At what temp do you think it's safe to leave a deer overnight?

32

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At what temp do you think it's safe to leave a deer overnight?

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Around me probably about 18 degrees. That should get it frozen hard enough a coyote could only lick on it a little.

You’ll be fine for anything in the 50s


It’s not ideal but neither is pushing a wounded deer.


The meat will still be good.

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Always worry about shooting one late in the evening and can't find him. Haven't had to do this yet but I'm sure it will happen one day. At what temp do you say "let's back out and leave, he will be fine come morning?"

I know low 30's would be fine but what's the upper limit you would leave one overnight?

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No simple answer as there are far too many variables here, size of animal, exposure time after death, etc

For example if the animal did not die until midnight you will not likely be able to percieve a carcus temp difference between 40º and 32º weather, that would take much longer.

just go find the deer

if it smells rotten then it is

I have no idea why people are so squeamish about whole animals sitting for a night. People used to age their meat by hanging it for days if not weeks and I guarantee that great grandpa didn't have a temperature and humidity controlled meat locker. Especially if the deer is whole and the meat is whole and uncut. Just get up early to go find it, and don't make steak tartare out of it and you should be good to go.

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Huge difference between hanging a field dressed carcass and leaving the guts in it.

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The old recommended way to hang ducks is guts and all, provided they're not gutshot.

How do the guts spoil the meat if you don't shoot the deer in the guts? There's no way for the guts to get in the meat.

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Yes, it will take awhile for that bacteria to migrate from the gut to the actual meat, but it will. Even if the animal has bled pretty good, blood is the perfect food for bacteria and vessels serve as highways in to the meat. Some gut parasites actually reproduce this way, counting on being eaten by a predator. Leaving the carcass intact not only insulates it but provides a nice little oven that makes the bacteria grow exponentially faster. That's why field dressing before hanging became common practice in the old days. It's the best of both worlds, outside of icing it down. Removes the source of bacteria, opens up a nice cavity for airflow to cool the carcass, but prevents spreading bacteria directly to the meat by knife cuts.

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I mean I totally agree it's better to have a gutted deer. I just don't think that bacteria grows and spreads through the blood that quickly. Those "highways" are sterile before the deer gets shot and stop moving once it dies. I also agree the deer may bloat if left for any amount of time, really. We've skinned deer that just lay for 2-3 hours and were bloated. That doesn't necessarily introduce bacteria to the interior of the muscles though.

I've let deer lie outside for a night in the 50s and did not have any issue with the meat. I know this isn't a scientific conclusion but I think in general whole uncut meat is sterile before a deer dies and is pretty well protected inside a deer from contamination by bacteria, particularly inside of a timeframe of 10-12 hours. The (admittedly limited) experience I have with waiting to find a deer backs this up.

Obviously there isn't some hard and fast rule about this, so personally when cleaning any game I use the smell test once you start cleaning, and that applies to all animals no matter how well kept they are. If the guts have gotten into the meat you should be able to easily smell it.