Originally Posted by blsjds

That's really going to depend largely on current temperatures and how long you wait to track / find the deer.

If it's a 60 degree day and you need to wait an hour to start tracking, and then it takes you another hour to locate, then yes - you'll want to field dress immediately to help cool down the meat. Get to butcher ASAP.

If it's 28 degrees out and you see it drop 30 yards from where you shot it, then wait 30 mins, field dress, and now you've got a few hours to work with.