Question on elk meat?

buckgtr · 01-12-2004, 06:37 AM

Sunday I took a friend out who has a cow elk tag.
He has been working his but off trying to harvest his first elk, either the weather was terrible (Crusty snow etc.),or he ran them to other hunters etc. But he never gave up and Sunday he was rewarded with his first elk. We were about 2-3 miles in with still around 6 inches of snow on the ground not the best conditions for a heavy packboard. Anyway, I will skip to the jist of the post. We got both hams, tenderloins, backstrap and the left front quarter taken off and laid them in the snow. When I started quartering the right front shoulder I hit something and this gooey yellow cottege cheese looking crud came squirting out. It seemed to be in the meat not a bone thing. Talk about a stomach turner. I have taken 12 bulls and over 40 deer and never seen this. Any ideas on what it would be? And it's suitability for consumption. I am a little worried about it.
Thanks-Buckgtr

Bait O' Eggs · 01-12-2004, 06:47 AM

Not sure what made the front quarter a cottage cheese container but my first guess would be you might find an arrowhead or bullet in that shoulder

Water Ready · 01-12-2004, 06:53 AM

I shot a bull in the Steens Mtn one year and it had the same thing. It also had an arrow broke off inside. Bummer thing though, :depressed: It was in a Ham. We lookde at the meat around it and decided that my dog could have it. The rest of the elk was awesome. :smile:

buckgtr · 01-12-2004, 06:55 AM

B/E,
That was my first guess too, but I could not find an entrance wound or any other signs of injury. The source of infection was located in between the shoulder and the body cavity(Armpit).??????

buckgtr

Fshklr · 01-12-2004, 06:57 AM

buckgtr,
Take it in or give a call to wdfw..most likely it was wounded prior to your buddy puttin it down..infection/poison passed throught the rest of the animal via the blood stream..possible.
hope you find it not to be the case..keep us posted on the results.

greenbuttskunk · 01-12-2004, 07:22 AM

yep, I'd say infection due to a wound. The entry wound could heal up fast.
Sounds nasty. I probably would have tossed the cookies out there if I saw that.
GBS

ajfishfinder · 01-12-2004, 07:31 AM

In my years of cutting game freelance for various shops around town, I have seen it all. Like everyone else said, probobly either an arrow or bullet. I have also seen antler tips broken off inside of bulls. We found an arrow one time that was straight down the center of the backstrap. Completly healed and looked fine until we had it boned out and tried to cut it into steaks. I once saw a hind quarter that had no femur bone!!! This was about like what you describe. Instead of a bone it had a giant 10-15 pound puss pocket. This was a cow and the guy said it was out running her calf when he shot it. Of course we gave him a hard time, asking him where he hid the poor gals wheelchair??? This is also sometimes the reason you might come up short on your yeild. Next time you think your butcher swiped part of your animal, ask if it had problems. We cut a whole bunch of them and don't always remember to make a note of the inside condition when we find something weird. I always figured if I wouldn't want to eat it, the customer wouldn't either. Cut it out and move on. You say you couldn't find an external wound, what about a physical injury??? Remember how close to imposible it was to walk on the ice last week??? Think of an elk on slippery hooves. Dislocated shoulders or hips come to mind??? Elk are truly an AWSOME animal. They can take far more physical abuse than most of us will ever believe. Most likely you can just trim out the nasty stuff and save the rest for grinding. As a rule of thumb, if you don't think you should eat it, real simple, DON'T.

outdoor.spec.ops · 01-12-2004, 12:44 PM

This is one of the few times I am glad there is no picture [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

jokester · 01-12-2004, 01:43 PM

I'm with ya GBS. I think I would have tossed the cookies myself!

Quote:

This is one of the few times I am glad there is no picture.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">I hear ya there!!!!!!! :shocked:

-jokester

buckgtr · 01-13-2004, 06:49 AM

Update- My friend took the head and the 3 quarters to a ODFW biologist yesterday. Biologist would not issue him a new tag. He said the meat would be fine just trim it up good. He said, what I described earlier was an infection caused by some kind of injury, no @#$%%. He stated that the reason the infectious fluid (Giant pocket of cottege cheese pus), was in that cheese form is that it was starting to heal itself and would have eventially turned into a hard ball. Well, I really don't care, I know I won't be eating any of it. Something about eating a sick animal that doesn't appeal to me. Call me a wuuuuuuus! If you saw what I saw, I pretty much can garantee you woudn't want to eat it either.

