Deer meat smells a bit funky

[GW11]

Bottom line... it won't be any worse than it was when it went into the freezer as long as it's been kept frozen. If you've already eaten the same meat and had no problems, you won't have any now.

[werner.reiche]

My sentiments,exactly. Salmonella can give you a bad case of flu-like symptoms for up to a week. Botulism,E-Coli,Lysteria and Trichonosis are whole different ball of wax. Sometimes,if not fatal,it can screw your life up forever. It's simply not worth the chance.

Generally, your not going to get any of those on wild deer.
Botulism - a bacterial spore that cause it are common in both soil and water (cook to 185)
E-Coli - intestinal bacteria (cook to 185)
Listeria - can be found many places, but is most common in the large scale production of pre-packaged foods, which are typically not cooked (cook to 185)
Trichnosis - parasitic disease caused by roundworm - usually contracted by eating undercooked pork or bear (cook to 185)

As far as deer meat going "funky" - sometimes the fat goes rancid, even when its frozen. It won't make you sick, but it doesn't taste very good. I try to get through my deer meat before 6 months in the freezer.

If you are worried about health concerns, then cook to well done (185). That cures all four of the above ills. You should never encounter trichinosis in a deer. e-coli and botulism maybe - if you've rubbed dirt or feces over the exposed meat. Listeria - possible from preparing the meat in an unclean environment (where there is prior contaminiation) either at the butcher shop or in your kitchen.

[G.S.]

Generally, your not going to get any of those on wild deer.
Botulism - a bacterial spore that cause it are common in both soil and water (cook to 185)
E-Coli - intestinal bacteria (cook to 185)
Listeria - can be found many places, but is most common in the large scale production of pre-packaged foods, which are typically not cooked (cook to 185)
Trichnosis - parasitic disease caused by roundworm - usually contracted by eating undercooked pork or bear (cook to 185)

As far as deer meat going "funky" - sometimes the fat goes rancid, even when its frozen. It won't make you sick, but it doesn't taste very good. I try to get through my deer meat before 6 months in the freezer.

If you are worried about health concerns, then cook to well done (185). That cures all four of the above ills. You should never encounter trichinosis in a deer. e-coli and botulism maybe - if you've rubbed dirt or feces over the exposed meat. Listeria - possible from preparing the meat in an unclean environment (where there is prior contaminiation) either at the butcher shop or in your kitchen.

So based on the above, expired meat products cooked above 185F are fit for human consumption…. What about the toxins, any concerns?

[werner.reiche]

So based on the above, expired meat products cooked above 185F are fit for human consumption…. What about the toxins, any concerns?

Okay - you're coming across as a bit of an idiot.

Could you define what you mean by "expired meat products"?

That's a term that used by people only familiar with grocery stores where everything has a "best before" date on it. We haven't been discussing that here.

We've been discussing deer meat that has been stored in a freezer.
We've been discussing deer meat that, storage time aside, has been exposed to bacteria or parasites.

The two really have nothing to do with that - and that was my point.

Meat does not get contaminated in your freezer. It gets contaminated either before you put it in or after you take it out. The length of time in the freezer is completely irrelevant - that's my point. And if you're worried about contamination, I've highlighted how to deal with it.

[G.S.]

The same logic would apply, correct?


And, about your “sweet tongue”: keep it for your bodies or your family members.