Gut Shot Whitey

[Tronneroi]

for the past few weeks I've been taking my good buddy out trying to get his first deer. Well, it all happened for him this past Saturday afternoon.

We were both in stands probably 500 yards from each other overlooking some nice bushy habitat. I heard him fire off a shot and about a minute or two later I watched a deer passing slowly in front of my blind at about 30 yards. I dropped the deer and went down to investigate just as my buddy was rounding the trail. He had snuck a round in about 3 to 4 inches behind the front shoulder on an angle and hit the gut sack.

I've been fortunate enough to have never made a gut shot before so this was the first time I'd ever had to deal with one.

We gutted out the deer and splashed about a liter of water into the stomach cavity to clean it out as best we could, took it home, hung it and skinned it.

We cooked up the ternderloins later on that night after washing the heck out of them and boy were they nasty! Definitely tasted like it smelled when we had it in the bush.

He felt pretty bad about making a less than ideal shot, I was just glad the deer had made it's way over to my tree stand before we had to spend the rest of the afternoon following a very faint blood trail.

How will this affect the rest of the meat? I would guess that the quarters should be okay, but what about the backstrap? Anyone have any insight they could offer?

[HuntingAlberta]

This time of year, it may just be signs of the rut. Clean up the meat as best you can and try a couple steaks from another location. If it all tastes gross, look to making it into sausages or other strong cuts - pepperoni, etc.

[sharpstick]

The tenderloins are in a location that would get contaminated from the gut shot but I don't think any other meat should of been contaminated. I'm sure the rest will be fine as long as care was taken during the gutting/skinning.

[Dean2]

It has zero to do with this being the rut. The stomach acid will taint any meat it touches and you cannot wash off the taste. We cut out any meat that has been tainted or touched and leave it with the gut pile. Nothing you can do to it will mask that flavour, you will just waste a bunch of money making sausage you can't eat.

Two things to learn from this, obviously don't gut shoot them but just as important don't perforate the gut while cleaning and two, easiest time to identify what meat has been tainted is when first cleaning. Contain the mess and cut out the tainted meat right away. Tainted meat touching non-tainted will just taint even more meat. Washing the stomach fluids onto other meat will also taint that meat.

Sorry it worked out his way but you have learned something valuable and at least you didn't taint a whole moose or elk.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by Dean2

It has zero to do with this being the rut. The stomach acid will taint any meat it touches and you cannot wash off the taste. We cut out any meat that has been tainted or touched and leave it with the gut pile. Nothing you can do to it will mask that flavour, you will just waste a bunch of money making sausage you can't eat.

Two things to learn from this, obviously don't gut shoot them but just as important don't perforate the gut while cleaning and two, easiest time to identify what meat has been tainted is when first cleaning. Contain the mess and cut out the tainted meat right away. Tainted meat touching non-tainted will just taint even more meat. Washing the stomach fluids onto other meat will also taint that meat.

Sorry it worked out his way but you have learned something valuable and at least you didn't taint a whole moose or elk.

Good advise...one if the reasons I’d prefer back straps to tenderloins. They seem to get contaminated so easily.

[Dean2]

One other piece of advice, if we think the gut has been perforated we remove all four quarters and the backstraps BEFORE, gutting the animal. Google Gutless cleaning method for some good videos on how to do this. This makes sure you don't spread the stomach acid to any of the major meat groups that are outside the chest cavity.

[Hogie135]

Originally Posted by Dean2

One other piece of advice, if we think the gut has been perforated we remove all four quarters and the backstraps BEFORE, gutting the animal. Google Gutless cleaning method for some good videos on how to do this. This makes sure you don't spread the stomach acid to any of the major meat groups that are outside the chest cavity.

We did this last week on our deer trip. one of our group gut shot a WT. Tracked the animal into the thickest of thick brush. After bumping the animal 4 times I said enough and we left it overnight. Went back the next morning and found her stiff as a board 70 yards from where I last bumped her. We quartered and left the guts alone as well as the tenderloins. Those were the only things ruined. Rest of the meat was fine including backstraps.

[KegRiver]

Dean is right.

Many years ago I did exactly what your buddy did. quartering shot made it through to the ponch.

Cleaned it as best I could and butchered it. Some cuts were nasty nasty.
So I trimmed off the surface of those cuts and wound up with one of the best Deer I have ever harvested.

All it took was trimming off an 1/8" off those cuts that came in contact with the ponch contents. All the rest of the meat was fine as is.

[Redfrog]

I like to make sausage with the tainted meat. It makes great holiday gifts for inlaws and those at work who always say " Wow you're lucky to get a deer. Where's my steak, jerky, sausage?

[Tronneroi]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Dean is right.

Many years ago I did exactly what your buddy did. quartering shot made it through to the ponch.

Cleaned it as best I could and butchered it. Some cuts were nasty nasty.
So I trimmed off the surface of those cuts and wound up with one of the best Deer I have ever harvested.

