I was checking trail cams today and cam across this guy. He is new to the area and I have not seen him on any of my other cameras. I noticed he had a large growth on his chest. My FIL thinks it might be from an old wound but I think its a fatty tumor of some kind. It looks like he is eating well but wanted to know if the meat on this guy is still good? Should I let him grow or take him out of the gene pool? I have never personally seen this type of growth before. I have heard about it and seen pictures of deer having weird growths but no one ever talks about taking an animal with a growth and eating the meat.

I'd take him out and let a butcher at the local processor tell me if anything could be salvaged. That will get in his way if he try's to breed.

He doesn't seem to be in bad health or hurting from the photos but I'd ask butcher or the Game Wardens their opinion

May have found an answer to my own questions on the MI DNR site:

Warning: Site has pictures that some may find graphic

MI DNR Hydrocyst

see the wardens and take that out of the food and DNA chain........

Kinda like a water belly in a chicken.

It is most likely a cyst.  I have seen a bunch in the brisket area of whitetails, most recently on a doe this summer and she had healthy triplets.

I wouldn't kill the buck just for the sake of killing him it will most likely heal up and be fine.

I've seen photos in a book describing a similar growth from a rattlesnake bite.