Retrieving Animals Next Day

[Supergrit]

I was watching an Alberta elk hunt on you tube. The video posted by this guy are really good and I can tell he has a real passion for the out doors and he respects the animals he hunts. In one video an elk was shot with a bow at the very last light all legal for sure. The elk ran away and they could not find it that night but found it the next day.
Do others on here eat animals that they find the next day. The temp on this show was probably plus 10 during the day so maybe 0 at night probably closer to plus 5 at night.
I made this mistake once a long time ago cause I watch the shows that showed people doing this. Me personallly I would not recover something the next day and expect to salvage the meat off of it.
Curious what others feel about this?

[elkhunter11]

I know of situations where the meat was still good the next day.I don't like to leave an animal overnight, but sometimes, it is the best option.

[58thecat]

To summit up without getting into all the typical BS about meat spoilage etc…..yup!


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[sns2]

Only ever had meat spoilage once. It was on a mulie doe, and took place when recovery was delayed. Animals was not gut shot either. Can’t make judgements off one encounter, but whenever I see guys go in the next day, I wonder what the effect was on the meat. If you can’t find it, what else are you gonna do except go in the next day.

[Smoky buck]

Not unusual to happen and in most cases the meat is fine. Of course temperature and shot placement are part of it.

I have done this many times my self without issue. Last light in the mountains and shot was across a valley, last light raining with thick bush, questionable shot, last light bears thick bush, and just straight up couldn’t find it in the dark are some of the reasons we have done so. On mountain hunts in the past we often broken down animals and did part of the recovery that evening and the rest first thing in the morning

It’s just part of the game essentially hunting tough country away from the road. Sometimes you also make the choice to pass on last light opportunities because temperatures or time available won’t allow a next morning recovery

[Dean2]

I have had a few that I helped guys recover the next day. In all cases the meat was just fine. A couple were bloated from the gas in the stomach so we did the gutless on them, but the meat smelled and tasted fine. None were in really warm weather, typical fall night temps of +5C to -20. Even in -20, the meat does not cool off very fast with the hide on and not opened up. If they were left more than overnight I could see there being spoilage.

[Pioneer2]

the meat sours which happens.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Pioneer2

the meat sours which happens.

I have heard of it, never seen it personally on day later recovered. Only time I saw it was guys that left the hide on and didn't get the meat cooled out quick enough. These were same day recovery, gutted and hung but not skinned like they should have been. Have you seen souring on next day recovered and what were the conditions it showed up in?

[58thecat]

And…. Unlawful to abandon, destroy or allow flesh suitable for human consumption of any game bird or big game animal (except cougar or bear), to become unfit for human consumption…..so you better make every effort to recover the game animal or might be having a serious discussion with a warden…plus what are you teaching the next generation?


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[Coiloil37]

I don’t have any experience recovering an animal the next day so can’t help there. When I see it or hear it mentioned I assume the hunter didn’t try, didn’t want to try or failed to bring the appropriate lighting. I also assume the meat quality will range from suboptimal to inedible.


After 30 years of bow hunting, I pretty much prefer to blood trail at night. Give me an old Coleman lantern or a zerbralight headlamp with a floody beam and neutral tint and I find it’s easier because I have to look where the light is shining. The fact I can’t see “everything” calms the visual stimulation and gets me more focused on the blood, tracks, ground disturbance etc.
Without getting on a soapbox, it absolutely can be learned and can be a very effective way to blood trail.

Originally Posted by 58thecat

And…. Unlawful to abandon, destroy or allow flesh suitable for human consumption of any game bird or big game animal (except cougar or bear), to become unfit for human consumption…..so you better make every effort to recover the game animal or might be having a serious discussion with a warden…plus what are you teaching the next generation?


