Nice buck....gutshot though I need opinions

Hey all, I'm a longtime follower but this is my first post. Anyway wednesday evening I made a bad shot on a really nice buck i've been watching since July. The good news is I found him about 250 yards away Thursday AM. It was noon until I got him to a hose to clean the body cavity and by time I got him to the taxidermist he had a pretty ripe smell but just from the bacterias i assume. What I need is opinions on is if anyone knows a brine mixture that I can soak the meat in so it will at least be bearable to make bologna out of. Any help would be appreciated, and hopefully I can get some pics up later today. Thanks.

Don't worry about.  The only meat the guts touch is the inside loin.  Throw it away and eat the rest.

If it's spoiled check with the PFC for a replacement tag.

Not sure.. BUT.. under the circumstances of shooting it one day and finding it the next day I am not sure you would get a replacement tag... I think you get replacement tags for things like spoiled meat from former wounds or vechile damage, but not just because you did not find your deer until the next day..

I'm sure RSB will set us straight, if I am not correct ...

ORIGINAL: S-10

You are correct. If it's spoiled when you kill it you get the tag. If it's spoiled as a result of you shooting it you do not.

Yep.  I recovered my 2009 archery buck with the help of a WCO the next day.  Meat went bad before the investigation was complete.  I filled out my tag and the WCO helped me remove the antlers and take a few pictures before the deer headed to a dump.  Hated to see the meat go to waste. 

Getting another tag wasn't a option but that wasn't a option I wanted, regardless.  That was my one buck for the year.

Do not cut into the tainted part and then cut the clean meat without cleaning your knife each time. When in doubt on any meat slice it off about 1/4"deep (Ex hindquarters around bung) and give the remainder the smell test.

Hey Old- 
  Am sure you cleaned the Deer upon finding it and that cavity was open to the elements for some time till ya got home- Of course it stunk.
Reality is that the stomach juices in the cavity really do not touch any of the meat you will likely be eating if you bone out your deer and trim like many of us do.  Unless your one of those guys who slits up to the neck and through the rear all the way to the anus exposing the meat it shouldnt be any great issue.
Rinse thoroughly though before boning and cutting.
If you did cut through the meat when gutting and not just the belly  you may well have some issues.
Congrats on getting the Deer you targeted and having the skills to go back and follow up the shot. Those things happen sometimes despite best efforts.

ORIGINAL: oldskoal21

Hey all, I'm a longtime follower but this is my first post. Anyway wednesday evening I made a bad shot on a really nice buck i've been watching since July. The good news is I found him about 250 yards away Thursday AM. It was noon until I got him to a hose to clean the body cavity and by time I got him to the taxidermist he had a pretty ripe smell but just from the bacterias i assume. What I need is opinions on is if anyone knows a brine mixture that I can soak the meat in so it will at least be bearable to make bologna out of. Any help would be appreciated, and hopefully I can get some pics up later today. Thanks.

The meat should be fine. Backstraps and hind quarters shouldn't even be questioned. The odds are deer did not die right after you back out. It was alive for some time. It's body temp was over 100 degrees and cooled down slowly to what the outside temp was. As to what was exposed in the cavity my concern would be the tender loins. If in doubt don't eat. I wouldn't salt brine the whole deer if it were me. Good advise on a dirty tainted knife also. My .02 cents

Way to go Oldskoal, Congrats
Mike

Nice job on the buck. By the way, if you know it is a gut shot, back off and you will find the deer dead within 250 yards, as you did. An arrow is different then a gunshot and as long as you don't jump it from the first bed, that is it's last bed....WF