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Author Topic: What is in my elk meat!?  (Read 6240 times)

Offline fireweed

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What is in my elk meat!?
« on: November 10, 2022, 06:36:37 PM »
With a beautiful, but tough old Idaho bull almost used up in the freezer, we were specifically looking for a "meat bull" this year.  Really big, or really small was the idea.  And it worked out just that way when a runty little 4 pt horn bull wandered by.  YUMMY.  No more crock pots and marinades and pounding for hours--we had some good tender eats now.

Everything looked normal on this bull, not even hoof rot.  It was a bit small for a 2-year old and didn't have much fat at all.  Then I noticed the weird tiny little white hair-like lines in the tenderloin, then back strap, and all around the muscle.  We've butchered many a critter, and have encountered tape worm cysts before, but these were much smaller and more numerous.  Huh?  Packed it out and on the computer and phone for a day to come to the conclusion of SARCOCYSTIS, and single celled parasite like an amoeba.  After talking to the WSU vet today she says that she has had many more calls this year than in the past.  Great, another disease in Washington elk.  If you got a St. Helens bull, better check. 
Vet says it is ok to eat for people, just cook it.  Found one story of a man in Japan who got infected from a deer (but he ate it raw).  In the tropics certain species infect people and livestock.   The net has a story of two out of state Wyoming hunters that each killed bulls and they tossed the meat. Anyone out there deal with this? 

I can't seem to upload my photo, but here is what the WDFW sent me to "reassure" me that it is ok to eat.  Mine looked like this but had more.
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Wildlife-in-Wyoming/More-Wildlife/Wildlife-Disease/Wildlife-Disease-Information/Common-Diseases-Reported-by-Hunters/Sarcocystis
« Last Edit: November 10, 2022, 06:48:58 PM by fireweed »

Offline bobcat

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2022, 06:46:26 PM »
I wouldn't eat it. Especially because I always cook my meat rare. I wouldn't want a well done elk steak. I suppose you could use it for dog food. That's probably what I would do.

Offline lewy

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2022, 06:52:14 PM »
Bummer, had it in several birds over the years. They go in the dumpster.
Go hawks

Offline fireweed

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2022, 06:52:52 PM »
I wouldn't eat it. Especially because I always cook my meat rare. I wouldn't want a well done elk steak. I suppose you could use it for dog food. That's probably what I would do.
Most of these "things" have a predator/prey cycle, so it would be more important to cook it well for the dog than for the person!

Offline bobcat

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2022, 06:54:53 PM »
I wouldn't eat it. Especially because I always cook my meat rare. I wouldn't want a well done elk steak. I suppose you could use it for dog food. That's probably what I would do.
Most of these "things" have a predator/prey cycle, so it would be more important to cook it well for the dog than for the person!

I would. I'd probably can it. Or some anyway, and throw away the rest.

Offline LDennis24

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2022, 06:59:50 PM »
Cook it at a high enough temp and it should be fine. I eat morels when they have fungus gnat larvae in them too! Just fry them up! Lol

Offline Magnum_Willys

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2022, 07:13:56 PM »
Anything weird I’d dump it…….

Offline full choke

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2022, 07:23:56 PM »
Wow. Never heard of this in elk before.
Not common in ducks but still present.
I, personally, have only had one duck with this present. They say you can cook it and eat it, but no way I am doing that!

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Offline fireweed

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2022, 07:32:42 PM »
In ducks, the "rice breast" look has much larger cysts.  These in the elk are hard to notice.  Someone who hadn't butchered game much might not even see them, or think they are just part of the meat.  They are only about 2 mm long and tiny, like a thread or piece of sinew. 

Offline bkaech

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2022, 09:25:19 PM »
We have seen a few of those over the years. We ate them. After all, that is why we hunt, for the meat. Never had an issue with it. It is safer than trichinosis which is likely in half of the bears I have killed over the years, and I always eat those. I can't imagine tossing out perfectly good meat.

Offline Iveexcaped3

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2022, 09:30:34 PM »
Don’t toss it just make sure you REALLY freeze it. It can be safe to eat.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/conservation/wildlife-health/sarcocystis-rice-breast

Offline zwickeyman

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #11 on: November 11, 2022, 04:33:33 AM »
If it isnt one thing its another      WTF

BTB
HD
EHD
CWD
Hoof Rot
Sarcocystis 
Hydatid

just to name a few
The mountains are calling and I must go

Offline robescc

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2022, 11:19:44 AM »
I couldn't eat it. I am extremely picky about my meat and especially what goes into my burger. I would beg and plead for another tag.
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Offline wafisherman

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2022, 12:12:56 PM »
No big deal  :dunno:

1) Freeze it for at least 10 days.  Ensures all parasites are dead.  Pretty much any meat we get, especially game meat, has some.
2) Cook and use a meat thermometer for correct internal temps (doesn't need to be well done, but probably not 'blue' either)
3) If really concerned, turn into jerky, sausage, canned meat, etc.  Give away as Christmas presents to your inlaws.  Win win.