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Not having a crack at you but this rule always makes me wonder when I see guys giving or throwing away their freezer burnt meat in the fall. Seems to me the onus is on the producer/consumer to not take more than they need and eat it before it goes bad. The guys who post shooting 2-3 elk/moose per year and aren’t feeding a hockey team of youngsters come to mind. Take only what you need and eat it. If your feeding it to your dog or giving it away for bear bait you failed.

[Worm]

I've had a number of moose we could not locate until next morning over the years. All but one were just fine. I normally don't worry about it too.much as long you get it cooled fast the next day.

The one that wasn't, I'm still a little surprised at it. Cool night but it fell in a really mossy spot and I suspect it somehow insulated the part of the animal on the ground keeping it hot. Hard to predict sometimes I guess.

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[Big Grey Wolf]

My recommendation is have good flashlights and work extra hard to try track in dark. Pull guts out and pry cavity open (Skin out if possible), recover meat next day. If -20oC like in November will usually not overheat. In typical fall hot +30oC weather (Sept/Oct) like we now have, do not have chance on meat not spoiling.

[calgarychef]

We’ve done it and it want a disaster but I sure do like to get the guts out and prop it open at the very least. Hanging the quarters and packing out the next day is way more preferable.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

We’ve done it and it want a disaster but I sure do like to get the guts out and prop it open at the very least. Hanging the quarters and packing out the next day is way more preferable.

Sometimes the only and last option, best hope Bro Bear doesn't show up.

[CBintheNorth]

With the exception of bears, which seem to sour within hours, I have never had an animal recovered the next day 'sour'.

Chances are, if you can't find it right away it didn't die right away. Something to consider...

[Smokinyotes]

IMO leaving an animal over night is the stupidest thing you can do. I realize sometimes you can’t help it but don’t expect quality meat. My buddy shot a cow elk with 10 minutes of legal light left. We never found it until 9:00am. We cut and wrapped it and it tasted like liver. Made it it all into sausage was the only way we could eat it.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

Sometimes the only and last option, best hope Bro Bear doesn't show up.

Yup!

[Supergrit]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

My recommendation is have good flashlights and work extra hard to try track in dark. Pull guts out and pry cavity open (Skin out if possible), recover meat next day. If -20oC like in November will usually not overheat. In typical fall hot +30oC weather (Sept/Oct) like we now have, do not have chance on meat not spoiling.

I’ll agree with this finding it at night and getting the guts out and recovering the next day should be fine for the most part. Huge effort should be made to find that eveningof the shot and not think that leaving it the next day that the meat will be fine. That way people can make better choices on when they shoot animal

[Supergrit]

The one we found the next day was hit good but we both thought he missed but we went back to make sure and he did hit it. We cleaned it and took it to the butcher and the butcher cut into it and said it was spoiled maybe some was good maybe it was all bad. To me if some is rotten then it’s all bad pretty tough to separate spoiled and good. We were reported it to game warden and he appreciated the call nothing happen he said you tried your best and learned a lesson.
Maybe some that recovers their animals the animal spent most of the night alive and died 3 or 4 hours before the next morning. When we did it the temp was around -5 that night.
In my opinion the next morning especially in bow season of animal is shot in evening and found the next morning it’s not worth eating. The Same thing happen to a new hunter that was telling me how they found an elk the next morning and it was not edible. He went through the reporting it but was disappointed cause he thought it would be all right the next day cause of what he saw on hunting shows.
I told him my story and how I thought the same before. These shows that get it the next day I think that is bad teaching. I would put a big effort to find something at night and of course go back and look to see if I could figure out what happen the next day but if I did find I doubt I would be eating it.
From my lesson on loosing an animal i am cautious on hunting warm days and evening I’ll often stop before lash light depending on conditions.

[DRhunter]

See it all the time on hunting shows.. and the next day all they show is the antlers because the coyotes have eaten most of the rest of the animal. But no surprise as that is really all the hunting shows care about.

I have left one animal overnight, a solo elk that I recovered, gutted and left with some of my clothes on and around to keep the coyotes at bay. It was rifle season with cooler temps and luckily the coyotes had not touched it and the meat was nice and cool.

