Retrieving deer.

nchunter12

Button Buck
In this heat (80 - 90 degrees), how long does it take before the meat will spoil? So far, been fortunate to find my deer within a reasonable amount of time, but the day may come when I may not be as fortunate.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Its tough if you shoot one late in morning and have wait to track. eve or early morning not so bad still little cool I don't know exact time frame but deer meat will keep for bit. Tough part when its real hot is how long to wait after shot don't want to bump deer after it laying down
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
Also depends on where you hit the deer. If back in guts it’s going to be one rank critter by the time you find it.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
Dog will track it quicker, another good thing about well trained tracking dogs.

Also great when lots of coyotes.

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hitman6397

Old Mossy Horns
I have read somewhere years ago that they will not spoil as quickly as one might think on the early season warm days. Because they have their summer coat I would not let 1 lay over night and eat it but an hour or two wouldn't bother me. I would be more concerned about finding one quickly on the warm days in the late season when they have their winter coat and the heat cant escape as quickly.
 

jefe06

Button Buck
On the topic of finding the downed animal and getting it out in a reasonable amount of time, any of you just sling it over a shoulder after field dressing and pack it out, or is this just stuff you read about in books or see on movies. I'm guessing a cart would be the way to go.
 

Foothillsd1

Six Pointer
The one I took Monday took me two hours to find. By the time I got it to processor it was pushing three. I hung around with the processor to check which organ I hit(liver, some lung). The meat was fine.

To the other question: Yes you can sling them over your shoulder if they are medium to small size. However, you have to mind your balance and go slower than normal. The head on a dead deer flops around making it difficult to carry. Also the fur is very slick makes it easy to slide off your shoulder.
 

cloningerba

Old Mossy Horns
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Yotes beat me to my doe on butner gamelands. The meat was fine that didn’t come in contact with guts...

I was pissed, I really wished I had a .22 Bc I had one watching me about 50 yards through the woods as I cleaned her. I tag them and clean them in the woods and carry the meat to my cooler.


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lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Don't let a little gut on the meat cause you to waste good meat. Most of the meat is covered with a membrane that comes off and usually very little meat actually gets tainted.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
The meat will last a lot longer than you think. The warmer it is the faster the bacteria will grow.
 

Firedog

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
As a rule if you don't find them pretty quick after a short track, they did not die pretty quick either and as long as they are still alive the clock has not started. Never worried once about the meat being good after tracking one in warm weather. I am also not one to hunt when it is 90+ either (but I have in the past) and more importantly I am not a "wait 2 hours to start tracking" guy. If I hit the deer well it is dead in 30 seconds.. I let the arrow and the impact site tell me if i need to wait at all. Last one I killed with the bow, by the time I stopped shaking and climbed down out of the tree, I picked up my arrow and walked to the deer all inside 15 min.
 

jefe06

Button Buck
899df355e11e32c0ebc0f2b936586d56.jpg


Yotes beat me to my doe on butner gamelands. The meat was fine that didn’t come in contact with guts...

I was pissed, I really wished I had a .22 Bc I had one watching me about 50 yards through the woods as I cleaned her. I tag them and clean them in the woods and carry the meat to my cooler.


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Those little "excrement like entities". Are coyotes legal/encouraged to kill like hogs?
 
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lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Got to say, obviously you haven't read the regulations thoroughly. I'm pretty sure it is stated more than once in there. Don't feel bad though because you are not alone. It is really amazing how many people get a gun, some camo, buy a license and still have knowledge of a very few of the regulations. Lack of education on the regulations is probably the greatest reason for violations other than those who just choose not to follow them.
 

Aaron871

Four Pointer
899df355e11e32c0ebc0f2b936586d56.jpg


Yotes beat me to my doe on butner gamelands. The meat was fine that didn’t come in contact with guts...

I was pissed, I really wished I had a .22 Bc I had one watching me about 50 yards through the woods as I cleaned her. I tag them and clean them in the woods and carry the meat to my cooler.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Happens all the time up here.... (Ashe & Allegheny)

Both of these were hit good and found within an hour. Both had teeth holes all over them.

