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processing- can i leave some of the bloodshot meat on for ~12 hours before finishing?

thedutchtouch

thedutchtouch

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Joined
Oct 22, 2020
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Location
Maryland
hi all, processing my first deer ever and i am wiped out- will post the kill story later but for now i need to make sure i have this meat taken care of. i have all of meat in a cooler on ice (best i can do) however i haven't cut away the bloodshot meat yet. newbie question - is it ok to leave the bloodshot stuff attached until tomorrow? i'm wiped and want to pick back up in the morning but i'll cut it out tonight if i have to. deer was shot around 2PM, finished quartering etc at 6:30PM
 
BackSpasm said:
Congrats dude! I know how bad you wanted this. I am looking forward to the full story, as long as you have meat on ice and cooling you are all set
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first deer!

i started hunting (bow only) mid season last year, and was able to connect with my first deer today, a doe which the guy i met at parking and helped me drag out said could be a year and a half, i was guessing yearling? she was 64 lbs dressed, so a smaller doe, but a trophy to me. so here's how...
saddlehunter.com
 
I have never cut away any archery kill bloodshot meat. Rifle, shotgun and muzzleloader definitely cut away the traumatized meat. An arrow does not do the same damage as a bullet. The only time you really want to get meat off so it doesn't spoil is when you have a guy shot and you have bile getting on your meat.
 
Loopwing said:
I have never cut away any archery kill bloodshot meat. Rifle, shotgun and muzzleloader definitely cut away the traumatized meat. An arrow does not do the same damage as a bullet. The only time you really want to get meat off so it doesn't spoil is when you have a guy shot and you have bile getting on your meat.
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Interesting. I've heard various things about this but first go so no firsthand experience for me. It seems like a lot of this is surface layer-like the blood pooled between the shoulder and the ribs, so I may be confusing some surface clotting/discoloration for bloodshot (of the bruised meat/gun/ shock projectile type) and it isn't affecting as much meat in the shoulders as I first thought. at least that's my best guess after watching a bunch of YouTube and staying in a holiday inn express some time before COVID.
 
Wash that meat off. That blood will wash right off. A rifle shot will actually destroy and jellify the meat. (Any gunshot meat tastes horrible) If you have a question about it, definitely cut it away. Try cooking it separate and give it a taste.
 
We have had deer in the ice chest for 8 days or so no problems. Just keep the ice on it and process any time you want or do a little at a time . Stay safe and enjoy your deer meat.
 
thedutchtouch said:
Interesting. I've heard various things about this but first go so no firsthand experience for me. It seems like a lot of this is surface layer-like the blood pooled between the shoulder and the ribs, so I may be confusing some surface clotting/discoloration for bloodshot (of the bruised meat/gun/ shock projectile type) and it isn't affecting as much meat in the shoulders as I first thought. at least that's my best guess after watching a bunch of YouTube and staying in a holiday inn express some time before COVID.
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You are correct in that gut shot meat only really effects the meat it’s touching like tenderloins and ribs. All 4 quarters will be fine as well as the backstraps. I know because I process road kill deer (usually only if I actually see the deer hit so I know how fresh it is). I don’t even try to open up the insides of those deer any more. It’s like a bomb went off inside them. Guts everywhere in there. I just used the gutless method to peel the hide off and take the backstraps and quarters. All good! Congrats on your deer by the way and congrats on tackling the processing yourself. Once you’ve done 3-4 it gets way quicker and easier.
 
A lot of it ended up being surface level clotting/pooling. I broke through one shoulder blade down close to the joint and came out just under the other. Learning curve was present on processing, but it was fun. Didn't time myself exactly but somewhere around 2- 2.5 hours. Some of my cuts can be improved, but she's ready to eat/freeze. Well except for the ground, need to run that through my grinder still, but knifework is done.
 

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thedutchtouch said:
A lot of it ended up being surface level clotting/pooling. I broke through one shoulder blade down close to the joint and came out just under the other. Learning curve was present on processing, but it was fun. Didn't time myself exactly but somewhere around 2- 2.5 hours. Some of my cuts can be improved, but she's ready to eat/freeze. Well except for the ground, need to run that through my grinder still, but knifework is done.
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Aging your meat is never a bad option either and something to keep in mind! Our beer/overflow fridge in the basement turns into an aging fridge during deer season. I quarter the deer and leave silverskin on to be taken off later when done aging. I have a couple meat tubs and rotate the meat daily for a few days and sop up any excess blood. We think it really improves taste and tenderness. There are several ways to accomplish aging and plenty of info online to check out if you're interested!
 
Jtaylor said:
Aging your meat is never a bad option either and something to keep in mind! Our beer/overflow fridge in the basement turns into an aging fridge during deer season. I quarter the deer and leave silverskin on to be taken off later when done aging. I have a couple meat tubs and rotate the meat daily for a few days and sop up any excess blood. We think it really improves taste and tenderness. There are several ways to accomplish aging and plenty of info online to check out if you're interested!
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X2 on this. I usually age in my fridge between 5-10 days depending on when I can get to it.
 
Not an option for many but I gut my deer at the tidal boat launch about a half mile from my house. Rinsing the body cavity with ice cold salt water cools the carcass quickly and the salt inhibits bacteria. The gulls and lobsters/crabs make quick work of the guts.
 
I don't have a heck of a lof of fridge space at the moment, even for this small of a meat pile, and wasn't fully trusting the cooler method to stay cool enough (i need a new cooler) so was hoping that I can age cuts individually after pulling them from the freezer and letting them sit for a week or so in the fridge at that point? if that doesn't actually work, i can always turn more of it than planned into jerky and try to go after another!
 
DroptineKrazy said:
Not an option for many but I gut my deer at the tidal boat launch about a half mile from my house. Rinsing the body cavity with ice cold salt water cools the carcass quickly and the salt inhibits bacteria. The gulls and lobsters/crabs make quick work of the guts.
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Im on my way. deer lobster and crabs all in the same day. yup im movin to maine...
 
I won't put bruised meat in the freezer. It's a preference thing. It's not hurting anything sitting there before processing. Would keep the bruised side down in the cooler if you're doing it that way so that blood doesn't seep back through.
 
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