Unless I am sitting in a treestand and the animal is completely unaware that I can take a great shot, would be pretty hesitant to shoot an animal at last light with archery gear. Rifle has never been a concern with shirt recovery.

DR


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[3blade]

Hunting show horse…feathers. Both from a predator damage and meat spoilage perspective

I left one deer overnight because there was no blood trail to follow. Nothing left but skull and bones at first light, not even enough for the birds to bother with. Closed my tag and learned a lesson. Had other deer ripped open within minutes of the shot and even had a pup coyote jump at the throat of a heart shot buck doing the death wobble.

I’ve seen tenderloins taste off after 4 hours inside a moose, at single digit temps. They bloat and spoil fast. That guy did nothing wrong, just a difficult recovery.

Multiple head lamps and coffees. If it takes all night, it takes all night, we won’t die from one day of being a little tired.

[Supergrit]

Things often don’t work out the way we would like when it comes to hunting when i teach hunting to some one new I’ll be telling to then be prepared well to look in the dark and find it that night cause the next day is not a safe option.
Some of the hunting shows don’t teach proper ehics or maybe mentality when it comes to hunting.
Like I said stuff happens I once had some one send me a picture of big white tail that was shot it was left over night and the coyotes looked to have aten about half of it. The guy was so happy with the trophy rack but I was thinking what a waist. It can happen to anyone maybe I’m out of line but to not try to respect an animal by recovering the meat is this wrong to me. I would not be happy with my trophy unless I recovered the entire animal. Not saying it’s right it’s just the way I feel about it

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Supergrit

Things often don’t work out the way we would like when it comes to hunting when i teach hunting to some one new I’ll be telling to then be prepared well to look in the dark and find it that night cause the next day is not a safe option.
Some of the hunting shows don’t teach proper ehics or maybe mentality when it comes to hunting.
Like I said stuff happens I once had some one send me a picture of big white tail that was shot it was left over night and the coyotes looked to have aten about half of it. The guy was so happy with the trophy rack but I was thinking what a waist. It can happen to anyone maybe I’m out of line but to not try to respect an animal by recovering the meat is this wrong to me. I would not be happy with my trophy unless I recovered the entire animal. Not saying it’s right it’s just the way I feel about it

Personally speaking I don't care if it is a big or small rack, or half of the meat is gone or none of it.I feel happy just to be able to find the animal instead of losing it. To me their is nothing more heart breaking and dismal as to hit an animal and not be able to recover it, weather or not it is completely intact.
Cat

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Supergrit

Things often don’t work out the way we would like when it comes to hunting when i teach hunting to some one new I’ll be telling to then be prepared well to look in the dark and find it that night cause the next day is not a safe option.
Some of the hunting shows don’t teach proper ehics or maybe mentality when it comes to hunting.
Like I said stuff happens I once had some one send me a picture of big white tail that was shot it was left over night and the coyotes looked to have aten about half of it. The guy was so happy with the trophy rack but I was thinking what a waist. It can happen to anyone maybe I’m out of line but to not try to respect an animal by recovering the meat is this wrong to me. I would not be happy with my trophy unless I recovered the entire animal. Not saying it’s right it’s just the way I feel about it

I am not going to get in a ****ing match on this forum with others. But like I said I have recovered animals the following morning and been part of recovering other peoples animals the next morning no issues. I can tell you that I have had recovery be a lot worse than it should have from someone pushing poorly hit animals too. Meat was recovered no issues with predators. Meat loss was minimal usually just tender lions

I would not hang an animal on my wall that I didn’t fully recover. It’s not about trophies it’s a matter of things are not always going to go as your plan

Ask your question amongst different groups of hunters too

[ruger300]

I don’t do night recoveries anymore. Too many times a badly hit animal will still have enough to get up and run. Pretty hard shooting wounded game in the dark. In my opinion it’s a better case to let them settle down and lay up and hopefully succumb to their wound overnight for a morning recovery. Bad shots happen but I’d still rather recover the animal than it be lost forever.