Offline hunter399

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2022, 12:15:45 PM »
Grind it up and make some sticks,summer ,jerky,maybe try corn beef it. Some roast.
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Offline Iveexcaped3

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #15 on: November 11, 2022, 12:31:03 PM »
No big deal  :dunno:

1) Freeze it for at least 10 days.  Ensures all parasites are dead.  Pretty much any meat we get, especially game meat, has some.
2) Cook and use a meat thermometer for correct internal temps (doesn't need to be well done, but probably not 'blue' either)
3) If really concerned, turn into jerky, sausage, canned meat, etc.  Give away as Christmas presents to your inlaws.  Win win.

Freeze it to -5F and it kills the parasite as well. Cook steak to whatever you want even blue.

Offline hunter399

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #16 on: November 11, 2022, 12:35:22 PM »
No big deal  :dunno:

1) Freeze it for at least 10 days.  Ensures all parasites are dead.  Pretty much any meat we get, especially game meat, has some.
2) Cook and use a meat thermometer for correct internal temps (doesn't need to be well done, but probably not 'blue' either)
3) If really concerned, turn into jerky, sausage, canned meat, etc.  Give away as Christmas presents to your inlaws.  Win win.

Freeze it to -5F and it kills the parasite as well. Cook steak to whatever you want even blue.
That's pretty much same for grind,freeze,thaw,grind,process,refreeze,pull from freezer precooked meat that has had a cure added.
Enough salt and freeze ,and cooked to 160 kills everything.
I rather piss in the wind,then have piss down my back.

Offline scoutdog346

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #17 on: November 13, 2022, 11:07:27 AM »
That sucks so bad...I'm sorry
I wouldn't eat it but I would boil grind the whole thing up and make it into dog food. Freeze it

Offline timberfaller

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #18 on: November 13, 2022, 12:41:16 PM »
As my brother in law who autopsied many deer for the Game Department back in the early 70's while they did their Mule Deer study told me,  "if hunters knew of all the "bugs" in deer meat, they wouldn't hunt anymore."

There is a reason meat is to be cooked to a certain temp, its to kill what they carry around all their lives and YOU don't see them in the meat.

If you don't like it, grind it up and feed someones dogs and cats with it.   The only thing I heard of in my hunting years was one guy who shot a nice mule deer in Idaho, he got it home, butchered it and froze it.   The first package of steaks he threw on the stove stunk the whole house up,  the took the rest and made dog food out of it.
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Offline Fidelk

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #19 on: November 13, 2022, 12:55:53 PM »
Chickin fry it.

Offline time2hunt

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #20 on: November 13, 2022, 02:17:35 PM »
You all have eaten worse fry it up and enjoy.


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Offline KillerBeee

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #21 on: November 14, 2022, 03:16:40 PM »
Sous vide cooking will kill parasites as well.

Offline fireweed

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #22 on: November 15, 2022, 04:14:20 PM »
Got some more questions answered, but the vets and bio's would never say that it is totally safe to eat and that it can NEVER infect people (lawsuit protection?).  Their answer is: just cook it well done and get over the "ick" factor.  One bio who has done many necropsies on Mt St Helens elk said they had never seen it in the field, but when tissue samples were sent in, it could often be present microscopically.  Which means two things, our elk is super-infected, AND most of us hunters have already eaten this.  They even mentioned that cattle in areas with canines in WA get it, too.  I can't imagine a USDA inspector passing along this in beef if it looks like our elk!  I had considered sending it all in to make kielbasa and summer sausage, but they said the temperature for processed meats doesn't usually get 160 degrees.  For now its all in the freezer.

Offline 444Marlin

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #23 on: December 04, 2022, 10:04:32 PM »
I wouldn't have a problem with it.  You probably get worse things in your garden grown veggies.


Offline Lucky1

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #24 on: December 04, 2022, 10:09:07 PM »
I wonder if freezing the meat would kill any parasites that might be bad for you
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Offline Sitka_Blacktail

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #25 on: December 05, 2022, 12:15:07 AM »
Listeria for one is a bacteria that freezing won't kill. It will stop it from growing but it remains alive and starts growing when the product is thawed.
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Offline Peewee

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #26 on: December 05, 2022, 08:13:40 AM »
I killed a black tail like that in capital first a few years back, I didn’t eat it, fed it to my dogs.
It was loaded with gross little puss pockets with parasites just like that, the buck was tiny n ran down.

Offline snake

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #27 on: December 17, 2022, 04:03:28 PM »
quite a bit of wild game has parasites in it

Offline hoytxl2009

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Re: What is in my elk meat!?
« Reply #28 on: December 20, 2022, 06:22:56 AM »
Sarcocystis. Had a buddy kill a bull near st Helen's two years ago with the same thing.  First time I've seen it in elk, but did see it alot back in my duck/goose hunting days.

 


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