how long you can leave an animal all depends on weather and the hit, where the animal dies also plays into it. We can leave a moose in the woods overnite HOLE in the freezing cold temperatures, in warmer temps quartering and taking the hide off is a MUST. Actually many do this and cover it in snow to keep it from freezing to fast.

Its always good to gut ASAP! I prefer to Ream most animals, although reaming a moose is a daunting task at best, probably better served by splitting/cutting the pelvis with a tool called the Zip Saw. Light and effective it is! On smaller game there is no need to split the pelvis. YOu stand just as much chance tearing the inerds up with a saw trying to split it or break a knife and or cut yourself then you do making a mess reaming, personally I think you have less problems reaming. I have started tying mine off and so far it works wonderfull, from whitetails and Dall sheep, to Moose and caribou.

Get it to the butcher ASAP! You really need to cool that meat as fast as possible. If the body temperature isnt reduced, or is reduced to fast, the meat is going to at a minimum taste bad. However there is NO NEED to hang meat for days on end, (aging, the current debate, if it works for you so be it, but open your eyes to something new that works just as well and has less chance for wasting/loosing)! Overnite if the weather is cool is perfect! If not a few hours to let it cool, then bone and put the meat in a freezer (not to low of a setting) or a refrig on its coldest setting would be best, will allow you to do two things. One, making cutting easier, butchering yourself of course! Espically when you are talking quarters the sized of most adults upper body. Second, it wont cool it to fast allowing the body and the stuff (forgot what it is exactly, can post later if you want to know what I am speaking of), to not build up, causing that gamey taste. There are many reasons for it, this is just one of them!

There is no need to cut brisket in the field. Do it immediatly after hanging. Again it comes back to keeping the meat cool. You want to keep the amount of cuts down to a minimum espically if you are dragging the deer out. Keeping the meat clean is of prime importance!

Liver is nasty, heart is tasteless albiet it tender. Thats a decision you'll have to save and try, or have one of these treat people cook it up for you as I did....no thanks! I am sure a lucky fox or raven is thanking me for it.