If that deer was gut shot it is very probable that it had an bad smell. The OP said it was heart shot. We don't know if that is the case or not but I have never been in a butcher shop, and I have been in a lot of them for a lot of years, that would turn down a higher fee for processing if they didn't have concern about the deer being tainted. I have seen deer that were shot poorly in the winter when it was very cold outside, much colder than 44 degrees and not found until the next day that stunk and had green on the areas in the body cavity where the intestinal and stomach juices laid inside until it was gutted. That thick hollow haired pelt on a deer not only keeps cold out it keeps heat inside and those pesky bacteria don't die when the deer does. Bottom line is, all we know is what we were told.