Good job man, I'm hoping to get out some evening next week and whack a doe. Don't even need the meat (yet anyway), just wanting to fill another tag! :D Nice coat on her too! Looks like they are all losing summer hair right now as well.
Spot on with this statement. My old man is a food safety professor at KSU, so I get the lecture every time I kill a deer outside of a snow storm
So let me ask Jeff's question again because I had a tough decision last year and likely lost the doe because of the decision I made to try and save the meat. What temp would be good to leave it out? And what about people that need to leave their deer out in the woods overnight to let it expire. What temps are okay for that? I shot a doe last year and some of you may remember I had a tough decision because the shot was not great but there was decent blood and likely lethal. Do I pursue or not? Wait till morning and the deer is likely dead but the meat may be wasted. Pursue too quick and you may jump the deer NEVER to be found which is what happened to me. I gave it four or five hours found a huge pool of blood but the deer crossed onto land that I could not track on, the blood was little or not existent and she was lost.
I left one overnight (I shot 2 in one sitting) the second week of the 2008 season. That was likely around 9/16 or so. If I remember correctly, the temps were in the low 60's, that night. I recovered her at 8:00 the next morning, and had her on ice within an hour. She was fine to eat. THis was the entrance side.
Gotcha.....lol. IMO, you'd have been fine. I also realize my doe may have lived for several hours (which would help). Looking at the exit wound, I think I got liver, there, So, it's hard to say, for sure. Exit wound.
It was a joke, GFY. I thought you were making a joke as to how I remembered the temps, that night, HERE. My bad. I should have put a smiley or something. Carry on. Good discussion.
I see that now. The problem I have Jeff, if you shoot a doe for meat and the meat is bad by the time you recover the deer.... what is the point? Fine line there during early season if you know what I mean? Big buck is a bit of a different story IMO although I certainly would do everything I can to recover before the meat was bad. I would just error more on the side of making sure the deer has expired whereas with a doe I'm willing to take a few more chances.
40 degrees. Google "Food Safety Standards/temperature" Hey guys, I've heard all the stories about " I've left game for such and such a period of time and never had a problem". Packing with ice is of course a GREAT help. I just look at it like would you want your supermarket to treat your food that way? You shot it, you killed it, now it's your responsibility to take care of it no matter how inconvenient it might be. I know I can't change some peoples mind and attitudes but the question was asked by someone that doesn't know. I gave a professional answer you don't have to follow it if you choose not too.
Knowing how to read the sign, post shot, would save the meat. Knowing how long to wait with each shot is crucial. Whether I wait 30 minutes or 10 hours depends on where the shot placement is and what I see right after the shot. If I have to get up and track at 2 am on a warm night, so be it. But, it takes a lot of experience and discipline to know exactly what to do in most every situation after the shot.
It's a fine line, indeed, GFY. Knowing that situations occur (even with the best of hunters and intentions) where a deer needs to be left overnight (or, at least 8 hours)....it gets blurry (the line). Throw in 8 hours is when you START to look (not when the actual recovery is made).....and it's dicey. I've heard "unethical" thrown around....when discussing hunting in high temps. (for this reason). I say do what you think is OK.....and live with the outcome. No judgement, here. I've recovered deer after they've been down too long to ingest (2X). Always a potential outcome.
I fully understand what your are saying bowbender. And I agree... to a point. In the real world sometimes this is not possible especially with recovery concerns. Not being a smart guy or cocky but just saying. When I drive...... I go 10 MPH over the speed limit and cheat the rules sometimes. Both decisions could have negative consequences.
Of course you have to push limits sometimes and not every time will hurt you. If you have the opportunity to cut and chill/freeze why would you choose not too. As far as the "touching water" issue. To worry about your meat touching water is ridiculous. FYI: The koshering process for meat includes soaking the meat for 1/2 an hour in a vessel of water. Then you dredge it in salt for an hour. After that it is washed off and ready for cooking.
I agree. Since we are on this topic. Let's say you do wait until morning to recover your deer. What are the best ways to know if your meat is good or not, short of "it stinks".
