Meat off a kill, found a day later

[Zbot]

Would you guys try to take any meat off a kill you found late into the next day, around 20 hours later. 60ish at night and 80+ during the day, direct wind the entire time. This was already asked on another forum, but wanted to get y'alls opinion as well since most of us here will deal with warm meat not on ice longer due to packing out, getting to the kill, etc.

Not foul smelling.
No color change.
No hair slippage.
Meat was cool to the touch.

 

[bridgerbenson]

I wouldn't be afraid of it. It must not of died too much before you found it, because hair slippage usually happens fast in those conditions if it sits there long after dead.

 

[Stid2677]

Let your nose be your guide, too many variables to hazard a guess. Butcher it and smell it as you go, look for bone sour near the bones, this will look greenish. Check both sides, one can be bad and not the other, heat rises and the ground can cool the contact side.

 

[JPD350]

LOL if you put your nose in bone soured meat you will know it!!

 

[HuntHarder]

Agreed, Let your nose tell you. Also, look for any discoloration. The front armpits of most animals will be some of the first meet to spoil. Check it first, and go from there.

 

[Zbot]

A few forgotten things

In the sun all day, no shade.
Desert Bighorn.
Some parts warm, others smelly.(didn't keep those parts after packout)
First big game animal for the hunter, so trying to make the most of the situation.

So far, the only non-smelly parts were the back legs and backstraps.

 

[Zbot]

And guts did smell with some yellowing/greening of the caul fat.

 

[tttoadman]

We packed out a bull one year that was about the same timeline. We saved a bunch. Everything that was on hide and bone was bad. You will feel better if you work hard to save as much as possible.

 

[Violent Hippie]

I have experience with this with Blacktail deer. Very similar scenario on 2 occasions. Similar temps but a little colder at night and about a 12 hour time frame both occasions. Both were archery. 1 was a gut shot and the other was double lung. Recovered 100 % of the meat including liver and heart on both. I agree with letting your nose guide you and with the info given sounds to me like your good to go.

 

[littlebrotherC]

I want to know how someone gets to shoot a desert bighorn as their first big game animal.

 

[robtattoo]

I want to know how someone gets to shoot a desert bighorn as their first big game animal.

Yeah, me too!

 

[Zbot]

I want to know how someone gets to shoot a desert bighorn as their first big game animal.

It was a ewe tag.

 

[6mm Remington]

Man you are lucky. Looks like were were gonna track you down and put a knot on your head! I've put in for 37 years in a row for Moose and Sheep and have not drawn a tag! That includes always listing a ewe sheep as my second choice!

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

In Wyoming you have to pack out all edible meat. If that was me I would pack out the spoiled meat so I didn't get questioned from a warden. I would keep it separate from all good meat. As mentioned use your nose but I am going to guess most of it wont be good. That's a long time to keep heat trapped. Where was it hit? Good lucky my friend. I hope you can get some meat.