[Jamie Black R/T]

Did it once and never again. Found a bull elk less than 100 yards from impact. Was dead right away but we weren't sure of the shot and left him over night.

Lost all but about 20 lbs of meat. Whole animal soured.

Thought it was fine at first had him out and hanging in a cooler by 8 am the next day. Was about -5 overnight. After a few hours of cooling you couldn't even go into that cooler without your eyes watering.

I will never leave one overnight again. Give them time yes...but if that means i'm heading back in at 2 am. I'm going.

I JUST hung that bulls antlers up in the shop a week ago. Shot him almost ten years ago but couldn't bring myself to even look at the rack for years still burns me up that I did that.

[H380]

All situations are different so there is no defining line whether or not meat is gonna spoil or not if critter is left out overnight without being butchered ..I'm sure if taken care of in a timely fashion asap saves a good percentage of this ..The part I can't swallow is the hunting shows that recover the meat next day and pose for half a day with it and then go about taking it to processor for finishing ,that and the guy that brags about " well we are 12 miles back in the wild and it's +70°F and we are packing all the meat out tomorrow and save it " ...ya right .. I guess they have to say that to save face but how.much of that actually makes it out and is usable ?

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[58thecat]

Originally Posted by H380

All situations are different so there is no defining line whether or not meat is gonna spoil or not if critter is left out overnight without being butchered ..I'm sure if taken care of in a timely fashion asap saves a good percentage of this ..The part I can't swallow is the hunting shows that recover the meat next day and pose for half a day with it and then go about taking it to processor for finishing ,that and the guy that brags about " well we are 12 miles back in the wild and it's +70°F and we are packing all the meat out tomorrow and save it " ...ya right .. I guess they have to say that to save face but how.much of that actually makes it out and is usable ?

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I bet if you talked to a butcher who deals with wild game processing they have some holy crap stories

[Stinky Buffalo]

There are several variables to this, as well... Time of death is a big one. If you've been bumping the animal in the dark on the evening it was shot, there's a possibility that it wasn't dead that long before you find them in the morning.

Naturally a major variable is the overnight temperature. I had an elk out overnight once. It was late in the year - so the night was long. I was able to flag the last known position, and recovered her first thing in the morning. However, overnight temperatures were below -40 (it was about -40 when I shot her that evening). Even then, I was surprised that the guts were still warm (not hot). The meat was fantastic.

Originally Posted by 58thecat

I bet if you talked to a butcher who deals with wild game processing they have some holy crap stories

Oh, I'm sure they do!

[fishnguy]

I retrieved three animals the next morning after they were shot in the evening prior. One was a mule deer, that wasn’t dead when found in the evening. Another was a bull elk that was found dead, prepped for the night, and left to be taken out the following morning. The third was a young cow elk that was looked for but not found in the evening.

The mule deer experience was bad. Judging by the body temperature in the morning, it lived most of the night and likely expired closer to the morning. Most of the rear of the animal was eaten (or started to be eaten) by coyotes, one of which was shot on the body of the deer when it was discovered the following morning. So the best meat was lost, but everything else recovered. The meat itself was fine.

The young cow was shot broadside, not far from the edge of the farm field, literally last minuted of legal hunting light. She ran off the field and into the bush (river valley). She was looked for with great amount of effort but never found that evening. The next morning, however, she was found right away because she ran and collapsed into a washout that no one knew was there, basically just off the field. Regardless of the flashlights one has, daylight, being everywhere, brings a whole of a lot of different perspective on things. It was a pretty small “crack” to notice in the dark (and just off from where she was thought to had run) but the cow ran right into it and she folded up so that one wouldn’t imagine was possible. She clearly died right then and there when she collapsed. Because of the way she was folded and basically the entire body was in one big… not sure what to call it, but a “ball” would be a wrong word, but you probably get the idea, the body was still very warm closer to the middle. It did feel sketchy, but all four legs and rump were recovered and hung for the following few days in the shed. The meat was perfect and likely the best elk meat I had ever eaten (but I never ate an elk this young otherwise).

