A few years back (well... OK... it has now been a couple of decades it seems...) I was hunting elk in Southern Alberta's mountains. My partner had tagged out early, so wanted to get his bull off the hill. Sent him out with his saddle horse and our packer, told him I would be OK without him returning. Two days later I took a fine bull, and the timing for me was right close! Had to be at work the very next day!! EEK! Loaded up the head and front quarters on my saddle horse (a Big Boy capable of the job). Got them to the truck and returned for the hinds. Had them aboard, and was again on the way out, when a HUGE Mule Deer strode out into a little meadow just below me. Don't know where common sense ran off to, but I wanted that Muley BAD! One shot rang out before my mind engaged, and down he went. Now What?? I simply didn't have time to deal with getting the muley off the hill, or I would not make it back to work for the following day (and with an anti-hunting Boss those days, that would have been the end...)
So, I cleaned the deer and drug him a ways to a very cold spring with a decent pool I knew of. Skinned him out, quartered and let him cool for a spell. Then double bagged the lot, and sank it with stones down in the pool - hoping the meat was submerged enough Mr. Grizz wouldn't be able to locate it...
The way things turned out, I couldn't get back there for nearly 10 days. Expected to find that the bear had taken it, or it might have turned sour. To my amazement, the meat looked fine, with only about a loonie-sized spot on one shoulder where the water had just started to seep through that looked suspicious. Did the extract, cut him up as usual, and he turned out to be one of the finer eating animals I have ever taken!
Under extreme circumstances I would not hesitate to do the same. Dunno if at this stage I would take the Muley, but dealing with the circumstances after I did so certainly opened my eyes...
As always, your mileage may vary...
Cheers,
Nog