After Kill - How long is it good?
 

I have about an hour and 20 minute drive to the processor from where I live. It is around 75 degrees here once the sun goes down. If I shoot a deer, how long is it good for? This is considering a clean shot - no gut shots... Should I dump some ice on the deer for the trip? I would hope the meat would be good for a little bit. Please give me some feedback.

Thanks,

ME.

Others have recommended that you put a couple bags of ice in the cavity or frozen milk jugs. This should cool the meat enough for a trip to the butcher.

You will be fine for a couple hours. I would try and get the carcass cool and out of the wind during the trip, but for just two hours you should not have any meat loss. Ice is not a bad idea, but trying to keep ice in that tempurature never knowing when you will score could be a loosing battle.
I actually gut shot a deer one evening in 80 degree weather. Did not find her till the following night. Took it to the processor afterwards. He smelled the meat and said it would be fine. Tasted great.
Some cultures actually eat meat that is semi-rotting. Not recommended, but you will be fine for the short time you have. Good luck.

Yeah my Fasha(dad)pot shot a 8 point last year and we never found nothen after he jumped the fence except some guts on the fence 2 nites later we get a call"hey your deer is laying in our barn"the person we hunted on knew about the deer any way long story short we ate some of the deer that night and only mild food poisoning lol jk it was perfect

If real hot and it is legal - I quarter and get into coolers.

Wrapped big bags of ice or bocks of ice wrapped work well stuffed into the body cavity.

Keep it out of the sun if you can......like they all told ya - you'll be fine.

JW

One thing not mentioned yet-once you get the deer to your vehicle split up the brisket and also split the pelvic bone between the hind quaters. I would highly recomend doin this AFTER you drag your deer out and not before. Rocks,dirt and crap will soil your hind quaters where you split them if done before dragging. Doin these two things will greatly help gettin your deer cooled down. As was said a few hours will not hurt anything with your meat while transporting.

Just to give a recent example, a few of us went into the woods last weekend during NH bow season. My buddy shot and tagged a nice doe. Even though we usually butcher our deer, my buddy decided to drop off his doe to have butchered. Between the time he tagged it, dressed it out and dragged it to the tuck, it was a few hours old. He then took it to the butcher, about an hour away, who said his deer was fine. His deer was ready to pick up two days later. The entire time, the temp was about 75 degrees.

You should have no problem...dress it out and get it to the processor as soon as you can. Pot some ice in the cavity and you should be fine.

Good Luck!