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spoiled meat possibly

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
was wondering if anyone knew how long a deer can sit dead in the woods before the meat starts to spoil and is beyond eating, i know they say if you think the shot is bad then come back in the morning, id rather just wait awhile then find it rather then leave it lay in the woods and rot, im not one for wasting good meat. so does anyone know how long it can sit in the woods dead before the meat is bad
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Just depends on the temp. Below 45....it can go for a good long while as long as the guts aren't spilled. That is where you pick up most of your food bourne illness...feces.

Beentown
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
I am not an expert here. Best I can tell you is try to make the best shot possible and cross that bridge when you get there. I would imagine we will all get there sooner or later. This is what is great about TOO. You shoot a deer and there is any doubt in your mind about shot placement and weather conditions, you can post it up here for opinions. Chances are if there is doubt, you will be waiting at least a few hours. Within a few hours, I would bet you have a decent amount of opinions on what your next move should be. If I encounter this situation, you bet your butt that is what I will be doing.
 

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
yea lol i been shootin everyday trying to pin point my shot so i dont have a shaky hand or flinch or close my eyes when i shoot and so far its all good but like they say its a whole nother world when a doe or a big buck is in front of ya, but i mean the huntin shows half of em dont eat the meat which is why they leave em lay over night and get the next evening, me i like my freezer filled and if opinions tell me i should be looking instead of on here talkin about it well ill be headin back in the woods lol
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
Its all about temps. If its hot out I question wether or not to shoot. you dont have much time before the carcass starts to bloat once the blood stops pumping. As long as you find it quckly you should be ok as long as you gut it right away. once you get the body cavity open and all the guts out, the carcass will start to cool from the inside out. once its out of the woods get some ice packed inside it as soon as you can. if it is hot dont skin it right away once the ice is inside it. the fur will act as a thermal blanket and keep the warmer outide air from contacting the meat before the ice can cool it down completely. The quicker you can cool it down from the inside out the better you are.

however, if it is a questionable shot and it is cool outside, below 45* like been said, you should be fine leaving it sit rather than bumping it and not being able to recover it. hopefuly there arent any coyotes around.
 
I lean towards Dante's idea. I very rarely take a deer if the weather is warm. I'll be on stand on warm days, but they are more scouting sits than actual shooting sits. But, hey it is archery season, I gotta be in the woods. Packing with ice and leaving on the hide is your best choice.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
When I shot mine so early last year I did exactly what Dante said and the meat was fine.
I let the deer go for a bit (it was a morning hunt first weekend of season) and tracked after about 2 hours. Found it about 3 hours after the shot. It was still ok, but any longer may have been bad.
It was a cool morning but the temps got up to 70 quick that day.

So, based on that experience, on a warm day don't wait too long. If it's a gut shot? Not sure what to tell you there.
 

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
yea im hoping the weather cools down a good bit by the time season starts, but yea if its a questionable shot or if i know i cant get good placement ill pass on it i like hunting early mornings anyways and evening rahter then afternoons, lil bit cooler at those times
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
I shot one around 4 pm in the afternoon a couple of years ago. The temps were mid 60s. Darkness arrived at 7pm. That night the temp went down to 59 degrees. I found the deer the following morning stiff and dead just after daylight. I took it down to the nearby creek to gut it and flush it out. Everything smelled ok but it was bloated pretty bad. After consuming the deer the only thing that tasted ultra gamey were the tenderloins. They tasted like a cattle barn smells. If I had to do it all again, I'd keep the deer and throw out the tenderloins when gutting.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
General rule is 4 hours after the animal is dead and the temps are above 45. The higher the temp the shorter amount of time. The lower the temp, the longer you can go. I had one go overnight (10 hours) with the temp at 48 and it was just fine.

Beentown
 

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
ok thanks, i really hope it starts cooling off soon ive noticed the overnight temps dropped pretty quick from 80 degrees at 2 in the morning to 55 or so, hopefully thats a good sign, and lately ive been in the woods wearing my long sleeve camo shirt and dont hardly break a sweat at all. but if temps dont drop guess ill just have to make sure i get good shots and not flinching miss hits