Who else is allergic to deer..

[Nandy]

It might sound crazy to some but if I get in contact with deer my eyes get watery and itchy, get hives in the hands/arms and around face. It is like an instant cold, harder to breathe and my lungs/sinus get filled with fluids... Im sure is the dander. I dont have that problem around dogs, cats, horses, cattle, only deer as far as I can tell. Eating venison or handling deer blood/meat dont affect me either. Sometimes I get it even after the deer been siting in the cooler for a week. Im sure is the deer dander... Anyone else? What do you do in short term? I dont shoot a deer every time but if there is something I can take right after I shoot one that will work in the 30 to 40 some minutes (or more) I wait before tracking the deer that will be great. I wonder is completely wetting the deer will control it better... need to try that....
Thanks!

[stomp442]

That's a pretty serious reaction. You may need to look into an epipen (sp)shot of some sort so the deer you just killed doesn't kill you in return.

[thomae]

That's a real problem. You should have some benedryl handy, and yes, perhaps an EpiPen (http://www.epipen.com) if it affects your breathing. Anaphylaxis is not your friend!

At the hunting camp where I am a guest, because of allergies, some of the members had to go around with a torch and burn off all the remaining hair on skull pieces of the the many antlers adorning the walls. It was a lot since the collection started about 50 years ago.

[Nandy]

Well, it is harder to breath but not hard to breathe so I am not to worried although I will consult this with my doc during my next physical. Now the eyes and the hives... Lordy, hard to ignore...

[triglet40]

Not very smart idea. Hard to breathe. More difficult to breathe. Not a good reaction. All it takes is for you to have a reaction that's a little stronger and your airway shuts off and it will become a huge deal!

[irondog54]

That's a pretty common manefestation. Talk to your Dr., but benedryl should be ok. My stepson has the same reaction to rabbits. A shot of benedryl liquid lasts 4 hrs.
Make sure it's the fur you're alergic to and not the meat. Once you eat the meat or that type of alergen enters the bloodstream, it's a gamechanger.

[thomae]

Not very smart idea. Hard to breathe. More difficult to breathe. Not a good reaction. All it takes is for you to have a reaction that's a little stronger and your airway shuts off and it will become a huge deal!+1. What he said.
If it affects your airway at all, you need to see a doctor/allergist before you handle any more deer. Reactions like that can grow in intensity each time (I said can, not will...but you never can tell) and when you can't breathe, it's the wrong time to realize you "shoulda" done something. Allergies are funny that way. One time you are ok, the next time you might be dead.

Years ago, I was taught that, on the battlefield, in an emergency situation, an old fashioned retractable ball point pen (remember the ubiquitous black "U.S. Government" ball point pens?) can be used for a tracheotomy. Thank God i never had to do it.

[Nandy]

Thanks for your concern.

[Werewolf]

I grew up with really bad allergies. I think i was born allergic to 3/4 of what God made. An allergic reaction is you're body overreacting to a stimulus and causing your immune system to go into overdrive, to the point your body is damaging itself in the effort to get rid of the foreign "invader". Every time it happens you build up more antibodies, so the next time you get exposed the reaction can be stronger if it is not controlled. Get with your doctor and get a handle on it now or it will probably only get worse. I had to take weekly allergy shots (tiny doses to cause tiny reactions)for 8 years as a kid to build my immunity up so it doesn't happen to me as much anymore.

[Nandy]

A Doctor in another form that I frequent tell me to take the claritin generic before handling deer. If I for some reason handle deer without taking Claritin first then to take some benadryl.

[triglet40]

Benadryl works! The epi pen wouldn't be a bad idea to have just in case!

[txbdyguard]

My son get's this ever time he shoots a deer and I am around, his thought process is dear old dad is here let him do the work. I skin mine within an hour of shooting it. I skin first then gut. Keeps the hair out of the inside. You could wear gloves when you clean a deer. The thicker gloves for doing dishes would protect your arms and hands. Why would you leave a skin on for more than a day. My experience makes the meat "gamey" tasting.

[Nandy]

An epipen is not necessary for this type of allergy.
txbdyguard, in my experience skining the deer vs not skining the deer have not make a difference but let it hang in the freezer for a week takes most of the game taste out if it and marinates works way better. I however would rather skin it the same day I kill it as is way easier. The problem I have is that our walking freezer is not large enough to make it practical to hang the deer in the center of it. We have to hang the deer close to the wall and it will touch the walls which I rather not come in contact with the meat.

[txbdyguard]

I skin ours in the open. I quarter it and put it in an ice chest then dump ice on it and let it sit a day. It draws allot of the blood out and wife can't tell the difference between this and beef when I get it hamburger ground. http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/txbdyguard/IMG_0269-1.jpg

Yes I know it's a spike but there's no recipe for antlers AND spikes need to be taken out.

[acemisser]

I skin ours in the open. I quarter it and put it in an ice chest then dump ice on it and let it sit a day. It draws allot of the blood out and wife can't tell the difference between this and beef when I get it hamburger ground. http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd456/txbdyguard/IMG_0269-1.jpg

And I thought everything in Texas was big.....What kind of deer is that? Looks pretty small.....Still good shooting

[txbdyguard]

Texas Whitetail. In our area we need new blood but it's hard to do that when you aren't rich and there's no high fence to keep them in and the neighbors shoot anything that moves. I don't lease property I hunt on my own place so I take what the good Lord sends by. We shot some larger animals this year but it's runts like this that need to be taken out.

[Dennis]

I am alergic to fur animals, deer, cats, squirrels, mice, etc., but especially a Farret. I went to a persons house that had a farret inside and almost had to go to the hospital. If I am dressing a deer, squirrel, or a rabbit, if I touch my face, the areas I touched will turn red and swell. I have been around a few cows and had similar reactions. No one believed me until the evening I had the episode with the farret! It takes about 20 minutes of being around one, then it hits.

Dennis

[txbdyguard]

Dude that sucks.............