Bacteria begins to grow at temperatures above 41 degrees and below 140 degrees - called the "danger zone" in the world of food safety. If meat remains in the danger zone for longer than 2 hours, you begin to run the risk of dangerous level of bacteria growing on the meat, which could lead to illness. While illness isn't always the result, the quality of the meat is almost always impacted.

I butcher my own deer. If its above 40, I quarter the deer and put it in my fridge, lettting it age for 5 days before butchering it into steaks, roast, etc.

My dad just retired this past July 8th with 50 years as a meat cutter and has all 10 finger nails!!!!!! He has spent the past 17 years in a climate controlled meat cutting area that was kept at 50 degrees all the time. That was by the FDA rules and regulations.
That and he did and still does his own processing at home. He just keeps the deer packed with ice, on the concrete floor and has never had to throw any meat away due to spoilage from his part. We have kept deer upto 5 days like this and no problems, they were our own deer!!!
The biggest factor on meat spoilage is the original handeler making sure the meat is both clean and not full of leaves and debris from the timber used to wipe it out and make sure it is placed on ice or into a cooler to get it cooled off ASAP. We did this for thousands of people who brought deer for him to process at his store and house and has never even heard of anyone getting sick from it. This was/is in a rather small town so we would have heard of it for he is well known for his deer processing around the area.

I think it will be fine if it passes the snif test. And about that $100...you know the cost of a couple deer and you can get your own equipment and then some. I used to hunt at a farm that would do deer butchering for $75. After I saw how they handled the meat, no way I let those guys do my deer. Way more stuff went into their grinder than goes in mine. I'm way picky and I'd put my meat quality against the beef at the grocery store any day. On the other hand I figure it's about 8 hours more or less work from the time a deer hits the ground to when he's cut, ground, sliced up packaged and froze. I do mine over 3 days in cool conditions with meat kept cool. mine usually soaks overnight in a big sink at some cool temp near 40-50*F with some salt in the water. Anything not already packed gets packed the next morning and anything that will be ground gets cut up and refrigerated overnight to be ground the following day. On occasion it will stay an extra day in the fridge. Cut up and covered tight with plastic wrap. After grinding in the feezer it goes in #2 Ziplock freezer qt bags.

It's 8 months later, and I ate most of it. It is all perfectly fine. I was surly concerned about it, with the high temps, but absolutly nothing was wrong.

if you eat the meat raw there might be a problem, but as long as it's cooked your good to go.

If that buthcer were regulated by the government, he'd be closed for business. Food born illness bacteria begins to grow between 41 and 140 degrees (call the danger zone) after just 2 hours. 50 degree + for more than two hours - just asking for trouble. Sure, people have done it, its just a risk I won't take with my family.

Our bow season starts in September and its still 80 degrees out. I'll have my deer quartered and in the fridge within two hours of harvesting it. I let the quarters age for 7-9 days in our extra fridge before butchering it. GOOD STUFF!!!

It really isn't hard to process your own deer. If you go on ebay and search for meet grinders, you can a find a good 2000- 3000 watt grinder for less than $100. I bought one of each last yr and gave the 2000 to a friend. :) With one of this wattage, you can process a deer in less than 2 hrs. as burger. Cut your backstrap into steaks, and save a few roast if you want from the hind quarters. I still have the grinder that was given to me yrs ago, as I am reluctant to be that mean to anyone. It is just a wallyworld special, 150 watts. It will grind your deer, but you will spend a day doing it. lol I guess I need to find someone I don't like to give it to. lmao Anyone wants it, give me a holler.

BTW, you want one that is preferably 2 speed and reverse. Also check that it comes with the sausage attachments.

My procedure for deer shot in warmer weather (temps over 45) is to quarter the deer after immediately skinning and put the sections in the freezer overnight to quickly cool them and perhaps partially freeze. Then, I cut off steaks and loin the next day and debone the rest for hamburger. The deboned meat is immediately refrigerated and even partially frozen and then taken to a butcher that I know will immediately refrigerate. It takes no effort for the butcher to toss your bags full of meat in the cooler where as if they have to skin or process a whole animal, it might sit around for a while. Once I took meat to a different butcher and walked into the back room where I saw my first "green" venison (yikes) scraps lying around!

I know that what I do sounds a bit extreme, but with small kids in our house, I never wanted to chance food poisoning. It's also nice not to have to worry so much if a hamburger is not cooked quite all the way through.

lol my dad used to work at tyson and let me tell ya....you shud NEVER eat market meat....i cant imagine what he could do thats worse then what they do at those places........