You seem to have worse luck than anyone I can think of.

I was in Colorado 4 years ago and jumped a bull at about 50 yards. I really only saw a blur of big antlers as I swung on it and lead it just right (luck) and fed a 165 grn Hornady through both front shoulders. It piled up right away in a pile of brush and when I got to it, it just about made me sick. The left hip and leg were wasted away and the hair and hide were peeling off. The flesh underneath was gray and smelled terrible. The left rear hoof had grown to about 8 inches long and and the joints were stiffened to uselessness. The weird thing was that the antlers were also deformed, the opposite side antler was a single boat paddle shape while the left was a normal 5 point. I was only 1/4 mile from our cabin and called fish and game and they sent a game warden to look at it. He told me not to tag it and left it to rot. He also said that the injury was at least a year old and had probably caused the deformed antler growth.

A friend of mine shot a young bull moose that was covered with fist sized papillomas (warts). He called the warden and was told that it wouldn�t affect the meat. Girlfriend said it was very common to see that type of thing on young colt horses. Too much for me though, and I was very glad he shot it and instead of me.

Is this what you had on your animals?

http://www.nwtwildlife.com/Publications/diseasepamphletweb/papillomas.htm

Turok

Turok, my moose calf this year had one of those on the front shoulder. It was a light green colour, about the diameter of a golf ball, but not so big.

It was the only one on the calf. After we skinned it out, could see that the wart didn't go through the skin. The meat was fine.

At the time, the camp owner said it was caused by getting stuck by a branch or something, when the calf dropped in the spring. I know better now.

Killed a buck in 2000. Had a bent antler and a usless left front leg. I think he got hit by a car and healed somewhat, but not completely. Stink when I opened him to gut was unreal. Lungs filled with puss. Chest cavity as well. Meat beyond eating. I saw him limping along with a heard of does and tracked him in fresh snow. Glad I could take him becasue he would not have lasted the winter. His rack is an odd trophy.

The girlfriend and I were looking at some appy horses this year at a local ranch. Almost all of the year to two year old's had a few of them on their nose, lips and around the eye's. Some were completely covered by them. Mind you, they were considerably smaller than the ones seen in the link I provided. They go away as the animal matures and they don't affect the meat at all, but they are kind of unsettling to think about.

Turok

Interesting link about the papillomas, my Beagle got one of those warts on his ear when he was about 3 and we had it removed. I haven't seen any game with that on them yet though.

Brett