My friends Moose spoiled In a day????

E

elmerdeer

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Ok guys this is the story my friend and his group go hunting and the first night out my friend shoots a nice bull at 270 yards. So the moose is down and him and his dad do a not so good job of guting the moose. Meaning they left blood in it and maybe even some fecal matter.
He gets to camp tells everyone to go and get it but they all say its cold enough (-2c or 30)for leaving it till morning.So they get the moose in the morn and it doesnt look that good, its liver has white streaks in it and the meat is soft to the knife. They get it to camp and hang the animal they do not rinse the inside, and do not put pepper in it before they cheese cloth it. So that day it starts to get hot like about 60-65 degrees the flies are on the cheese cloth like theyre on [bleep] and the animal starts to smell a bit,about 24hrs from time of kill. That night the temps stay warm like 45-55 degrees and the next morn they take the animal to the freezers but its smelling pretty bad now, so now after 36-40 hours this anomal smeels bad, they put in freezer for about 3 days and when leaving they go to pick it up, so here is where it gets fun!!! All the guides are saying an animal will not spoil in that time frame cause they have never seen it, so their conclusion was it must have been dead a few days before! And he collected a dead animal. So now part of the group heres this and they are all screaming at each other and calling the guy a liar and freak!!!
So what do you guys think of this story?
Is it possible for the animal to spoil so fast?
Has anyone had an experience wher their animal spoils fast?
thanks
Elmer
 
Absolutely it can spoil in 24 hrs. with improper field dressing. Have never done it myself, but know others who have... First thing after a kill is to clean and cool the meat, no matter how lazy the rest of the f**ks are at camp. Get it done, even if you have to do it alone...
 
Critter can definitely go bad overnight even in the cold. Brother shot a doe one time and wasn't able to find it until the next morning. This was in the December controlled hunt with overnight temp of ~-20. While edible, the meat was pretty lousy and one could only imagine that after another day or so, it would have been bad. Gotta get the animal clean clean clean and then cool as quick as you can, even if it is cold and everyone is tired.


Stef
 
Happens to bowhunters in sept quite often. Late-light hit, game recovered the next day + warm evening.

For me, it's clean cavity immediately. Hide and fat off asap.
 
You'll see on TV especially with bears some guy will say "we did the right thing and left it overnight". nope. If you can't recover it promptly maybe don't shoot.

That's a sad story. A mass as big as a moose will warm up the ground under it and then insulate the immediate area really well. It has to be off the ground.

RG

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Fecal matter ain't the problem--contents of the rumen are. The rumen is full of anerobic bacteria--a little of that plus body heat and it will sour in a few hours. Get the meat cooled down as quickly as possible.
 
I have also had trouble with a moose shot just before dark and assumed it was cold enough.
But we were lucky and did not lose the moose


So here's what you gotta do...
1. Shoot animal... yep.
2. Gut animal.. this is not difficult but there are tricks to do it well.
Split the brisket with a small knife or saw, slice out the windpipe right from the base of the throat and then cut along it right into the chest cavity.
3. Split the pelvis; carefully slice around the pooper, Gotta be very careful not to cut the bladder or get poop. Ideally you get it cut enough to tie-off the pooper.
4. If you have done 2 & 3 correctly, you should be able to go back to the windpipe; pull on the windpipe and by carefully cutting the diaphragm, remove everything from the throat to the ANUS in one piece... it'll all come out in one pull, very neat if you know what you are doing.
5. Completely skin the animal (unless it's -10 or better). Never count on the temp cooperating, put on the game bags if you like. I think they are over-rated.
6. Most important! Get the meat hanging ASAP! It is amazing how well an animal will fare if you get it up and hanging, even if the temp does seem a bit warm! But if that is the case, then get it to a cooler ASAP!
7. And what we learned this year... bears can smell moose meat hanging! Just cuz the weather is good/cool, don't delay getting that sucker out cuz you are inviting Ol' Bruin if you wait too long!
 
Just to add, after gutting, lay the animal on its back and put a stick or something in the rib cage to keep it spread and help it cool.

I've shot several moose late in the evening. Never skinned,quartered and packed one out that night, just gutted. None have spoiled. Some in warmer temps than you quoted.

Did they hang the meat in the sun? Pepper doesn't help spoilage, just keeps flies away and flies don't make meat spoil either.

