Temperature to leave deer

[Rakkin6]

Let's say you are doing a bow or gun hunt in the evening and you happen to kill a deer at about 3 in the afternoon for whatever reason. But you still have several hours of shooting light left and you know the doe is down and where at. What does the temperature range have to be at where you would feel comfortable leaving her lay and continue hunting without worrying about the meat spoiling? I would say 40° and below but want everyone else's opinion on what they feel safe doing.

 

[Jcalder]

I shot one the third day of bow season about 20 years ago. Found it the next evening. We ate it. No one got sick. I'd guess it was in the 80s

 

[cbhunter]

Let's say you are doing a bow or gun hunt in the evening and you happen to kill a deer at about 3 in the afternoon for whatever reason. But you still have several hours of shooting light left and you know the doe is down and where at. What does the temperature range have to be at where you would feel comfortable leaving her lay and continue hunting without worrying about the meat spoiling? I would say 40° and below but want everyone else's opinion on what they feel safe doing.

If they aren't laying in the blazing sun, I wouldn't be scared to leave one for a few hrs if is was more like 65.

 

[Rakkin6]

If they aren't laying in the blazing sun, I wouldn't be scared to leave one for a few hrs if is was more like 65.

Really that's a little higher than I thought I would get. But good to know.

 

[megalomaniac]

I eat my deer rare, so I'm really picky...

No more than 4-6h at any temps with guts in if it's a chest shot. No more than 2-3h at any temps if gut is perforated with the shot.

7 days with a gutted deer in the shade at temps 40 or less.

3 days with a skinned and quartered deer hanging in cheesecloth in the shade less than 70 deg.

 

[Pilchard]

After killing a handful of deer when it's 98 degrees outside in Florida, I am not super worried about one spoiling within hours in TN.

I wouldn't intentionally leave a gut shot deer for any longer than I had to.

 

[Omega]

I guess I am super picky, I rarely leave a deer for longer than it takes me to get to it, once I know it's dead. I do age my deer at 34-36 deg., for a week or so but anything above 40 deg the chances of bacteria growth goes way up so I make it a point to cool the carcass down as quick as possible. I have a cooler full of ice on standby to fill the cavity for deer I kill for friends since a processor may not be readily available. I skin and quarter my deer right on my gambrel and get it into the cooler within a few hours of killing it. The longest I have ever left a deer was maybe two hours, and that didn't go well as I had unknowingly nicked the stomach and lost a whole bunch of good venison.

 

[Popcorn]

I have an odd rule from when I helped my grandfather kill and process hogs. As long as the temp of the carcass is falling all is good.

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

Less than 40. Food poisoning is no joke and about killed me.

 

[gladesman60]

After killing a handful of deer when it's 98 degrees outside in Florida, I am not super worried about one spoiling within hours in TN.

I wouldn't intentionally leave a gut shot deer for any longer than I had to.

I would agree. I have seen guys in the everglades hunting on airboat and swamp buggies kill a deer in the morning g and leave it on the deck pretty much all day while riding around looking for more. Never had an issue with spoilage.

 

[Madbowh]

Around 65 but that depends on so much more than temperature, I would ask myself how far am I from the truck? How far am I from ice? Even with these and more questions I tend not to sit after I shot unless I seethem go down, I've had some weird things happen even in the perfect of shooting situations. I shot one last year at 10 yards with muzzle loader I knew it was s good hit but blood trail was not good and took me an hour to find him when he only went 50 yards in relatively thick stuff now get 1 that you can see go down but the next takes 2 hours to find then you have to get both out that add a while lot more time that what she was just laying there so that is why I will almost never sit after I shoot one I would rather take care of it then come back. But just to answer the question without asking questions max 65 degrees

 

[backyardtndeer]

I won't leave them unless it is below 40. If the temp is not below that or going to get below that overnight, I will quarter them and get them in the cooler on ice. If it is warm, and a morning, I usually won't wait. I like to get them cleaned and in the cooler as quick as possible.

 

[younggun308]

I think if it's in the shade you really can wait for hours without worrying. Passes the "if it's falling" standard mentioned earlier. Especially if you're butchering on site.
Bacteria is where the danger comes, but with the skin on, aside from the area around the wound channel, where's it going to hit your meat?

Elk hunters out west take several half-day trips with meat that stays at air temp until it gets to the truck. A lot of time, those are quarters with the skin on or meat in game bags. Usually butchering takes place hours after the shot, and during archery season temps easily can climb into summer temps.

 

[Stumpsitter]

I've shot deer early in the afternoon and wanted to stay till dark, I generally just go get them field dress them close to my stand put a stick in the chest cavity to keep it spread (helps with cooling) and I get back in the stand. I've done this several times in cool temperatures 40 or less. I shot a nice 8pt one evening about dark and it was warm. I could not find him and it was probably in the mid 60's that night, first thing the next morning found the blood trail and walked straight to him arrow was still in him covered in ants. I gutted him put ice in him and got him to a cooler quick. It did no good. We got him back cooked some meat and it was tainted, stunk up the house cooking it. Had to throw it all away, made me sick. I think if the guts are left in them for a while is when you start running into bacteria and spoilage.