Here is what I wrote about the bull a few years ago on this very forum:

By the time I got to the bull, it was about 15 minutes past legal light and got dark pretty quickly. It was not a good spot he was in. He took quite a bit of dry timber down with him and was under a log. It did turn out to be a good thing afterwards though. I ended up gutting him, opening him up (just tied the legs in the opposite directions) and then burying him with timber that he brought down and then some. I used the log he was under to lean everything on. Turned out to be a little hut. I also pulled the gut pile about three meters away, so that the dogs would have something to eat before trying to get to the meat. I also threw my jacket on top of the “hut” as I heard (though I do not believe it) it would deter the coyotes. I climbed back out just after 8.

Today in the morning, my cousin and I went to get him out and were done in under 6 hours. Surprisingly, not even a gut pile was touched. The fist crow showed up about half an hour after us.

There was zero meat spoilage. It was fairly warm too. Here are the temps in Fahrenheit from the archive for the day the bull was shot and the following day when it was recovered:





As you can see, it was not that cold at all. I believe it was about -5C when I left, stayed the same through out the night, and started warming up quickly the next morning. It was definitely way above zero when we were done, like +7 or something like that (even though the chart above indicates differently). Even though the animal wasn’t skinned, the meat was nice and cool (maybe not as cool at the bone, but perfect otherwise).

If not clear from the above, what I did was I gutted it, dragged the gut pile a bit away, and spread the four legs in the opposite directions as much as I could and tied them to trees or whatever was there. I then buried it in the deadfall to keep the coyotes away. After the meat was recovered, it hang in my shed for another week, if not more, while I slowly processed it. The temperature was perfect for hanging that year (crazy for the season, but look at how last year went, lol). Again, the meat was excellent.

So yes, if properly prepared, I do not believe there is a big risk of spoiling. Of course, provided the temperature is not overly crazy outside. Definitely get the guts out. Definitely try to spread the animal as outlined above to maximize cooling. If the temperature is significantly below freezing, it makes sense to skin and quarter because the next morning will be a pain in the butt to work on it. I believe that if prepared as outlined above, in reasonable outside conditions, the risk of spoiling is virtually zero. But there are likely other factors that apply as well.

Another experience in regards to spoilage, I had a good chunk of meat spoiling in the freezer when an elk was shot, deboned (it was very warm outside, do not recall exactly, but definitely over +15C), packed in bags in chunks (as in the entire leg, for example), and placed straight to freezer at the first opportunity. The meat was fine before placing into the freezer, but in one of the bags, where a rear leg was packed, the part of the meat that was taken off the femur and was touching another part off the bone meat was completely spoiled by the next day when it was removed for processing. I mean it wasn’t an end to all, but a good chunk (likely over 3 kg) went straight to the garbage. So one has to watch what they are doing this way as well. That was my lesson.

Something else I was going to add, but cannot recall now. But anyway, provided the conditions allow and the proper care is taken, there is no reason for things to go sour. Sometimes it is just the way it is. Sometimes, the area where we hunt would not allow for the same day (or night, rather) recovery because it would involve too much risk of sustaining an injury while doing so. Sometimes, other circumstances are such that what has to be done has to be done. In my threads here I said several times that I wouldn’t shoot in such and such circumstances when I had a chance (either due to location or time of the day or both), but was suggested by others to just do it and deal with it after, haha. I think through our personal experience we all learn what we are comfortable with doing in what circumstances. I’ve done crazy things that I wouldn’t now. Leaving an animal in the bush for the night is certainly not beyond my personal comfort level though.