I usually will keep the meat in a cooler on bags of ice for a week, well 5-7 days...I drain it daily and replenish the ice if needed....haven't had a gamey piece of meat since I started doing that.The adrenaline seems to get them stinking too...like the hogs we kill with the dogs running them, some were rank, but it seems like the ones that are just doing their thing , then shot are much better.