Heat question?

[deerhunter]

Was just curious what do people do if they shoot a deer in these warm temps at evening and know you should leave it over night but you can't cause the meat will be no good and rain is coming to wipe away blood trail. Do you keep pushing it hoping to find it or do back out and cut your losses and look for it in morning even though you know it will be spoiled.

[DonBo]

Man, that sure is a lot of negative "what ifs". First off, if it's too warm during the evening, and especially if its raining you should be very selective with your shot selection. Don't get yourself in that position in the first place. Wait for the perfect shot or don't shoot.

After that, every shot is different. It's rarely a good idea to push a porly hit deer, but then again it depends on where you hit it. Try to push a gut shot deer and you'll likely never see it again. Meat hits, pushing it may be your only option. Marginal hits and there's nothing saying you have to leave it till morning. Go have dinner, get some help and a couple lanterns and head out after it a few hours later. Then again, it's still best to not get yourself into that position in the first place.

[bottom-bouncer]

Man, that sure is a lot of negative "what ifs". First off, if it's too warm during the evening, and especially if its raining you should be very selective with your shot selection. Don't get yourself in that position in the first place.

After that, every shot is different. It's rarely a good idea to push a porly hit deer, but then again it depends on where you hit it. Try to push a gut shot deer and you'll likely never see it again. Meat hits, pushing it may be your only option. Marginal hits and there's nothing saying you have to leave it till morning. Go have dinner, get some help and a couple lanterns and head out after it a few hours later. Then again, it's still best to not get yourself into that position in the first place.

+1

[Cheetah]

IMO deer don't go bad as quickly as some folks think. Temps right now in the 50's at night, it will be fine as long as you recover it the next day.

[mnguy152]

Plus if it is a marginal hit the deer will be alive for awhile so I think the meat will not go bad. So just make sure you are ready to go right away in the morning and things ready to go after you find it

[musky hunter]

Since the season is long, and deer hunting isnt' the only thing I like to do, I generally reserve those warm late summer nights for some other activity. However, the meat cutter I use can take an animal at almost any time, should I smoke a trophy in hot weather.

[nbadger23]

I shot a doe last Sunday night (10/4) at about 6:30 pm and I couldn't see or hear her crash. I waited until 9:00 to go look for her and found her around 9:30. It was about 60 when I shot her and wasn't going to get any lower than 54 that night, and it was humid. She was very warm when I found her and I have no doubt there would have been some spoilage if I had left her overnight as she simply wouldn't have cooled down enough.

It was tough, but I decided not to hunt this last weekend because of the heat. I hunt in a very brushy area where you don't see the deer any further than 20 yards after you hit them so you really don't get a good view of what's going on and it's hard to scan an area with binoculars. I just didn't want to possibly make a marginal shot and face the possibility of losing the deer to spoilage. I never want to make a marginal shot, but it happens and if it does, I want to have peace of mind I can let the deer lay overnight if needed.

[Jarrid Houston]

Where I hunt you dont only have to worry about spoilage, but also coyote eating your kill. I am with the saying dont shoot unless you arereal confident in the in the shot! Not worth it to loose the animal...

[gurkster]

I agree with DonBo and Cheetah. You need to hunt the conditions given, warm temp, rain , etc. You need to back off a little and maybe not hunt those questionable days (give your deer a break), you also need to take higher percentage shots in harsh conditions os you increase your chancse of a quick/clean kill and recovery. As for meat spoiling, this is not your mid July 80's temps. Yes it is warm, but not real humid, cool nights, lower sun, etc. The meat will last 24 hours+ no problem, it takes some time for it to spoil (I would still cut out and damaged meat if there is any). Good luck and I hope you're successful in bagging your deer.

[1eyeReD]

I've done the walk of shame out of the woods before with a marginal shot on a warm night. Backed out as to not push her. Found her the next day and was indeed spoiled. It was warm/raining/humid. Basically just clipped the tag for that deer and counted it as a tagged animal.

And since I opened up, I might as well get it all off my chest. Also rushed recovery on a different night/season as well due to warm weather. Saw pretty good blood so assumed she'd be down 60 yds away... Bumped her from her bed. Got lost in the dark following he zizagging blood trail, panicked, stick poked my partner in the eye and we had to leave. He scratched his cornea pretty bad. Came back the next day and never found the deer.

Unless it's cold that evening, I am reluctant to shoot anywhere past 20 yds anymore. I've learned my lesson twice for reinforcement. Both deer were hit at 30ish yds within 1/2 hr before closing time. Been years and it still makes me cringe when I am reminded of it.

[deerhunter]

Thanks for your responses. Lets just say I have learned something this year