ElkandDeerDiseasesandConditions:Elkaregenerallyhealthyanimals,buttheydosuccumbtodiseasesand disorders.Thissectionisintendedtogivewesternhunterbasicinsightinidentifyingdiseasedanimalstheymay encounter.Ihaveencounteredsomesickanimalsandfeltatalossofwhattodo.ShouldIsalvageorabandonthe carcass?ShouldIbotheragamewardenaboutasickordeadanimalIencountered?Theuncertaintygnawsat yourconvictionsandpossibleembarrassment.ThisphotoisofagamewardenexaminingadeadantelopeIfound atoutgameattractorlure.Ametaldetectordisclosednoleadbullet/leadshardsthatwouldexplainthebleeding fromthemouth.Hemorrhagicdiseasewasthewarden’sinitialinterpretation,beforehetookittoaveterinarian forensic lab.XXXXXXXXXXXChronicWastingdiseaseisadiseasebasicallyofproteinswhichmutateandcauseaspiralingofthe protein molecule. This can propagate more “PhP” proteins which are nonfunctional and deposit a clot in --------.US Map of CWD spread herePage is Under Construction
BadMeat:Abullsteadilywalkedsixhundredyards tomystand.Thatwasplentyoftimestostudyhim.A shotdirectlythroughthebull’seyepupilshattered hishead.IknewsomethingwaswrongasIwalked uptohim–itwasbloated.Icouldnotrolloverhis liquid-filledcarcass,soIskinneditasitlayand removedthemeatwithoutseeingitsotherside.I ordinarilydonotnicktheabdomenquicksilver, takinggreatcaretopreservethisbacteriaanddirt barrier.Threefourthupandjustforwardofthethigh wasasmallneathole,throughwhichentrailsbulged whenrestrainingskinwaspeeledback.Thebullhad beenpreviouslyshot,probablythroughthebladder, soitsgutfilledwithurine.TherewasnowayIwas goingtodoanautopsyonthatexplosivecreatureto prove my interpretation.IsalvagedthemeatIcouldanddraggeditthree milestobasecamp.Thatwasawastedeffort.The meatwasverytoughandtasteless,fromboththe rutfightingthathadbrokenallantlertinesandfrom theonsetofinternalgutsepsis.Ishouldhavestaked anotetootherhuntersnearthebullandinformed thegamewardenwhenIcouldgottophone reception.Idraggedthebullthreemilesthougha stickymudtrail.Ittookmeayeartogetmyinvalid, over-strainedkneesbackinshape.No,youdonot always win!LeadShrapnelMeat:OneoftheboysIpreviously mentionedgavemeanelktoprocess.He unfortunatelyshotthebulldead-squareinthethigh bone.Theleadbulletshatteredtheboneandlead shardsspreadthroughthatlegandalsointothe otherthigh.Themeatwasasbloodshotasifa tractortrailerhadstruckthebull.NaturallyIdidnot haveanx-raymachine,butIbelievealead-detecting imagewouldhavelookedmuchworsethanthisx-rayimage.Ihadtodumpverymuchofthemeatinto thegarbage.PLEASECONSIDERusingnon-lead ammunitionforthehealthofyourfamilyand friends.Leadshardsgetsingested,particularlyin groundhamburgerandsausagewhichisamain meatpreparationofallhunters.Andchildrenlove hamburgers.Itisillogicaltobanleadinpaints,avoid eatinglead-ladenfish,buttheneatitinyourred meatfood.Pleasevisitthislinkedsitetolearnmore about the advantages of all copper bullets.Addendum:Thebullhangedintheupperreachesof theranchbarnforamonthasLindaandIcavorted inthewarmWestIndies.Themeatthatwassalvaged wasassweetandtenderasyoucouldnothardly guess!LeadBulletFragmentsDesolveDuringCooking: Cookinggamewithacidicthingsliketomatoes,wine orvinegardissolvessomeleadandmakesiteasier forthebodytoabsorbthelead.Donotusemeat nearshatteredbonestomakesoupsstock,because leadfragmentsmayhaveinfiltratedthesurrounding flesh.TheUKFoodsStandardsAgencywarnsthat largeamountoflead-shot(shotgun)gameshould notbeeaten.Itshouldneverbegiventopregnant women(includingwomenplanningtohaveababy), toddlersandadolescentswhoaredevelopingtheir brains during the growth period.Visitthesesitesformorewarnings/imagesoflead ammo. Http://nps/pinn/naturescience/leadinfo.htmHttp://www.huntingwithoutlead.orgh t t p : / / w w w. n p s . g ov / p u b l i c _ h e a l t h / i n f o / f a c t s h e e t s / f s _PINN_Lead_Ammo.htmlMeatLeadMayIncreaseHeartDisease:TheHarvard Healthgroupdisclosesthatpeoplewithelevated leadintheirbodyhaveincreasedriskofhighblood pressureandheartdisease.Abouthalftheingested leadleavesthebodyinamonthortwo,butthe otherhalfremainsfordecades.Boneisthe repositoryoflead,butconstantlyremodelsitselfand thisreleasesleadbackintothesysteminthe process.Hunterswhocontinuallyingestleadmaybe jeopardizingtheirhealth–especiallyiftheyalsoare unawareofothercompoundingsourcesoflead. Thinkaboutcut-rateleadcontaminatedlipstick,hair dyes,medicinalcoaltarshampoos,herbalremedies (especiallyAyurvedicandtraditionalChineseherbs, andoldtraditionallydecoratedcookingpottery made with lead glazes).Harvard health newsletter February 2018