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.

 

[Idaboy]

Did you get it off the bone. The back quarters are the highest risk for bone sour, which is very common way for a big animal like elk to spoil.

You're at a tough time point, under 12 hrs I wouldn't sweat it, with temps under 40. It's more likely the meat next to the ground than the side that was up is at risk. Probably hard to know when he died, if he died a few hrs after you bumped him vs died right after that

Where is the meat now? How warm did things feel when you field dressed?

As others have said, it will get a slimy pinkish look to it. In a few days cut into pieces, it should be the typical deep red color, if deeper pieces or meat next to bone looks funny or lighter then start to get a little concerned...usually there is a weird smell in the couple cases I have seen

In situations like yours
1) get all the hide off
2) debone, if you don't debone make deep cuts to the bone to help open up meat
3) as others have said give it a few days, hang it or keep in walk in cooler for 3-4 days. If it's all cooled now, cutting it in/wrapping/freezing now is not going to help. After 3-4 days cook a few small pieces from different parts

Good luck

 

[grfox92]

Where were you located? What was the relative humidity? If you were in high desert with low humidity and it was 30 degrees i highly doubt that meat would spoil.

If you were in the PNW with high levels of humidity then I'd start smelling.

Bad meat has an obvious smell. It will smack you in the face when you open the cooler.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

 

[Reburn]

Its hard to say when it actually died. He could have been laid up and only been dead 3 or 4 hours. I would trust my nose.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

When you gutted it, did it smell worse than elk you have taken before ( providing you have killed an elk before)? That along with the other posters said should give you a good idea.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

We just had this happen last month on a cow in AZ.

She shot the cow a bit back and when they went to retrieve they bumped her. They gave me a call to come help look and I told them to go back to camp and sleep on it, and I’d be there in the morning and to help find the cow.

Daytime temps weren’t as cold as yours, but overnight lows were right at freezing.

We chased a sow and 3 cubs off of the carcass and all she had were a few bear claw marks on the belly and back, and one bite attempted on her back, they had just gotten to her.

Apart from some minor spoilage on the rear quarters, the meat was just fine.

 

[Poser]

Smells good, tastes good.

 

[LostArra]

Its hard to say when it actually died. He could have been laid up and only been dead 3 or 4 hours. I would trust my nose.

This ^^^
Also shot location (gut? liver? lungs?)

 

[River Reaper]

Shot one with a bow at 86 degrees one evening with lows in the mid 60’s. Made a good shot, it just went like 175 yards with no blood trail and died in a spot I couldn’t see it before dark. Recovered it the next morning, around 16 hours later, and had it processed and in the freezer around 20 hours after the shot. No spoilage and the meat was good eating. Wife and kids were the true test, and they said it tasted good.

 

[mtnbound]

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.

It is more dependent on how long the animal had been dead before it was found. Once their internal cooling system shuts down, then the clock starts on losing meat.

 

[Helislacker]

thanks for the responses. Shot location was just behind scapula. I’ve attached a photo. This was with a 140 ELD at 650yds from at just under 2670FPS from the muzzle (so approx. 2000FPS impact V). I was surprised it went as far as it did. Curious what you guys think as far as shot placement.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I have found the souring starts along the bone in the shoulders, along the blood vessels in large muscle masses. When gutting I noticed degredation in the paunch tissue. Like everyone said - follow your nose. You can trim your way out of this but the bounderies will be within inches not muscle groups.

I have only lost one in 50 years and saved 95% with careful trimming but every once in a while there was a bite you regretted.

 

[Helislacker]

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.

Yeah none of the meat looked like that. Zero green or dark brown and even the tenderloins didn’t smell off except for one lower portion . It was not gut shot either. My buddies even said as we were breaking it down and sniffing everything that “it smells like elk meat” and that was that. We deboned immediately after quartering as well.

 

[justin davis]

I took a gal hunting this year. She shot a bull right before dark. We couldn’t find it in the dark. Temps were maybe around freezing.

Came back in the morning and found it. I’m guessing It had died pretty quick. I’m guessing shortly after the shot. So it had been dead and laid there all night. We quartered it up and the meat was cool and smelled great!

 

[Helislacker]

Where were you located? What was the relative humidity? If you were in high desert with low humidity and it was 30 degrees i highly doubt that meat would spoil.

If you were in the PNW with high levels of humidity then I'd start smelling.

Bad meat has an obvious smell. It will smack you in the face when you open the cooler.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

I live in Alberta. Quite dry with very low RH. I didn’t have any of the smack you in the face smell.

 

[Helislacker]

Its hard to say when it actually died. He could have been laid up and only been dead 3 or 4 hours. I would trust my nose.

With the shot placement I figured he would have died within a few hours of being shot. But like you say….who knows. The weird part was there was zero blood as far as a trail and even at the spot we found him there was no blood on the ground.

 

[Helislacker]

Did you get it off the bone. The back quarters are the highest risk for bone sour, which is very common way for a big animal like elk to spoil.

You're at a tough time point, under 12 hrs I wouldn't sweat it, with temps under 40. It's more likely the meat next to the ground than the side that was up is at risk. Probably hard to know when he died, if he died a few hrs after you bumped him vs died right after that

Where is the meat now? How warm did things feel when you field dressed?

As others have said, it will get a slimy pinkish look to it. In a few days cut into pieces, it should be the typical deep red color, if deeper pieces or meat next to bone looks funny or lighter then start to get a little concerned...usually there is a weird smell in the couple cases I have seen

In situations like yours
1) get all the hide off
2) debone, if you don't debone make deep cuts to the bone to help open up meat
3) as others have said give it a few days, hang it or keep in walk in cooler for 3-4 days. If it's all cooled now, cutting it in/wrapping/freezing now is not going to help. After 3-4 days cook a few small pieces from different parts

Good luck

It was deboned as much as possible immediately on the mountain