Something in my moose meat!

[Doe See Doe]

Not sure if this should be posted in the "Bugs and Glitches" section. :wink:

Yesterday I was preping some Moose roasts for jerky, and some T-bones for dinner.

As I was doing them up, I began to notice a few little tapioca sized things, in water ( ? ) sacks, on the meat.

When I squeezed them, the water thing would burst and I was left with the little round bit, which when squeezed, appeared to be a little grain of rice-type thing ( smaller than rice ).

I'm working really hard on swallowing so as not to puke while I'm doing this; I've been eating this moose since last year and have never noticed anything before, but now my stomach is starting to tickle and I'm imagining all sorts of horrors!

Out of five roasts and two T-bones, I only found four 'things'.

We got a Caribou once that was full of little grey worm/rice-type things, but that was different than this. With the Caribou, you would actually cut right through the worms while you where cutting the meat.
With this Moose, they are mostly along the meat, in between the meat and where the hide was.

I wouldn't eat any of that Caribou, and so far the Moose steaks are still in the fridge.
Has anyone else ever found this, or know what it is?

And guys, please dont mess with me, because I'll be seriously ruined for ever hunting again.......

Thanks,

[Odd-6]

Maybe call the CO? They don't sound like maggots :shock:. Or call up a vet, university....any place or person knowing biology. Keep us posted.

[416]

Sounds different, although not necessarily non-edible. Take Odd-6's advice and contact some one who is in the know. Maybe even a butcher who has handled alot of wild game may know what you are describing.

[Doe See Doe]

Just did some research and found this. Not sure if this is it or not.
I didn't want to look anything up because what I don't know can't hurt me :shock:

What are the signs of muscle tapeworm cysts?

Animals will usually appear healthy.
In the herbivore host, cysts are an oblong, semi-clear, fluid-filled sac with a white spot ‘head’ at one end.
Cysts generally occur in both muscle and the heart but may also occur in unusual sites.
Surrounding tissues are usually normal.How can I protect myself?

You cannot be infected by the cysts of T. krabbei.
Cysts can be easily removed during butchering.Can I eat the meat?http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/aawildlife/disease/disease_images/dog.gif http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/aawildlife/disease/disease_images/cook.gif

Meat from infected animals, even when dried and uncooked, is suitable for human consumption.
Cooking will kill the parasite.
Dogs can be infected with tapeworms if they eat the muscle cysts.
Do not feed infected parts to dogs.

[FLHTCUI]

Few yrs ago, I found a similar little white fatty things in some duck meat.
These where found in Pintails and at the time I was/am concerned.
Following year the same thing, so I stopped shooting Pintails till I contacted the CWS on Westham Isl.
The Biologist there got back to me with a diagnosis and for the life of me right now I dont recall what it is let alone find the article that he photo copied for me.
You might wanna contact the Regional Large Ungualte Biologist from the are you harvested the moose from.
I am sure they will be able to tell you what it is.
Hope this helps some....
Bon Apatite ;)
Rob

[Thunderstix]

http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=disease.muscle1

Here is a link to what you need to know. Some people just ignore them especially when you just found a few. We had a moose three years ago tht looked just like the picture in the link I provided....we could not eat it. I guess I won't be on Fear Factor anytime soon. :smile:

[Doe See Doe]

Now where's the pukeing smilie when you need it?

That is extremly horrific! My meat doesnt look like that at all.

Thanks for the replies.
I guess I was really hopeing someone would say:
"Oh, I've seen that a hundred times. Been eating stuff like that for the last 40 years and never had a problem."

[Crazy_Farmer]

This can occur in ducks and geese too. Most guys call it Rice Breast becuase it looks like a bunch of rice inside the breast meat. They say its fine to eat and kills everything once you cook it but I've only ever run into it once on a mallard before.

[416]

Now that l see the pics.........l can say it.......shot a moose a few years back that looked like that (not to the degree as the picture, a few throughout all the meat) .......butchered, wrapped and consumed......still around to talk about it. :)

[jakerazer]

Hey Darlin
Cook my T-bone well tonight. Maybe use the tederizing hammer a bit.:wink:

[Browningmirage]

as long as you cook it properly its not going to be an issue. Cooking to a certain temp (i think around 180 F) will kill it.

I like my meat blue, so i have to look really careful. Ive been eating it that way for years, but if i have any questions as to the health of the deer, treatment of the meat etc, i wont eat it blue. My recommendation. Cook it well, and dont worry about it.

[moosecaller]

These things are pockets of fat cysts nothing to worry about, this is normal in some animals. If you look you will find them in most moose it is rare not to find them. Other than worms in the meat don't worry. The place to check for a sickly animal is the organs the liver is a big give away, if it is yellow/green and mottled the animal is sick.

