Any ideas??????? Last week I took a cow elk with a clean shot. The elk was dressed out and skinned all within three hours in 20deg weather. After a a few days of aging I started to butcher the elk as we have done with all of our elk for the past thirty years. But right away it had a smell I've never experienced in the past. Not a smell of rancid or wild game smell but one of really potent. I took some of the meat to a local meat cutter for a second opinion and he agreed that something wasn't right with it and advised not to consume it. There wasn't any signs of being previously wounded or injury. Really confused since taking care of my game after the kill is my first priority