Cut While Butchering--Reason to Worry?

[DAD]

Hey Y'all,

From 16-20 I spent Sept-Jan working at a shop processing deer. I've gutted and cut up hundreds/thousands of deer. Did a lot of it without gloves and never thought anything of it.

Last night, I was lucky enough to tag out with my second buck of the season. I had to drag him 200 plus yards out of a creek bottom and up to the top of a mountain.

I got home, put on gloves, and started skinning and gutting. I left him hanging for 15-30 min while I ran to the gas station to grab some ice. I come back to quarter him up and go to grab gloves and the box is empty. So I went out there barehanded and quartered him and tossed the meat in the cooler.

I come back inside, shower and clean up, and sit down to watch some college football. That's when I notice a small cut, literally a paper-cut, on the webbing between my thumb and finger. I was talking to my friend that night and somewhere in the conversation mentioned that I gave myself a paper-cut somehow while cutting it up and he asked "Aren't you worried about that?"

I'm assuming I either touched that spot with the knife or scraped it on a piece of bone. Didn't really think or worry about it until he said something and now it's something that is in the back of my mind.

Not a deep cut at all, its a paper-cut, but I did clean it and put Neosporin on it.

Any reason to worry? Rabies from any spinal fluid that my knife could have touched or bacteria or viruses?

 

[SWOHTR]

I think you’ll be OK with the precautions you took.

 

[406life]

Not too much reason to worry. Just watch for infection. There are transmissible diseases and bacteria from the animals we hunt, but it's a very low chance. Wearing gloves is still a good idea.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I’ve never wore gloves while gutting or processing an animal. I’ve had sharp rib bones cut me enough that I actually have a scare from it. I guess I’ve never given it a 2nd thought. Probably won’t either.

 

[manitou1]

Not an invalid question as I often wonder myself. I get poked, scraped or cut almost every time I butcher an animal. Additionally, no doubt many millions of folks have been cut, scratched or poked while preparing food in the kitchen.
Seems that chances are very slim of contracting anything.
Wash up good with anti-bacterial soap afterwards and keep happy!

 

[grfox92]

The only thing as far as I know you would have to worry about contracting from any North American ungulate would be Toxoplasmosis.

And I think your odds are better of getting killed by a meteor hitting your truck on the way to get ice.

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[fwafwow]

Hey Y'all,

From 16-20 I spent Sept-Jan working at a shop processing deer. I've gutted and cut up hundreds/thousands of deer. Did a lot of it without gloves and never thought anything of it.

Last night, I was lucky enough to tag out with my second buck of the season. I had to drag him 200 plus yards out of a creek bottom and up to the top of a mountain.

I got home, put on gloves, and started skinning and gutting. I left him hanging for 15-30 min while I ran to the gas station to grab some ice. I come back to quarter him up and go to grab gloves and the box is empty. So I went out there barehanded and quartered him and tossed the meat in the cooler.

I come back inside, shower and clean up, and sit down to watch some college football. That's when I notice a small cut, literally a paper-cut, on the webbing between my thumb and finger. I was talking to my friend that night and somewhere in the conversation mentioned that I gave myself a paper-cut somehow while cutting it up and he asked "Aren't you worried about that?"

I'm assuming I either touched that spot with the knife or scraped it on a piece of bone. Didn't really think or worry about it until he said something and now it's something that is in the back of my mind.

Not a deep cut at all, its a paper-cut, but I did clean it and put Neosporin on it.

Any reason to worry? Rabies from any spinal fluid that my knife could have touched or bacteria or viruses?

Congrats on tagging out. I’ve also cut myself and had the same question run through my mind. No need to repeat the responsive posts. Fwiw I have taken to wearing cut gloves because I’m concerned with floundering and a big cut.

 

[Gutshotem]

I never worried about it and never had any problems, but that being said, since I started using a havalon, I keep one of those cheap cheap cut gloves in my kill kit. Those gloves are definitely a must have for me since I started using them.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

I tend to cut my fingers 1 time per butchered animal. I dont wear gloves until I cut my finger on accident. Then throw on a bandaid and glove and keep working. Never been to worried about turning rabid

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[Wymatt22]

I generally cut myself a time or two per animal. I stabbed myself in the back of the hand pretty deep last year. I have never worried about it after cleaning the cut.

 

[Backyard]

Coworker of mine got brucellosis from deer processing one year. Put him down for quite a few weeks. Since then I wont take any chances anymore and always wear gloves. Both latex over cut.


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[wyosteve]

I’d be more worried if it was from a feral hog!

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I use nitrile gloves and a cut proof glove on my non dominant hand. Nitrile is for easy clean up, and the cut glove is because I can get careless when I get tired.

Esse quam videri

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Only time I give it a second thought is on bear/hogs, but don’t really worry. So far so good.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Just keep an eye on it, and keep it clean and protected if possible.

 

[KsRancher]

4 yrs ago I shot a Ks mule deer. The arrow broke off and half was still in the deer. When we got him all quartered and loaded in the packs my brother just grabbed the broke arrow with the broadhead and pit it under a strap on the back of his back. 1 mile uphill back to truck without stopping and we were gassed. When he took his pack off he swung it around on one shoulder strap and it slid down his side. He started cussing and I couldn't figure out what was going on. The broad head on his pack got him on the calf. We cleaned it up good with alcohol and bandaged it up. Didn't get infected but did find out 5 days later the deer tested positive for CWD. he still seems normal

 

[Britt-dog]

I am always surprised if I don’t end up with a cut after a butcher job. A little peroxide, and Neosporin, good to go. getting tric from a bear is my only real worry.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I use nitrile gloves and a cut proof glove on my non dominant hand. Nitrile is for easy clean up, and the cut glove is because I can get careless when I get tired.

Esse quam videri

I just started doing this exact same thing this year. I’ve been lucky throughout the years and I’ve never suffered a cut while cleaning game or filleting fish, but I figured it’s probably never too soon to start being a little safer.


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[gabenzeke]

I cut myself a couple years ago on an elk. Was trying to cut the tendon in the hip. Knife slipped and stabbed my thumb to the bone. Bled pretty bad, but wasn't serious enough to seek emergency treatment. Worst case scenario I figured if it was still bleeding when I finished packing the bull out I might need a couple stitches. It eventually healed, but now I've got this weird bump in my thumb almost like the bone grew a small bump in there. Doesn't cause issues and not painful, but I often wonder what the deal is with that. I try to use gloves but doubt that would have done anything to protect me.

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[Rich M]

I started wearing a cutting glove couple years back due to the little nick type cuts like you are talking about.

You cleaned it and put neosporin on it - should be fine. Not sure we can get rabies, CWD, Lyme, etc. from such a cut but you never know. Keep an eye on it and if there is a problem, the cut will let you know.

I do use alcohol hand sanitizer after cutting stuff, handling fish with rough skin, etc. My hands get torn up a lot and the hand sanitizer will let you know if you have any nicks.

Once got flesh eating bacteria from a fish - and prone to redness/infection on cuts when reaching into livewell - so somewhat more careful these days.