Buckgtr

[ 01-15-2004, 07:22 AM: Message edited by: Rauly ]

Gun Rod Bow · 01-13-2004, 07:41 AM

Well I would eat it. Seriously, there is a huge difference between sick and injured. The injury you describe will not "poison" the rest of the animal like disease would. The pocket you describe is "ecapsulating" like when you get white blood cells (puss) around a sliver.

The body ecapsulates it, then heals it.

The bio said it is OK so to not use it would be irresponsible.

And, I have eaten a bull elk that had a festered up shoulder, bullet wound from earlier in the season. It had turned a lot of colors. We trimmed off that front shoulder and left it behind, boned everything else. It was fine.

Just close your eyes and chew
:grin:

buckgtr · 01-13-2004, 08:31 AM

GRB,
Don't appreciate being called irresponsible at all. I am a little fired up about the whole thing. You weren't there to see the situation. GREAT!, you ate an elk with a festered up shoulder more power to ya. Your stating that I am irresponsible for not wanting to eat the elk. Answer me this - Is packing out 2 1/2+ miles 3 quarters the backstraps, tenderloins, flank and misc other cuts of meat etc.in 12 inches of snow on a animal your pretty sure is not fit to be eaten irresponsible? Listen! I have hunted Iowa whitetails, colorado bulls, Wyoming mulies etc. etc. and spent 9 years guiding hunters and fisherman in Alaska. If you think that I haven't seen some weird stuff on a game animal your mistaken. This wasen't just a little pus pocket. You need to think a little more before you question someones integrity.

Buckgtr

Rip'N'Lips · 01-13-2004, 09:03 AM

buckgtr-

I think the concern from GRB was that you were going to toss the whole animal out because of this little problem...

Rip'N'Lips

Gun Rod Bow · 01-13-2004, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gun Rod Bow:

The bio said it is OK so to not use it would be irresponsible.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Easy there tiger. When you started this thread your quote was " Any ideas on what it would be? And it's suitability for consumption."

Your words there. So did you or did you not ask for opinions. My opinion is that you were concerned, understandably, your friend took it to a bio who said it's OK. So to not use it would be irresponsible. My opinion.

Packing meat is part of hunting. I'm glad to hear you have some experience.

Later

GRB

buckgtr · 01-13-2004, 09:41 AM

GRB,

Maybe, I did come off a little strong, but I took your statement as a personal jab at my integrity, hunting experience and knowledge. Yes, I asked for opinions but I didn't ask to be called irresponsible. To me this is where the line is drawn between an opinion and a personnel jab. A simple "Yes, I would probalbly eat it" would have been fine. I do appreciate all the opinions that people have posted on this subject.

Thanks,
BUCKGTR

Bait O' Eggs · 01-13-2004, 10:18 AM

Bruce is like a burr under the saddle isnt he

Buckgtr - I read GunRodBows comments and didnt take them as a jab at you at all

I was kind of surprised when you went off on him in the following post :shocked:

Quote:

The bio said it is OK so to not use it would be irresponsible

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">I dont read the inflection in his typing that is attacking you :whazzup: I wouldnt have taken it to a biologist, I can usually decide for myself if I want to eat something or not

I guess you decided not to eat it. Did your buddy toss the 3 quarters or keep it all for himself?

Good reason to be illegal and not punch the tag until you skin the animal and decide if you are going to keep it

buckgtr · 01-13-2004, 11:01 PM

BOE,
What GRB stated was that if the Bio said it was OK and I choose not to eat the animal I was being irresponsible. Maybe I did take it wrong? I would bet if the majority of the hunters saw what I saw they would not consume the animal and would have left it there. What we did was the right legal thing to do. As for taking it to the biologist it was his deal. The thought of loosing the meat and not being able to reep the benefits of a lot of money, time and hard work hunting to fill his freezer was the problem. Yes, my friend is keeping and going to eat the animal. I am sure he will be fine.
BUCKGTR

tag-a-long · 01-15-2004, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by buckgtr:
BOE,
What GRB stated was that if the Bio said it was OK and I choose not to eat the animal I was being irresponsible. Maybe I did take it wrong? BUCKGTR

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">I think GRB meant to throw away the animal and not use it would be irrisponsible. Not that if YOU chose not to eat your buddy's elk you are irresponsible.

Chrome Bumper · 01-20-2004, 03:11 PM

Elk burger, yummy