Shot a deer one day, found it the next. Is the meat any good the next day?

A friend of mine called me to help him find a deer that he had shot yesterday evening. We found the deer at about 10:00am this morning, 18 hours after it had been shot. It was not gut shot but just ran a long ways before dieing. Temp last night about 55 degrees. He asked me if the meat would be okay. I said "I don't know." He took it to the processor saying that "Every Saturday on TV, bow hunters shoot a deer in the evening and then "Come Back," the next morning to find it." My question. Is the meat okay to eat?

Processor will be able to tell very quickly when he start to process it. It will be very strong tasting at the least if it is still good.

I will not eat a deer that's been laying out for 24 hours.

So 18 hours is okay?

I have kept deer when it got down into the 40s, but 55 degrees I would not. I would not be happy about it at all. But it scares me to think that it might make someone sick. It is way to easy to get a deer in Texas to chance it. IMO
If it was a buck keep your cape or your skull, and go shoot another deer for meat.

55 isn't very cold and 18 hours is an awfully long time for the guts to be in it. I don't think I would eat it.

18 hrs is a long time, but did that deer die right away or 12 or more hrs later? The processors will know right away if the deer was still okay to eat.

With a clean shot that meat is just fine.... Id be havin straps for dinner

Very true, processor will be able to tell you quickly. I think that is a bit long at that temp.

Shade or sun makes a difference too. If the deer was in the shade, you gotta chance. If the deer was in the sun I'm sayin no way I'd eat it. I agree the processor will know.

Nope. Doubt it. Sorry.

Would not even try.

No.

If you left your sammich out there would you eat it the next day?

I have done this before on a bow kill doe and the meat was fine. It was early October and I believe the temps where in the 50's overnight. Let the processor decide; however, I processed mine myself at the time.

I've ate Texas roadkill deer more than once and here I am...

Clean shot a bled out good, no problem.

Sure... just fry it up real quick

I think under forty degrees would be my limit, but I would sniff test and maybe cook up a bit and taste it.

x2 - I would have butchered it myself immediately and make it all into jerkey, and enjoy it without a second thought (stronger taste desirable in jerkey - and marinating a day or two in solution including curing salt), checking of course for spoilage. Where was the shot? front quarters and tenderloins may be questionable (if shot nearby), but I bet straps and rear-quarters would be recoverable.

From a food safety standpoint, that meat should not be eaten. Bacteria has had far too long to proliferate at 55 degrees + the internal body temp of the animal being higher than that even after death.

Bear Grylls would eat it

Uhhhhh - that would be a big NO for me. Not worth the risk of getting food poison. If you ever had it before you will never want it again

Meat can go a long ways before its not good to eat...

Cook at the right temps and you will kill any bacteria..

now... don't just walk up on a dead animal with no signs of wounds and decide that's good to eat...

Take it to the processor and have a bunch of sausage made you wont get your meat back anyway. Some other sucker that cleaned ,quartered and had his in a cooler right away will.

This is the exact reason why I don't go to the processor anymore.
The amount of people that would take this deer to the processor and drop it off after it had been dead for 18 hrs with the low of 55 degrees.

Why waste deer on sausage.. that's what pigs are for

I'd find me another processor if that is how yours does his processing.

I would guess it prolly had a strong odor when you field dressed it... No sir I wouldn't eat it.

Gut shot ?? No way in hell.

No doubt. Not all processors are scumbags

It's not worth the risk at 55 degrees.

This. Personally, I would not chance it.

No.

Would say the side that was on the ground no and the other side yes, tenders no and both back straps probably good. Let your nose be your guide.

Nope. Give it to the neighbor that hasn't returned the tools he borrowed.

I had that happen to me several years ago. It was late in the season, and cold. The deer was fine. 55 degrees f is close. I would feel better if it was 50 f or less. I think the deer would still be ok. Even though there is the issue of trapped body heat, the meat is not exposed to oxidation, and is protected by the skin/membrane.

Stock up on pepto bismul and immodium.

Even if the meat didn't spoil, it will taste very gamey. When you stress animals out before they die, the meat will be tougher and gamey.

Ya'll can get after it if you want, but I am going to pass.

If it was 40 degrees... maybe. 55 degrees for 18 hours is kind of pushing it. A processor could tell you better, but I wouldn't risk it.

Leave a deer on the ground overnight at my place and coyotes will have it chewed down to nothing by the next morning. I wouldn't eat a deer that had been laying that long unless it was close to freezing.

Now this is funny.

If you are concerned the answer is no.

No

Which is why I take neck shots.

Joke aside, I wouldn't eat it either, as most others have said earlier.

No!

I wouldn't eat it...However, a friend of mine guts his Deer and hangs it for 3 days even with high daily temps of 70....He's been doing it 30+ years and according to him the meat is better...I won't eat deer meat at his house btw.....lol

I'd say the key question was asked early on, "when did it die?" If it has been dead for 18 hours at that temp I wouldn't eat it. If it took 12 hours to die, then it would probably taste very strong due to the stress hormones and build up of muscle waste products... but it would likely be safe to eat.

You got that right

Once-Again.
NO!

Had a buddy kill a deer one evening. Found it that next morning. Ended up processing it and eating it.. I miss that dude.






edit- he moved out of state a couple years back.

The Meat is fine

Why chance it. Can't see bacteria, who cares about the taste. I'm out