if you shoot a deer in the last minutes of daylight

[Jpmiller]

I'm not as hard core as some guys and I'll consciously make a decision most nights on when I'm scouting for tomorrow and not shooting anymore. Having taken animals at last light and having the added variable of the dark I would rather try and wait until morning and locate it and put a sneak on it then. I'd probably change my tune if I ever got to do anything but an otc hunt but to me personally I'd rather pull the trigger with some light left.

[7mmfan]

@aman do you have any specific questions about how to handle breaking down an animal after dark, or in general? There's a lot of knowledge here, I'm sure we could answer any questions you might have.

[meatwhack]

The only way I’d leave it over night without doing anything is if it’s a marginal shot and I need to give it time to start tracking.

[grade-creek-rd]

Wait till the next day, let that sucker get all stiff from rigor mortis and bloated from the gastroinstenial bacteria breaking down the stomach contents and the hide to get nice and dry/cold so it's impossible to skin...after all, it ain't a party until you get gut juice all over your pants and dull the knife...that way the family will choke on the "old buck taste" of those backstraps...

Sarcasm aside, why would anyone wait even 10 minutes (after pictures of course) let alone a whole night to gut a deer/animal?!!!

Grade


PS. I see where guys are saying its a "good question" by a new hunter...I mean no disrespect, but I know they teach this in HunterEd (game care) as both of my boys went through it a few years ago, different programs/locations/instructors and each time there was a short block on game care and responsibility...this question makes hunters look bad, like we are all idiots...now if the question was "last light, gut it and prop it open, or skin it out too.." then I could see the "hey, that's a good question"...I know for me it would depend on if the deer was on dirt or it was raining and cold then maybe leave the hide on to keep the meat clean, or if it was on grass and warm then get that hide off and try to hang or at least put a log under it to prop it up and get airflow (then again I de-bone just about everything...even close to a trail or road...I hate packing bones).

[CedarPants]

Wait till the next day, let that sucker get all stiff from rigor mortis and bloated from the gastroinstenial bacteria breaking down the stomach contents and the hide to get nice and dry/cold so it's impossible to skin...after all, it ain't a party until you get gut juice all over your pants and dull the knife...that way the family will choke on the "old buck taste" of those backstraps...

Sarcasm aside, why would anyone wait even 10 minutes (after pictures of course) let alone a whole night to gut a deer/animal?!!!

Grade


PS. I see where guys are saying its a "good question" by a new hunter...I mean no disrespect, but I know they teach this in HunterEd (game care) as both of my boys went through it a few years ago, different programs/locations/instructors and each time there was a short block on game care and responsibility...this question makes hunters look bad, like we are all idiots...now if the question was "last light, gut it and prop it open, or skin it out too.." then I could see the "hey, that's a good question"...I know for me it would depend on if the deer was on dirt or it was raining and cold then maybe leave the hide on to keep the meat clean, or if it was on grass and warm then get that hide off and try to hang or at least put a log under it to prop it up and get airflow (then again I de-bone just about everything...even close to a trail or road...I hate packing bones).

Gonna have to disagree with you there Grade.  My oldest son went through hunters ed 4 years ago and part of the game care discussion was in the case of a marginal shot (they happen, to all of us at some point) - you owe it to the animal to track it, but not push it into oblivion into the dark to never be found again.  My initial comment on this thread about finding it before the coyotes do still holds true- but there are absolutely situations where waiting until first light to track an animal is warranted and in fact, the ethical thing to do.

This is an honest question by someone getting into hunting and in no way makes hunters look bad 

[singleshot12]

If you make the choice to squeeze the trigger the last minutes of daylight then you should be pre-paired with lights etc. to pack the animal out ASP even if it's 700 yrds across a ravine. You owe it to the life of the animal not to waste. It makes me sick to see these guys on the outdoor channel or youtube  casually saying they'll come back the next morning to look for it. Tells me they really don't care about the meat but only the head. They are not true hunters and make us all look bad

[Okanagan]

If you can't gut it immediately for some reason, don't give up till you have verified whether the meat is good or bad.

I've had one animal shot at dusk and not recovered till the next morning, and it was fine.  Cold with temps barely below freezing, young whitetail buck with small body mass, and it snowed an inch before daylight.  I was very concerned that it would go bad but it was excellent eating.

I pulled the shot 2 or 3 inches off of my aiming point at the buck's near shoulder as he angled sharply toward me, which put the bullet behind his shoulder angling back into his paunch and offside hip.  I gave him 15 minutes as it got darker, followed too soon, and jumped him within 75 yards.  There was a big pool of blood where he lay, but no blood trail leading away and I could not find him.  Interesting tracking job under the snow the next morning. The buck had died the night before within minutes, in full stride, and so had lain overnight.

A fork horn blacktail that was left overnight with temps in 60-70's and not found until 2:00 pm the next day was also good eating, but my read was that it had lay down and not died until about noon. A bow hunter friend hit the buck at last legal light.  He could not find it in the dark and had to work the next morning so I tracked it from daylight till 2:00 PM to find it.  Micro sign and we had moved it from beds three times, once the night before and twice that day.

