ColoLoper

So I shot my first antelope today and field dressed it as well. First for all, woo.

It was a lung shot and she went down quick from about 210 yards out.

She was gutted within the hour at around 60 degrees.

During the gutting the stomach was knicked :-/ and the cavity seemingly had a lot of stomach content in it. Surprised because it was a small cut on the stomach.

I had her skinned and quartered and on ice within 2 hours.

Home now and cleaning the meat. I'm noticing that some how there is stomach content on a lot of it - looking like partially digested grass/etc. Some of the meat has taken a slight greenish yellow tinted- like some of the outside parts I can wipe away or trim off. The meat also seemingly has a lot of foamy slime on it, and of course smells gamey.

I'm 100% self taught and have never had anyone show me how to do any of this in person, so please spare me any embarrassment or harsh words. Wasting this meat would be a horrible thing.

I'm going to clean it, pat it dry, and put it in the fridge over overnight. Tomorrow I plan on buying a vacuum sealer and freezing it.

Is my meat bad? It's 6pm now. Was shot at 1pm. Was put on ice and cleaned ASAP. Will cooking kill any bacteria I need to worry about?

Thanks everyone. I had a wonderful time today, but am feeling down about botching the field dressing.

Bocajnala

Clean it up. Trim what you can. Wash and rinse it all off in water. Get it dry before sealing and freezing.

I think you'll be fine.

-Jake

mthusker

For future a hunts, whenever you accidentally open up the stomach or intestines, you need to get that rinsed out as fast as you can. Lots of nasty bacteria that needs to be flushed. I like carrying the plastic 5 gallon collapsible water containers. This is just as important perhaps even more so then cooling animal off. I hope you were able to save the majority of the antelope.

Oldtimr

I sincerely doubt there is a singe big game hunter that has never nicked the paunch which of course are always full of grass and browse. As you have been told rinse the body cavity out as soon as possible and get rid of what spilled. I am lucky enough to have the use of a hose as soon as the animal gets back to my truck. Yes cooking will kill any bacteria, I worry more about an off flavor than bacteria. You haven't done anything we all did not do. Congats on your success. You spent so much time downing yourself you didn't tell us about your goat. How long were the horns, do you have a picture you can post?

CalHunter

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What he said. Some wise advice there.

Phil from Maine

Ernie Bishop

You are good

MaloneOutdoors

Congrats! Trim and clean and eat away