Addicting
Well-known member
I shot my elk late in the evening after I had to chase him over a mile due to a bad shot. This wasn’t my first choice but it happened and I had to finish the job. This all took place over 40 min in a sage flat and then up a high ridge where I was able to get a second shot in him to make him lay down. Then another 25 min to get close enough to put one in his neck to finally put him down. In order to keep up with him after the first shot I ditched my pack with all of my gear including my knives. So at 6:45 I left him on the ridge to get my pack and partner. By the time I got back with my partner it was about 9. We looked until Midnight but were unable to locate him in the sage. We were both exhausted and it was cold (25 degrees) so we opted to come back in the morning. We found him at first day light about 12 hours after he died. He had a flesh woound, one in his throat, and the neck shot. No holes into the vitals or guts. Upon quartering him up we noticed the elk blood smelled. We had him off the hill into the shade by 930 and by 12 it was to the processors it was getting a strong odor. It was starting to get warm (60 degrees) He was backed up but they got it cut up that evening and in the freezer. I had kept the tenderloin in our refrigerator and made it for dinner. It had an off smell and taste and I was concerned.
They processor threw about half of it away saying it was spoiled. All total I got about 100lbs of meat back. Tonight we had the first package of burger and it has a minor odor and a different taste from what elk I have had before. Both times I have eaten it no one got sick.
I have had to do this before with whitetail with leaving them overnight with the guts in and didn’t have any issues. I have also chased white tails long distance with thier adrenaline running and never noticed this problem. We had one that was in full rut that smelled similar and wasn’t edible due to the strong odor. This bull was with 25 cows but didn’t appear to be rutting. It was October 25th so the rut was well over. Is this off taste from spoiled meat? Why would an elk spoil so much faster than a whitetail?
They processor threw about half of it away saying it was spoiled. All total I got about 100lbs of meat back. Tonight we had the first package of burger and it has a minor odor and a different taste from what elk I have had before. Both times I have eaten it no one got sick.
I have had to do this before with whitetail with leaving them overnight with the guts in and didn’t have any issues. I have also chased white tails long distance with thier adrenaline running and never noticed this problem. We had one that was in full rut that smelled similar and wasn’t edible due to the strong odor. This bull was with 25 cows but didn’t appear to be rutting. It was October 25th so the rut was well over. Is this off taste from spoiled meat? Why would an elk spoil so much faster than a whitetail?