Meat color and smell is wrong.

[Jakey_boy001]

Alright so to start off with I’m not new to elk hunting, this bull I killed September 2025 was my 9th elk I’ve killed. This was the first time I’ve had someone else process my elk for me I just didn’t have time to do it. But I got two packages of elk steaks out to thaw yesterday and from one package to the other the meat color is so drastic I have no idea what could cause it. One is the dark ruby red color (to me that’s how it’s supposed to look). The other is a pale pink color and has an off smell not like spoilage or anything it’s just different and kinda off putting. But here is the kicker all of the meat so far has been that off pink color and weird smell and once you cook it it doesn’t taste right. Now I’m not a pro or anything but I’m definitely not new to elk and I’ve never seen anything like this. Does anyone have any idea what the hell the processor would have done to end up with this.

 

[Truck24hr]

Had a whole beef turn out like that once. None of it was edible. Trying to cook it just made the house stink. Never used that butcher again.

 

[deserthunter2016]

I never trust butchers anymore. I have had too many bad experiences. I take good care of my game when I am field dressing and packaging and too many time have I gotten back something similar to you or completely inedible. Sometimes I think they just throw it all in one big batch to get it done and you get what you get back from them, whether it’s yours or not, good or bad.


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[Oilcan]

I also do all my own butchering and processing.
I’ve been burned a few times, I just don’t trust them anymore.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

You got someone else's bad meat.

 

[Jakey_boy001]

I never trust butchers anymore. I have had too many bad experiences. I take good care of my game when I am field dressing and packaging and too many time have I gotten back something similar to you or completely inedible. Sometimes I think they just throw it all in one big batch to get it done and you get what you get back from them, whether it’s yours or not, good or bad.


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So do I the butcher said it was the cleanest meat he had seen in a while and didn’t believe me when I told him i shot it 3 miles. I’m just concerned my wife usually cooks so I almost never see the meat raw so today was a shock.

 

[Jakey_boy001]

I also do all my own butchering and processing.
I’ve been burned a few times, I just don’t trust them anymore.

This it the first time I haven’t in 15 years and pay over $400 to have this result pisses me off.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I have only had one deer processed in my life. It was 85 degrees and I was unprepared. The meat sucked as I know I did not get my own. That was almost 40 years ago and I've butchered probably 150 since then. No way no how would I ever trust anyone to butcher my game meat, I don't care who you are or what you claim.

 

[Yoteassasin]

Wow terrible .

 

[EdP]

I butcher my own meat. Never EVER send it to a processor. I'm not a very good meat cutter but I know what I am getting every time.

 

[Olympics777]

I brought meat to a meat locker in South Dakota one time that was super clean, when I went to pick it up all packaged a couple weeks later it was all dirty and gross. I complained and they said that they don’t try to give back your own meat because that’s too confusing, so they just weigh it out and give you back the same weight. I’ll never take meat to a processer again.

 

[Thatguy308]

I think its fair to say your better of doing it yourself next time.

 

[Andrew12gauge]

Had an antelope that ended up all pale colored like that. I don’t know what went wrong that time, gutted, skinned, quartered and on ice within 2 hrs of kill, as I have with every other antelope, butchered it myself, ended up being near inedible


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[spike camp]

What cuts of meat have been pink vs the red cuts in the pic?
Not that it’ll make any difference, just curious if it’s all different cuts…any burger like that?

Years ago I took an Illinois buck to a butcher, and when I got it back, the burger was this weird pink color and when I cooked it, the pink didn’t go away.

That was around 2012, probably 40 animals later… I haven’t used a butcher since!

 

[spike camp]

Had an antelope that ended up all pale colored like that. I don’t know what went wrong that time, gutted, skinned, quartered and on ice within 2 hrs of kill, as I have with every other antelope, butchered it myself, ended up being near inedible


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I’ve head that a lot.
I have nearly zero experience with antelope, except a buddy gave me two, a few years ago.
The backstraps were amazing. I was really surprised.
Made sausage with the majority, which was really good too.

 

[Telford29]

Is the lighter colored cut eye of the round by chance? I would think it would still smell similar though when it’s in the pan. Something seems off. I agree with the masses here. Cutting it yourself is worth it. Gratifying.

 

[Wrench]

I've seen wounded elk that look like that. Anyone...hell EVERYONE knows that's foul because the smell is alarming. The meat mixes with puss and it smells like death.

 

[TSAMP]

Id thaw a few more out and compare. Share the pics please. I was reading this thinking you were being dramatic but that is a very apparent difference, it almost looks like pork.

 

[High Climber]

Where did you kill him at? How did the hooves look on that elk? I’ve seen meat look like that on hoof rot elk in western WA and Oregon

 

[Jgill19]

Meat that gets submerged in water, on ice in a cooler that isn't draining, in a creek etc etc. Will leach the blood out and result in a paler color like that. I'm not sure how that would happen once it got to the butcher though.