Would you eat this bull?
- Thread starter nmbarta
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metal2meat
Member
- Joined
- May 14, 2011
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About 15 years ago a buddy and I were headed to an area to do some coyote hunting. Driving on the highway through some large tracts of private land we spotted a bull laying about 200yds off the highway in a pasture. It's antlers were up, not laying on their side so it struck us odd that the bull was laying in the open, visible from the highway and it was already an hour or so of daylight.
I saw a pick up parked on the side of the road that seemed to be watching the bull. I pulled over and asked the guy if he was watching the bull thinking he'd shot it with a landowner tag and was waiting for help to load it or for it to die. He was the ranch manager and said there were two bulls (one had limped over a hill out of site) and this one was laying there looking hurt. He thought they'd been hit on the road during the night and he had called the game warden. He said "if you want some elk meat you might stick around, maybe the game warden will give it to you". When the warden showed he asked some questions and then walked out to the bull. He shot it as it still alive and got to its feet when got up to it.
We walked out and the bull was fairly skinny but didn't have any obvious wounds. The warden pulled and cranked on its legs, we rolled it over and it had no visible wounds or damage. He asked the rancher if he wanted it and the rancher said "no, give it to these young fellers". About that time the warden opened its mouth and peered in and came up gagging. The bulls tongue was swollen and green and the smell was horrid. I quickly backed out from paying the warden $20 for a procession tag for it. The rancher said "hell the ivories and antler are worth $20". The warden said "if the meat is bad and you decide to dump it, just let me know where".
We took it to my game processor, a salty old guy that had been cutting meat for decades. I told him my concern and he said to hang it and skin it on his rack so he could get to the lymph glands. There's a couple glands in the neck, armpits and in between the flanks and rear legs. He pulled them out, sliced them in half and said "see how the color is pretty consistent- kind of a grey buttery color- the infection hasn't spread. It there was infection, the color would be splotchy and not even". The bull hadn't been eating so he was skinny. The meat was a very dark red color. The meat cutter said this bull hasn't eaten and his body has been burning his fat and muscle to live of off. He went into say the animals body is breaking down its own muscle and fat to make energy. He also said the meat would be kind of sweet. It was one of the best elk I've eaten.
After skinning the head we found a .357 bullet in the elks jaw. It had been shot through the jaw and tongue and the bullet had lodged in the offside jaw bone. It was a nasty rank wound, green with infection but the meat was fantastic.
I saw a pick up parked on the side of the road that seemed to be watching the bull. I pulled over and asked the guy if he was watching the bull thinking he'd shot it with a landowner tag and was waiting for help to load it or for it to die. He was the ranch manager and said there were two bulls (one had limped over a hill out of site) and this one was laying there looking hurt. He thought they'd been hit on the road during the night and he had called the game warden. He said "if you want some elk meat you might stick around, maybe the game warden will give it to you". When the warden showed he asked some questions and then walked out to the bull. He shot it as it still alive and got to its feet when got up to it.
We walked out and the bull was fairly skinny but didn't have any obvious wounds. The warden pulled and cranked on its legs, we rolled it over and it had no visible wounds or damage. He asked the rancher if he wanted it and the rancher said "no, give it to these young fellers". About that time the warden opened its mouth and peered in and came up gagging. The bulls tongue was swollen and green and the smell was horrid. I quickly backed out from paying the warden $20 for a procession tag for it. The rancher said "hell the ivories and antler are worth $20". The warden said "if the meat is bad and you decide to dump it, just let me know where".
We took it to my game processor, a salty old guy that had been cutting meat for decades. I told him my concern and he said to hang it and skin it on his rack so he could get to the lymph glands. There's a couple glands in the neck, armpits and in between the flanks and rear legs. He pulled them out, sliced them in half and said "see how the color is pretty consistent- kind of a grey buttery color- the infection hasn't spread. It there was infection, the color would be splotchy and not even". The bull hadn't been eating so he was skinny. The meat was a very dark red color. The meat cutter said this bull hasn't eaten and his body has been burning his fat and muscle to live of off. He went into say the animals body is breaking down its own muscle and fat to make energy. He also said the meat would be kind of sweet. It was one of the best elk I've eaten.
After skinning the head we found a .357 bullet in the elks jaw. It had been shot through the jaw and tongue and the bullet had lodged in the offside jaw bone. It was a nasty rank wound, green with infection but the meat was fantastic.
PREDATORMAN
Active Member
Call your Game and Fish and ask them to come look at it. Their biologist may decide for you and you may save the herd if it's something of major concern
nmbarta
Well-Known Member
Not worth the risk to me. For those that think he's okay to eat.....I hate to see him go to waste. He's frozen solid, you pay the shipping and he's yours......I bet I dont get any takers on that. Thanks everyone for your input. This was at the least, peace of mind, and actually educational.
Thanks for keeping this thread decent, you never know how these things will go.
Good luck this year......and next year, if there is a next year!!!!!
Thanks for keeping this thread decent, you never know how these things will go.
Good luck this year......and next year, if there is a next year!!!!!
JimmyCP
Well-Known Member
Nope not eating that one. If you know what caused it than maybe salvageable, but not knowing I wouldn't.
My votes with the rest, call G&F
My votes with the rest, call G&F
Rifleman97
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- 382
I used to work at the USDA and dealt with samples of deer and elk checking for various diseases. This is absolutely not safe to eat. Without testing it, I'd guess it might have TB, or blue tongue, but could also be a few other diseases. I would not even feed this to a dog like I saw someone else mention, or you might be giving the dog said disease and spreading it.
edited because I put blue foot instead of blue tongue, I've been dealing with chickens too much haha.
edited because I put blue foot instead of blue tongue, I've been dealing with chickens too much haha.
Last edited:
greengiant
Active Member
Sorry to disagree, but, if it is not good enough for me, the wife, kids & grandkids to eat, it is also not good enough for my dog.
sheephunteralaska
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- Joined
- Nov 23, 2011
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- 9
No
Ga6570
Well-Known Member
good luck to you chasing a cow! Now that the cold arrived it ought to make things even more exciting!! Be safe! - Sam
AZHunter04
Member
If the meat around it seems good I think I'd try to trim it.
I'm with you buddy. I would not feed that to my family. That bull looked emaciated and definitely could have had a bad case of blood poisoning and or something else wrong with it. I have salvage alot of meat off critters with different issues but that one I would pass on. Dog food is a good idea and would help with the feelings of not totally wasting it.
wapitiaddict
Well-Known Member
That's actually pretty funny......but what about not-so-good friends?
