How Long Can Whitetail Sit Outside After Kill

[ILHunter2022]

SCENARIO:

Tomorrow is a high of 55 degrees.

When I go out to hunt - around 6 am to 11 am or so - the temps will be increasing from about 40 degree to 50 degrees. It'll get to 55 a little later in the day.

If I were to shoot a deer and unable to get it out right away, roughly how long until the deer is no longer good?

I have a weird situation where it's very difficult to bring the deer back on my own, and I won't be able to get help until the early afternoon ~ 3 pm. Given the temps, I am trying to figure out if it's even worth going out in the morning.

 

[Huntnfish89]

Does it have to come out whole per your states regs?

If not can you quarter, bag, and hang it until help arrives? If so you should be good to go so long as you have a cool shady place to hang the meat.

I'm sure others with more experience on this particular scenario will chime in, but I'd be concerned about leaving it laying on one side with the hide on and guts in trapping heat.

 

[gholbert]

If you do shoot one, why not gut it to start to get it to cool off? 4-5 hours shouldn't hurt it all, especially with it gutted.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Don’t bust the guts and keep it in the shade and it’ll last a long time. Gut it and you’ll be fine.

 

[TxxAgg]

Yeah you'll be good

 

[sierracharlie338]

Agreed on gut it and maybe hang it from a tree with paracord till you make it back.

 

[ILHunter2022]

Thanks for the responses folks!!

 

[Bluefish]

This question came up on a tour of a local locker this weekend. The guy giving the tour who is now semi retired from running the locker said that the most important thing is getting it cool right away. If you do that it can wait longer before processing.
his example, 10 deg day, big deer drive and deer are stacked before gutting. Bottom deer shot early in the day may be spoiled by the end of the day. On a warmer ( above freezing) day, getting guts out right away (less than 30 min) and cleaning with cool water, a day or two wait for processing should be ok.

 

[Wrench]

I've had deer in the tree for several days at 45ish (+/-) and never been an issue. Cool the hip sockets and you're usually golden.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Gut and hang or place in the shade and you will be fine. You can also cut off the lower legs at the joints below the shanks to encourage additional draining if you're worried about it.

If you're talking IL, the only other thing to worry about would be coyotes getting to the kill site and carcasse. If this is a risk, take some paracord and a couple carabiners and hang it high or quarter and hang bags out of reach.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

shot one last week at 7:30 am, 40 degrees. didn't find it until 1:30, and it died in a sunny spot, 55F when recovered. gutted by 1:45, hanging by 3:30, in my big cooler by 4:30. Zero meat loss due to spoilage.

 

[doc holiday13]

had this similar scenario 2 years ago. Shot the deer about 7:30am. gutted it roughly 11am. it was a high of 60. I shot the deer mid neck and arrow came out through the liver. Deer ran 20 yards. no gut puncture. Hung the deer in my garage. Went to butcher it the next day in the evening(~36 hours later) I lost maybe 8# of meat because the wound channel started greening up.

 

[cnelk]

Gut and hang. Even with a gentle breeze with 50+ degrees the deer will cool.

I like to hang them head up so any remaining blood that drains doesn’t collect in the neck.

(To the internet police, the temps when I hung this buck last week were below freezing)

 

[rayporter]

with the guts still in they will spoil at 30 degrees. gutting them and hanging, it is unreal how long they will keep.

personally i like to quarter and hang.