I NEED HELP/ANSWERS PLEASE

[CHUCK S]

Hey All I need help with a situation that developed. My oldest Son shot a nice 2 x 3 muley this past weekend and we ended up leaving it over night.  I'll explain later if needed but it happened and I feel like S*** over it.  My main problem now is a coyote chewed on the hind quarters over night and took some of the rump. He never got into the guts at all just the rearend.  My problem now is I don't know if the whole deer is ruined or not?  He did not take much at all but I was going to cut the deer in half about 4 inches above the chew spot and discard the rear quarters.  I am looking for someone that has had this happen to them or know of it happening and has info about it.  I don't want to throw away the backstraps and front shoulders if it can still be salvaged.  It was about a 200 lbs animal so there should still be a good amount of venison to be saved if it's safe.  Please let me know and Thanks ahead of time for everyones help.

[quadrafire]

Chuck,
You might want to check out this thread

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,59944.msg741279.html#msg741279

[dickwilly]

Chuck,
I wouldn't be worried about the chewing ruining the meat.  This time of year especially, the guts retain so much heat that when they lay overnight the meat spoils.  All of it usually.  At an absolute minimum you have to gut it.  There could be salvagable meat, depending on how long it layed, temp outside etc.  Good luck..  Hope that helps.   the other thread link listed in the above message is a pretty good one about this..

[robodad]

I shot a cow elk and couldn't find it for several hours and by the time I did it was chewed on the rump and we just cut off the chewed portion and ate the rest and it was fine

[bigtex]

I shot a cow elk and couldn't find it for several hours and by the time I did it was chewed on the rump and we just cut off the chewed portion and ate the rest and it was fine

Something I always do is bring a portable radio with me so in case I have to leave something over night I can turn the radio on which will probably keep the critters away.

[markts]

I would be most concerned about the guts being in it over night

[matt345]

I think it is a case by case situation, I shot a doe this year with my bow during early archery season and because of the shot placement we had to let her be overnight instead of push her. After tracking her the next morning and finding her, she still had a considerable amount of heat in the cavity. The meat is great and zero spoiling, the overnight temp was down to 40 or so, but still had heat in the cavity. I think there are so many factors, each case is different.  

[bobcat]

Hey All I need help with a situation that developed. My oldest Son shot a nice 2 x 3 muley this past weekend and we ended up leaving it over night.  I'll explain later if needed but it happened and I feel like S*** over it.  My main problem now is a coyote chewed on the hind quarters over night and took some of the rump. He never got into the guts at all just the rearend.  My problem now is I don't know if the whole deer is ruined or not?  He did not take much at all but I was going to cut the deer in half about 4 inches above the chew spot and discard the rear quarters.  I am looking for someone that has had this happen to them or know of it happening and has info about it.  I don't want to throw away the backstraps and front shoulders if it can still be salvaged.  It was about a 200 lbs animal so there should still be a good amount of venison to be saved if it's safe.  Please let me know and Thanks ahead of time for everyones help.

It will be safe to eat, it just may not taste as good as it could due to not getting cooled down quick enough.

[CHUCK S]

Thank You One and All.  I think you guys have even convinced my wife that we're not all going to be foaming from the mouth and turning to zombies.  I hated the thought of losing the animal, to much respect for the deer to just throw it out.

[shedcrazy]

Why wouldn't you at least gut it???

[CHUCK S]

I gutted him 1st thing in the morning as soon as i found him. Temps were down around freezing that night and the cavity was already cool.  The deer was standing on a ridge with 4 does and when my son shot him they all took off running down the canyon.  It was 250 yards (not to bad for a 13 year old) and by the time we got up to the point he hit him we watched 4 doe and a buck running down the canyon.  I thought he missed completely.  The does must have picked up another 2 x 3 on the other side of the canyon that i could not see.  My sons deer only went 40 yards just over the side and below a rock face.  We never even looked since we thought he was still with the does.  By then it was getting dark so we headed back to camp.  Next morning hunting the same area I noticed crows in the same area and went to look. My son it him right behind the shoulder and double lunged him.  His 3rd deer in 3 years and I felt like an Ass for not believing he hit him. Thank You again for everyone's input

[outlaw]

situations are different but that deer should be fine had to let a couple deer go over night over the years and they were just fine.  Don't let people scare you what did they do back in the old days,  Just food for thought.