HELP! Infection in meat - is any safe to consume?

[VixChix]

We're butchering our buck today - and found that there was an old wound in the front quarter - under the shoulder the membranes were green and it was STINKY! Looks like an old shot. I won't post photos here as they might be considered too graphic but if you want to see them copy & paste the links:

http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u104 ... 011048.jpg

http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u104 ... 011052.jpg

We immediately decided not to use anything forward of the hips aside from the backstraps (ribs were pretty damaged anyway.)

I wanted to know what everyone thinks about whether the hindquarters would still be suitable to eat.

Thought I'd ask before I put anymore in the freezer.

I personally would tend to be overly cautious but what is reasonable?

Anyone?

[leonk]

looks good to me - don't eat anything that looks septic.
Was the deer otherwise healthy looking - moving around ok and well fed? if you don't want the meat - give me a shout - I will pick it up for the dog, at least

[SPITFIRE]

If in doubt, notify the game dept. They will probably issue you a new tag if the deer is not editable. Why take a chance?

[wabi]

If it was a wound with a little white pus I might trim it away and go ahead and use the meat, but that green is probably dead tissue (gangrene) and the infection has probably spread.

I'd use that deer for coyote bait.

[onebigskittle]

I wouldnt even give it to the dogs ...you can get another deer but you cant get another you or replace your dog if its bad.

[DaGriz]

Appears to be a bad infections which has turned putrid. I wouldn't chance the easting the meat or even giving it to my dogs. The infection causes poisonous bacteria which can migrate through the blood . I could be wrong but.........
not worth taking a chance .

[Hoss]

Trash it Moni not worth taken any chances.......

Be good to lay out for some yote killn...

[DanO]

I'd call a butcher or some one from OMAFRA. They'd be able to give you a more expert opinion. If the infection is systemic I wouldn't eat it.

Dan O.

[DirtyGun]

I'm really not sure you want to chance it Monica. If it is gangrenous, then it spreads through the body and begins to break down tissue over time. The front of the deer has obviously been taken over by the bacteria and it was probably only a matter of time for the back end, where the bacteria is probably already present.

You should contact the MNR and see if someone can come in to look at it just to be certain.

[one shot scott]

While searching the web for an answer i came across many different parasites/diseases that deer may have. Kind of scary! This is one thing I found about infections:

When deciding if an animal is fit to eat, consider the following:

if possible, before you take a shot watch the animal and see if it is showing any signs of sickness. Is it moving around easily? Does it appear maimed or injured in any way?
does the animal look unusually skinny or underweight (especially if there is plenty of food around)?
does the animal have any wounds or signs of infection? Are they localised in one area, or in several places on the body?
does the animal’s coat look normal? Animals like deer, chamois, or tahr usually have shiny coats (except during the moult). Pigs have much coarser hair, and their coat is unlikely to be a good indicator of health
when the animal is first cut open, are there any signs of infection or disease? Does it smell unusually bad? Do any organs look inflamed, swollen or diseased?
If a wound or infection is localised to one area, this part of the animal can be trimmed off the carcass and discarded.

If the animal looks to be in poor condition overall (eg, has several open and infected wounds, is underweight, and when you cut open the animal the gut looks infected and/ or shows signs of disease) you may decide not to continue.

[leonk]

If in doubt, notify the game dept. They will probably issue you a new tag if the deer is not editable. Why take a chance?

MNR (ON deer cops) would be unlikely to issue another tag, JMO don't get me started on this topic

[Riflemanz]

Throw it to the coyotes! I wouldn't eat any of it.

[leonk]

While searching the web for an answer i came across many different parasites/diseases that deer may have. Kind of scary! This is one thing I found about infections:

When deciding if an animal is fit to eat, consider the following:

if possible, before you take a shot watch the animal and see if it is showing any signs of sickness. Is it moving around easily? Does it appear maimed or injured in any way?
does the animal look unusually skinny or underweight (especially if there is plenty of food around)?
does the animal have any wounds or signs of infection? Are they localised in one area, or in several places on the body?
does the animal’s coat look normal? Animals like deer, chamois, or tahr usually have shiny coats (except during the moult). Pigs have much coarser hair, and their coat is unlikely to be a good indicator of health
when the animal is first cut open, are there any signs of infection or disease? Does it smell unusually bad? Do any organs look inflamed, swollen or diseased?
If a wound or infection is localised to one area, this part of the animal can be trimmed off the carcass and discarded.

If the animal looks to be in poor condition overall (eg, has several open and infected wounds, is underweight, and when you cut open the animal the gut looks infected and/ or shows signs of disease) you may decide not to continue.

that's what I said in not so many words

[TPM]

I called a friend who dealt with the same situation a few years ago. He had a deer with three buckshot pellet wounds that became infected, two just below the skin and one in the chest cavity. He called the MNR and they directed him to a Government meat agency. They told him to cut 6-8 inches away from any discolouration and discard the bad meat. The rest of the meat should be fine.

[one shot scott]

that's what I said in not so many words

Proof that your a smart guy

The more info the better. I found it interesting that internal organs may show signs. I think moni is ok to trim out the infected tissue. imagine the things we eat that we cannot see in an otherwise healthy animal.