[Thunderstix]

I forgot to mention that in my hunting circle that moose we shot is forever known as "froggy".:lol: (as in we all said it looked like frog eggs)

[kishman]

What's worse than finding a Tapeworm cyst in your Moose meat? Finding half a tapeworm cyst in your Moose meat......:shock::mrgreen::roll:

[boyd050]

:eek::lol:I'm sorry to say I've been laughing so hard I have tears on my cheeks not at the misfortune of you having these in your meat but at the impression you give ie the puking smiley!! your killing me and i apologize for laughing but this has been the most entertain thread I have ever seen!!!

[Jagermeister]

You know how you add some pork or beef fat to ground moose? Well a number of years ago I got a moose that was so old that it was loaded with these cysts. When you cooked the ground, the fat would render down and leave these little white balls. When the kids discovered these "balls", I told them it was a special seasoning. Once the tomato sauce went in, they sort of blended in with every thing else when you make spaghetti. They can't be all that bad, afterall, they're eating moose aren't they?

[oscar makonka]

I'd eat that in a heart beat, far safer than going to McDonalds.

[Vanguard]

i've seen it on a mule deer buck before,we never ate that part though,but we found in the organs instead of the meat.I think it was the heart or the liver i dont really remember.It sure didn't look like it was supposed to be there though.

[Rock Doctor]

I was under the impression that those were some type of parasite, I have seen them in most moose that I have butchered, to one degree or another. There always seem to be more of them in the moose that live in swampy areas, as opposed to those that live in the dryer/higher areas.

[Doe See Doe]

Jager--That's just down right dirty! One day your kids might find out what you did, and you may end up with a "special seasoning" in your Geritol :wink:

Oh and Ali, I have a recipe for your book. It's called "Makeing the Mostest With Trichinosis---Pinhole T-bone with a Maggot Reduction"

mmmmmmmmm.........

[moosecaller]

http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/livingwith/diseases/pdf/WDTkrabbei.pdf

This is an excellent article on these little rice sized pockets,frogs eggs, blobs. There is also an article from UNBC on this ubject as well. I needed to educated myself on this as I was always told there are fat nodules and harmless, well it appears there are verually harmless but not for the reason I was told. It will still not deter me from eating and enjoying my moose. I see a few others have foumd similar articles on this, it is good when we can support each others concerns and willing to help educate one another, never to old to learn something new and dispell some old ideas. I found this post very helpful for me.

[pmj]

Added all these links in my game recepies folder:grin:.

[sawmill]

Jeez,just eat it,if you find you are losing a lot of weight over the winter Tell all your freinds you are working out.
By the way what is the record for a tape worm removed from the human body?

[mapguy]

we got a moose that had a million in it it went to the dump and had to be buried . you'd have to pretty desperate and have a cast iron gut to eat a moose in that condition

[308BAR]

we got a moose that had a million in it it went to the dump and had to be buried . you'd have to pretty desperate and have a cast iron gut to eat a moose in that condition

Yeah I would have to agree that if it is excessive it's gotta go edible or not it just doesn't bode well with the mind.

[wjh131]

Not sure what they're called, but somekind of lung-worm maybe. My wife is a vet and she tells me about these parasites that will burrow through meat to get to lung tissue, anywhere on the body of an animal.

[Thunderstix]

I think it is hilarious that we all don't bother reading all the posts and all keep guessng what it could be and how cooking it will kill it blah blah when the answer is already on here....I am guilty as well! :-D

[moosecaller]

"Taenia Krabbei"

[mapguy]

doe see doe where did you get that animal we got ours in 7-24

[Doe See Doe]

We got it in 7-20.

He was in great condition; healthy.

I did end up makeing the jerky, and it turned out to be the best batch I've made this year; so go figure----I think the bursting little fat pockets of larvea really added something............;-)

Never thought of the tapeworm diet before.......hope it works!

[moosecaller]

I get my moose out of 7-9 and 7-7 and I have seen this in them every time in cows calves and bulls of all sizes. I am trying to think if I have never seen them? Just something I have accepted about moose. I'm still here to talk about it. But now I know what they are! oh welll ignorance was bliss for a few years anyway.

[tooty]

Ate it anyways,ate it anyways,ate it aannyyways last night.....

[diggerpax]

tapeworm is for sure on the right track- part of the lifecycle is form cysts in meat of an intermediate hos like moose, then when a wolf eats it a tapeworm developes- Most likely it is the taenia krabbie, and no harm to humans. Make sure that if any of your dogs eat it that you have them dewormed and tell your vet that it has been exposed to tapeworms because many standard dewomers don't hit tapeworms. To be sure, take a frozen sample to your vet, and they will send it into the lab for you (labs don't like getting things that aren't correctly packaged) There are many many parasites that encyst in meat, and some can absolutely be dangerous- specially if you like rare meat.