Cut While Butchering--Reason to Worry?

[Binz17]

I had a buddy get a pretty bad infection from a small cut he got while gutting a deer. Must of had some gut material get in there? It was nasty swelled up and red. He went to the Dr. And they put him on antibiotics and all was well in a week or two. But the Dr. put circles on with marker to watch the redness, if it got outside the marker, he had to come back. Never got that bad. We were gutting gloves now as a precaution. But, I will also wear gloves while processing just to give my fingers a little insulation from the cold meat and ease of cleanup.

 

[camping1601]

I wouldn't have even thought about being concerned.

 

[ChrisAU]

I sliced the end of my thumb off yesterday processing my mule deer from this week.

Embarrassing and bled like hell, but I washed with peroxide and left it wrapped in a paper towel and electrical tape bandage for like 8 hours to stop the bleeding. Fine today, just gotta make sure I don’t pick up any hot wings lol

 

[butcherboy]

We have hydrogen peroxide in my shop. My employees seem to use it on a regular basis. Lol. I have multiple scars on every single finger from 31 years of commercial processing. Even a few missing fingertips that grew mostly back. I don’t use protective gloves. I do use nitrile gloves over the top of simple cotton liner gloves. Most of those scars are from when I was younger and learning how to use a knife. It’s now an extension of my hand. I’ve never had any infections by just washing the wound with simple warm water and soap followed by a little peroxide. No ointment for me, chicks dig scars!

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

I can’t tell if this is a legit question or a rhetorical one. I am not sure how to answer. They only worry I would have about cutting myself would be bleeding out.

 

[2ski]

Keep in mind bleeding is your body's way of cleaning out wounds. You're most likely ok.

 

[jayhawk]

I cut my finger to the bone once while gutting a pronghorn. I still have the scar, but I cleaned it real well and keep the bandage fresh. Never got seriously infected even though I know I got some pronghorn blood in me. However, I did notice that I run a lot faster now . . . .

 

[ddavis_1313]

I’ve cut myself multiple times butchering animals. A couple of years ago I filleted the top of my knuckle on my pinky almost completely off. Probably needed 3 stitches. Super glued it back, wrapped it, went back to work. Kept it clean and had zero issues.


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[MattB]

A trapper buddy got blood poisoning twice from skinning critters. I wouldn't think twice unless it got infected.

 

[dtrkyman]

I have cut my self many times gutting whitetails, once kinda bad but no stitches, never had an issue.

Clean up when done not much worry.

 

[roadrunner]

I've been stabbed with fish hooks while handling fish and "lanced" by dorsal fin spines. Yet to lose a finger or hand due to an infection. If a little cut while butchering, breaking down, or handling game meat was a real threat, the human species as we know it would've been eradicated centuries ago...

 

[long hunter]

Cut up a bunch of critters and had a few cuts some nasty others just a scratch no problems. But I have this mad urge to pee in a particular spot on the carpet and rub my head on the living room furniture. and been follwing the old lady around kinda close must be close to deer season.

 

[bigeyedfish]

We were butchering chickens this weekend, and when I grabbed one to take over to the killing station it decided to claw the hell out of my hand. That is probably the most likely opportunity to get an infection from a cut. I rinsed my hands off really good, bandaged the finger that wouldn't quit bleeding, and got back to work. When we were done I washed up with soap and water. So far so good.

 

[*zap*]

rub some dirt on it....

 

[Foxsoup]

As long as your not tattooing your hand with gut bacteria you should be good. Although if your in an area with CWD you should take some extra precaution with contact to any spinal fluid/ brain matter. As extra precaution we sterilize a knife if we use it cut apart vertebrae.


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[roadrunner]

As long as your not tattooing your hand with gut bacteria you should be good. Although if your in an area with CWD you should take some extra precaution with contact to any spinal fluid/ brain matter. As extra precaution we sterilize a knife if we use it cut apart vertebrae.


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Except that it won't kill the prions that cause CWD in the first place...

 

[long hunter]

One tip as I do all my own butchering, after the cut up and during cleaning the equipment I will use clean water and add clorox to it, all the saws,knives grinder parts are washed in hot water as I can handle it and a good detergent, rinsed in clean hot water and then placed in the water and clorox bath for at least a hour taken out wiped dry and laid out on the cleaned bench for another hour or so ,

 

[Foxsoup]

Except that it won't kill the prions that cause CWD in the first place...

Your correct, i said that wrong. Chemical cleaning agents do not work to destroy it but can render it in active. Apparently manual scrubbing can remove prions from equipment. So we’ll use a bleach water solution and an old scrub pad, scrub the shit out of the knife then toss gloves and scrub pad.


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[Z Barebow]

I have field dressed 3 MD, 4 elk and 80-90 WT. # of times wearing gloves=0. I maybe should, but 30 years ago no one wore gloves. If any are dead today, it isn't from not wearing gloves. Alcohol, bandaid and move on.

Skinning canines/carnivores/omnivores is a different story. Too many diseases.

 

[SuspiciousFish]

I always have some quality Manuka Honey on me and if I ever get cut I put it on the wound and bandage. Manuka Honey is the real deal. My grandpa got MRSA that almost ate through his skull into his brain. The doctors ran out of options and told him he was going to die. We finally convinced the wound clinic to put the honey on the bandage. Once they applied the honey he was home in 3 days completely recovered.