I have see shows and read about hunters having to come back the next morning to search for the deer they shot. Maybe it was a questionable shot and they just wanted the deer to bed down. My question is, is there any issue or worry about the meat going bad over night? Down here in the heat, you wouldn't want an animal that laid dead over night. Just looking for an understanding on that.
Every situation is different, if it is warm you may need to not wait as long. Really it depends more on the shot than anything.
If you can help it, its best to recover the deer as soon as you can. The danger zone for meat is 40 to 140 degrees, so keep that in mind. Usually, if its 30 or cooler out, meat safety is not as much of a concern. Out here in KS, the biggest concern is coyotes tearing the deer to pieces.
The biggest concern here is someone else taking your deer. It's happened to me once and happened to a few others I know several times. I remember my grandpa shooting a buck before and a group of hunters near our camp telling him they seen someone else drag it and put it in the back of their truck. Unless it's basically on your property here you better find it as soon as you can or it's gone. The last doe I killed behind my house my dog found for me lol.
I've just seen a few TV shows where the guy left and came back the next morning to search for his deer and it didn't seem like it was that cold. No snow on the ground. They do mention coyote's but never other hunters
The most common reason for leaving a deer overnight is because you assume it isn't dead yet. That deer may not die until 2-3 in the morning...or later. Its a tough call sometimes. Push the deer and risk losing it, or wait until morning and maybe predators find it. Overnight temps here are rarely a factor. Only comes into play in the early season. If its in the 50s overnight, the meat will be fine if you recover the deer the next morning.
Fortunately, I have not had to leave a deer overnight due to reasons you listed above. They have crashed nearby in thickets or died within visual range. Shot placement is KEY....I know that was an a$$hole statement! Friends have and we typically find the deer mauled in the morning from the 'yotes overnight. 3 of the 4 times we got to the property and saw the crows circling overhead which helped the effort. Early season I would do everything I could to recover that deer versus letting it sit overnight and letting the 'yotes, bobcats and temps destroy the meat. Later as the temps drop I would not be concerned about the temps just the predators.
In my opinion, it really comes down to 2 things: Overnight Temps Coyote/Wolf Activity If the overnight temperature would be considered to be cool, ten you would be fine to leave it overnight, but I would get it first thing. That being said, if you have coyotes or other carnivorous animals in the area, you might not want to do that. My buddy left his overnight and came back to find his half eaten.
For the record it can be cold without snow on the ground, and it can be cool enough for the meat to be ok without snow. Very sound advice in the posts in this thread about overnight temps and predators.
I left a deer overnight during freezing temps... came back and got it by 8 o'clock the next morning. Butcher called me later on to come in so he could show me where it'd started spoiling around the hip socket. He advised me not to eat it; seeing as how I take anywhere from 4 - 7 deer per year, I decided not to risk it. I explained to him what the temps were and the situation (I've come to know him very well taking that many deer into him each year for the past decade or so), and he said it was because I didn't gut the deer that night... I didn't do that because I didn't want to excessively attract predators unnessicarily. I'd decided to leave the deer because it was late after dark, we were way back in, and I had my Dad with me and it was getting cold. Figured it'd be so much easier to come back the next morning and get it out in the daylight... next time I'll either get it out or gut it -- but not leave it with the guts in.
There's always a risk no matter what you do. We had one shot last year in Mid December that was a questionable shot so we waiting until the next day. Turns out the coyotes got him. With that said I still think we did the right thing. Atleast we recovered the deer. Not so sure that would have happened if we kept bumping him?
I have a hard time believing a deer left overnight in freezing temps could go bad so fast ... you sure he wasn't tipping back grandpa's cough syrup? What did it look like around the socket? You didn't eat ANY of it? Maybe it was a previous injury?
Its a tough call. You either risk pushing the deer out of it's death bed never to be found or leaving the meat to spoil. I've been there and although I hate to waste the animal, some closure is nice.
We have an issue with Hogs being really hard to kill and them taking off into the bushes never to be found but if you can't find him that night, forget about him. Not fun but reality
I couldn't believe it either Tony... I saw it with my own eyes; he showed me where the meat was turning green around the hip sockets. And it was definitely my deer... This guy's got decades and decades of experience owning and running one of the best meat-processing centers in our area; he DEFINITELY knows what he's talking about. And, like I said, he asked me to come in and see with my own eyes.
I gut shot a doe last year about a half hour before sunset. I knew right away it was a gut shot. Shot the deer on the move, when I should have just waited for her to stop because she wasn't on alert anyways. Stupid mistake. Anyway, I climbed down from the stand and retrieved my arrow to confirm my beliefs. I didn't even attempt to track her that night. Temps were in the low 40's and we came back at first light. Right about 6 a.m. When we were getting close to the POI me and my friend heard a couple things running off through the woods. We both looked at each other and said, "coyote". Sure enough the deer went only about 60 yards and eventually died. The bad part was the yotes got to the butt and hind quarters a little bit. They weren't there long, but long enough to ruin some good meat. We threw out the hind quarters, but still ate the loins and front shoulders. The meat was fine and I think the tempertures were right for the decision that was made. I am glad we waited and did not push the deer. There is no chance we would have found her if we went looking only after a couple hours. We figured the meat would still be good, which it was, accept for what the yotes briefly got to. I would wait everytime if its a questionable hit. If the deer is recovered the next morning before the sun gets high or temps get to hot the meat should be fine. Just my 2 cents.
I would have some concerns about letting a deer lay overnight on my farm in the early season due to heat spoilage but then again I’m sure that there wouldn’t be much left in the morning after the yotes got done with it. I have a little coyote problem I think. This spring while turkey hunting I counted 9 of them in a 5-hour period. To say they are a little thick is an understatement.
That's exactly what he recommended... pained me VERY much to agree with him, because I REALLY wanted to take the backstraps and loins out at LEAST... but he cautioned me strongly against it. Like I said, this guy's become more of a friend than "just" a butcher, so I trusted him. Really sucked.
