Gut shot meat taint?

[mungojeerie]

Hey Guys,
I've never had anything gut shot before, but the first mulie I took of this year was. His body was quite a bit more angled than I thought, entry point was good, but bullet travelled through him on a good angle and he was therefore gut shot.

I did my best to clean it well, before it went to the butcher I brought it home, hung it up out back off the bobcat's forks and hosed the heck out of it, and I cut away a lot of the meat surrounding the entry wound and a damaged area inside.

I was pretty happy with the cleaning job I did and felt comforted that all would be well aside from a bit of meat loss from what I cut away.

That deer went to a butcher in 100 mile, who I have used many times and has always done a great job. I have been eating meat from the last two deer I got here in region 2 as my reg.5 deer was in my buddies freezer.

He brought it down for me this past weekend and as I was loading it into my freezer I thought Id grab some ground for shepards pie, thawed the ground out it looked good, started cooking it and all was well, but when it got to about 1/2 way cooked all of the sudden I was overcome with the smell of gutshot. It was horrible, Ive never had that before and it was thoroughly gross. I hoping that it pertains to just the ground as I imagine what gets put in there, Im hoping the steaks, roasts and stew meat are still good.

Has anyone experienced this? is this common with gutshot animals? do you think other cuts of meat will be "tainted" too or likely just the ground?

Also I've seen on here before people looking for meat for dog food, do you think they will want the ground?, I'll have to do a search for unwanted game meat posts.

[doubled]

Gut shot animals have to be cleaned thoroughly. We have had the odd one through the years and we ALWAYS butcher them ourselves as I am REALLY picky when it comes to that. Anything that is discoloured or tainted hits the garbage.

Time is money for butchers so what you bring them is what you will get back for the most part. They will basically throw most scraps into the ground so that is one reason why I prefer to do it myself.

There is something to be said about head shots if you can get close enough.

I would hope your steaks/roasts are ok but time will tell. Maybe make some sausage???

[BiG Boar]

learn the gutless method. Learn how to cut your own steaks.

1. you get your deer back 99% of the time

2. you save money

3. it will never smell of gut shot

[mungojeerie]

Learn the gutless method?

Like I said I've never had a gut shot animal before. This deer was about 135yds away, I had no rest with me and I tried dropping to my knee but the deer was out of sight at that angle, I didn't feel confident in the head shot I wanted so I went for the boiler, trouble was I thought he was more broadside, but he was actually on quite a bit if an angle.

I was happy with my cleaning job but obviously there was an issue.

My 2nd deer this year went to a butcher in hatzic and my 3rd deer was a sweet head shot right between the eyes, I have always wanted to try self butchering but have been hesitant of ruining my meat. This year I figured, I already have two deer at the butchers, I'm doing this one myself.

A friend helped me and it was time consuming as I was very picky with removing connective tissues, silver skin etc. time wise I felt the butcher was better value though keep in mind as a first timer it is expected to be slower. Quality wise... I am happier with my home butcher job, though the fellow in hatzic did a fantastic job!

next season I plan on home butchering again :)

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Gutless method would be your best friend.

I gutshot my very first deer. We wiped it out as much as possible and butchered it ourselves(I watched).
Still never forget that smell.

SSS

[BiG Boar]

Don't worry so much about connective tissue. Take your roast out of the freezer or steaks and trim them as you do you marinade or rub. The butcher sure doesn't worry about it. It will only take you 1-2 minutes when you're about to eat it, and it acts as a natural meat saver from freezer burn. (Somewhat)

by the time you've done 3-4 animals, you'll have it down to no time at all.

[Krico]

Learn the gutless method?


Don't be offended. Gutless method is a way of removing 95% of the meat without opening the body cavity, not a reference to shot placement. It eliminates the chance of your meat, and your knives, coming in contact with the guts. Only the tenderloins require you to saw through a couple ribs to get in at them, the rest comes off first. If you do a site search guys have described the method in detail. It works great!

[hunter1993ap]

you cant make every shot perfect. the only time i will use the gutless meathod is if an animal is gutshot, so definately learn how to take off the quarters without pulling the guts out. if you do take the guts out hose the shit out of it! i've had a few gutshot deer and you will get a little tainted meat but most should be good, if you clean it up.

[Gateholio]

Yup, do the gutless method. Gut shot or any shot, the gutless method is fast, no muss, no fuss and gets your meat cooling down much faster than the traditional method of gutting an animal.

[BiG Boar]

Only the tenderloins require you to saw through a couple ribs to get in at them

Not true. You can remove the tenderloins with just your knife. You don't have to go into the gut sack to get them either.

