# Any Butchers out there? Gut shot deer meat smell question



## Nrth16 (Sep 27, 2006)

So I shot a doe this year but it was a gut shot. So I left it over night and recovered it the following day with cooler temps. However after gutting, it had a smell to it. it was processed cut up and froze. Tonight I opened up some steaks and Tenderloins. The steaks had a minimal smell where the tenderloins smelled pretty bad. 

What is everyones thoughts as to if the meat is good or bad. No discoloration on the tenderloins just a smell. The other steaks the smell was there but was very minimal. 

Safe or not safe to eat the meat???

Thanks


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## fletched (May 10, 2006)

You can soak the meat in baking soda and water for about 4 hours then rinse really good. This will take care of the oder.


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## jasonsuch (Jan 16, 2010)

If any of the internal junk of the guts gets exposed or touches any of the meat then don't eat it. The tenderloins probably got heavily exposed to the gut mess, that's why it smells. Your hind quarters and backstraps should be fine though.


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## L.I.Archer (Sep 6, 2010)

The bacteria in the stomach got into the tenderloin meat. It'll probably be safe to eat if you cook them well done to kill off any bacteria. And soak the meat like Fletched suggests.


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## slicer (Dec 18, 2008)

Not a butcher, but from experience a gut shot deer that sits dead for awhile will basically marinate the meat in those gut juices. Hindquarters, front legs, and backstraps are going to be fine. Wouldn't use much else.


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## LeftemLeakin (Feb 19, 2007)

I wouldn't keep the tenderloins or "inner loins" on a gut shot deer if it took a while to recover. Everything else is fine.


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## Sagittarius (May 22, 2002)

I would feed it to my Bulldogs; I'm sure, they wouldn't mind. 
No offense !
A butcher once told me he would not eat any deer that had laid dead overnight, without being field dressed, no matter if it was zero outside.


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## 3dfevr#1 (Dec 1, 2008)

Sadly I took the advice of the experts this year too and waited overnight to track my nice buck. I found him no problem. It was freezing that night and he wasn't gut shot. My buddy who runs the locker said after smelling him that he wouldn't keep the meat. Said the same thing as Sagittarius said. No deer should be left overnight. Just my .02.


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## cath8r (Jan 17, 2003)

I've had that happen too. Left a gutshot doe lay overnight and recovered the next day. I butchered myself and noticed a smell. The deer ate fine but when I went to eat the inside tender loins, well, good thing I took the first bite off the BBQ before I brought them into the house. If my wife had tried them first, it would be the end of her deer eating carreer. 
As far as butchers suggesting that you shouldn't eat a deer that was left overnight, I think that butchers see the worst of the worst. Any guy that does not have a clue about game care can bring a deer in to get butchered. That might have something to do about the suggestion not to eat them. Just like cops and paramedics get to see the worst of human nature, butchers get to see deer that may have been left out for 2 days and hung for a week in 60 degree temps. 

My $.02

BTW I like butchering myself anymore. Not only to save money but I know I got all of my meat and I feel closer to the animal that I have killed. Its a nice finish to the hunt for me.


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## 260david437 (Mar 24, 2010)

Any deer you shoot spray some vinegar on it after you hang it.helps a lot


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## rickson (Jun 5, 2010)

260david437 said:


> Any deer you shoot spray some vinegar on it after you hang it.helps a lot


A simple white vinegar wipe down is a must after you drag it through mud, leaves, puddles, etc.

If I can I dress them out at home...sounds ghey but man is it cleaner and easier!


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## TauntoHawk (Aug 25, 2010)

rickson said:


> A simple white vinegar wipe down is a must after you drag it through mud, leaves, puddles, etc.
> 
> If I can I dress them out at home...sounds ghey but man is it cleaner and easier!


what does the vinegar do? i process my own deer but never heard of this


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## rickson (Jun 5, 2010)

Vinegar is the natural super-cleaner, killing mold, bacteria and germs
Found that line on some webpage.

