Help please.

[ramonmark]

Buddy shot his bull moose 5 days ago up.
north by the chin. We quartered and hung it in the shade under a tarp. No animals got to it. The days were mid teens but in the shade it was quite cool. The nights were cold and the camp was frost covered every morning. I'm butchering it this morning and have come across a green tinge on the outside of the meat. The only areas affected are between the hind quarters where the testicles are attached. I've shaved off about 1" of meat until there is no more green colouring but it still stinks. A very putrid smell. Is the meat salvageable?

This pic is.of the area before meat removed.



This one is after. The meat that has no Green still stinks like rot or putrid smell? Is this green bone? I've never came across this. Maybe it was cooled quickly enough.

[diamonddave]

Did you quarter it or half it, you said in between the hind quarters where the nuts attach? Sounds like he's heat rotted, I would say your SOL...

[ValleyBoxer]

Originally Posted by ramonmark

Buddy shot his bull moose 5 days ago up.north by the chin. We quartered and hung it in the shade under a tarp. No animals got to it. The days were mid teens but in the hade it was quite cool. The nights were cold and the camp was frost covered everything morning. I'm butchering it this morningame and have come across a green tinge on the outside of the meat. The only areas affected are between the hind quarters where the testicles are attached. I've shaved off about 1" of meat until there is no more green colouring but it still stinks. A very putrid smell. Is the meat salvageable?



This pic is.of the area before meat removed.







This one is after. The meat that has no Green still stinks like rot or putrid smell? Is this green bone? I've never came across this. Maybe it was cooled quickly enough.

It sounds like it to far gone, did you leave the hide on when you quartered it up? Were they hanging close together?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[diamonddave]

From the pics it looks like the hide was left on, but maybe not pics can be deceiving. If the hide was on, you just made one of the biggest mistakes you can in cooling your big game.

[Kodiak]

But it's toast......

[Sharpie]

I had this happen to a moose last year. Thought it was cool enough but it takes a long time to cool deep tissue. I caught it soon enough like you did. Limited amount of meat damaged. I just cut away meat from tainted area until color and smell was good. No more smell the rest of the moose was great eating. Enjoy

[Nyksta]

Mid teens is pretty far into the bacteria growth temps... food safety recommendation for non frozen products is 1 to 2*C. Anything warmer than that is letting bacteria grow. The warmer the faster. Room temperature is 4 hours for processed cut meats. Different circumstances have different exposure to bacteria. An animals immune system is fighting bacteria when it is alive and so there should be limited bacteria inside uncut meat, but as soon as a blade cuts in, bacteria is much more present. Get the hide off and cool it as fast as possible. Either way, the fresher the better or you might be getting diarhea if its too far gone. Vomitting and fever and food poisoning if its really too far gone.

... dont age meat anywhere other than a walk in cooler with controlled temperature. Its not ideal conditions.

[ramonmark]

The hide was on. The legs weren't touching. I think this one is too far gone. I deboned a few sections but same smell. The other bulls are A ok but I belive this one was very warm considering he was 'working out' when harvested. Thanks for the help confirming my suspensions.

[3blade]

Sucks but it's a good lesson for everyone. Get the hide OFF, put it in game bags, hang immediately. Big game hair/hide is incredibly effective insulation

[Sharpie]

yup I had mine skinned, Front half in one piece and back half in quarters. Only had it hanging for 1 day and 2 nights, 0 at night and only high of about 11 that day. When I went to move it into cooler I split the front half down the middle. That's when I found that stinky green spot, high in the shoulders, pretty much in the hump. Just had to cut a big chunk out.

[Redfrog]

If you have inlaws or non hunting friends who ask " You got a moose??// Where's my steaks" well problem solved.

Green means stop in this case.

[Toromir]

Wow....

[Gordoats26]

Not trying to be a jerk. What reason would you ever have to leave the hide on? Just curious as I have never even heard of anyone doing that before. Leaving the hide on in double digit temperatures I would be shocked if the meat wasn't rotten.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

[Toromir]

Originally Posted by Gordoats26

Not trying to be a jerk. What reason would you ever have to leave the hide on? Just curious as I have never even heard of anyone doing that before. Leaving the hide on in double digit temperatures I would be shocked if the meat wasn't rotten.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

common sense slipped out the window the day they shot that? what a waste.

[walking buffalo]

Can tell just from the picture that the meat is cooked....

