Buck filled with air
Whitetail Deer
This past weekend I was fortunate to hang a tag on a nice tight 10pt. Only scored a 124, but dressed out at 137lbs so I couldn't be happier.
My question is after retrieving him he was extremely bloated / swallowed a massive amount of air. So bad to the point where after my first incision to dress intestine was literally popping out like a balloon animal. Made for quite a feat trying to dress him, I eventually had to bite the bullet a relieve the pressure. I've double lunged plenty before but this is the first time I've ever come across this to this extent. The shot was a little over 20yd, hit him a little higher than would've liked but still hit both lungs (checked while dressing), he only made it approx 60yds before going down with almost no trail except for within 5yds of where he went down, shooting a fixed blade QAD Exodus with an 1-7/8 cut.
My question is is there anything else that could've caused him to swallow so much air? Maybe cut the esophagus? Anyone else ever seen this before
No sir but much like an OT game win with an accidental goal... U got it done!! Congrats on your buck what a bute
what did you experience that made you think he was loaded with air? Even when I go to gut a deer within 10 minutes of a kill, I am amazed at how much air comes out once I penetrate into the cavity with the knive.
It's not air he swallowed, but gastro gases. Sometimes they just bloat quick, faster in warm weather.
How long did he lay before you gutted him?
No deer swallows and retains air with a hole thru both lungs. Intestinal bloating from gasses in GI tract. The process starts right away and unfortunately, dead deer can't fart.
Would of been a perfect specimen to go gutless on! Congrats on the nice deer!
I watched him go down hard so there was no real reason to wait long I gave him 15 mins before I approached. And even within that short window he was rock solid.
It was just really odd to me, almost all the intestine and the stomach were completely inflated (to the point it was stretched) like a balloon. Before the shot he looked completely normal, and healthy. Came into the area on a gradual trot without a care in the world.
thanks for the compliments.
Nice buck. Perhaps beano should market to hunters with the intent to lace our food plots and bait pile preventing the dreaded bloat.
Swallowed air. That would be quite unusual unless he was preparing to ford a river and was seeking a way to increase buoyancy during his escape
Any idea what he had been feeding on? Did the rumen (largest compartment of "Stomach") seem fairly full of solids or mostly empty?
Ruminants must expel gas regularly. It is amazing how fast gas builds up and depending on diet they will bloat almost immediately upon death. If abdomen is highly pressurized it can cause problems when butchering. I don't hesitate to make an incision to relieve that pressure. Just don't stand in front of the area you are cutting! I make a small cut down at the midline of the belly if I need to.
It is as others have said. Gas. There is nothing wrong with the deer. God Bless
He was probably gassy from something he ate and was holding a good one in saving it for his buddies when you shot him and ruined his surprise. I guess deer do that or it may be just the guys I work with that do.
