How long will meat last at 65 degrees?

[Richie Nell]

How long will an undressed deer last at 65 degrees?

[John Scifres]

I shot one and left it overnight when temps never got much under 70.  It was fine.

[Richie Nell]

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.

[bjohnson]

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?

[KILLER B]

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.

[Richie Nell]

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.

[the Ferret]

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.

[Doc Nock]

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....

[the Ferret]

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?

[pappy]

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

[Joey Ward]

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.

[Nakohe]

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

[Ray Hammond]

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.

[DesertDude]

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

[ChuckC]

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

[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

[Ray Hammond]

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

[ChuckC]

Ray
You put the marinades in the burger before you freeze it or just before you cook it ?  Sounds good.  Any favorites ?
ChuckC

[Richie Nell]

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.

[ONE SHOT]

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...