How cool does it need to be?

[LittleChief]

This is in relation to my tracking and recovery this past weekend. I had thought that the meat wouldn't be any good if I let the deer lay overnight in 56 degree weather. Quite a few have said that the meat would have been fine.

I'm guessing that this is good information for everyone to have, and obviously I didn't have it, so here's the question: What is the highest overnight low temperature that willallow you toleave a deer lying overnight and not have the meat ruined?

This information (that I obviously didn't have), coupled with a simple phone call to check the weather forecast could have a huge impact on what a hunter could/should do in a case like mine Saturday night.

[bawanajim]

The location of the hit,guts,liver or even a high lung hit determines how long the deer lives after being shoot. This time frame is as important as over night temperatures.
I don't think anyone can say with out being on the scene.

[Schultzy]

Well I know of one time that my mother shot a little forky bow hunting and the temps were mid 70's and lower 80's during the day here In Minnesota. The temps didn't drop much that night when we didn't find it. I think the temp was 62 degree's when we started back on It that morning. At 4:00 pm the day after she hit the buck we finally found the buck (high one lung hit). We kept both the of the hind quarters and some of the back straps toward the rear. I know If we would of found that buck In the morning we would of been able to keep the whole thing.

We've also let many bear lay overnight In 60 degree temps not knowing exactly how good of a shot we had. Bear have 100 times the fat of a deer and In most of the cases the bear meat was good the following morning.