When deer lay overnite, the gas in the stomach will cause some bloating.

So,when you go to gut it, it is quite easy to accidently cut open the gut because of it being swelled up. When most guys get a whiff of this, they assume that the deer is spoiled and won't take it. Some won't even gut it because it is bloated and they say it is spoiled.


I've had to finish a tracking job in the morning on a few occasions. The weather was quite warm. And yes the deer had a smell to it when I gutted it. Friends that were with me those times, said it was spoiled and I was nuts for taking it. I'd take them anyway and they tasted fine.