White streaks in the liver mean nothing,they could be parasites. Lots of moose have flukes and will actually get discoloured livers during the rut, same as red deer,elk,etc.
 
Here is the vital statement---
" Completely skin the animal (unless it's -10 or better). Never count on the temp cooperating, put on the game bags if you like."

I knew a butcher shop owner that took in game and he had lots of animals spoiled when they arrived, due to the hide being on them when they were supposed to be cooling.
 
Take a look at the Liver. Check for puss sacks or anything that looks out of place. Cutting into the liver will definitely verify the presence of Liver Flukes....most Moose hunters don't even check the liver....as long as your meat is well cooked you won't have problem with them. Just don't EAT the liver.

I had some spoilage last year but it was +21 C.(Late Sept.) He was shot in morning. Never found until 2 hours later.

What saved most of the meat is we had 10 blocks of ice that we put around the quarters until we got it hung in town.

If it is anywhere close to above zero at night you want the hide off and split the carcass ASAP. You would be surprised at how much body heat a Moose's hump will retain.

I don't recommend using water to clean the animal but if your hunting in an area with CLEAN lake water it is a VERY good idea to wash out the chest cavity IF there was any contamination from guts or urine. Then dry off with clean towel. The cold lake water will also bring the temperature of the meat down.

That is why it is a bonus hunting on a Canadian Shield lake. The water is clean enough to drink right out of the lake.
 
Elmer, it sounds like those fellas let an animal go to waste. How sad. Hope everyone there learned a valuable lesson. Not to mention allowing game to spoil is against the law......
 
I was taught to, at the very least, gut a moose completely, get as much of the osphagus and anus out as possible, clean out the insides as much as possible, - this would include wiping out the interior cavity with paper towels to get out ALL the blood and wetness , and then open up the brisket with an axe and keep the abdomen and chest cavity forced fully open overnight with cut sticks. This will cool the critter well overnight. Then come back first thing in the morning and gut it. As mentioned by someone else, clean river or lake water is fine to rinse out a chest cavity that has been contaminated. Just dry it with paper towel as I mentioned.

I've done this many times as most moose I shoot are within an hour of full darkness and I've never lost any meat, nor has my father who showed me this.

I just consider this part of hunting. A fellow NEEDS to be prepared to do this when hunting.
 
Demonical's points are very good. I want to emphasize the importance of getting the hide off a moose quickly. IT IS IMPORTANT.
 
elmerdeer said:
Ok guys this is the story my friend and his group go hunting and the first night out my friend shoots a nice bull at 270 yards. So the moose is down and him and his dad do a not so good job of guting the moose. Meaning they left blood in it and maybe even some fecal matter.
He gets to camp tells everyone to go and get it but they all say its cold enough (-2c or 30)for leaving it till morning.So they get the moose in the morn and it doesnt look that good, its liver has white streaks in it and the meat is soft to the knife. They get it to camp and hang the animal they do not rinse the inside, and do not put pepper in it before they cheese cloth it. So that day it starts to get hot like about 60-65 degrees the flies are on the cheese cloth like theyre on [bleep] and the animal starts to smell a bit,about 24hrs from time of kill. That night the temps stay warm like 45-55 degrees and the next morn they take the animal to the freezers but its smelling pretty bad now, so now after 36-40 hours this anomal smeels bad, they put in freezer for about 3 days and when leaving they go to pick it up, so here is where it gets fun!!! All the guides are saying an animal will not spoil in that time frame cause they have never seen it, so their conclusion was it must have been dead a few days before! And he collected a dead animal. So now part of the group heres this and they are all screaming at each other and calling the guy a liar and freak!!!
So what do you guys think of this story?
Is it possible for the animal to spoil so fast?
Has anyone had an experience wher their animal spoils fast?
thanks
Elmer
Click to expand...

Ask them again if they even gutted it, I think you'll find your problem.:D
The liver should be part of the gut pile laying beside the moose and of no concern to the meat the next morning.
 
16yrs Hunting moose and we have never removed the hides, we always hang the animal hide on and have been through some warm days and never ever had an issue. That being said our kills are gutted then hung head down as quickly as possible. We also just wipe the inside of the moose out never wash it with water, this leaves a layer of blood to dry in the cavity of the animal which gives it a crusty barrier to prevent flies from burrowing into the meat to lay eggs. Once the moose is home we quarter and clean the meat with viniger and water before taking it to the butcher this cleans any dried blood and removes any hairs left on the meat.
 
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