Previously shot/injured deer

[Wapsi Tree Rat]

I was plowing my driveway yesterday and after the 3rd pass I noticed a pretty good buck bedded down in the timber valley about 125 yds off the driveway. I glassed him and he's was a 145ish 10. I thought it was odd he didn't spook with the plow running so close and I have never in 15 years seen a buck bedded there. Figured he had been hit with a slug. My son and I decided we had better try and fill a tag and save him from a slow death. My son was going to sneak in behind him and I would keep the truck on the drive as a "decoy". Unfortunate the boy jumped 3 does and that alerted the buck to trouble. The buck got up and limped away with no safe shot presented. I went to where he was bedded down in the snow and there wasn't a spec of blood. Don't know how long ago he was injured or even how. Could be a slug or arrow or even a vehicle. Don't know but there was no weight being put on that hind leg.
Anyway, it got me wondering about possible infection and quality of the meat. If there was infection, obviously the wound site would not be consumable, but is the entire animal compromised? I've never seen infection before on a deer. How would you identify it and it's severity?

Any thoughts?

 

[bigbuckhunter88]

I've seen it range from just the site of an arrow wound being healed over and no real infection to opening a chest cavity and it being completely full of gange green.

 

[HorseDoctor]

Just non-weight bearing doesn't mean much. May have been any type of injury at any time in the past. May be localized to a small area, or not. Might be worth having your local veterinarian have a look at the carcass. Meat inspection/food safety is a part (albeit small part) of their education. He/she may be able to offer a slightly more educated opinion. If it appears that the meat is safe from an infection standpoint you may want to test fry a piece of backstrap to see what it tastes like. Have had a rare one that was injured and under enough stress that the meat was very strong flavored to the point that only pepperoni spices would render it edible. Have also eaten MANY others that were lame for one reason or another and tasted just fine. Good luck!

 

[Ishi]

My motto is if in doubt throw it out!!!

 

[Bowhunter500]

Haha, off topic, but we had a 3 legged doe behind our house for about 3 yrs in a row. She was the mature doe (roughly 6 yo) of the group. Her name, "Tripod" haha. I think she got taken out last year I believe. Haven't seen her since.