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Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? #7007497 12/22/17 07:37 PM
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I've had elk meat several times and it's always been good

Just cooked up a pound of ground meat from my Colorado bull and it smells and tastes like it smelled when it walked up to it


Is this normal? I always thought elk was some of the better eating stuff out there


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007510 12/22/17 07:43 PM
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Had a Colorado mule deer that was that way and had to trash it, killed some elk but never had any rut smell or bad meat. Had he been running before the kill, stressed animals can taste gamey. rifle

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007522 12/22/17 07:50 PM
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I agree. I’ve got an elk in the freezer that I’m not pleased with. Hamburger meat is great. Steaks and roasts are gamey and tougher than boot leather. Nearly unedible. Ive always thought elk was better than deer. Not this one.

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007565 12/22/17 08:23 PM
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Shot this elk at dark.

Went and gutted it and left it there. Bone head mistake but I did forget to prop the cavity open

It got down to 18 degrees that night.

Went the next morning and started work on him ....steam was still comming out between the hindquarters

Got him skinned and quartered and deboned and put the meat on ice

I ate some ham steaks the other day. It was ok. Jerky and salami is delicious.

This ground meat is pretty rough


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007580 12/22/17 08:34 PM
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My grandfather was a butcher all his life and carried a metal spoon with him. When people brought in the game for processing, hogs whatever. He would cut a piece of fat off carcass, use his lighter to melt fat in the spoon, if it stunk entire animal went to cold cuts, salami, dry sausage something you didn't have to heat and eat. That's what gives off the stink is when you heat it. This was a long time ago , today you'd swear he was a crack addict, with his spoon! You could take all your meat and have it turned into jerky salami ect and it shouldn't smell. Just don't heat it. I follow his tricks with all the hogs and deer I kill. If the fat stinks there's no amount of apples in cold water tricks, or marinade that is going to take out the stink. Maybe if you use enough cream cheese and jalapenos with lots of ketchup!!!!

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007588 12/22/17 08:42 PM
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I have never heard of the "heating the fat trick". I will try that sometime.

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007616 12/22/17 09:12 PM
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I heat a bit of fat off hogs. If it stinks, I make sure and trim really tight. If it smells nice, I will toss it in grinder pile.

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007647 12/22/17 09:33 PM
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I have had a mule deer and an elk from the sage flats, both were nasty.

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007662 12/22/17 09:42 PM
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The cow I shot was great. The bull was okay. There wasn’t anything wrong with the meat, it just wasn’t nearly as good as the cow. I also had better access to the cow and was able to get her quartered and on ice quicker, although the bull was handled well. I bet it’s a combination of a nasty old bull and how it was handled.

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007673 12/22/17 09:54 PM
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When I take 2 deer to the processor I’ve never had them separate and package separately. Maybe I should in case I get a funky deer?

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007679 12/22/17 10:03 PM
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Ground elk, to me, always smells like a gut shot when being cooked. My brother gave me all of his ground elk from his last one because be can't stomach it. Tastes fine, just smells when cooking.


Originally Posted by unclebubba
Just to make sure that it is done thoroughly, I go both ways.

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007681 12/22/17 10:09 PM
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Don't know never killed elk but deer are sometimes different if I can soak the blood out in some ice water for couple days seems to make it really mild.


I know allot about everything-Everything about nothing!!!!
Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: Sneaky] #7007690 12/22/17 10:17 PM
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Originally Posted By: Sneaky
The cow I shot was great. The bull was okay. There wasn’t anything wrong with the meat, it just wasn’t nearly as good as the cow. I also had better access to the cow and was able to get her quartered and on ice quicker, although the bull was handled well. I bet it’s a combination of a nasty old bull and how it was handled.


Don't know if you saw the pic but he wasn't a young bull


In hindsight I should have skinned him but it was late and we were 6 miles from camp and I assumed due to the freezing temps he would be ok gutted and hide on.


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: TexFlip] #7007692 12/22/17 10:18 PM
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Originally Posted By: TexFlip
Ground elk, to me, always smells like a gut shot when being cooked. My brother gave me all of his ground elk from his last one because be can't stomach it. Tastes fine, just smells when cooking.



This smells and Tastes like they ground up the hock and threw it in with the meat


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007825 12/22/17 11:41 PM
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Originally Posted By: txtrophy85
Originally Posted By: Sneaky
The cow I shot was great. The bull was okay. There wasn’t anything wrong with the meat, it just wasn’t nearly as good as the cow. I also had better access to the cow and was able to get her quartered and on ice quicker, although the bull was handled well. I bet it’s a combination of a nasty old bull and how it was handled.


Don't know if you saw the pic but he wasn't a young bull


In hindsight I should have skinned him but it was late and we were 6 miles from camp and I assumed due to the freezing temps he would be ok gutted and hide on.



Yes, I remember seeing him. I would expect him to taste less than great, but not bad.

They can be left with the hide on in cooler temps, but it’s best if you can at least quarter and hang for circulation. I would not have expecting to have steam coming out of the carcass in your situation. I guess that goes to show just how well insulated they are. Now we know. Experience is the greatest teacher.

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007888 12/23/17 12:23 AM
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Processor probably didn’t trim the meat well before he ground it.
I had a mule deer last year that was the same.

Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: Sneaky] #7007898 12/23/17 12:29 AM
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Originally Posted By: Sneaky
Originally Posted By: txtrophy85
Originally Posted By: Sneaky
The cow I shot was great. The bull was okay. There wasn’t anything wrong with the meat, it just wasn’t nearly as good as the cow. I also had better access to the cow and was able to get her quartered and on ice quicker, although the bull was handled well. I bet it’s a combination of a nasty old bull and how it was handled.


Don't know if you saw the pic but he wasn't a young bull


In hindsight I should have skinned him but it was late and we were 6 miles from camp and I assumed due to the freezing temps he would be ok gutted and hide on.



Yes, I remember seeing him. I would expect him to taste less than great, but not bad.

They can be left with the hide on in cooler temps, but it’s best if you can at least quarter and hang for circulation. I would not have expecting to have steam coming out of the carcass in your situation. I guess that goes to show just how well insulated they are. Now we know. Experience is the greatest teacher.


I’m no elk expert but the ones I know have always said they need to be broken down ASAP, no matter the temps. I kinda always took that with a grain of salt if the temps were down well below freezing. Guess they are right though.


Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007932 12/23/17 12:44 AM
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Had a sage brush Texas Mule Deer like that. When I cooked it, it smelled like a rutting buck. I gave it all away.


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Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7007986 12/23/17 01:26 AM
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So interesting development....


took 3 ham steaks out of the freezer, put them in a bowl of greek dressing for 20 min, salt and peppered them and threw them on the grill, one rare, two medium rare.



steaks came out tender and delicious, you can tell its not beef but as far as it being gamey not in the slightest. No foul odor either.



I'm scratching my head at this one. Maybe huntwest is right and the guy didn't trim it good when he ground it.


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: Sneaky] #7007988 12/23/17 01:26 AM
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Originally Posted By: Sneaky
I would not have expecting to have steam coming out of the carcass in your situation. I guess that goes to show just how well insulated they are. Now we know. Experience is the greatest teacher.


^^Agreed

I've never had bad elk meat. Myself, Tony, and Bill all have killed, skinned, and placed on ice immediately. Personally I will always ice meat down, and drain for 7-10 days before it goes to the processor.


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Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: J.G.] #7007991 12/23/17 01:28 AM
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Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
Originally Posted By: Sneaky
I would not have expecting to have steam coming out of the carcass in your situation. I guess that goes to show just how well insulated they are. Now we know. Experience is the greatest teacher.


^^Agreed

I've never had bad elk meat. Myself, Tony, and Bill all have killed, skinned, and placed on ice immediately. Personally I will always ice meat down, and drain for 7-10 days before it goes to the processor.



I agree that this is the best way, and in the future will take measures to ensure it at least gets better air circulation. the part that was steaming was the pelvis and ham area where I got the steaks from, this is the area I expected to be the rankest. I assumed the overnight temps would have cooled him regardless but laying on his side he kind of closed up so to speak....this is why I think he was still steaming



this is a back country hunt and getting them skinned and on ice immediately isn't always possible. I could have skinned this one in the dark but as far as on ice no way, I didn't want to skin him because I was worried about coyotes and bears.



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Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7008014 12/23/17 01:51 AM
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I've skinned via head lamp, and two buds quartering via head lamp. Then we had to haul quarters, loins, and neck meat out via back pack. It is THE hardest work I've ever put forth on a hunt! We left one shoulder, a ham, head and cape haning in a tree, because we just couldn't carry it. But they were skinned and in game bags. I think Sneaky is right, they are well insulated.

My thinking is, skin and cool immediately. Then ice down, and drain for a week, minimum.

My opinion is, warm animals are easier to skin, anyways.


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Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: J.G.] #7008025 12/23/17 01:59 AM
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Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
I've skinned via head lamp, and two buds quartering via head lamp. Then we had to haul quarters, loins, and neck meat out via back pack. It is THE hardest work I've ever put forth on a hunt! We left one shoulder, a ham, head and cape haning in a tree, because we just couldn't carry it. But they were skinned and in game bags. I think Sneaky is right, they are well insulated.

My thinking is, skin and cool immediately. Then ice down, and drain for a week, minimum.

My opinion is, warm animals are easier to skin, anyways.


I could have gotten his hide off without much trouble.

I left it on thinking it would not be as much of a attraction for bears and other critters.

Called one of the guys who helped me quarter it and he said no way had it spoiled, but it was an older animal combined with the fact (per him)that elk meat smells when cooked


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Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7008053 12/23/17 02:13 AM
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"When what you're doing isn't working, try something else."

But, I can agree, elk can smell odd while cooking. Oddly enough, my wife wants no paet of venison, but she likes elk meat. I said, "of course! You like the meat that is more expensive, and harder to come by"

I do not have any memory if an old bull, though. Mine was not a huge, old 7x7, and the other elk meat I've cooked and eaten was cow. There might be a factor in cooking an old bull here. That, combined with it remaining fairly warm for several hours.

I know you thought it would be alright, and had I been there, in the dark, holding a knife helping, I probably would have agreed. We all just need to learn something from this.


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Re: Anyone ever ate a nasty elk? [Re: txtrophy85] #7008084 12/23/17 02:28 AM
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As for bears, a good way to keep them off of the good stuff is to get everything hanging and drag the rest of the carcass, especially the guts, a ways off from it. They’ll typically go for that, first.

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