Once you go gutless you'll never gut again.

[mungojeerie]

Ahhhh ok thank you for the clarification! I was definitely misinterpreting that comment. Gutless method eh, never heard of it, though I am intrigued :)

I will look into it, but thinking about this brings up another question. I never leave geitalia on my animals I always leave the head attached. My buddy akways leaves genitalia and removes the head, this year he also started leaving the tail as someone he knows ran into trouble with the CO's because his deer was obviously a buck, but nothing to prove species, was it a whitetail or mulie?

which brings me to wonder what people do who debone their animals. I have never done a horseback trip nor have I done any goat or sheep hunting etc that require long backpack trips. No animal of mine has ever come out in less than quarters.

If you debone an animal in the bush what are your legal requirements as proof of sex/species for transport?

[hunter1993ap]

Only the tenderloins require you to saw through a couple ribs to get in at them

Not true. You can remove the tenderloins with just your knife. You don't have to go into the gut sack to get them either.

Once you go gutless you'll never gut again.

not entirely true, i still will gut the deer and elk i get. i'm quick enough to deal with the meat in hot weather, and probably just as fast or faster to get the meat boned out without dealing with each quarter sepearately. i do like the gutless meathod for cirtain circumstances but will still take the guts out in most situations.

[BiG Boar]

not entirely true, i still will gut the deer and elk i get. i'm quick enough to deal with the meat in hot weather, and probably just as fast or faster to get the meat boned out without dealing with each quarter sepearately. i do like the gutless meathod for cirtain circumstances but will still take the guts out in most situations.

In what circumstances would you want to gut over gutless?

Only reasons to gut would be ribs (elk, moose, buffalo) and to get organ meat.

At some point, someone is cutting off the arms and legs. Why pay a butcher for extra weight you're not eating?

[ROM]

Butcher yourself. every five years i take one to the butcher and regret it.

[bccanadian]

Youtube has a few videos on how to field dress an elk and a moose, using the "gutless" method.

[hunter1993ap]

In what circumstances would you want to gut over gutless?

Only reasons to gut would be ribs (elk, moose, buffalo) and to get organ meat.

At some point, someone is cutting off the arms and legs. Why pay a butcher for extra weight you're not eating?

i normally take the organs out, plus i'm faster dealing with the rest of the animal with the guts out. i also dont deal with a butcher as my dad is one and i have learned how to deal with the animal myself. if possible i prefer to hang the whole animal but that doesnt normaly happen. when my dad and i are together we have a prety good system and we're quite quick to get things dealt with. this might sound backwards but i am neater dealing with the whole animal than when you pull each quarter off. i'm sure if i had as much practice with the gutless as i do with taking the guts out it would be fine. its just my preferance, i have done it both ways and prefer taking the guts out.

[Gateholio]

Ahhhh ok thank you for the clarification! I was definitely misinterpreting that comment. Gutless method eh, never heard of it, though I am intrigued :)

I will look into it, but thinking about this brings up another question. I never leave geitalia on my animals I always leave the head attached. My buddy akways leaves genitalia and removes the head, this year he also started leaving the tail as someone he knows ran into trouble with the CO's because his deer was obviously a buck, but nothing to prove species, was it a whitetail or mulie?

which brings me to wonder what people do who debone their animals. I have never done a horseback trip nor have I done any goat or sheep hunting etc that require long backpack trips. No animal of mine has ever come out in less than quarters.

If you debone an animal in the bush what are your legal requirements as proof of sex/species for transport?

Leave the nuts attached to one hindquarter. Leave enough hair around it to make it obvious what species the animal is.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Leave the nuts attached to one hindquarter. Leave enough hair around it to make it obvious what species the animal is.


Yep. You can't go wrong with a set of hairy nuts.
No one will argue that.

SSS

[bugler]

In what circumstances would you want to gut over gutless?

Only reasons to gut would be ribs (elk, moose, buffalo) and to get organ meat.

At some point, someone is cutting off the arms and legs. Why pay a butcher for extra weight you're not eating?

My butcher once told me that one of the benefits of hanging a whole carcass is that the weight helps pull on the tissues and helps to tenderize the meat as it hangs. So, if I can get it out whole I will gut and hang, but I would probably get rid of any meat that may have been in contact with guts.

[Gateholio]

My butcher once told me that one of the benefits of hanging a whole carcass is that the weight helps pull on the tissues and helps to tenderize the meat as it hangs. So, if I can get it out whole I will gut and hang, but I would probably get rid of any meat that may have been in contact with guts.

