New research sheds further light on field dressing, processing game

Before spying that buck stepping into the open, before counting the points, before resting the sights behind the shoulder, releasing the safety and slowly squeezing the trigger, have a science-based plan for what you'll do after it drops.

The moment the heart stops pumping purifying blood through the muscles, harmful bacteria begins to grow.

The animal is now a carcass intended for consumption, lying on the ground and pooling blood. It will be field dressed in unsanitary conditions that would be illegal for a professional meat processor. Fatty tissue will start to go bad as soon as it's exposed to air, and the knife and bloody hands can spread meat-tainting contaminants. Open to the environment, the carcass will be dragged through the woods and transported in temperatures that might accelerate bacterial growth.

That's the case with all wild meats, not just venison. But despite the chance of minor to severe health risks or biting into an unpleasant flavor, researchers report that in the past 25 years better educated hunters have gotten better at handling wild game.

At Penn State University, new research in wild food preparation refutes some traditional field dressing practices, confirms emerging theories and identifies new ways to keep wild meat clean and improve its plate appeal.

In 2000 in Pennsylvania, an outbreak of E. coli poisoning was traced to the consumption of venison. The outbreak was among factors that led to a research paper published in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. Without enough hunter-shot venison to provide a viable sample, the research was conducted mainly on farm-raised meat-producing animals including red deer and white-tail deer.

Cathy Cutter, a professor in Penn State's Department of Food Science who contributed to the report, said it contains good advice for hunters. For about 10 years, the school has hosted a non-credit Venison 101 class to teach hunters how to get the most out of their meats.

"There have been a number of outbreaks from venison jerky that was not properly cooked or dried," said Cutter. "The way we [handle] venison is not ideal.

"It's more difficult to do this when there's grass and snow and ice and you're trying to process out in the open. E. coli can survive some processing."

Cutter teaches what she calls "the three Cs" -- clean, cold, cross-contamination and cooking. Food safety starts when the animal hits the ground.

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New research sheds further light on field dressing, processing game