Originally Posted by
Alsatian
Many people take pictures with the big game animal immediately after the kill. This is the posed shot with the rifle in one hand, the antlers or horns of the animal or head of the animal held with the other hand.
Immediately after any such pictures are taken, you should field dress the animal. This is opening the body cavity and removing all the guts: intestine, bladder, liver, kidneys, stomachs, diaphragm, lungs. This material retains a lot of heat, and you want it out of the chest cavity to let cooling air inside.
Depending on the outside air temperature, other things can take place. With deer, I would drag the deer to my truck, pack in the back of the truck, and take it home where I would hang it until the next day -- lets say about 18 hours or 24 hours to let rigor mortis come and go. But if it is warm, I would not wait.
After this initial hanging, I would skin it, quarter it, and get the quarters on ice.
If the animal is a pronghorn, you will want to skin it promptly, as their fur prevents heat dissipation. I've heard of some saying to stuff a couple of bags of ice into the body cavity to help start the cool down of the pronghorn (put a tarp on the floor of your truck or SUV -- antelope are smelly and the ice will melt).
Agreed, but, as an alternative if the temps are high drag it to the nearest stream (after field dressing i.e. removing the innards) and lay it in the stream with the chest cavity split down the sternum to allow water to run through and begin the cooling. You can skin it while it's in the stream or do it prior as well. The water will make the hide heavier but the key is to get it cool to prevent bacteria growth.