well it is something to think about. I think I would have talk with my local DNR or Ag agent.

I live in a All Ag Distric, Corn, Soybeans, Grapes, Apples, and every Vegetable Imagineable. I Always check the Liver and over 35+ Years of Hunting I have only seen a couple of Livers that did'nt look good.
I would Contac your Local Game Officals and ask there Opinion on this one. I know Deer with many other worse conditions can still be eatin as it (Does'nt) effect the Meat.
I also must say a Yearling Deer is Very Tasty, the Best. If you take a Young Deer your saving many more, how? Say at this time of the year you take a Big Doe, by now she's probably Pregnant with either 1,2 or possibly 3 Fawns. So by taking that 1 Deer you could be reducing the Deer Heard by up to 4 Deer by taking 1.
I Personally would'nt worry about the condition of the Deers Liver as long as you Cook the Meat right. When you think about it, WE ALL eat the things that are Sprayed and Sprayed again and were still here, for now anyway.
(BP)

I know that when we use to butcher our beef cattle some of those livers looked kind of rough, that doesn't mean the meat has problems. That venison is probably better than the meat you buy at the market.
I would hate to see what my liver looks like.

I have in the past several years started hunting around where i live and it is mainly a row crop area. I will say the deer from around this area in Missouri taste soooo.... much better than hill or mainly acorn feed deer.

For eating I would much rather harvest a yearling or 1.5 year old deer. I am not big on horn hunting, they are nice but not a have to thing. If I have a choice of shooting an old or very large body size buck or doe or the little next to it I will shoot the smaller one everytime!!!!

Bucks taken during rut have also had a stronger game smell than any other time during hunting season.

These deer I take around the ag area have ruined me on the deer from areas with just woods and very little row crops or non at all they taste terrible to me now.

Deer like people are going to health problems no matter where they are at, it is part of nature. But it could also be chemicals we use on our crops and so forth but we have to eat don't we, kinda like a double edge sword. Damned if you Damned if you don't sorta thing.

Wow, that's something to think about. Like someone else said, it could be another problem too - some kind of disease that is affecting the local herd. It's hard to say without someone doing some professional analysis.

Having said that, I prefer younger deer anyways- more tender and taste better. If there are chemicals being absorbed, a young deer will have accumulated less in their system than an older deer.

Sabotloader,
Your university idea is going on right now for sure. Way back when I was a younger man I visited Penn State for a linebackers,def ends training camp(1987). And during our off time I had a chance to visit their Deer research center. I'm sure they are not the only ones with such a program.

LOL, just close your eyes and turn off your brain! LOL!

How on earth do you think the DNR finds out about issues with the deer herd? Only through deer that the DNR kill? Hmmm...

The man noticed something particularly odd about the FILTERING ORGAN of the deer he is about to eat. He should ABSOLUTELY question it. So much for harvesting "organic" deer.

To the OP, I agree with you about the (strong) possibility of the farming practices impacting your deer. Funny thing is, we ingest the same garbage. Makes me sick to know this is what we (almost have to) feed to our children. I had better stop the rant now while I can...

My brother in law would like you

His goal is to shoot the smallest, tenderest morsels out there or a big buck - and he ain't shot many big bucks

We usually shoot what needs to be culled all the time and start the season letting many deer pass. I do really prefer yearling but i try not to shoot them unless they are abundant or someone kills momma.

This year i got my buck early and took a doe the next morning that did have a yearling. It was hard to tell in the tall grass and i ended up taking a button buck because i made a bad call on the doe.

Normally i would have let them both pass but smaller deer were very abundant this year in the main area i hunt and the doe wasn't too bad in size.

BTW i do check the organs for anything odd too. Its just good game management IMO.

Shoot a small Deer, and you only shot one Deer. Shoot a big Doe, and you killed three Deer. Most times that Big Doe is already pregnant with twins. As far as the meat, never had that problem here.