Yes, that's true, but it works with bone in quarters, too. What happens is that when rigor sets in, the meat cut will try to contract. If you leave the bone in, the meat attached to the bone prevents that, but if you cut it off the bone before or prior to rigor, there is nothing keeping it from contracting and getting tough. Leaving animals in their largest workable pieces is better than deboning it right on the spot- if you have a choice. I think the benefits of getting the animal cooled as fast as possible via gutless method- leaving the bone in- outweigh the very slight negative of not leaving the carcass whole

[mungojeerie]

I just watched the gutless method on YouTube with an elk. Actually pretty impressive. Usually for deer I gut and leave hide attached to keep meat clean during transport if the weather is cold enough. Then when I get it back to home, camp etc I hang it by the head and start skinning the hide away right up by the skull and working my way down. Then if temp/time permit I let it hang for a few days before going to the butchers.

The last deer this year in which I butchered myself was butchered the day it was shot.

I'm not sure if I will try the gutless method right off the bat, now that I'm butchering myself if I were to drop something a great distance from a vehicle or it was a large animal to big to move without halving or quartering then I think this gutless method would be great and if I'm ever unfortunate to end up with another gut shot animal, then I'm definitely going to try this method.

I personally don't do organ meat, but I have friends that are happy for heart and liver and another friend that takes lungs and some glands etc for use in dog food, I like the idea of as much of the animal being used as possible, not that much goes to waste in the wild.

[Jelvis]

That's where ECOLIE comes from the guts, and intestines mixed together like a toxin, poisoning the meat with death to the eater. Whoa! Not good I'd pass on the inards and cut the back and legs off, leave the rest, cuz the gut is up into the A soph a loff e gus and out the nostrils, the ribs, backbone, and tenderloin are tainted meat, be descreet, leave the meat, on the inside facing the on slot of gut and stomach acid blown apart by a high powered rifle and the bullet blew the guts into oblivion
Bang your head leave it in the bush, take all the edible out and the wild will take care of the E-Coli.
Jel
.. --

[BCKyle]

I 100% agree with Jelly! ... I think... well... I'll take your word for it Jel!

I don't have much experience but I shot my first mulie this year and the first bullet hit him a bit low and back of the money spot... some panicky threads on here sorted things out for me. I washed it all down carefully after getting it home, trimmed everything carefully and everything but the tenderloins has been delicious. careful washing meant not hosing (as people told me it could blow contaminants into between muscle layers and make it worse) but just a bucket of clean water and a rag and wiping it all down after I hung it. After picking/wiping off any hair I left the legs to hang for 24 hours before butchering; they got a nice tough but not overly thick (wasteful) skin on them and carved up great after I trimmed it off. But I am glad I butchered it myself because I know what happened to each and every little piece. And I was really watchful for any suspicious pieces that might have been tainted!!! To trust a butcher you'd have to really know the guy and go back. Good butchers are probably like good mechanics, plumbers, and electricians: tricky to find sometimes and once you do you want to keep on good terms with them cause good luck finding another one.

Hope the rest of your deer is tasty. I know what you mean about the gutshot flavour/smell... my tenderloins were just about inedible. Won't forget that taste/smell any time soon.

[Jelvis]

It's unfortunate when you hit the gut and only once or twice to learn to think, b4 pulling the trigger, about angle of the shot line thru the deer from entry to exit, and making sure it's not thru the gut sack.
Everyone sooner or later might hit the gut, but when it happens, it's always the shooters fault. Then we should learn, don't get buck fever, and calmly, slowly, look, observe and judge the shot first b4 pulling the trigger, not always under control so try to think about a lousy gut shot, the worst kind, so wait til it stops, and stands broadside, behind the shoulder, BAM!
Look for a rest for your rifle real quick and use it to steady your shot

[hunter1947]

I have gut shot a few deer over my hunting days one was a 4x5 WT buck I shot him just before I lost shooting light tried to find him no luck left the deer till the next morning.

We went back first daylight picked up on the trail had gone about 100 yards and there there he lay just like a dog would lay down ,he was stiff but still warm inside the body after tagging and then cleaning this buck we took it back to our camp dumped it in the cold stream water cleaned it real good then hung it up on the meat pole and skinned the deer all smelt well.

