Would you eat this doe?

[BANDERSNATCH]

Shot a trophy doe Saturday evening but I had no sign of the hit. (Other than the loud thud of the impact) When I shot I didn't see the deer run off so I assumed it was lying there. Nope. When I got down to go look for her I couldn't find any hair or blood. The weather report that I had heard said that temps were to get into the mid to low 50's for Saturday night. That didn't happen. Well, next morning after we got through hunting several of us spread out and found her about 60 yards from where she was shot in some thick undergrowth. I skinned her out, (not wanting to waste her if I could help it) but I'm not sure if the meat is fit to eat.

Other than smell how can I determine if she edible? She's on ice now but I may just use the meat for working with my dogs....

I'll never take the weather man's word again. I would have got a dog somewhere if I thought that it was going to be that warm. My bad guys...

Bandy

 

[huntnnut]

Bandy,

I wouldn't eat it, it's not worth the risk. She probably died pretty quickly and with her laying there that long in the heat it couldn't be good.

 

[BANDERSNATCH]

It probably got down into the low 60's / upper 50's, but it definitely wasn't as cold as it was Friday night. This was in the cordele/vienna area.

She was hit a little far back....just behind the ribs and angling out a ham. Figured with the gut shot that she may have been alive for a while.

Bandy

 

[Buford_Dawg]

I wouldnt eat it

not cold enough to keep it safe overnight.

 

[BANDERSNATCH]

I buried the meat this morning....reluctantly. Everytime I opened the cooler to cut some meat off for my dogs it smelled worse.

At what temperature do you guys feel comfortable leaving a deer overnight in? (with the skin on, ungutted).

Bandy

 

[Jim Thompson]

You did the right thing.

Jim

 

[GeauxLSU]

At what temperature do you guys feel comfortable leaving a deer overnight in? (with the skin on, ungutted).
Bandy

If it's not gut shot, I still want it to be below freezing. I'm a little "picky" about that sort of thing. Fortunately, I've never had to make the decision.
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

 

[huntnnut]

If it were down in the thirties or maybe even in the low 40's I wouldn't be to concerned if it just laid there overnight as long as it was recovered the first thing the next morning, however if it was gut shot that would make the recovery time even more critical and especially so with higher temps.

 

[BANDERSNATCH]

Why is the 'gut shot' factor so critical? Because of digestive bacteria?

Bandy

 

[Buzz]

Maybe it's just me - but I would consider any deer not recovered to the next morning a lost deer regardless of the temperature. As others have said it's just not worth the risk to me.

 

[leoparddog]

Gut shot - wouldn't eat it.

Thats a yes as to Bacteria and Ecoli and such. Spreading of gut juices and possibly fecal matter from the intestinal tract.

If the deer did not die quickly, the deer's bloodstream could have picked up bacteria and other nasty stuff from the intestine and spread it around the deer's body into the meat.

When I worked for the Fla Fish and Game Dept back in the 80's, the only case of poisoning I heard of was from a gut shot deer that was recovered the next day and then eaten.

If you had gotten a solid shot in the evening and if it was very cold (below 40), and recovered it first thing in the morning, then that would be a "maybe" in my book.

You did the wisest thing for you, your family and dogs. sorry about the loss.

 

[JBowers]

You did the right thing and I agree with leoparddog's response about the bacteria.