I look at things this way.

If I ingest it and want it to be clean I use vinegar, all else bleach.


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## MOC (Jul 4, 2003)

Unless you would enjoy steaks marinated in stomach juices and intestinal matter, dispose of those tenderloins.


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## redlehr (Nov 3, 2013)

I had a deer customer get very upset at me today when I told him his deer was spoiled because it laid in the woods overnight with the guts in it. SO, I felt compelled to post this message on many hunting web sites,where people were asking about the quality of deer meat when a deer lays overnight with the guts in them....

Here is a perspective from a guy who has been hunting all his life and is running his family's meat packing business which is in its 96th year.

I've been skinning deer for over 40 years and i've seen just about everything and heard about everything when it comes to people not finding deer overnight.
You have to realize that when you let a deer in the woods overnight that is not gutted,the bacteria starts to grow,then the gas starts to build up in the deer,that's if it isn't gut shot.Even if the steam comes out of the inside of the deer the next day,you still have a certain amount of spoilage.What you don't know is when did this deer die ? How long has it been dead laying there with the nasty bacteria growing in it ? Ever heard of BOTULISM or E-COLI ?? In my experience when I discover that the deer had the guts in it overnight,I ask the customer,"Would you buy something from a meat market that smelled like this ?" OR "Is it really worth taking a chance on getting your family sick ?" What is it that people just don't get about this ? I've had a deer brought in and showed the customer the green in the inside and he asks" Can you eat that ?" REALLY ?? and then they stand there and argue that they can't smell anything ,and it's green and smells like deer guts. !!! 

When a deer lays overnight the meat will look pale(not dark red like it should) and the fat if any on the deer will look pink or reddish colored(it should be white).Those are tell tale signs of the guts in a deer overnight,not to mention the gut smell.All the cooling and aging in the world will not get rid of the stink or bacteria left from guts in a deer too long.Even if it is in the teens for temp. overnight, the deer hair is such a good insulator that the heat can't get out of the carcass.The bigger the animal,the bigger chance of spoilage.When a deer spoils, it usually is in the hams,shoulders and on big deer,the neck.These places are where the meat is the thickest and it is the last place the heat gets out.

Ask your buddies you make sausage with if they want your deer meat that layed with the guts in it,, mixed with the rest of their good meat and see what they say !!
Yes,,sometimes the meat might be ok after it has laid with the guts in it, and we have salvaged deer with limited waste. I've seen too much and smelled too much rotten deer meat in my life to tell someone to go ahead and eat an overnight non gutted deer.
The bottom line is ,I won't let anyone eat anything I wouldn't eat myself and that seems to have been working for our plant for 96+ years.


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## Mike V. (Aug 28, 2010)

I butcher my own deer and am careful to not let meat go to waste. However, my policy on salvaging meat from over-nighters and gut shot situations is when in doubt, throw it out. I discourage wanton waste, but questionable meat returned to the woods is always consumed.


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## IAWoodsman (Nov 30, 2012)

Mike V. said:


> I butcher my own deer and am careful to not let meat go to waste. However, my policy on salvaging meat from over-nighters and gut shot situations is when in doubt, throw it out. I discourage wanton waste, but questionable meat returned to the woods is always consumed.


Agreed. And those tenderloins are right in there with the guts, I wouldn't eat those on a gut shot deer.


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## lwood10 (Jan 26, 2009)

If it stinks: throw it out, if it doesn't: eat it. I have left deer over night and minus the tenderloins the deer were fine on cool nights. Coloration of the meat is and indicator as well as smell as mentioned above.


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## 17er (Oct 29, 2020)

Here's a one-off. My mid-October buck was making occasional visits to the neighbor's corn pile but had mostly green stuff in his rumen. I double-lunged him and he ran maybe 35 yds and was field dressed w/in 30 minutes. His gut smelled EXACTLY like Kalamata olives!


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