Jay-Bar,

I am sorry to hear about your trouble with recovering your deer. [:'(] Keep looking, as it sounds like he's around somewhere.

When you recover the deer, its stomach is bound to be swollen with gas. It may effect the meat, it may not. It may just effect some of it. Best bet is to take it to the butcher and ask what he thinks. Usually game meat smells pretty bad if it is tainted.

Good luck finding that deer. Are you hunting public land on the N. SHore??? It may have been claimed by another hunter if so.