All it took was trimming off an 1/8" off those cuts that came in contact with the ponch contents. All the rest of the meat was fine as is.

That's good to know Keg. I'll be sure to keep that in mind when we butcher it this weekend.

[Tronneroi]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

I like to make sausage with the tainted meat. It makes great holiday gifts for inlaws and those at work who always say " Wow you're lucky to get a deer. Where's my steak, jerky, sausage?

Haha not a bad idea!

[HunterDave]

I never had any big issue with bad taste from a little stomach content, etc inside the deer. After gutting I fill the cavity with snow until it stops melting and then dump it out. When it's hanging I wipe down the cavity with a damp cloth. I think that it would have to be sitting for awhile for any contamination to go from the cavity and into the back strap. Just don't eat the meat between the ribs. It should be fine especially if the tenders were good.

[58thecat]

Lessons learned by all, wash, clean, remove contaminated meat, the rest will be fine....the only time I had a rank deer was I shot it as it was engaged in an all out brawl...meat stank, milky like crap just gross....he was a gooder and if he wasn't I would have them them carry on....

[Tronneroi]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

I never had any big issue with bad taste from a little stomach content, etc inside the deer. After gutting I fill the cavity with snow until it stops melting and then dump it out. When it's hanging I wipe down the cavity with a damp cloth. I think that it would have to be sitting for awhile for any contamination to go from the cavity and into the back strap. Just don't eat the meat between the ribs. It should be fine especially if the tenders were good.

The tenderlion was really bad, it even cooked up funny. Really sinewy. I figured that had something to do with the stomach contents as well.

[Mountain Guy]

Your meat will be fine..

[Mountain Guy]

and don't worry about the consistency of the t loin. Freshly killed and eaten meat ( usually the t loin) will be different than the rest of it that gets to rest and age a bit.

[buckbrush]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

I like to make sausage with the tainted meat. It makes great holiday gifts for inlaws and those at work who always say " Wow you're lucky to get a deer. Where's my steak, jerky, sausage?

Golden. Also throw in all the back fat and silverskin.

[AndrewM]

Originally Posted by Tronneroi

The tenderlion was really bad, it even cooked up funny. Really sinewy. I figured that had something to do with the stomach contents as well.

Do back straps get affected by rigor mortis? That could cause the sinewy leathery texture.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by AndrewM

Do back straps get affected by rigor mortis? That could cause the sinewy leathery texture.

They do.

I was taught to let all red meat age for a minimum of 48 hours or at least until rigour left the carcass.

The old timers used to say you could eat organs before they cooled if you wished to, but muscle had to age or it would make you sick.

I found this on a UBC page;

Post mortem aging at the resolution stage of rigor mortis helps eliminate actomyosin toughness, but not background toughness.

[AndrewM]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

They do.

I was taught to let all red meat age for a minimum of 48 hours or at least until rigour left the carcass.

The old timers used to say you could eat organs before they cooled if you wished to, but muscle had to age or it would make you sick.

I found this on a UBC page;

Read a study the other day about waiting for 24-48 hours for rigor to go away so looks like you were taught well! Was curious if deer needed to be hanged or not so got started reading. Usually I cut mine up right away but I leave the meat for 48 hours or longer in the fridge which I was thinking should do the same thing. I have heard people talk about frying up tenderloin right away but maybe they get away with it as it’s usually very tender meat.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by Dean2

One other piece of advice, if we think the gut has been perforated we remove all four quarters and the backstraps BEFORE, gutting the animal. Google Gutless cleaning method for some good videos on how to do this. This makes sure you don't spread the stomach acid to any of the major meat groups that are outside the chest cavity.

This x 1000. Other thing is, if you take a frontal shot the guts will be ruptured, so in those cases just do gutless. Don’t do a “well let’s see” and open it up.

Throw out anything that smells. You won’t get rid of it with vinegar or water or anything else. Backstraps can get tainted if it sits for a while with the ruptured guts in, but since you dealt with it quick, as long as your knife was clean it should be ok.

Also don’t ever wash an animal, all you are doing is spreading bacteria, glandular secretions, oils, dirt etc. with no benefit at all.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by 3blade

Also don’t ever wash an animal, all you are doing is spreading bacteria, glandular secretions, oils, dirt etc. with no benefit at all.

I second this. When I was working as a guide we often had to hang meet for several days before we could get it to a cooler.
If we washed it it would start to spoil in a day or two, if we didn't, it was okay for up to a week depending on the weather.

We did wipe it down with a damp cloth or paper towel if there was dirt or stomach contents on the carcass. That didn't seem to effect anything.

Blood film was left alone. I was told that a thin flim of blood protected the meat from bacteria. It seemed to be true.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by AndrewM

Read a study the other day about waiting for 24-48 hours for rigor to go away so looks like you were taught well! Was curious if deer needed to be hanged or not so got started reading. Usually I cut mine up right away but I leave the meat for 48 hours or longer in the fridge which I was thinking should do the same thing. I have heard people talk about frying up tenderloin right away but maybe they get away with it as it’s usually very tender meat.