Believe it or not... I hit a deer in a field with a .300 win mag and watched the yotes go after it....
 

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Helium

Old Mossy Horns
Interestingly enough, all the “hunters” I know been giving me hard time about killing deer Sat when it was so hot... saying “I bet you had to skin it really fast before meat spoiled

Truth is: meat has to lose all its body heat then warm back up before it starts to spoil. I’ve seen it take 3hrs before they lose body heat,

What about backcountry elk hunts etc? Everyone says well it’s cold then... NO not always during early season AND even then it may 2 days to get all the meat out

As we speak, I’m processing my deer that have been on ice since Sat. The meat is perfectly fine.
 

Aaron871

Four Pointer
Interestingly enough, all the “hunters” I know been giving me hard time about killing deer Sat when it was so hot... saying “I bet you had to skin it really fast before meat spoiled

Truth is: meat has to lose all its body heat then warm back up before it starts to spoil. I’ve seen it take 3hrs before they lose body heat,

What about backcountry elk hunts etc? Everyone says well it’s cold then... NO not always during early season AND even then it may 2 days to get all the meat out

As we speak, I’m processing my deer that have been on ice since Sat. The meat is perfectly fine.


I totally agree.

Remi Warren has a great podcast covering warm weather back country killls.

See if this link works.....

 

Papa_Smurf

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Restaurants can keep food out for up to 4 hours before they have to throw it away.

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TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
On the topic of finding the downed animal and getting it out in a reasonable amount of time, any of you just sling it over a shoulder after field dressing and pack it out, or is this just stuff you read about in books or see on movies. I'm guessing a cart would be the way to go.

I wouldn’t throw one over my shoulder, not all people in the woods have good sense and are to quick to shoot at something brown


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sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Helium is right, the temp outside doesn't matter until the natural body heat of the deer dissipates and that takes a couple of hours minimum unless it is opened up quickly. So if you leave a deer laying @ 30 degrees in December, it still stays warm for hours. Any deer that is followed up on normally will be just fine in the heat, as long as you get it out in a timely fashion and start working on it. What I would NOT do is let it lay for a long time before tracking.

PLEASE don't let them lay overnight.
 

nontypical

Ten Pointer
getting it out in a reasonable amount of time, any of you just sling it over a shoulder after field dressing and pack it out, or is this just stuff you read about in books or see on movies. I'm guessing a cart would be the way to go.
When I was younger I could sling a deer over my shoulder and walk out, wouldn’t try it now. Depends on how big the deer is and how strong you are. 150 lbs of dead weight is harder to move than 150 lbs of ridged weight. If I were you I’d get a cart or some type of drag/ sled.
 

nhn2a

Ten Pointer
I've shot a couple deer in early archery in 90+ degree temps and it normally takes me a couple hours to find them and get them in the cooler. The have always been fine. However I shot a doe a couple years ago during muzzleloader in 60 degree temps that took me several hours to find and a couple more hours to get her out and to the processor. I got the unfortunate call from the processor that the meat smelled spoiled already. Only deer I have ever had go bad on on that one there was absolutely no blood trail. Not a drop from where I hit her until I found her laying.
 

aya28ga

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
If the deer is recovered quickly & handled properly, there'll be little problem with the meat spoiling.

I don't know if the same will hold true for the HUNTER, though. Speaking only for myself, I know with a sure certainty that simply sitting in the woods (forget about dressing & dragging one out) in the current heat & humidity would spoil ME.
 

g3trappernc

Twelve Pointer
Shot one at 7 yards in PA a few years back. Perfect hit but the rascal just didn’t go down. (Why I don’t shoot Rages anymore) blades didn’t deploy. Guessing the heavy poundage I was shooting and the close distance had something to do with it.

Shot at 10:00 am.

Didn’t recover until the next morning, after about a 1000 yard track. Meat was just fine.
 

Deerhuntr

Ten Pointer
Shoot a razor sharp broad head and put it where it counts and I don’t see a need to wait because the deer will be dead in a matter of minutes.

I can usually hear most of mine crash anyhow. When I stop hearing leaves and brush rustling I go find my deer and head to the skinning shed.
 
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