Lesson hard learned, and hopefully others will take note.
It is still much too warm to be leaving a hide on Moose, Elk, and even deer.

[Sharpie]

This could be interpreted as letting edible portions of meat become unfit for human consumption..

[Tfng]

Originally Posted by Sharpie

yup I had mine skinned, Front half in one piece and back half in quarters. Only had it hanging for 1 day and 2 nights, 0 at night and only high of about 11 that day. When I went to move it into cooler I split the front half down the middle. That's when I found that stinky green spot, high in the shoulders, pretty much in the hump. Just had to cut a big chunk out.

The same could be said for that big chunk you cut out Sharpie....

[Sharpie]

Originally Posted by TFNG

The same could be said for that big chunk you cut out Sharpie....

Yup never said it wouldn't. 1 pound is not quite neglecting an entire moose.

[Nyksta]

If it isnt ideal temperatures or situation to get the meat home safe, then it isnt a good day to hunt. There's more to hunting than just finding an animal and putting a bullet/arrow into it. Planning and thinking ahead are vital for all hunters.

[Tfng]

Originally Posted by Sharpie

Yup never said it wouldn't. 1 pound is not quite neglecting an entire moose.

No it's not but you learned something as I imagine the OP and his gang did.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Way too hot to leave it for 5 days in the mid teens? 32-35 Fahrenheit is hanging temps....that smell is likely bone sour amongst other things.

You must have a plan when taking large animals early season....no way I would leave a smaller animal that cools faster like deer out for 5 days let alone a large animal with large muscle groups for 5 days in temps we have right now.

LC

[Red Bullets]

Very sad to hear of the loss. Don't just dispose of it as rancid meat. A local fur rancher or zoo might be able to utilize the meat.

Or...Start yourself a maggot farm. A chunk of meat the size of a moose would make a few million maggots.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Gordoats26

Not trying to be a jerk. What reason would you ever have to leave the hide on? Just curious as I have never even heard of anyone doing that before. Leaving the hide on in double digit temperatures I would be shocked if the meat wasn't rotten.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

I've left the hide on my quarters when I didn't have game bags to keep the meat clean. Never had a problem but I don't leave them out 4 days in this kind of weather. I can think of a few times where one or two of the quarters might have waited 4 days or so in 10 degree-ish weather for processing though and my meat has always been good. If the temp is getting down to around zero at night and the quarters are carefully stored they will be well cooled even with the hide on.

I have a hard time believing that the whole moose is bad though, I once had a deer get a lot more green than that and with some careful trimming the meat was fine.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Very sad to hear of the loss. Don't just dispose of it as rancid meat. A local fur rancher or zoo might be able to utilize the meat.

Or...Start yourself a maggot farm. A chunk of meat the size of a moose would make a few million maggots.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=302871

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=302871

I dunno moose, to me donating meat that you don't feel is good enough for your own consumption seems like a pretty low move.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I dunno moose, to me donating meat that you don't feel is good enough for your own consumption seems like a pretty low move.

You are s genius!

[HunterDave]

I'd try the meat on the outside of the leg. You might be able to salvage some of that if the stink didn't get into it.

[Gordoats26]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I've left the hide on my quarters when I didn't have game bags to keep the meat clean. Never had a problem but I don't leave them out 4 days in this kind of weather. I can think of a few times where one or two of the quarters might have waited 4 days or so in 10 degree-ish weather for processing though and my meat has always been good. If the temp is getting down to around zero at night and the quarters are carefully stored they will be well cooled even with the hide on.

I have a hard time believing that the whole moose is bad though, I once had a deer get a lot more green than that and with some careful trimming the meat was fine.

To each their own I guess. I would not be interested in eating meat that I have to trim off rotten green meat when butchering. Makes me sick even thinking about that. If for some reason I didn't have game bags then I would rather take my chances washing the quarters off before butchering. Take a deep freeze and gennie with you to camp and run it for a couple hours a day to keep your meat cool problem solved. If not find a cooler somewhere to hang it.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by diamonddave

From the pics it looks like the hide was left on, but maybe not pics can be deceiving. If the hide was on, you just made one of the biggest mistakes you can in cooling your big game.

^^^^This always take the hide off immediately or it won't cool and you will get heat rot!

BW

[cdales]

Oh man... Brutal.. What a waste. That sucks. Hopefully some is salvageable.