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Bloodshot Meat

HSi-ESi

HSi-ESi

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Joined
Nov 1, 2012
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Location
Corvallis, MT
I've always tried to reduce the amount of meat that is bloodshot - but realize that this is not an exact science. In preparation to the coming hunting season, I was wondering last night why is bloodshot meat bad?

I was taught to trim it all away, that it's ruined. So my questions are:

1. Why is it ruined?

2. Has anyone ever tried to use it?

3. Blood sausage? Or maybe an emulsified product?

I've always trimmed it away with regret - so I started thinking about ways to maybe try and use it.
 
Exact science is to shoot better, but still things happen. Put the bullet in the engine room, not through the shoulder and out the other, OR up the rear or in the a$$, or anywhere in between.

No ideas here. I trim it off. Yes I said you have to be a great shot, but even the greats and great shots end up with bloodshot meat.

Now. My brother in law and those types, eat toe foo, make after birth smoothies and probably made a blood pudding or emulsified something, but they do not hunt. I could see?
 
1. Not necessarily ruined, but you get a heavy metallic sometimes bitter flavor as blood has been forced into the tissue. You can alleviate this by soaking the meat in ice cold salty water, massage the meat and you can remove a good portion of the extra blood.

2. Yes, see above.

3. Never made blood sausage, but you need fresh...well fresher blood. My guess is the bloodshot meat is too oxidized and will not have the correct flavor.
 
I have always been interested in this too. You are always told that it is no good, but I guess I've never asked "why". I would also like to hear some opinions/facts as to why it is bad or needs to be thrown out.
 
One reason for me is that I can't get past the looks/thought of eating if. It looks horrible. I can stand the taste of blood (for instance, people that suck their finger when they get a cut). Also I have biblical beliefs that do not permit the consumption of blood. I agree with proper shot placement to reduce the chance of bloodshot meat if at all possible. I too hate to waste the meat.
 
if you soak in ice cold water you can salvage some of that meat but if you eat it as bloodshot it has a unique taste but could probably be ground and just mixed in with sausage grind but I don't know if it would spoil or not last in long in freezer. it happens but only take good shots and it minimizes it, also good bullet selection that matches your rifle helps a ton.
 
It definitely taints the burger if there is a lot of bloodshot meat in the mix. I have been using Barnes bullets exclusively the last 10 years and that has greatly reduced my bloodshot meat, where it used to be a couple pounds or more lost , now it is usually about a half pound with the same shot placement. I can only attribute that to the fact that the bullet stays together and doesn't send bits and pieces straying off the main path.
 
In the big picture, it is usually not that much meat anyway. As long as you do not shoot up the back strap or rear quarters, it is not an issue. Shoot straight to avoid the premium meat and don't worry about the bloodshot stuff. I'll bet that the average amount that is bloodshot on an animal is actually very low weight-wise.
 
sbhooper said:
In the big picture, it is usually not that much meat anyway. As long as you do not shoot up the back strap or rear quarters, it is not an issue. Shoot straight to avoid the premium meat and don't worry about the bloodshot stuff. I'll bet that the average amount that is bloodshot on an animal is actually very low weight-wise.
Click to expand...
Agreed! For the amount of meat "lost" I just don't find it worth my time and effort to jump through hoops to save it.
 
I spined my antelope Saturday. #@(*#!. Some of the backstrap was bloodshot but I couldn't bear to throw it away. I kept the part that was streaked with dark blood between the muscle fibers (no big pools or anything) attached to the untainted meat. I then threw it on the grill after covering it with cooking oil and cooked it medium rare.

I had forgotten how awesome antelope is, and if there was a difference between the taste of the blood streaked meat and the regular meat I couldn't tell. Unfortunately, it was the most disgusting looking meat I have ever eaten! The blood-streaked part turned black. I had to eat it without looking directly at it.

No need to run that experiment again...
 
Always be on the lookout for minute slivers of lead on that kind of meat, not only in the blood streaked part, but anywhere close to it.
 
The worry about blood-shot meat to me is irrelevant. I will take a neck, high shoulder shot or a lung shot when possible and have a dead animal. If what meat that is there is trashed, oh well! I am not going to go to great lengths to save a pound or two of meat just to have it taste like crap because it is blood shot. A lung shot is totally irrelevant, as there is an insignificant amount of meat there anyway. Concentrate on killing the animal and take what good meat you can.

Varmints need to eat too, and it is a cold day when I will haul anything but good meat several miles on my back. There is way too much issue made with this subject.

One thing that will cut the amount of blood-shot meat, is to quit shooting frangible bullets like SSts, Ballistic tips, Amax, Berger etc. etc. Shoot a good, strong bullet that won't dynamite when it hits. I lost very little meat over the years shooting Interlocks and Partitons from my 7 mags.
 
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