AGHHH... is my meat spoiled?

[shottyshooter]

Help!

My bear was gutted asap skinned & quartered in the shade by the cool river air etc. and ultimately in the fridge within 5hrs.

Fast forward just over 24hrs and I'm going to finish de-boning and freeze it until I get it pepperonied but there are little spots of whitish larvae (look like sawdust almost) on the surface. I assume they are maggots. Can I wash and freeze to save it or am I screwed?

:cry:

[Jeff88]

no there not maggots ,,there a harmless parasite ...post a pic if u got one

[835]

A pic would be good....
but, bears conatin parasites... 175 Deg kills everything.

[shottyshooter]

Thanks guys... I was working on the pic thing but my two little ones are keeping me running - which is why I didn't get to the meat when I intended too...

I threw it all in the freezer for now and will try to get a pic up tonight. I guess wash, cut, freeze and then do the pepperoni thing whenever I can?

[1980skywalker]

If you got it in the fridge within 5 hours you are fine. Take it to the butcher and he will deal with any meat that is spoiled but I don't think you have anything at all to worry about. Last year we brought a moose back and conditions were very warm and travel time was very long. By the time we finally got it to the butcher you could barely even stand the smell but he cut into it and smelled the inside and said it was fine. He was able to save most of it, leave it to the proffesionals. As I said if you had 5 hours to the fridge you are totally fine...

[604redneck]

I just freeze bear meat for 6 weeks then make sure to cook it to 175/180 but ya it sounds like u got it in the cooler in good time

[ryanshaw44]

I just shot a bear on sunday, cleaned and skinned it and hung it in my shed for sunday and monday because the butcher was closed! I had fans on it the whole time and took it in tuesday. They said it was fine. I'm sure yours is fine

[ncurrie]

you could wash it with vinegar and water and then freeze it, that will help until you take it to the butcher.

[Gr8 white hunter]

wipe the meat down with vinegar.

[cameron0518]

sounds like fly ( the big flies) maggots to me. Exactly like they look like if they are just on the surface and not imbedded in the meat. Not nice but wash it off and its fine if you can get past the mental part of it.

[ufishifish2]

x2
Sounds like flys laid eggs on it to me too.

[SimilkameenSlayer]

sounds like great curry meat. a slow cooker is your friend.

;)

[shottyshooter]

First attempt at inserting a photo....

They are little clumps of skinny little "rice". Clumps are relatively few and far between but each clump has like a hundred of these teeny rice looking things. I did have flies on me within minutes of opening the bear and they were all over my game bags as I put the meat into them. For that matter some of the clumps are on the outside of the game bags.

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q539/ic_contracting/P1070153.jpg

[Jelvis]

You got baby flies and they are maggots. Squirming and writhing soon, wiggling and jiggling.
Slimy and stinky. I would have hurled by now.
Jel .. How did you not hurl? If you swallow maggots like these they hatch in your intestines and crawl out your butt

[vortex hunter]

X2 Maggots

[shottyshooter]

LOL!

I'm not entirely comfortable with it but I'm not squeemish. Besides I already enjoyed the tenderloin the night I got home with it. Pounded Montreal steak spice into it and then marinated in balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, squirt of lemon juice and then beer. Roasted that with bacon, onions and potatoes until I had an internal temp. over 170. Was a bit chewy but good.

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q539/ic_contracting/P1070141.jpg

[shottyshooter]

Here's the bear...

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q539/ic_contracting/bear.jpg

He's my first kill - and apparently a source of great learning.

[Brambles]

blowfly eggs, scrape them off and wash it down, you'll be fine

They will blow right through a cheesecloth game bag, you need a good gamebag to keep them buggers from getting eggs on your meat

[boxhitch]

Eggs, soon to be larvae.
Take time and wipe them off, you will feel better about eating the meat later.

[Jelvis]

shotty, can you feel anything moving yet in your lower intestines?

[shottyshooter]

shotty, can you feel anything moving yet in your lower intestines?

Yeah...but I think it's just gas. LOL!

[The Dude]

Like others have said, in warm weather, a Vinegar and water "Douche" *ahem* is your best friend. (Douche is french for shower, so don't anyone get all uppity and such :D )
Lacking that, a bag of cracked peppercorns works wonders, rubbed into freshly skinned moist meat.

[sjo]

First attempt at inserting a photo....

They are little clumps of skinny little "rice". Clumps are relatively few and far between but each clump has like a hundred of these teeny rice looking things. I did have flies on me within minutes of opening the bear and they were all over my game bags as I put the meat into them. For that matter some of the clumps are on the outside of the game bags.

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q539/ic_contracting/P1070153.jpg

Save those little rice things! Maybe let em grow a little longer and you'll have good sized maggotts for Kokanee bait!

[835]

Yep, As have been said Blow flies. I had that happen to a Whitetail.... wipe it down and yer fine.

That is why Game bags in the warmer months are good.. Even then some times.

[BlacktailStalker]

Meat usually starts to go green/sour when it spoils, then purple. If it looks like larvae, it is exactly that.