What the????

[Camo Queen]

What the heck is THIS?     Found it while processing my deer...

I'm really terrified to try to Google it, because that tends to lead to seeing things I cannot UN see LOL. This made my stomach turn. I still processed the deer because I'm well aware that wild game can contain parasites and such, but YUCK!!

[quadrafire]

Man that is some nice looking red meat there. I'd just trim the affected area. Is it just the one or are there many?
From the picture it looks like a cyst??

[bowhunterforever]

Looks like some kind of cyst to me

[Camo Queen]

It's scattered all throughout the meat, although most are just the size of the smaller looking one... the big one grossed me out!  Found mostly in the tenderloins and hind quarters. . .  I removed the ones I could find

[quadrafire]

Pretty sure they're harmless, destroyed w/ cooking and freezing.
Muley or WT?

[carpsniperg2]

I am guessing its cystercerci. Tape worms in the larval state. Here is a write up on it from Idaho fish and game.

 https://idfg.idaho.gov/wildlife/disease/tapeworm-cysts

[Curly]

 

[kellama2001]

I am guessing its cystercerci. Tape worms in the larval state. Here is a write up on it from Idaho fish and game.

 https://idfg.idaho.gov/wildlife/disease/tapeworm-cysts

Wow!    Good info to have, sure sounds like that's what they are. Thanks for sharing

[Camo Queen]

Pretty sure they're harmless, destroyed w/ cooking and freezing.
Muley or WT?

It was a muley

[singleshot12]

I found those once in a blacktail. He was skinny with zero body fat. The backstraps were tough so I made salami out of the rest and survived

[Mark Brenckle]

  congrats on the deer, though... 

[KFhunter]

Did you get a good look at the lungs and liver?   

[kckrawler]

I screwed up and Googled it 

Question I have is what is considered thorough cooking to kill the cystercerci? I hate to eat venison over medium. Should we be cooking deer and elk the same as something like bear?

[jackmaster]

Not only is deer meat better when cooked through but it should be treated like pork, sorry about you having to see that camo queen pretty tough to unsee those type of things.. I love Luke have a real tough time eatn that and I like deer meat more than elk meat!!

[kukusya]

Doesn't look like tapeworm larva. More likely it is trichinosis I grew up in area when it was almost in every animal that was harvest in couple years period. To minimize chances freeze for 2-3weeks in -10F then cocker for long period till meat star falling apart. Larva covered in thick calcium composite and it hard to kill.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichin

[Curly]

I just googled freezing and trichinosis.  Disappointing that they say this:

Freezing wild game meats, unlike freezing pork products, may not effectively kill all worms because some worm species that infect wild game animals are freeze-resistant.

  I like game meat cooked med rare. 

[trophyhunt]

Um, yuk!  I'd have a hard time eating any of it now.  I'd be giving it to my dad, he'll eat anything!!

[heronblu]

Just cut out what you can see and cook your meat well. Don't let a little parasite get in the way of you enjoying your harvest. Congrats on the deer!

[sled]

I'd report it to see if you could get a new tag.  Cook well and feed to the dogs.  I'm sorry but I could not eat that.

[trophyhunt]

I'd report it to see if you could get a new tag.  Cook well and feed to the dogs.  I'm sorry but I could not eat that.

[Camo Queen]

Welp... I did a fair amount of googling and reading up on parasites in wild game
This site has very good information on the different parasites in deer. . .

https://www.qdma.com/10-weird-parasites-live-inside-deer/

From what I read, trichinosis is not visible to the human eye
"The parasite is microscopic, so it cannot be seen in infected meat with the naked eye. Although Trichinella infection can be prevented in pigs that are raised for pork, there are no feasible methods for reducing Trichinella infection in wild animals"

Definitely looks like tape worm larvae. . . Good news is that it's not supposed to be able to affect humans. And cooking the meat well kills it completely...

I removed everything I found, and cook my wild game well done anyhow... She's already ground and packed up... I'll be taking my chances I guess!

[Camo Queen]

Did you get a good look at the lungs and liver?

I didn't check out the lungs, but the liver looked fine!

[fireweed]

Tape worm cysts.
Have had (unfortunately) lots of experience with them.  About 12 yr. ago E Wa moose that was old had lots of those in it.  Contacted the state vet and sent in pictures, and that's what she said it was.  Their advice--don't feed it to your dog raw because they can get tape worms from it.  Cook it good and you're fine.  Cube the steaks to make it easier to remove the cycts.;  2nd moose in 2009 had a few cycts that most folks wouldn't notice, then found a few in mule deer in the last few years.  The meat is ok, just cook it good.  Also be careful where you dump scraps to keep it away from dogs.  People can't get tapeworms from eating the meat, but can get it from dogs that eat the meat.

Thank the wolves and their move into the state.