Warm temps... spoiled meat

[JFB]

I shot a doe on Thanksgiving day morning and I won't be able to get it to the butcher until tomorrow (Sat).

So it hung Thurs, Fri and it was roughly 60 degree high Thursday and low 50's today. It hung in a covered shed so sun was not an issue.

What are your thoughts on those temps? It's 45 degree's now and once it's at the butcher tomorrow it may take him another day or two (but at least temps are supposed to be below 40 from here).

Curious as to people thoughts on if they'd be concerned.

[arrow nocker]

My thoughts?Not to sound like a dick,but before you pulled that trigger you should have thought of the concenquences.You should have skined it,quartered it and put it on ice.Or donated it.You got internet access and you can see the 3 day forecast.You know if you kill it you have to follow up on it.And the butchering process is next step after the drag out the wood.Sorry but i don't agree with letting it hang if it is above 40.And i cut mine up right away any how.Even if it is 40*.

Your meats spoiled.Wasted.

[Stretchhunts]

I put 20 lbs of ice in the cavity of mine and it sat 4 days. Meat was fine. The nights it got down to 27 every night. Ice never melted.

[arrow nocker]

I put 20 lbs of ice in the cavity of mine and it sat 4 days. Meat was fine. The nights it got down to 27 every night. Ice never melted.

27 degrees?or was that a typo?off course it didn't melt if it was 27 deg.

[sampotter]

I bone mine out and put the meat in a contractor garbage bag. Put that in a large cooler with 6 bags of ice. Works great even when 80 degrees. More than a few hours at 60 will spoil a carcass.

Edited November 24, 2012 by sampotter

[greensider]

smell it if it does not smell bad it s good

[Renegade Hunter]

27 degrees?or was that a typo?off course it didn't melt if it was 27 deg.

He said 27 degrees at night. Meaning that was the temperature at night. And the ice never melted even with higher temps during the day

[arrow nocker]

He said 27 degrees at night. Meaning that was the temperature at night. And the ice never melted even with higher temps during the day

ok and day time temps as of what?ice in the cavity will save the meat close to the ice.But not the hind quarters or front shoulders.

Bottom line.Kill it then butcher it.If you know the butcher isn't open and can't cut it up yourself then go home and come back another day.You owe that much to the game you are pursuing.Indians didn't wait for the butcher teepee to open up.The cut it up and used it all up.Why should we be different?

[WNYBuckHunter]

I shot my buck the evening before Thanksgiving. The taxidermist came and caped it out tonight. It hung in my garage, with the doors closed, etc and it stayed cool in there, never got above 44 from the thermometer in there. I also put a 10lb bag of ice in the chest cavity Thanksgiving morning, the ice did not melt. Meat is fine and the deer will be cut up soon. As for yours, it all depends on the temperatures it sat in. The good thing is that the high temps during the day this time of year dont last long. You may be alright. As has been said, smell it and inspect it.

[mlammerhirt]

Native Americans let their deer hang for well over a week in the area I live, your meat should be ok. Like WNY send...if the meat smells bad you are in trouble. Wish you all the luck.

[JFB]

Thanks for the constructive input.

[wdswtr]

With the below freezing temps and how long it took to get up to 50 and how fast the days cool back off, it being inside and out of the direct sun. I think you are fine. I do have to ask though why do some claim to skin them right away in armer temps. When in the past I have seen these freezing nights and above 40 days I leave hide right on it helps hold the cold right in the meat. Think about it the hide holds the heat in the deer creates to stay warm right? So if its cold its going to hold the cold in as well.

[Stretchhunts]

Well with 27 at night and 50's in the day my meat was ice cold all over, Hind quarters, front, loins the whole deer was cold. Had to stop a few times taking the cape off bc fingers got numb. With the hide on it and ice in it it stayed fine. I agree smell it. if it smells fine you're good.

[Renegade Hunter]

ok and day time temps as of what?ice in the cavity will save the meat close to the ice.But not the hind quarters or front shoulders.

Bottom line.Kill it then butcher it.If you know the butcher isn't open and can't cut it up yourself then go home and come back another day.You owe that much to the game you are pursuing.Indians didn't wait for the butcher teepee to open up.The cut it up and used it all up.Why should we be different?

Agreed. lol.

[Felonious_Monk]

If the meat came above 48° for more than 6 hours, it's spoiled.

[bkln]

I bone mine out and put the meat in a contractor garbage bag.

Sam I wouldn't do that if I were you, garbage bags are treated with chemicals and you don't want that on your meat trust me....

[newbreed]

it will be fine, we shot a doe thursday morning, took it to the butcher yesterday, he said i aint gonna skin it till saturday so you can either leave it here on the gorund or take it home and hang it till saturday. i asked about the meat he said it would be fine. so we hung it till this morning and dropped it off.

[sampotter]

Sam I wouldn't do that if I were you, garbage bags are treated with chemicals and you don't want that on your meat trust me....

I feel fine so far except for these itchy dry rashes and enlarged breasts. Kidding. Any suggestions to use instead of the contractor bags?

[bkln]

LOL...I would say any food grade bags, get the biggest ziplock bag you can find or use gallon bags from foodsaver vaccuum sealer they are pretty big

[Felonious_Monk]

[arrow nocker]

we used to just put it on ice in a cooler when i lived in florida.Skin it,then quarter it right away then put in in a cooler full of ice.The archery shot deer tasted fine.The ones shot while being ran by dogs tasted nasty from all the adrenalin and not being able to hang it for a while.

[chiefbkt]

I bone mine out and put the meat in a contractor garbage bag. Put that in a large cooler with 6 bags of ice. Works great even when 80 degrees. More than a few hours at 60 will spoil a carcass.

Sam, I'm hoping you are letting the meat cool before putting it in the bags or you are not sealing the bags. The warm deer meat inside a sealed bag can spoil it, even if placed on ice immediately.

[sampotter]

I open the top of the bag right up. I used to put them in the fridge like this but it turns out the lady folk don't appreciate the mess, so i switched to the cooler 'n ice a few years ago.

[BfloHunter]

Opening day I filled two out of three tags and it was around 45-50 degrees most of the day. To keep the meat cool I left the skin on and kept them in the shade until the next day because I don't have anywhere to hang them. The warm temps the next day to starting to worry me a little so I took them to a processor by 2pm the next day. So mine were warm, cold and warm again. I'm hoping the meat comes back good.

[the blur]

Hunting usually takes advance planning. If I shoot something, I know where and when I'm butchering it. And I know where to buy ice. 2 or 3 bags last a long time inside the cavity.