Gut them immediately, but if you can't for some reason, don't give up on it without trying hard, the next day if needed, and until you have checked the meat.

[jackmaster]

I guess I don't understand anyone would consider not immediately field dressing (boneless/gutless, quarters/gutless, just gutting, whatever) any big game animal upon shooting/dropping it (or finding it after tracking)? 

This is where I'm at. Sure there are variables to every scenario, but if your animal is on the ground, get it gutted and cleaned up at a minimum. It's not a big deal and really, it's your responsibility to not risk losing the meat by not doing it.

If you aren't prepared to find it, gut it, and get it out in the dark, then don't shoot it at last light. You owe it to the animal. Like it's already been stated, be prepared, headlights and anything else you need.e personally, I've been out enough after dark recovering animals that I'm comfortable with it. Some aren't, and that's ok, everybody's got thier limits, but don't potentially waste meat if you're not prepared. 

I can honestly say I have NEVER left an animal in the woods, deer, elk, or bear, I have always stayed until it was done and in my pickup!! The meat and the animal itself is more important than a picture will ever be!!!

[grade-creek-rd]

CedarPants...my reply was in regards to gutting it in the dark vs just letting it ly until the next day (wait for daylight)...nothing to do with "marginal shots...and waiting to track it"...that I agree with, don't push a wounded animal!

Grade

[CedarPants]

CedarPants...my reply was in regards to gutting it in the dark vs just letting it ly until the next day (wait for daylight)...nothing to do with "marginal shots...and waiting to track it"...that I agree with, don't push a wounded animal!

Grade

 

[aman]

@aman do you have any specific questions about how to handle breaking down an animal after dark, or in general? There's a lot of knowledge here, I'm sure we could answer any questions you might have.

If my understanding is correct, then the largest piece of meat has to have sex identification.  Does that mean I have to cut one of the hind quarter with proof of sex and make sure that is the biggest piece?

[7mmfan]

@aman do you have any specific questions about how to handle breaking down an animal after dark, or in general? There's a lot of knowledge here, I'm sure we could answer any questions you might have.

If my understanding is correct, then the largest piece of meat has to have sex identification.  Does that mean I have to cut one of the hind quarter with proof of sex and make sure that is the biggest piece?

Yes, in general. If quartering an animal, the hind quarters will be the largest portions anyway, so don't put to much thought into it. It's pretty easy to leave a nut hanging on one of the quarters.

[NOCK NOCK]

As others have stated, processing ASAP is always the best bet, but.....Surprised no one really hit on ambient air temperature. It really can depend on the air temperature the animal is in, and where the wound is on the body.

I have left several ungulates overnight, then recovered the next morning, all were fine and excellant eating, (*one was close to bad) I have also recovered 10+ road kills some that prolly laid overnight, and ate meat from them all.

* I shot a spike elk at last light and believed it was a gut hit, so made the decision to wait till first light. It clouded up over night and temp. never got lower than 50 degrees. Upon finding it I realized it was a better hit than thought and died quickly. Zipping it open there was a slight green tinge to some of the fat deposits in the groin area, and an off smell. I skinned and quartered quickly and removed all off colored fat deposits, and the meat ended up being fine. 


Care of the meat is the MOST important task, Keep it clean, or if dirty, make it clean, then get it cooled quickly.

[1851navycolt]

My hunt camp is always a minimum of a mile in from the no vehicles beyond point in my unit. I backpack my camp in and then hike in further from there each day to hunt. Night or day doesnt matter to me when i get to that animal he is quartered out and often times boned out as well. Gutless method is the way to go for backpack backcountry hunters. In my opinion its better to leave the rest for the critters rather than dumping a carcass in a dumpster or some crap..

[Humptulips]

Late to the conversation but feel like I have something to add.
To the original question, absolutely get it gutted out. Others though have talked about packing out in the dark or skinning in the dark. Thought I would relate my experiences.
Couple years ago I shot a bull elk right at dark. He took off into the dog hair with no  apparent injury but I was pretty sure of the shot. I heard him cough as it got completely dark. I decided to leave him alone until morning. I believe he died soon after I left. I lost about 50 pounds of meat as a result of him laying with the guts in him overnight. This was in November. I was sick about it but looking back I don't think I could have done differently knowing what I knew at the time.
I have however left a number of bulls gutted out but with the hide on them laying on the ground overnight and seen no ill effects. Once upon a time I left a gutted out bull laying in a cool draw for 5 days before pack out that turned out fine. Not going to advise that but circumstances at the time forced it.
I  have no experience with leaving a deer over night but I have to say as long as the guts are out you should be OK until morning. I will qualify that though by saying weather is an important consideration. I just don't hunt in warm weather so I will bow to the superior knowledge of those who have killed animals early in the year.
I will also add I have found a few dead deer and elk in the middle of winter over the years that I would have eaten even though they had cooled with the guts in them. I think air temp should be a primary consideration when getting an animal out but you can't go wrong by getting the guts out. In fact I am not sure why anyone would do otherwise.