Odd stink

[Lazy coyote]

Got my first bird of the year today, but I need some help. After the shot I stood on his head to keep it from flopping around.  Once he was dead I went to tag it, and noticed green runny stuff coming out of his mouth that had a strange smell to it.  I didn't think much of it since I had watched him feed for about 20 minutes along side of a cedar/juniper thicket.  The problem is that I'm rinsing and cutting it up for the freezer, and the meat has the same smell to it.  I'm planning on leaving it in water overnight to see if it helps.  All the meat looks normal.     I'm pretty sure those birds wintered in that thick juniper area all winter.    Has Anyone seen this before?

[Sir-diealot]

I got a deer once that smelled like the swamp area she was living in. Did not taste the greatest either.

[Lazy coyote]

I hope that's not the case.  It'll really bother me if killed this bird and can't eat him. 

[j.goebel]

Hum that's strange can't say I have seen that before

[Southerngobbler]

Cook up a test sample so you'll know if there's  a problem of not. I would probably soak it in salt water first.

[Cottonmouth]

I killed one years ago that apparently loved wild onions. Tasted like it too.

[Jmarek]

Never had that problem  with a turkey but I have killed mule deer that was close to tree line and in a lot of cedars and pine trees
I swear the meat tasted like Pine Sol cleaner. So perhaps it could be the same with a turkey - You are what you eat

[Gooserbat]

You are what you eat

[tnanh]

I have been watching several birds pecking around in cow piles. Hope they don't taste like it.

[zelmo1]

Don't take a chance. Call F&G and/or your state biologist. 

[jjenkins]

I have been watching several birds pecking around in cow piles. Hope they don't taste like it.

this made me spit coffee on my screen.

[Happy]

One of the reasons I prefer the big timber birds.

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[RutnNStrutn]

Don't take a chance. Call F&G and/or your state biologist. 

Yep!!!

[nyhunter]

sounds like her was eating the green leaves off of wild leakes, they seem to love them here in NY, and they do have a distinct odor when they been eating them.

[Divenut2]

Don't take a chance. Call F&G and/or your state biologist. 

I'm inclined to go with this as well. I shot a pheasant on public land a few years back that had some stinky green goop come out of it's mouth and neck wounds. Showed it to the game officer at the check out area who said it likely had gone septic or gotten some infection. He said to toss it and gave me a new tag to go out and shoot another one.