Thread: Checking health of deer before butchering

I was reading Red Deer in NZ by Lentle and Saxton and they say you should do a full check of the lungs, liver, kidneys and intestines before butchering a deer, even if you just take the backstraps and hind quarters. Is that what everyone does in practice, or are diseases less of a concern since this was first published?

I was going to call this thread "deer autopsy", but it's pretty clear what the cause of death would be

You have to dive through the guts to get those eye fillets out and so while you are at it you may as well take the liver for final dissection on your dinner plate. Some of the tastiest morsels are in that gut bag. Check that the lungs have no lesions and are not stuck to the rib cage wall and that the kidneys look good. Of course if you have put a bullet in there it could all be messy. If for any reason you want to reject the carcase, keep in mind it is always good to pass onto relatives and those that pester for a bit of wild meat.
By the way, I have a hate on for those that just take the back legs and back steaks...lazy pricks. It is their deer and they can do as they wish with it, just doesn't alter my thinking...lazy pricks.

I don't check but I probably should. Never hear of anyone getting sick. But I'm 20 so I'm as invincible as I am dumb

Yeah a have general look over the organs once gutted. No weird looking spots etc.
Must be great living 5m from the kill zone @Spook

Good advice, thanks all.

Originally Posted by Spook

You have to dive through the guts to get those eye fillets out and so while you are at it you may as well take the liver for final dissection on your dinner plate. Some of the tastiest morsels are in that gut bag. Check that the lungs have no lesions and are not stuck to the rib cage wall and that the kidneys look good. Of course if you have put a bullet in there it could all be messy. If for any reason you want to reject the carcase, keep in mind it is always good to pass onto relatives and those that pester for a bit of wild meat.
By the way, I have a hate on for those that just take the back legs and back steaks...lazy pricks. It is their deer and they can do as they wish with it, just doesn't alter my thinking...lazy pricks.

So you carry all the dog bones and busted front shoulders from the shot etc?? Not sure why you would, Or are you calling me lazy if i just leave eye fillets?? Bit confused. Backsteak, eye fillet and back wheels is about 60% the body weight anyway so how much are you wasting??

It doesnt make you any less of a man if you leave shit behind, nor if you are barely able to get in the hills to start with (bad knee and back) so i would hate to be called lazy. I am out every weekend and clock up the miles while i still can. Yes if you shoot and only take backsteaks then i would have to agree.

Hamish

+1 spook , can understand leaving A front shoulder if the exit wound was through it and had made a mess but there is still plenty of meat in the neck along with the front shoulders for sausages patties mince etc.

Originally Posted by HNTMAD

So you carry all the dog bones and busted front shoulders from the shot etc?? Not sure why you would, Or are you calling me lazy if i just leave eye fillets?? Bit confused. Backsteak, eye fillet and back wheels is about 60% the body weight anyway so how much are you wasting??

It doesnt make you any less of a man if you leave shit behind, nor if you are barely able to get in the hills to start with (bad knee and back) so i would hate to be called lazy. I am out every weekend and clock up the miles while i still can. Yes if you shoot and only take backsteaks then i would have to agree.

Hamish

I carry one of those things called a boning knife, leave a lot of unwanted pieces behind. A bit of time boning out compared to trying to carry a complete animal is worth it. About a third of those hind legs is only mince or dog food anyway, may as well bone it out and reduce the carry.
Like I said, it is your deer, do what you want with it.

Am with you Spook. Got a decent stag friday week ago. Took what I could carry and went back next day with a couple of helpers to carry out the rest. Was 3 hours in but I hate waste especially when I dont get that many.

It is probably worth checking for the time it would take. but i cant say i have ever noticed anything worth worrying about.

Yes, I always do a general check for lesions, and make a slice thru liver etc. I shot a pig in the Waioeka a year or so back that had lesions, so dumped the lot. Pissed me off, as it was the first pig in a long while.
I also always bone out my deer, and hang the meat to cool, then get my son to carry it out - not really - we split the load, but leave only bones behind, (and a pulpy shoulder - I'm not good enough for all this fancy neck and head shots at longer ranges). If we are close to the truck, we take the frame as well for the dog to crunch on.

Originally Posted by phillipgr

I don't check but I probably should. Never hear of anyone getting sick. But I'm 20 so I'm as invincible as I am dumb

Nah you are more dumb than you are invincible Phillip.

I have a look at the lungs and liver if its handy(gonna carry whole) otherwise if boneing out to carry meat only don't usually gut at all.
Anything unusually skinny I will have a look but have never found anything untoward in a deer.
Pigs yes, have left one where it lay and scrubbed the hell out of my hands in the nearest creek

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

Originally Posted by Rushy

Nah you are more dumb than you are invincible Phillip.

You done made me all confused Rushy

Originally Posted by phillipgr

You done made me all confused Rushy

Didn't mean to Phillip but just to be clear this really is a case of mind over matter and if you are confused by that then I would go on to say that I don't mind and you don't matter. Ha ha ha ha