fit for human consumption? old bullet found

devon deer stalker

Well-Known Member
Hi All,
Whats your opinion on this.
I shot a fallow over the weekend, so sign of it limping as it ran towards me before being shot, once gralloched all the lymph nodes were fine, although it didn't have any fat on its body, but that might be because there isn't much too eat where it was shot.
Basically the area is 300 acres which was deer fenced to protect the tree's, over the years the deer found their way in but can't get out, in places all they can eat is moss and browse, no grass in existance.
Anyway, i butchered it today and noticed a lump on the knee joint on the rear leg.
When i cut away the sinew i found the remains of what looks like a .22 bullet (bloody poachers!!) it had been there a long time, some of the lead and started to track away from the original wound but not up into the main muscle.
So my question is, ok for human consimuption or not?
Just thinking along the lines of lead poisoning, although the amount of pheasants i must have eaten over the years with the odd pellet getting through hasn't done me any harm to date, or has it?!!
I will not be selling this one, just giving it away.
But i don't have many friends and what i have i don't want to lose.:rofl:
Cheers
Richard
 
i would say fit for consumption as a personal animal but best not to sell to a dealer for liability reasons.
the 22 which was stuck will have been there as you say a while and if complete would probably do little harm to the animals meat.
if it was septic and showing signs of infections etc i would assume blood poising and then condemn.

atb and i will watch for lead poisoning headlines from the Exeter Gazette over the next few days lol

f.
 
I used to chew on lead fishing weights as a kid and my 4 pairs of Siamese twins still do!!
 
I had a fallow here a few years ago with a .22 bullet in his haunch, completely healed over.
If lead poisoning was an issue you would have thought it would have affected the deer in some way, we ate the beast with no side effects, I dont think that the fact that we all have 7 fingers and antlers has any bearing on it :)
I agree with CBS tho, personal consumption.
 
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I used to chew on lead fishing weights as a kid and my 4 pairs of Siamese twins still do!!

:cuckoo:

A classic! Do they glow in the dark too?

But FWIW I can see the point that is there a difference between lead that is just in an animal (like shot in a freshly killed pheasant) and lead that has somehow got "mixed in via the bloodstream with the meat"?

I don't know and I don't know if that can even happen. But I am no expert. I suppose like everything of in doubt don't? Has it really "migrated away" or is it just impact damage?
 
What's with poachers going for the legs?... as if a head or neck shot isn't difficult enough :D
 
I shot a Roe Buck last season with a perfect .22 sized hole on its right ear that had healed!!!! Bl**dy poachers!!

ATB

Rob
243Sako
 
Richard,

Shouldn't be a problem from your post - shot a Stag which had a right fore which had the knee joint completely fused solid, bone shattered and healed to a solid mass. There was the remains of a centrefire bullet in it when I sawed the mass apart. Beast showed no sights of infection - old healed injury. Someone had gone for a low heart shot and pulled it.

Ate the venison ourselves and we are all still here!!
 
My old head keeper got shot in both legs vermin driving once, that was years ago and the old buggers still alive, wouldn't want him in the food chain though!!
 
Shot a red deer with shotgun pellets in it's arse. Bloody Farmers!!!!

Same here (Roe for me though). Skinned it and the pellets were dropping on the floor as I pulled the skin away/ Looked like they had only just made it through the fur and skin so must have been some way away when shot. It's sad to see.

Regarding the bullet in the Deer I'd eat it. Lead is something that has to build up in the body to do harm so as long as you don't make a habit of it I'm sure you'll be fine. The Deer clearly was so I can't see it hurting a human by the time you've shared it around several people.
 
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