Elk recovered next morning…spoilage?

[Helislacker]

Hey guys,

I shot an elk last night and was unable to locate it due to no blood trail and no snow on the ground. I ended up bumping him 30 mins after I shot him and decided to pull out as a result. I got in the next morning and located him at 9:30am, approximately 16 hours after the initial shot. Night temps were around 30f/0°C and the smell seemed completely fine. Aside from a few pieces, the elk was packed out as if I shot him an hour prior. With that said, I’m curious if maybe I’m missing something or if I’m not being particular enough with the meat I pulled off of him. I didn’t notice any strong smells and the meat seemed of normal coloration. Everything I’ve read on here or elsewhere says I should have partial or complete meat loss given the time delay. Is this more common than I realize? Or did I likely overlook some spoilage?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[insanelupus]

The nose knows.

Watch areas like around the hip sockets, where large bones and large muscle mass retain heat.

I've also found the meat that had spoiled often had a more pinkish hue vs purple, was slightly slimy rather than tacky, and the blood in the hide over it was dried and dark in the vessels of the hide, rather than lighter and still simply visible under the surface of the hide, if that makes sense. None of which is absolute, but it can add to a whiff of yuck to say, probably spoiled.

That said, good job finding it and following up and congrats.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

The nose knows.

This

 

[butcherboy]

Depends on how long the elk was dead. Probably safe if it was dead for only a few hours. You will smell it for sure and not necessarily right away. Sometimes it takes a few days for it to change color and really smell. Definitely look for the early signs like an off pink color and the slime on the outside of the meat. Hip sockets, under the shoulder and the neck are usually the first areas to go.