I feel the situation needs a bit more explanation....
The hind had jumped the fence into the a paddock. I did have a firearm but even suppressed there wasn't a safe shot (well there was but would she cooperate and go in that corner).
Whilst seeing her run and try jump the fence trying to escape she was getting legs Tangled I noticed a funny gait to her, sure enough she had broken a front leg, didn't notice it till I skinned this morning. Lots of bruising all over.
Many will have seen what happens when deer try jumping through fences, often resulting in broken necks.
Wow, only Deer I saw jump a fence was a Buck in full gate running parallel the quad. It kept its pace jumped a standard sheep paddock fence without missing a beat. Graceful would be the way to describe it.
I'm not sure what shocking the carcass might do but perhaps it relaxs the muscles.
I know some say a sheep with one of its balls intact will have a taste they can detect.
I know people dog little boars , remove their nuts and let them go. They say it's great eating if they pick them up again. I think if you cut it's nuts out it's gonna try harder to avoid capture next time.
Hanging is supposed to help, what I've been told by butchers is it relaxs the meat and also it breaks down to a degree by hanging longer. Something to do with enzymes breaking down. There is nothing wrong with hanging an animal 14 days in a proper coolroom at low temps.
I don't know if any of those things can affect taste and odour if you started with a animal that was stressed or had a testosterone tainted smell.
The first and only deer I butchered was a Spika, wasn't sure I was doing the right thing but some locals said it was a good choice. It was in good condition and they say they are the best eating. Noone complained.
I've given up hanging meat in a tree / safe. Had too many incidents with flys getting in, rained on, dogs get into the meat bag etc...
Hang overnight (in this case 2), skin and break down into legs. If motivated into muscle groups and bagged up (I wasn't this time) or leave whole legs hanging in the meat fridge (I need a bigger one but they are small deer over here) for about 5days then into the freezer.
I'll probably leave this one in whole legs in the fridge for a week, freeze overnight and off to the butcher for sausages.
Backsteaks and eye fillets are already in the kitchen fridge, 1 marinating for dinner tonight
Fencing used to be for deer but it hasn't been maintained for 15+years.... Grew up with a small herd of fallow in the back paddocks, every time we brought them in for the testing there would be one that jumps, head stuck in fence, fall back down and body weight puts there neck out.
Have seen a fallow buck clear full height deer nettting a couple of times
Only really had my first experience with stressed game a few months back. Always been a rifle hunter so animals have gone down quick. However, few months back had my first opportunity to tag along on a proper pig hunt. Dogs got onto a pig but in the country we were in and they kept pushing it further away it probably had been bailed up and stressing for 30mins by the time we finally got to it. About a 90lb sow. The boys wanted to leave it behind but I’m not one to leave meat, so it came out with me. Lost a bunch to bruising from the dogs. Expected the rest to be pretty tough due to stress, but it has to be some of the best meat I’ve had. Ultimately I think it comes down to how you cook/treat the meat afterwards.
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