I would think that the faster the meat cools the faster rigour leaves the meat.
So cutting off the backstraps and putting them in a fridge may well accelerate the process enough for them to be okay in 24 hours or even less.

I never really believed the bit about fresh meat making you sick. That doesn't make sense to me. I think it more likely may have a slight laxitive effect if not completly cooled, other then that my guess is that any aging is more about tenderizing then anything.

[AndrewM]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I would think that the faster the meat cools the faster rigour leaves the meat.
So cutting off the backstraps and putting them in a fridge may well accelerate the process enough for them to be okay in 24 hours or even less.

I never really believed the bit about fresh meat making you sick. That doesn't make sense to me. I think it more likely may have a slight laxitive effect if not completly cooled, other then that my guess is that any aging is more about tenderizing then anything.

I would guess that as long as you avoid freezing it would be to cool ASAP. I wonder if you take something out to thaw for 24 hours if that would count as well towards the aging process?
To me cooking fresh meat doesn’t make sense that it would make you sick. Maybe if it was frozen I could see that helping.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by AndrewM

I would guess that as long as you avoid freezing it would be to cool ASAP. I wonder if you take something out to thaw for 24 hours if that would count as well towards the aging process?
To me cooking fresh meat doesn’t make sense that it would make you sick. Maybe if it was frozen I could see that helping.

Yep, that’s called wet aging, and is actually somewhat popular in wild game circles due to logistics. Not as much with the regular culinary crowd.

Imagine you drop a bull on sept 1. It’s 28 degrees in the shade, so you have to cut it up and vac seal/freeze it ASAP. When you want to eat it, you throw it in the fridge and let it age for as long as you want, 48 hrs is good, up to a week is ok too. Much less loss to trimming this way and very little to go wrong. Regular freezer time counts for aging as well, the process continues just at a very very slow rate.

[Dean2]

Actually, cool meat takes longer for the rigour to subside, in freezing or near freezing conditions rigor mortise can last for days but like Keg said all meat tastes better if it isn't eaten till after the rigour relaxes. The reason the old time hunters had fresh liver or heart was these organs are not as affected by rigour as the muscle groups are. Backstrap or tenderloin will always be much better eating after 48-72 hours of hanging. The benefits or dry aging or hanging full quarters for longer than 72 hours can easily be debated but letting the rigour lapse is really not open to debate, it is a fact in all animals.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Actually, cool meat takes longer for the rigour to subside, in freezing or near freezing conditions rigor mortise can last for days

Maybe that is why our native freinds would cover a Moose with snow and leave it at least 24 hours before quartering it to haul it out.

They said it wasn't good too cool an animal too quickly. They also would not remove the tenderloins for at least 24 hours.

We never hunted late enough in the year for there to be enough snow to cover a kill. But come to think of it, a blanket might serve the same function.
Not a tarp though, that would hold in moisture and that could lead to problems. Either would also discourage Ravens and Magpies.

We used to make a tent over a kill if we couldn't get it out right away, preciesly to deter Ravens and Maglies. But that wouldn't retain any heat.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I second this. When I was working as a guide we often had to hang meet for several days before we could get it to a cooler.
If we washed it it would start to spoil in a day or two, if we didn't, it was okay for up to a week depending on the weather.

We did wipe it down with a damp cloth or paper towel if there was dirt or stomach contents on the carcass. That didn't seem to effect anything.

Blood film was left alone. I was told that a thin flim of blood protected the meat from bacteria. It seemed to be true.

X3....

Often I’ll wash it when I’m when I’m wrapping it but like Keg says..
Washing in the field spreads bacteria all over.

I’ve read an article lately about using a citric acid solution in a spray bottle to kill bacteria. It sounds like it’s a great method.

[Tronneroi]

Originally Posted by 3blade

This x 1000. Other thing is, if you take a frontal shot the guts will be ruptured, so in those cases just do gutless. Don’t do a “well let’s see” and open it up.

Throw out anything that smells. You won’t get rid of it with vinegar or water or anything else. Backstraps can get tainted if it sits for a while with the ruptured guts in, but since you dealt with it quick, as long as your knife was clean it should be ok.

Also don’t ever wash an animal, all you are doing is spreading bacteria, glandular secretions, oils, dirt etc. with no benefit at all.

This is the first time I've ever washed out an animal. Typically just flip it over and let the blood drain out of the stomach cavity.

We didn't even really know that it was gut shot until we opened it up. My shot was the only one that was prevalent on the deer, and it was right in the boiler room. In the future I would quarter it out gutless if I noticed that the gut sack might have compromised.

[Hooter]

Originally Posted by Dean2

One other piece of advice, if we think the gut has been perforated we remove all four quarters and the backstraps BEFORE, gutting the animal. Google Gutless cleaning method for some good videos on how to do this. This makes sure you don't spread the stomach acid to any of the major meat groups that are outside the chest cavity.

Great advice. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.