cal516

The other day I shot a buck that I could not find that evening. The temps dropped down down to 35 degrees that night. I recovered him the next morning. I skinned him and quartered it. I put it in the fridge as I couldn't get to it that day. 5 days later I started working on it. The shoulders were fine. One of the hind quarters had some discolor which I have read is normal. However the other one when I cut into it was a mixture of dark and light green. I have read that this is gangrene and was probably caused by a wound the animal had suffered. Has anyone seen this?

super_hunt54

Yep and honestly, I wouldn't want to eat any meat from that animal. Yes the rest MIGHT be okay but when you get an infection such as that, blood poisoning in the rest of the animal is quite possible so I wouldn't trust the rest of the meat.

Muskyhunter1

I wouldn't take a chance either. Sorry bud.

Champlain Islander

I agree with SH...pitch it. Trust me you will taste it...been there.

Wingbone

I've seen this on a buck that had been in a fight. There were tine holes through the hide and the meat was green around them. I believe that that is the natural color of the muscle that is healing, like a bruise. If it doesn't smell, it's not gangrene. Cut out the sections that you're uncomfortable with, They would probably have an off flavor because of the blood in it. but I think any normal colored meat is still good.

MudderChuck

I always trust my nose, grant you I tend to smell stuff other people sometimes miss. My nose says no, I say no.

gjersy

Hey cal516, I find that the arrow/gun shot/ fighting areas, get a bit bad? Like Mudder said use your nose. On a side note good bacteria in your gut is a good thing, I eat questionable meat at times and I'm healthy as a horse

flags

Contact your game dept. Sometimes when an animal is found to be unfit to eat they will replace your tag and not count it against your bag limit. No guarantee but worth trying.

Oldtimr

Generally, they won't replace an animal if it laid overnight and was tinted because it wasn't retrieved the day it was killed. The WCO, at least in my state will want to examine the entire animal, carcass and hide before they make a decision that the deer was unfit to eat before it was shot which is the criteria in PA. The OP didn't say where the deer was hit or if it was gut shot. As just stated, I don't know if there was an abdominal wound but I do know that even if it is below freezing, a gut shot animal can turn green in laces over night because of the released bacteria in the abdomen. Just as the hide keeps the cold out, it also keeps body heat in.