Elk meat smells extremely gamey

[Rick Richard]

I shot my bull yesterday morning and just butchered it up today, I don't remember it smelling weird yesterday when I de-boned and loaded it out.
Today though I was getting nauseated by the pungent and super gamey smell of the meat..
It was hot yesterday and the boned meat was loaded into a cooler with a small amount of ice, I used game bags and stuck them in a trash bag to keep it dry in the cooler.
The meat was hung in my cool shop overnight, I can't see how the odor could be from the meat spoiling but I'm concerned..
Has anyone ever had a really fragrant elk?

Many many years ago I shot my first bull and took care with cleaning and etc. I had the same result as you and had to throw away the entire batch of meat because it was ruined. The processor told me the cause was the trash bags I had placed the meat into.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

Quick update guys
I seasoned some steaks with salt and pepper and grilled them up tonight.
No more funky gamey smell after cooking and it tastes great.
I guess he was just an extremely gamey smelling bull is all.. kinda weird because he was a young one

 

[Plinker147]

Sometimes after you spend hours wrestling,skinning,quartering and packing them bulls that smells just sticks in your mind and you get over sensitive to it.

Glad to hear your meat is good congrats on your bull!