ktughill

Hello! I have a question and seeking input. I posted back in the middle of November that I had shot my buck on evening watch and could not retrieve it till the next morning due to lack of blood trail. I got up early before sunrise to find my buck which I did. The low temp was 44 that night ( know that as husband is weather observer). It was a heart shot. After I gutted the deer which their was no smell at all , transported back to the house and took a shower head and off to local processing place. I did rinse the inside of the buck when I got back to the house. When they took my order they insisted that my deer was going to be smelly because I did not gut it out immediately along with the fact the time it was going to take them to get the deer in the cooler. They put some note on my order which I think it had something to say that the deer was not gutted till the morning. They called me today to pick up my deer and I question why the price was so low and it was because the deer was smelly that they threw the meat out except for the lions and shoulders. I would think that I would have noticed smell when gutting the deer??? I am having a hard time believing that the deer meat spoiled so quickly? Is that possible? Also, I think the shop should have called me to inform me instead of just throwing my meat out or is that not a realistic expectation? I am planning to speak to the owner so I want to be prepared. Feedback please...

kidoggy

they would have made more money to just give you the meat. so I suspect they found it questionable. if not skinned and gutted meat doesn't cool nearly as fast and can spoil that quickly. can't say if yours did or not, but I believe I would take them at their word.

mrbb

sounds like bull crap to me, I have many times HAD to wait till next day to gut a deer due to unable to find till 24+ hrs after shot
they bloat up YES some even funky smelling
BUT once guts came out
MOST smells went away too
never had to throw away MOST of the meat, but have tossed a little that maybe if gut shot had leaked onto, and that was maybe me just being over protective of things, as I butchered my own deer

I have helped my buddy butcher deer for 25+ yrs in his butcher shop
and had MANY come in that were NOT recovered, and some stuck to high heck!
and we were asked to still cut them up and hunters took AL meat home as is
there deer, there call
same price
we just made sure to NOT get the BAD ones near others GOOD one's

but just over night, and gutted, unless it was gut shot and some nasty stuff leaked and soaked all over hind quarters, and once guts out still smelled to high heck
I say it was all still good

that hide on them works BOTH way to cool and save things
40's isn't that hot
better to be colder but NOT hot for 24 hrs! IMO!

I think your wasting your time talking to the owner, NOTHING he can do at this point, if meat is GONE< he will stand by his workers and you have NO proof
call it a learning lesson and go else where next time!

better than getting worked up over this, damage is done and NO fixing it!
Just my 2 cents!

ktughill

This was a heart shot not a gut shot. There was "no smell" when gutting the deer. I just want to talk to owner to find out what their protocols are when they believe the deer is smelly/bad and their time frame to get the deer into their cooler from the time dropped off. I think if they thought it had potential to spoil for not being field dressed in a timely manner they should have processed the deer promptly. I know from another hunter he got a phone call on the day he dropped his deer after they skinned it to let him know that his deer had a smell and asked him what he wanted them to do for the deer. I also think they needed to find out what I wanted to do with the shoulder meat as they made the decision to make specialty bologna (more expensive) then making burgers. I truly think the deer meat was good!

ModernPrimitive

Butcher your own.

Seriously.

Not difficult, you don't really "need" any special equipment( although commercial sized freezer paper is nice), you save some money and get the cuts you want.

Topgun 3006

I would say you got the shaft if it was a heart shot and it was not that many hours before you found and gutted it in a temperature like you mentioned. I doubt you'll receive any compensation or get any real good comments, so as was mentioned I would take it as a learning experience and either find another place or process them yourself like many of us do because it's not that hard, doesn't take that much time or equipment, and if anyone screws up you know who to blame.

Champlain Islander

I have killed many deer and over the years decided that to get the best product possible I needed to process my own animal. I have had one deer which was gut shot and recovered the next day that didn't make it to my freezer. It tasted like it smelled so it ended up going back to nature. Most commercial guys take pride in their product and if the decision was that the meat wasn't good I guess I would take it for what it is worth.

alleyyooper

I agree 100% with mrbb. I have 3 suggestions.
(1. get a Colman duel fuel lantern so you can track your deer in the dark. For some reason that blood just jumps out at you in that lighting.


(2. Butcher your own deer, really isn't that hard and you can watch videos on U tube on how to do it. Take the hide off as quick as you can then you can quarter the deer and put in a fridge if you have room or a cooler with ice in the bag to keep the meat cool till you finish cutting it up.




(3. Find a different processor.


Should have been asked how you wanted your deer cuts and how much you wanted in burger. Is what a good reputable processor would have done. Would have called you before throwing meat out also so you could smell it your self.


Al

kidoggy

I agree. I sometimes will still go to a butcher but only if it's to hot to let it hang and I CAN'T GET ON CUTTING IT UP RIGHT AWAY.
I have just never found a butcher I thought did as good a job as I do myself. I tend to agree with what others are saying but since there is really nothing you can do about it at this point, anyhow ,I, would choose to give em the benefit of the doubt and just move on.

I suppose you could talk to owner , it may at least help you decide wether or not you ever wanted to give him another chance in the future.
I really believe they thought something was wrong with it. I just cannot believe they would steal the meat. not saying no butcher would. but if they were gonna do such a thing, I would think they would do it from a better source( a deer that was field dressed immediately.)

really sucks to lose out on the meat after you put in the effort to follow up and find it the next day but at least you have the satisfaction of knowing you did it right.

blessed n born to hunt

I process my own and b highly recommend you do the same ,your experience is just one of many . I have dropped of perfect meat and paid 17.50 per lb and received totally unedible meat , dropped of and robbed for meat , a back strap is longer than the 18 inch lil Backstrap , and since when does a large deer fit in a small box. I personally believe they keep a lil meat from everybody , nobody knows amd it all adds up. I skin ,guarters and store in large ice chest, drain bloody water and add ice daily for 3 to 4 days than cut your steaks and debone the rest for ground products . Save the ground until you have enough and then you can pay a processor or make your own. I remember your story and am glad the coyotes didn't rob you . And as mentoined, buy a clean lantern and find your deer. He didn't go far did he ? Congrats