How Long

[skinner 348]

me and the wife went out to do some shopping, on the way I saw a deer knocked down at side of road and said if it was still there when we came back I would get it for the dogs. after about 3 hrs on our way back it was still there so I picked it up. as I used to be a slaughter man I know how to dress out a animal and look for any thing wrong with it if I wanted to eat the animal my self. what I want to ask you lads or lasses with deer I know you take the guts out as quick as you can and I don't know the reason why this is done . so what I want to ask is the carcase looked ok to me so with the guts not being taken out for a good while will the meat be ok to eat or is it for the dogs ,,

[sussex 5,777]

Dog meat at the very best mate ...Even if the thing was gralloched fairly quickly after being knocked over there is a chance the meat could become contaminated if the gut intestines etc was damaged.Not worth taking a chance with & definitely not after three hours in warm weather

[beast 1,884]

i certainly wouldnt eat it myself, but even meat which is pretty high is ok for the dogs if they are used to raw flesh (not rotten though!) guts are full of bacteria, and if they have bust open the meat will spoil a lot more quickly, but theres no reason you couldnt take say the legs and neck. if the carcase is pretty fresh just rinse well and freeze for a week or so to kill the worms before feeding

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

Deer use E.coli bacteria to help break down their food, a ruptured gut or the guts being left in too long risk this bacteria getting into the meat, you can't see it obviously so you can't tell if its there or not.

 

You may be totally fine but why take the risk?

 

Feed it to your dogs but start slow if they have never had it before, venison can give some dogs the two bob bits.

[The one 8,487]

I usually stop as well to see what states a road kill deer is in as well , and as long as its no too burst up i take it , i even wash the stomach out and feed that too the dogs . last time i got a row as the wife let the dogs out the kennel and the lurcher came out with a roe front leg but with four legs and three dogs there's always going to be a spare one . Its surprising how often you stop and if its a buck the heads gone but even if by the time i get it home i change my mind its good for fox bait .

[skinner 348]

• thanks for the reply lads dogs have eaten now