Salvaging Meat from a wolf/coyote "treat"

[Lunker]

I arrowed a doe shortly before sundown yesterday. Pulled out and came back at 10pm. Tracked for two hours, blood was spotty and eventually I called it and came back this morning. She had gone a total of about 200 yards after being lung shot, and did not drop much blood. Coyotes found her first and ate most of her back legs, backstraps, and some guts. I assume they were yotes but not totally sure.

I have never had this experience before, and it is a bit frustrating since most of the best cuts are gone. However, I have her hanging and skinned in the garage and am going to get as much as I can off of this deer. Just curious if I should be cautious about salvaging meat that the canines came in contact with or is near the bitten areas?

[bobbymalone]

i dunno dude... i think i would mark it up as a total loss.

who knows where those yote's mouths have been, but assumptions can be made based on behaviors of domesticated canines.

[bogwalker]

We have had this happen with bear. Timber Wolves got ours. Let them have the rest. Write it off to them being better trackers.

[#fishhunt#]

No Go.

[sticknstring]

I wouldn't keep it unless there's a full untouched hindquarter or if the front legs are salvageable. I'd be cautious and cut way around the contaminated areas if I were to keep any.

[panthrcat]

yea, I'd be cautious about that too, you just don't know

[Wensel]

This happened to me too a few years back, I did try to salvage and it sounds like I had alot more to start with than you.

I'm pretty sure I would not do it again..

[GRH]

My brother lost half a deer last year. we kept the other half. Just made sure to stay away from any of the area where the yote's had gotten to.

[Lunker]

Kinda what I was thinking too. Guess I'll just get what I can from the front half and chuck the rest.

[paul pachowicz]

It layed out there all nite un-gutted or did the "Eaters" get that, too? Anyway, I'd chuck the whole carcass. No way would I have even drug it out. I assume you tagged it?

[lakeshoremunster]

I arrowed a small doe last weekend, the arrow was in the right spot and it was a full pass through so I thought I had a good shot and she wouldnt run far. I climbed down two hours later to track the doe, I just did a quick walk through of were I saw it run and didnt see it laying anywere, then I went back to grab my arrow and follow the blod trail, there wasnt much blood and then there was none, shortly after that I herd a big pack of yotes going crazy a few hundred yards, tracked some more and tried to find the deer, after a while I chalked it up to the yotes getting a free meal.

Later I replayed the events and I knew I shot it a little low for my taste and figured that I only shot one lung and when the arrow exited it must have gone through the chest and not the other lung.

[Lunker]

Yes it layed for the night. And yes, I tagged and registered it.

[Spearing Machine]

Lunker.....I got to commend you on tagging and registering the deer even though not much, if any is salvageable. I am sure so many and (as you see here) would just have left it out for nature to clean it up. Legally, you shot it and found it, so its your duty to tag it, otherwise, its wanton waste. Looks like your post-secondary schooling taught you right!

[panthrcat]

Lunker.....I got to commend you on tagging and registering the deer even though not much, if any is salvageable. I am sure so many and (as you see here) would just have left it out for nature to clean it up. Legally, you shot it and found it, so its your duty to tag it, otherwise, its wanton waste. Looks like your post-secondary schooling taught you right!

agreed