How long will a dead deer be edible?

[MattS]

Took my daughter out trick or treating tonight and in this one house I noticed a bunch of hunting stuff so we got to talking. He said he shot a buck Tuesday morning and couldnt find it. Said it had to be in a small thick area because he would have seen it if it came out. He said he found some blood but never found the buck. I told him about this site and how Mr Matagi had dogs that could track a downed deer and he said it was hot that day and without it being gutted the meat was spoiled by now. I told him he should still go find it and tag it. He told me he was going to go back tomorrow with a couple friends and look.
So my question is do you think its spoiled assuming the coyotes havn't eaten it ?
How long do you think is too long in our weather (warm) ?

 

[socalhntr]

IMO, I would imagine the meat is bad by now (assuming you are talking about a local deer) and/or the coyotes have been enjoying it (assuming that it died) but it he owes it to the deer to do everything he can to find out (and tag it if he killed it).

 

[Lungpopper]

If It was worth shooting it's worth finding. As for the meat who knows, but I'd put $ on it being bad.

 

[breacher]

The coyotes are happy.....

 

[NBK]

All of the above...

 

[josecasillas]

the meat is bad now! but he should find it and tag it. good luck

 

[MattS]

I agree but I wasnt too convinced that he realy was going back to look and he did say local but didnt tell me where.

 

[oneazbowhunter]

You never know until you find it.If he died in a cool canyon even in warm temps it may still be good.If you find it cut open a ham and smell it, you will know if it's bad.And it sometimes takes the coyotes a few days to find it.

 

[Sdbirds]

Once u pull the trigger the work starts

 

[Randomshot]

That is a shame but if he did find it I wouldn't expect it to have lasted and not spoiled.

 

[TopBuck]

I have never recovered an animal the next day and had any luck with the meat, if it was gut shot....it will taste as such and most likely the yotes will find it the 1st night. My .02

 

[BuckHunter]

In 2006 I shot a buck on Thanksgiving morning in the LA mountains. I found it 2 days later just 100 yards away. It was at the bottom of a canyon that didn’t see the sun. The temp was 40 at night and 60 in the day. I gut it, and took it home whole. The meat was not spoiled but did have a little gut smell to it. I didn’t want it to go to waste. I de-boned it and gave it all to my gardener. He loved it and asked for more.
People often hang deer in a tree for two or three days if the temp it right, so it’s not how long but how hot. And do you mind a little gut funk.

Never give up. Get a group of friends on their hands and knees looking for blood, get a dog. After 4 to 5 days the coyotes will have it down to hooves and the back bone and you’re just looking to recover the rack, but the smell and vultures can help you a lot if it’s one worth looking for.

 

[MattS]

I have been hunting D-16 for about 20 years now and have taken almost that many bucks here. I have lost 1 and found one 2 days later that was bloated. Both still bother me. The one I found ran like I missed it into a real thick patch of trees about 5 acres. I searched till dark and came back the next day and then the day after with my buddy. The problem was I had no idea which way it went when I shot because there was about 6 other deer and they all went into the trees. I never even found blood except where we found it. We found the deer and it was a lung shot and it ran about 150 yards. I mounted it on another cape as the hair was falling off its cape. I thought it was a 3x but it turned out to be a small 4x5 with big eye gaurds.

The other deer would have been my biggest county buck. It was a heavy wide and tall 3x3 I shot it, it went down and flopped around for about 3-4 seconds then it got up. It was in a very small opening in thick bush and once it got up I wasn't able to get another shot off. I saw his does leave down the canyon but I could not tell if he was with them as they were in and out of bush. I didn't even find blood where he went down? I spent that day and the next two trying to find him and I failed. It still bothers me. When I got home I noticed that the screw holding my rear scope mount had broken and I could move the scope around so I have no idea where I hit him. I have hunted that spot again the last 3 years and have never found bones. I hope he survived but I doubt it. I bought a new gun after that happened to.
Lesson learned, If I shoot another buck that's flopping around I will put another shot in him just to make sure.

 

[Lungpopper]

Cool looking rack, I dig all the abnormal points.