Didn't find deer until 3 and half hours later. Is the meat ruined?

I'm hunting in northeast Texas today and it was a pretty warm morning about 70 degrees. On my way back to the truck about 8:30 from the stand after not seeing anything, I spooked a decent 8 point in waist high grass, but he stopped long enough for me to get a good shot. I thought I hit him, but immediately after I saw him take off across the pasture a couple hundred yards away obviously unharmed. I walked all through the woods that I seen him go into and didn't see any blood trail. I thought I missed.

A couple hours later about 11:30-12:00, something prompted me to go back and search the area that I initially shot at more thoroughly and sure enough I found the deer I had shot dead with a pretty close to perfect shot placement. What I guess happened is there were two bucks together that looked almost similar. I didn't see the second buck when I shot, so when I shot the first one the other one took off bolting across the pasture (and I had mistaken him for the one I hit)

So, I went ahead and gutted him and took him to the processor as fast I could but he was pretty stiff and had flies all over at this point. I'm wondering if anyone here has had experience with not being able to gut a deer for that long. Obviously the warm weather didn't help today, but hopefully my meat will still be decent. Thoughts?

I wouldn't eat it. I'm sure you'll have others say they would but no way I would.

If it had not bloated and was still stiff when I cleaned it the meat is probably good. Ask the processor.

My opinion is I would eat it. I would have very little concern unless the shot punched the gut. Even then as long as it’s cooked thoroughly it should be fine. Meat handlers are pros at spotting spoiled meat. If they don’t call you then I say you are good.

I’ll bet it will be ok. There’s only one way to find out.

Depending on your processor, someone else may get to enjoy him.

I think it would be OK. I have ate a deer that I shot the evening before, and found the next day. The weather was cold, so not the same situation. I think there would be an off smell if the deer had started to spoil.

I've heard it said if you haven't looked for a deer for at least an hour, you haven't looked at all.

That is the game changer. 70° & 3.5 hours, I'll pass. TDH says @ room temp. meat should never be on a counter longer than 3 hours. In the dirt w/flies on it makes it that much worse.

I'd give it a shot. I agree with LFD, and my smoking rule is meat has to hit 140 degrees within 4-4.5 hours. That said, this meat was warmer than room temperature and was cooling. Depending on how long it took you to dress it, I regularly see processors not touching the meat until 3-4 hours after the kill

Your nose is a pretty good indicator. If it smelled abnormally bad when you cleaned it, stay away, but otherwise it is probably good to eat.

If butcher says nothing, and meat feels and smells right when thawed then cook it and eat it.

This is why I don't take deer to a processor. Who knows who will get or have it mixed in with their meat.

If your bullet didn't rupture the stomach or intestines then I think your meat will be fine.

If it did rupture the stomach/intestines then I think your meat may have a strong smell of "gut" after marinating in the juices for 3.5hours. I don't think it's likely to make you ill but it will certainly be off-putting.

Rules of animal slaughter in a commercial facility do not allow for carcasses to lay, unclearened at 70 degrees for anywhere near three hours. There is a reason.

The suggestion to take it to a facility because someone else might end up with is either tongue in cheek or not well thought out.

No refrigeration in the 1800s and not many of those hunters died from eating their kill. Have at it and don't look back...

Yeah, not many.

Your nose will tell you if its ok or not. I’ve seen multiple lease hunters leave the guts in a deer from 8am until after dark. Lol not my suggestion but ive seen it. And some janky processors will leave them on the floor for hours until they get to um

Nope... take it to the processor and have him grind it into sausage and back strap and bring it to me for proper disposal.

It's probably fine. Sniff test will tell the tale.

Nothing wrong with that deer at all.

If the meat smells ok it’s good.

Keep in mind in three hours the body hasn’t cooled down with hide on it. You don’t know when it expired , when the cool down started. If it cooled down and started warming up that’s a different story. Get it on ice or to processor, it will be fine.

This happened a few years ago with a deer my wife shot in the morning around 8:30 - 9am. It was in the pen when she shot. We looked and found not a drop of blood. Went back to camp and had breakfast. She took a nap and I was rethinking her shot so I went back out. Found the buck 50yds away in the thick mesquites. Called the wife and said I was coming back to pick her up. Got back, tagged the deer and then I gutted it. About 3 hrs from shot to gutting. She had hit it in the neck. No bad smell. I put a bag of ice in the cavity and proceeded to the processor. By this time it was in the 60's. Got the meat back a few weeks later and it cooked up fine.

The meat is fine. Eat it.

You can tell after it was skinned if the meat was still good. If it feels slimy when you try to pick a quarter or hold onto the whole carcass then it is probably no good. I watched the owner of a processing place in Kerrville check the meat on a buck that was not found right away on a warm/foggy morning. The buck was skinned and put in a walk-in ASAP. He was in the cooler for 3 days then taken to the processor. The processor wiped his hand on the meat then his fingers together to check if it felt slimy...he then smelled of his hands to see if it did not smell like a normal deer carcass should. He looked at me and said the meat is fine.

Just don't tell your guests.

Should be fine. Just look at and smell the meat.