Downed Deer

[Lucky One]

What does the temperature have to get down to in order to safely leave a deer in the woods over night? I am concerned during early bow season if the deer would spoil if you do not track it down that evening and get it dressed out.

Thanks!

[harvey lee]

I like the temps to be at least down to 50 degrees in the evening to let a harvested deer hang being skinned for the night.I would also like to see the warmest temp for the night to be in the low 40's to leave it in the field overnight.Where we hunt I cannot leave it overnight due to those coyotes.The cooler the better.I have never had a problem with these temps but I would not let it get any warmer.

[Lucky One]

Thanks!

[Stratosman]

I try with all my might to get that sucker out and ice in the cavity or even quartered and in the freezer the same night. Obviously a poorly hit deer is another story. Temps like we have now a deer can spoil over night like you stated. Once they hit the 40's I feel more comfortable letting them sit or hang overnight. Coyotes are the other thing. They are pretty much rampant everywhere and can clean up your deer over night. All the reason to not take questionable shots.

[harvey lee]

You are so right.Any bad shot where we hunt will result in coyote food.They can find there own deer as far as I am concerned.I will leave a wounded deer for the hours I feel needed if it was a poor shot on my part and look for them until the wee hours if needed.

[Stratosman]

Shoot those coyotes too... I finally got my first one last year on opening day. I think they are 10 times more wary than any deer I have shot. They have that 6th sense or something. At ten yards he was dirt.

[harvey lee]

I try for those yotes every year but they are a tough hombre to get within bow range.I have only shot three and missed more.

[chucker34]

Do you need a small game license for coyote? I should get one then as I have seen them - not within bow range - when hunting.

One tip I have is if you have a big freezer in the garage or wherever, freeze about five gallon milk jugs full of water. Use them to stuff inside the body cavity of a deer if you get one on a warm day. That's what I did last year in early October and the deer cooled down nice until I could get it to the processor that night.

[EatSleepFish]

coyotes are an unprotected species, meaning theres no limit and no closed season. residents are not required to to have a license to take unprotected species. page 26 in the minn. regs book

[fishermn]

Chucker, good tip. I have used blocks before, but they make a mess as they melt. The jugs are an excellent idea!

[bigbucks]

I know coyotes are rampant many places, but not everywhere. I've heard there's a lot East of LP, but I've not seen hardly any N, W, or S. We've found deer that other parties have lost during gun season & they weren't even eaten the next spring.

It's maybe not advisable, but I've shot deer when the day time temps were in the high 70's & they hung over night when I'd say we were lucky if the temps got down to the upper 50's at night & then didn't cut them up until the next evening. They were in the shade all day, but not cooled, they were fine. I definitely try to hose those out pretty good, to cool them down as much as I can.

When it's cooler, we've often let them hang, unskinned for 4-5 days.