I eat this deer over the winter early spring months to follow the deer tasted as good as any other deer I had over the years ,,one thing that I did do I did not keep any of the meat that was surrounding the inside rib cavity ,,maybe you kept the meat surrounding the inner rib cavity ??? I am sure that your legs meat ,back straps will task ok when you cook them ,,just a thought is it possible that you did not get back your own meat ??? this can happen even if you have a butcher you can trust....

[The Dude]

"Gut Shot meat taint"

Well, where did you shoot it, the gut or the Taint?

One of our guys gut shot a deer once. We were careful to trim n' toss anything with any 'sawdust' on it to the hounds, clean the rest thoroughly, and freeze it straight away.
Gutless or not, learn how to do it yourself. Keep everything super clean, and use fresh, clean pork fat in your burger, about 20-25% is my preference.

[.330 Dakota]

Learn the gutless method?

Like I said I've never had a gut shot animal before. This deer was about 135yds away, I had no rest with me and I tried dropping to my knee but the deer was out of sight at that angle, I didn't feel confident in the head shot I wanted so I went for the boiler, trouble was I thought he was more broadside, but he was actually on quite a bit if an angle.

I was happy with my cleaning job but obviously there was an issue.

My 2nd deer this year went to a butcher in hatzic and my 3rd deer was a sweet head shot right between the eyes, I have always wanted to try self butchering but have been hesitant of ruining my meat. This year I figured, I already have two deer at the butchers, I'm doing this one myself.

A friend helped me and it was time consuming as I was very picky with removing connective tissues, silver skin etc. time wise I felt the butcher was better value though keep in mind as a first timer it is expected to be slower. Quality wise... I am happier with my home butcher job, though the fellow in hatzic did a fantastic job!

next season I plan on home butchering again :)

What Big Boar is saying is that instead of field dressing a "gut shot" animal, just cut the quarters off it and leave the body (torso) right there where you dropped it. Take only the front and hind quarters,,,problem solved, as the rest is ruined anyway

[Jelvis]

Don't forget the back straps are still good also, skin the hide back and expose the back straps, then cut them out and take home for the table with Betty Grable.

[BCKyle]

mmmm backstraps.... my favourite bit! Plus super easy to butcher... Maybe tonight is steak night.

[KTownKiller]

I had a deer that was gut shot with my crossbow this year. The arrow hit the lungs, but somehow angled back and just opened up the stomach. Yuk! :cry: I gutted it like normal, cleaned as good as I could with snow and blood. Got it home and washed with water as soon as possible. Then I spayed vinegar on it and scrubbed and scaped away any and ALL green stuff. Then I rinsed off again and again with water. This is what my butcher said to do. Turned out great without even throwing away anything! Even the ribs are good! But I REALLY washed, and pealed off the thin layer of tissue on the inside of the ribs where it was green with stomach content. I quess the vinegar helps kill the bacteria or something. It works with NO waste.:) I'm allways goíng to have some vinegar around whenever possible

[mungojeerie]

Thanks all for your input and for sharing your experiences. I will at some time try the gutless method and post me experience with it. Im going to shoot Raptors Ridge (raptor rehab) an email and see if they have any use for the unwanted ground as raptor food, I may just toss the tenderloins in too to be safe, that is a foul smell that I don't wish to experience again.

[325]

Another vote for gutless.

[andrewscag]

Snowy owls are having a really rough year too. If you're ever out in Ladner that might be an idea as well.

[KevinB]

That's where ECOLIE comes from the guts, and intestines mixed together like a toxin, poisoning the meat with death to the eater. Whoa! Not good I'd pass on the inards and cut the back and legs off, leave the rest, cuz the gut is up into the A soph a loff e gus and out the nostrils, the ribs, backbone, and tenderloin are tainted meat, be descreet, leave the meat, on the inside facing the on slot of gut and stomach acid blown apart by a high powered rifle and the bullet blew the guts into oblivion
Bang your head leave it in the bush, take all the edible out and the wild will take care of the E-Coli.
Jel
.. --

Jeez Jell, with that advice you're goint to have the dude leaving half his deer in the bush. "death to the eater"? what you smoking man? Not trying to rain on your parade, but that's sh*tty advice.

There's more than one kind of E coli and the stuff inside a herbivore's gut isn't about to kill you dead. And intact muscle tissue is pretty resistant to stuff, it isn't like a sponge. The backstraps and tenderloin would be fine, unless the bullet went through them and dragged a bunch of gut contents with them, in which case you just need to trim around the bullet wound, same as with bloodshot.

I think either the OP got someone else's deer, or he hung it for too long too warm, or he's "imagining" the smell. If he cleaned it out and trimmed it as well as he says it should be fine.