Skinny Deer
 

Shot a buck this week that is very skinny. You can see the spine, hips and ribs protruding out. While butcher I noticed he must have had a front leg injury at one or another because it looked swollen. It looks to be an older wound. Then while cutting into the hind quarters in noticed that there were green puss pockets. My question is, could this be from the front leg injury or CWD, old, fight? Just curious what to do with it.

I wouldn't eat it. Green puss pockets means infection of some sort IMO.

Yep toss it out.

I would not eat it with the green puss.

I'll add this as an after thought. I would be very skittish about butchering and eating a real skinny deer. In areas that have CWD a overly skinny deer might be infected. I would have it tested if in a CWD area and having what must be a sick deer. I have butchered a large number of my own deer kills and have seen infection from an old wound. The presence of green away from an obvious wound would mean that the infection had spread. Not something I would care to eat.

Nope,nope, nope. Not worth it. Where I'm at you can call the game commission and they will reissue a tag and take the bad deer. Including the antlers if a buck.

But at least you get another tag to fill the freezer.

-Jake