can't say I have done this as a hunter, but I can tell you as a meat cutter, dry agers use this method to keep or even get the green off a nice cut of meat if the humidity rises and gets the meat to turning. Spray on, let sit for 15-30 minutes, wipe down with cheese cloth.
far as a gut shot deer, I agree with everything LC said, coupled with the add on that piss contaminated meat turns even faster. Nick the urethra or bladder and you better be hosing it down within a few minutes.
If I'm away from the house and transporting its a one to one vinegar solution poured or sprayed on and then rinsed down when I get home. At home it's field gutting then hang at home rinse then the vinegar solution let set a bit and rinse again. I then skin quarter and semi freeze before cutting. The acidic nature of the vinegar cuts bacteria growth down.also seems to cut the smell that can cling to the membrane. Remember the inside of the deer is covered in membrane. The silver your going to cut away any ways. Your just trying to keep the gastric juices from penetrating that and getting to the actual meat
