How long will an undressed deer last at 65 degrees?
I shot one and left it overnight when temps never got much under 70. It was fine.
Kewl... I made a perfect shot on a doe at 6:00 pm. The arrow passed thru the rib cage except for the feathers. The entire arrow except part of the feathers were hanging on as she bolted out of Dodge. I followed blood for 70 yards and it stopped. I should find her tomorrow.
I have never made a shot like that and not found the deer. I can't believe she went that far.
ya man you will be fine I used to live in pensacola and had to leave a few overnight. as long as the coyotes dont get her first you will be ok. let us know how it turns out and post some pics... congrats. oh where were you hunting by the way?
Deer will go if they want to. When i was much younger i shot a nice buck 4 times in the chest with a 12 guage and he still went over a thousand yards. learned a valuable lesson that day to never push a deer and always give em time no matter what you think the shotplacement was. If i could only get one close enought to me and my stick this year. And get after her as soon as you can see anything. Hope it all works out.
bjohnson...I am hunting in Saraland, just north of Mobile. I have 750 acres there on a large creek and gorgeous timber. I was hunting live oaks and laurel oaks. They were falling good.
Three does marched right in there. The one I shot was 11-12 yards.
Geez I don't know. I'd hate to leave one overnight in that kind of heat. You can tell real easy if the meat is any good though. If it smells funny or has a light greenish cast to it, don't eat it.
I guess you guys down south have a differernt experience than those of us in the northern states. Except for the first week or two of season we don't have to worry about temps like that.Doesn't get much over 40 at night this time of the year up here.
Ferret....
I love your optimism about temps! :) Yankee PA Weather Dude this AM just told us near 80 rest of this week, rain on Sat...still in upper 70's Sat and even "higher" temps next week...season's half over and we're in a heat wave since the start! :(
But I share your concern over spoilage. Someone once said that if they hang on to life a while over the night, bedded, it's better. :( Cause then they don't start building up heat. Horrible thought...
I wonder if w/our harder/colder winters, our Northern deer might have thicker coats and retain more heat and thereby spoil quicker?
I hear of guys all my life finding deer next day and it was SOUR on the side it lay on once it died....
Doc it's been a wierd year..kinda Al Gore-ish ha ha
although I can tell you we've already been in the high 30's and Sat morning when I rode my Mocycle down to the Horsepital for yet more blood work I had to wear winter riding gear. It was COLD! and we've already had the heat on in the house two nights. This week it's gonna be hot.
Ohio ave temps for Oct Nov & Dec
Ave High 67° 54° 44°
Avg. Low 44° 35° 26°
I'd certainly be concerned about a deeer that laid out in 65 degree temps, but that may be something our sounthern brothers experience/deal with all the time?
I have left several out overnight in that kind of temp. and even warmer and never had a problem as long as you find it pretty quick in the morning before the sun get up and on it,or like they said the Coyotes don't fine it first.
Pappy
When you find her, she should be tick free, too.
The ticks are really bad this year. Probably due to the drought. I've killed deer in the late evening that were loaded with ticks. I really hate field dressing one like that because the ticks get all over me. If you can let one hang over night, there won't be a single one on it in the morning.
Good luck Richie.
Here in Texas those kind of temps are normal. Even around Thanksgiving if you can beleive that. I have had to leave them overnight before and went back the next morning and found them and have experienced no problems as long as you imeadiatly field dress, you should be OK.
I have let deer hang overnight in those tems also and taken to processor next day with no problems also.
JMHO
Donald
a ruminant's body temperature will actually increase after death- the stomach is full of food and digestive activity is going full steam ahead- even after death- that's where the gases build up inside their bodies, temps go up...getting that animal eviscerated and the temp going down is critical to the meat being "non-gamey" which is another fancy way of saying it doesn't have a bacteria build-up in the flesh.
I would not waste the animal if the meat is OK..but I wouldn't try to make roasts out of it if you know what I mean. Perhaps hamburger or sausage would be a better choice. If you stick your nose IN the meat and it smells at all, don't eat it.
Man! it's still in the 90's here. season ends on the 28th. almost feel like hunting in shorts. I got to move to a place with some trees, not cactus!! Good luck with the meat.........
DesertDude
If she was skinned and the meat exposed...
a lot less time than if she is still in her skin and no guts spilled. Even then, the guts and gastric contents are mainly contained within the abdomen.
I am guessing she is fine if you find and dress her right away and begin the cooling process.
ChuckC
Actually. Ray. think this through.
Roasts are generally un-tampered with meat...that is, the contaminants..(if any)are on the outside. You cook the outside the most.
