Safe To eat?

[TreeFreak]

I had shot a mature doe Friday evening. The shot was quartering to and was not the best. I tracked her a couple hours later and wound up jumping her. I wanted to avoid pushing her around all night so I waited until first light the next morning to retrieve her. Upon locating her I found that she had been tampered with by either coyotes or birds. She died on a piece of high ground in a frozen swamp. There were no coyote tracks around (snow on the ground). The only damage on the deer was in the rear (was not very much tampered with) and her eye had been removed. I wound up pulling her out and skinning and quartering her. I sprayed the meat down with antimicrobial spray. Nothing seems out of the ordinary with any of the meat, but I am still kind of second guessing it. Does any one have any experience with this type of situation?

[Jonny]

Unless it looked weird or smelled weird, I’d eat it. Maybe eat some yourself before giving it to a wife or kids.

Or give it to the in laws and ask them how it is.

[PK_]

Should be Absolutely fine. If something was actually chewing on meat, I would (generously) trim that section out or discard that entire quarter, depending on severity.

[cspot]

Agree with the advice above. I always make a suggestion if someone has a deer they are unsure of. Make sure to mark all the packages of meat from that deer so you know. That way if there is something wrong with it, you don't have to empty your entire freezer.

[tundra@1]

Big difference between a few crows picking at it or a coyote is on it.... a coyote will do damage fast...... I trap, the coyote is one of the most disease driven, filthy animal there is. Handle with care, when you handle them..... Once that coyote, takes a bite, that deer is shot, in my opinion,,,, but a coyote like a said, is going to show damage

No anti micro bacterial spray, is going to kill or help, with the saliva from a yote.............

[EllieTheChubb]

What did you spray it with? Not sure that would do anything but taint the meat.

My concern would be that if the deer was bit by a diseased coyote before it died it would/could be pumping that through it's bloodstream. Not good. Post mortem, generously remove the affected area.

[muddy]

If it was chewed on to the point it broke thru the hide I'd pitch it, I dont take chances.

[Dewey]

Years back I had a coyote partially chew a hindquarter. Ended up trimming off the damaged meat and ate the rest. I’m still kicking years later with no ill effects except for howling at the moon.

[backstraps]

Years back I had a coyote partially chew a hindquarter. Ended up trimming off the damaged meat and ate the rest. I’m still kicking years later with no ill effects except for howling at the moon.

Ever catch yourself hiking your leg at a tree base to urinate??

[Dewey]

Years back I had a coyote partially chew a hindquarter. Ended up trimming off the damaged meat and ate the rest. I’m still kicking years later with no ill effects except for howling at the moon.

Ever catch yourself hiking your leg at a tree base to urinate??

All the time.

[KRONIIK]

^
Who doesn't?
( I can't walk past a fire hydrant, either.)

[brancher147]

I think only you can answer whether it is safe to eat after seeing it. If you felt you needed to spray with antimicrobial spray then I probably wouldn’t eat it. I would be just as worried about eating after the antimicrobial spray-that’s not something I want on my meat.

[Kraftd]

I wouldn’t be at all concerned about having to trim the undquarter a little but spraying the deer down with “anti-microbial spray” would be concerning to me. Are you talking like Lysol or hand sanitizer or something? Don’t think that’s a good idea...

[Kraftd]

I wouldn’t be at all concerned about having to trim the undquarter a little but spraying the deer down with “anti-microbial spray” would be concerning to me. Are you talking like Lysol or hand sanitizer or something? Don’t think that’s a good idea...

[Drenalin]

I assume the spray you’re talking about is something like that Koola Buck stuff? My understanding is that stuff is a preventative, not a cure. If the meat smells and looks right, I’d probably trim and eat. Yotes should have left tracks and birds like to eat eyes, so I’d guess birds which doesn’t worry me much. That said, if you’re going to be waiting to die every time you take a bite, just toss it. It all depends on your comfort level.