Hamburger is made by taking roasts, which ( may ) have contamination on the outsides, and grinding it up generally mixing the contamination all through the meat. You need to make good and sure you cook hamburger properly so that all of it is cooked and the bacteria (again...if any) is killed.
ChuckC
Chuck,
i was only speaking from a taste perspective- if the meat gets hot, its gonna taste gamey regardless of where it is in the body. If its burger, it can be more readily mixed with stuff that would cover the gamey taste.
I've always done my burgers with wet marinades/sauces/cajun injector mixed in the meat so the moisture heats up while its cooking to be certain the inside of the burger is as finished as the outside...but I wouldn't even eat that deer anyway...
Down here, if left out at 65 degrees..its my experience its not fit for much
Ray
You put the marinades in the burger before you freeze it or just before you cook it ? Sounds good. Any favorites ?
ChuckC
oh well.....I finally found blood way away from where the trail ended last night. I happened to walk up on it and tracked her about 60 more yards in 1.5 hours on my hands and knees part of the time. A drop here and there. I lost it and began just looking around over and over for another 1.5 hours but did not find her.
When I shot I watched the arrow what seemed to have disappeared into the rib cage. I just knew it was a perfect shot until now that I can't find her. There is no possible way a deer is gonna move that much breathing blood from a lung shot. Not possible. I do know that the deer reacted and dropped when the arrow hit her. I am now thinking that the arrow hit between the spine and the lungs at a downward angle. This would cause blood to drip from only one side. That is all I can come up with.
Back in the woods I go.
Just My 2 cents worth, but when the Temp. approaches 60 Deg. you only have Three days to get it Butchered before spoilage begins....ONE SHOT... :) :) :)
At 64 degrees you should bring the hambuger rolls.
no, Chuck, I add it at the time I actually am making up the burgers. I put in liquid smoke, a good bit of finely grated onion(that releases a lot of liquid into the burger) some food processor-ed portobello mushroom for the same reason, a little dash of worcestershire,a small amount of beef steak fat my grocer does up for me really fine, and a bit of teriyaki baste and glaze...and work the burger loosely.
I don't like overworking the burger meat because it makes it too dense...if you leave the meat somewhat loose, it cooks faster so just work it enough to get it formed into a patty and stop.
Put her on the grill and keep the heat down and take your time cooking them so you don't over cook the outside before they get doneinside..and don't fork em ever- only spatulas here...so the liquid doesnt leak out at all..keep them moist.
Sounds pretty tasty. We use a lot of burger at my house. We often don't have a lot of time to make wonderful meals so Hamburger Helper or casserole spaghetti gets the nod a lot. Good thing is...I love that stuff !
Still, chunks of backstrap and onion and lil tomatoes and mushrooms on kebob sticks, cooked on the grill can make anyones mouthwater too.
I'm gettin hungry again.
ChuckC
2 years ago I shot 1 in the evening. He was hit hard but I didn't want to push him. I backed out. That night it only got down to about 68 or so. At first light I was standing over him. Rigor mortise was long set in. I shot him at 5:15. I estimate he died no later than 9 or 10 pm that night and probably earlier. When I got him drug to the house and skinned out, he was turning green already. I didn't want to risk it and ultimately I threw the meat away. That sucked and it's one of the reasons I hardly ever hunt in the evening in the early season. Just too much risk of losing the meat.
Everyone should find somebody that has a good deer trailing dog close to where they hunt or get one themselves. Mine is a Blue Lacy but I think Dachsunds are the most popular. Even some household pets can be effective with a little encouragement and training. Mine found seven for people last year that had given up looking. If your going to have a dog for a pet,get one with a good nose and a will to hunt,you wont be sorry.
hang in there richie
I'd love to have a dog also but in montana it's illegal.
I hear alot of these to hot stories but I've taken a ton of game during very warm/hot temps in the evening here in montana and I don't have alot of problem with meat going bad provided the animal is found in the morning.
once they're found we work fast and all but a handfull were taken out whole.
good luck!!
Good reading. Sure shows how diverse the experience of a group of folks from all around the country can be...
I liked your point, Ray...about the internal heat building up due to guts starting to build heat and bacteria count.
Nobody commented on the idea I shared that northern deer might have heavier coats then the southern deer? I've not killed any true Southern deer to know if they don't get quite as heavy a "winter" coat as we get up here.
Of course, a live buck (or doe) can lie in a snow storm and the snow will build up a foot on their back unmelted. If they die, it will release heat from the body and the snow will melt... so who knows.
I just have been around some overnight and even 6 hr till found deer and there was the "greenish tint" growing on the meat and it didn't smell too good!
Whatever works. In each's area and under those specific conditions I guess... :eek: