Leaving an animal overnight. Guts in.

[BiG Boar]

Curious to know how many of you have left a big game animal overnight with the guts in?

I have, it was an arrow shot elk. I went to look for it 3 hours after the poor shot placement, and jumped it from it's bed. It was still alive in the morning so it didn't spoil.

This seems to happen lots on hunting shows. Even where they purposely leave the skin on (probably gutted) to get a good trophy shot in the morning of the animal.

Just curious about what the meat was like if you leave the guts in overnight. Obviously it will vary by the season also.

[835]

I have left animals over night,, not guts in tho. I understand the "i couldnt find it till the next day" but i would never intentionally leave an animal overnight guts in...
We have left moose from evening hunts gutted and propped open... We left one Rosie that was shot in real tough country overnight as well.

approach animal really careful.
i am sure Crap happens to some and they get back to an animal that has been taken..... but we had that happen to a blacktail that was left only for a couple hours whe my partner can to the rally point to get some help...
sure overnight leaves more time to risk..but dont think your safe because it has been only an hour...
So yes i have left a couple animals gutted over night because i couldnt get them out yet

This obviously is spin off from the goat thread. That guy did just fine by my books.

[lip_ripper00]

I have seen animals bloat hours after dying in the fall, I myself would not quit until the animal was at the least gutted and the cavity propped open.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Had to do that with a stone ram. Shot him from a cliff that I was perched on and discovered that I could get down to him. Headed back to camp and had to all the way around the mtn the next day.
Meat was fine except for one tenderloin that we figure was tainted by the blood inside the body cavity as the ram lay on it's back (slightly off to one side).

SSS

[Ricky Bobby]

I did it for the first time this year, last light shot, questionable placement. Recovered in the morning, I lost the tenderloins and inner part of the rear quarters. Would have prefered not too leave it but was better than jumping it and loosing it.

[Fella]

I would think do everything you can to avoid this situation but we all know crap happens and sometimes you just can't avoid it.

[KodiakHntr]

Did it with a blackie years back that we couldn't get to. Easily 15+ degrees overnight in May. Got to it by about 10:00 the next morning, deboned, skinned, was fine. Turned it into sausage, was great.

[Sofa King]

not me.
but I haven't gotten as committed with my bow as I'd like, so haven't had those situations present themselves that much.

closest was dad having to leave his moose for the night one year.
but he got it gutted before he left.
it was up in chetwynd in the '80s.
I chose to go drinking and partying instead of hunting.
dad went out alone and got his moose just before dark, way, way back in the bush.
he got it gutted and hiked back out and came home.
he mainly came home to get my ass out there with him in the morning to help retrieve it, but also because it had it's twin spiker accompanying it.
when we got parked and left the truck, he gave me detailed directions to where it would be, and sent me in while he cut a trail in to bring the trike in.
he figured the twin should still be nearby, it wouldn't leave as he was dressing it's brother.
I recognized landmark after landmark on the hike in and was hoping I was on the right path.
I still didn't know the area, had never been in this spot before, so didn't know when I might be getting fairly close.
I crossed a bit of a small meadow opening then the bush tightened right up and got really thick.
this was just as he described.
as I fought through the tangled mess, I knew I was on track, as he described this exactly.
and I should break out onto a really old, grown trail.
sure enough, the thick shit broke and I jumped down onto the trail.
only to be startled half-to-shit by crashing right beside me.
the moose had been right there, I guess listening to me approaching.
it was now into a dead-run away from me down the trail.
so I reacted not with my mind but with my body apparently, and the next thing I knew I was running as fast as I could down the trail behind it.
it broke off the trail and went deep into woods to the left.
I continued running to the spot where it left the trail and knelt down, looking for where it went.
the woods were now silent and the moose was nowhere to be seen.
after some intent scanning, I spotted him behind some trees.
his head was just visible poking out to the left.
and I don't know why, but I never think of a head-shot.
his main body was completely behind the group of trees, and I waited and watched, wondering how I'd get the shot.
I'd have to wait for him to move, but I didn't want to risk him bolting either.
there was a spot where the trees v'd.
I could see his body through that v.
I studied his head and his ass and estimated what area was showing and locked onto it.
the trigger squeezed, the silence was shattered, and my moose was gone.
but I heard no noise and could see nothing running off and I again broke into a dead run toward where I knew he had dropped.
young and full of energy and beyond stoked at my first big game animal.
and sure enough, there he was, dropped right where he stood.
the following celebration is hazy but I'm sure it was loud and extravagant.
then I set about the task of getting him cleaned.
eventually, I could hear the noise of the trike and the occasional chainsaw clearing a trail in as it got closer.
and then dad appeared in the area and I yelled over to him and shouted my success.
he looked for his moose as I continued and when he stood over his, he was only a hundred yards from mine and me.
that was one of my best hunting days still to this day.

[sawmill]

I had to leave a white Last fall,poor light and he ran an unexpected way.It was - 10 overnite.Found him at first light and he was perfectly fine,didn`t lose an ounce.

[boxhitch]

I would think do everything you can to avoid this situation but we all know crap happens and sometimes you just can't avoid it.Agreed , and going prepared with lights and flagging tape can make the task easier.

[boxhitch]

..........This seems to happen lots on hunting shows. Even where they purposely leave the skin on (probably gutted) to get a good trophy shot in the morning of the animal......... Not sure that the meat is of any concern in those shows. First is the footage , second is the trophy , and then ............

[hunter1947]

I had to leave a white Last fall,poor light and he ran an unexpected way.It was - 10 overnite.Found him at first light and he was perfectly fine,didn`t lose an ounce.

X2 same goes for me was shot late that evening could not find it retrieved the WT buck the next morning was good eating was shot in late Oct around 0 degrees overnight..

[#1fishslayer]

Nope never done that. Always gutted and left it till first light.

[GoatGuy]

Had to leave a few moose over the years. major grizz country so guts left in. meat was fine, plenty cold.

Alternatively, we cleaned up those bison a couple years ago but didn't have enough cargo space so we hung a bunch of quarters way up a tree. Wolverine dinned on them that night - luckily didn't piss on any of them.

[Brez]

Had to do it with a stone ram I arrowed. No preds around. meat was fine.

[Jagermeister]

It was in November years ago that my dad and I were hunting on Crater Mountain. We split after leaving the truck with the instructions to meet at the "big rock" near the summit. Being younger, I arrived at the "big rock" about 2 hours after departing from dad.
Eventually dad showed up and asked, "Did you see any deer?"
To which I replied, "No!"
"Well, I got mine." said he.
To which I replied, "Bullshit. I didn't hear any shots."
"Come on, I will show you."
So off we trudged backtracking down the mountain side to a thicket of small fir trees. The slope was quite steep and we made way along a deer trail, Lo and behold there we came upon a nice 4 point buck laid over on his side, deader than a door nail and cool to the touch. Quite bloated too.
The only hole in him was a grazing shot on the neck, not really a fatal shot but it had slowly bled nevertheless.
Dad had taken his knife and had opened the skin along the brisket area between the front legs. The flesh was dark purple, nearly black. I asked him if it was worthwhile and he said we should leave it for the coyotes. While we're discussing this, up wandered a Portuguese fellow and his 10 year old son.
Upon seeing the deer, the fellow declared, "Thatsa my deer, I shoota him last night."
"Well, if that's your deer, then you better get busy dressing him." relied the old man.
I was going to interject and tell him it was not worthwhile but dad gave me a little push along the path. As we walked away, the fellow started his cut into the adominal area and even at 20 feet I could hear the air rush out. Even worse was the smell, hydrogen sulphide gas at its best. I started to gag and made way hastily to get myself away into some fresher air.
Dad catching up out of ear shot of the other party said, "The old man will eat it, but the kid won't."
Dad said that from his experience, the flesh of the deer would start to absorb the odor of the stomach as it started to decompose and on top of that deer probably had not bleed out that well judging by the bullet wound. Quarter inch lower and the bullet would have harmlessly passed the deer.
This was a case where the hunter kept pushing the deer from several spots where it had bedded down until the hunter decided to give up for the day. In each bed there was a little smattering of blood except for the last which had a generous amount compared to the others. If the hunter had been a little more patience in his pursuit, chances are he would have retrieved his deer that evening.
Since then, I have left a couple of moose in the bush overnight, but both of these were dressed out before leaving them. And if I shoot an animal and it bolts, I wait not less than ½ hour before starting to track it down and I do not hurry. I want to see the animal before it gets the jump and moves again.

[Marc]

I had a bear go sour on me a few years ago in the spring, shot it and we gutted it right away. We got turned around that evening on the way home and didn't get home until around 2:00AM so we left it in the garage and waited till morning to take the hide off, big mistake.Even with the temperature around 5 degrees the meat was turning blue / green already. The bear had about 2 inches of fat on it. I did manage to salvage some of it but will never make that mistake again. I would not leave a bear ungutted or skin on overnight if I knew where it was and reacheable.

[Stone C. Killer]

I shot a bighorn at last light that was across a ravine and it went for a tumble down some steep country. No way for me to get to it from where I was. Hiked up to it the next morning along a different route and found it piled up against a tree. No meat lost. All delicious :)

[BlacktailStalker]

Had a bear bloat and rot overnight one spring, it was 24C during the day and 8-10 overnight. Shot him with the bow, went in looking half hr later at last light. No exit wound and no blood trail, looked for three hours in the dark but nothing. Went back the next day and he had only gone 40 yards, the smell was unbearable and everything was purple from the heat retention. Walked by him 2-3 times within 12-15' but the bush was so thick and with him being black... Hyde was still good, made a rug and euro'd the skull.
It happens, so just do the best you can on your shot judgement whether you shoot or not and while attempting to recover, nobody can fault you for that.

[E.V.B.H.]

I've left an elk in the early bow season. I was alone and shot it close to last light and a few km from the road up the side of a mountain. North facing aspect in some tighter forested area, so it stayed pretty cool compared to an open south face. Also in heavy grizz area. Was pretty sure of the shot but it had a light blood trail so I left without looking very far and came back in the morn with help. Started hiking up in the dark and had it in packs by 10 am, it only went about 80 yds from the shot but I didn't want to push it in the dark with a light blood trail. It was laying up against a tree in some knee to waist high undergrowth that was dew covered and quite cool. The elk was also cool to the touch and there was no meat lost, smelled normal and tasted just fine.

I think where you are is also something to consider in your decision wether or not to shoot or to try and recover in the dark, a south facing open slope in the early season needs to be treated differently than a late season shaded area.

[f350ps]

I've only left one animal overnight with guts in, it was a bull moose that was shot about 20 mins before sunset and headed for the timber which was 20 yards away. Three of us spent hours looking for it in the dark with headlamps but finally gave up. Went back right at first light and found it in 10 mins still hot, found the top of one lung gone and I guess he just bedded and never got up. Still don't know why we couldn't hear him cuz I'm sure he wasn't breathing to well! The meat was excellent!! Another time I reluctantly left a bull in the middle of a slough hay meadow gutted, right in the heart of Griz country. I hung a couple jackets on some willows and left a lantern on low with a transistor radio on fairly loud. I thought if a Griz is gonna eat it he'll have the lights down low with some music to listen to while dining. Happy to report, it was still that at first light! K

[Gateholio]

Guts in, no. Quarters yes. Of course a predator is probably more likely to wind a gutted carcass than a whole animal though.

If I ever have to leave one guts in, it's not getting gutted the next day anyway! :)

[Timbow]

Reading the various replies, I assume no one ever lost an animal to bone sour. I never heard about bone sour until it happen to me. Shot a bull elk and we had to leave it over night. Animal was gutted within half an hour of being shot and we opened the cavity to help air out and cool over night. Next day we got the animal out and skinned it. Upon arrival of the meat shop, the butcher proceeded to split the front half and stopped and replied "sorry guys, but this animal is spoiled".

But on another note, I arrowed a large boar close to dark and had to leave him over night with guts left in. Meat was fine and nothing was lost.

[pescado]

I had to leave a white Last fall,poor light and he ran an unexpected way.It was - 10 overnite.Found him at first light and he was perfectly fine,didn`t lose an ounce.

Had a similar situation on a mule deer this year. - 20 C. I was more worried about the animal freezing hard than I was loosing meat. Guttless method worked fine and meat all good.

[Sofa King]

Reading the various replies, I assume no one ever lost an animal to bone sour. I never heard about bone sour until it happen to me. Shot a bull elk and we had to leave it over night. Animal was gutted within half an hour of being shot and we opened the cavity to help air out and cool over night. Next day we got the animal out and skinned it. Upon arrival of the meat shop, the butcher proceeded to split the front half and stopped and replied "sorry guys, but this animal is spoiled".

But on another note, I arrowed a large boar close to dark and had to leave him over night with guts left in. Meat was fine and nothing was lost.

the bone-sour thing, I'm guessing it was in warmer weather?

[835]

Situation is huge for this... some animals and situations are not compairable to others....
An elk on opening day in september on a south facing hill is not compairable to a moose shot in November...

The idea of leaving an animal over night is not one that should be taken lightly... Spoiling due to heat is way more predictable then predation.
obviously a guy who arrows an animal and just runs out of time is different from a guy who just is being lazy...

Just think about it before you do it,,,,, simple.

[Sofa King]

I always tend to find myself heading out before that sweet last light usually also.
that definitely helps with avoiding getting caught by dark.
this past season though, I was finding I was staying til the bitter end a lot more.

[J_T]

Quite a difference with a bow vs rifle. With a bow, you expect the animal to run off. Even the 6 second death run can put them a fair ways from you.

Lost the meat on an elk a few years ago. Shot at last light, found around 10AM. A bear had ripped it open (which might have helped cool it), but the meat was bad. Temp was +25.
Left another elk the next year, found at 9AM, meat was fine.
Left a deer shot at last light, found it at 10AM, meat was fine. Temp was -15.

[skibum]

Quite a difference with a bow vs rifle. With a bow, you expect the animal to run off. Even the 6 second death run can put them a fair ways from you.

Lost the meat on an elk a few years ago. Shot at last light

Then why would you shoot with a bow at last light?

[J_T]

Then why would you shoot with a bow at last light?Sometimes you find yourself in a situation and it takes time to materialize. Making a decision to shoot or not to shoot is the biggest issue with bowhunting.

FYI, I didn't contribute to the post to be questioned about my decisions. I posted honestly to provide information.

[two-feet]

Have left quite a few animals over night, guts out. Moose, deer, bear. Never lost any to spoilage or preds. I gut shot a deer when I was about 15 that we recovered the next day and lost suprisingly little meat from that one, mostly the tenderloins, flank and ribs. All the quarters were fine as well as the back straps, neck etc. -15 though.
Shot a bear in june last year about 1 1/2 before dark, took me all of that to find it. Field dressed it (11:00pm) and returned at first light (4:30am) and it was all good, probably 10c out.

[horshur]

mostly guys that cannot fathom things that happen are not very old or have had little experience....keep at it a while and then tell the truth....

[HarryToolips]

Nuked a bear on a hot september night that was in our camp eatin a bunch of our food that we had high up in a tree while we were gone huntin.. didn't know if I killed it or wounded it that night so wasn't goin to persue it in the dark. Found it the next mornin bloated and no good but that was a really warm night so ya if I shot somethin durin the hot season again I'd make all efforts to get to it that night and at least gut it..

[BiG Boar]

This thread wasn't meant to create controversy. This is a situation that if given enough time as a hunter you will likey experience due to a variety of reasons. Especially on mountain hunts where you shoot an animal and then realize you have to actually recover the animal from a different route than you expected. I hope I would not knowingly shoot an animal, knowing that I would have to recover it the next morning. But if the world record was sitting on the next ridge I think it would be a tough decision. I have now hunted goats for 4 years and have killed 3. They are one animal that I purposely won't pursue after about 2pm (if I'm still at the bottom November hunt with short daylight). Good chance they'll be there in the morning, and then I'll have all day to recover and deal with them. It sure will be nice having my dog along soon. I plan to train her to blood track very shortly, and that will be great to have access to. Especially going into the willows for a wounded grizzly.

[Farmer]

We had an elk cow go bone sour back in the 80s. It was a cow shot in late afternoon/dusk. We gutted the animal and by then it was getting dark. We dragged it partially under a small fir tree and propped the cavity open. There was a good frost overnight (probably -5). When we arrived in the morning, we found that the cavity had closed up. The animal had not cooled down . We loaded it up with ice and headed for home. It had that green colour around the joints and other bones. And it smelled. When we butchered it, most was inedible. Since then we try to get the hide off and the animal off the ground.

[NorBC]

I know someone that might have field day on this thread... Believe this or not Big Bore, but I am guilty of such a task.

[Seeker]

Yes Big Boar, it seems every thread gets turned around somewhere, we have grown to expect it! Around where I live, for the first few weeks if it's hot, we often don't hunt in our hike in spots because we are afraid of meat loss. That's one of the hardest things, to sit at home, legally allowed to hunt, but not going. Especially if I have taken time off work! The thought of going into the willows after a wounded grizzly...eek! Poor dog;) Regardless, training the dog to blood track would be very cool.

[Big Lew]

I've been very fortunate that I've not been in that position yet. Early in the season I came close to losing a moose because I didn't skin it out right away. I would think it depends on the temperature, type of animal and what it was eating, and if it were gut shot. Birds as an example can spoil very quickly during warm weather if not gutted.

[BiG Boar]

I know someone that might have field day on this thread... Believe this or not Big Bore, but I am guilty of such a task.

I didn't want to hijack your thread, which is why I started this one. I also wanted to learn and teach others about how and when meat will or won't go bad. I've never had to deal with an animal going bad, but I've been lucky. I could have easily left a sheep overnight as it would have been a lot easier than getting to it at dark alone, but I was just so pumped I couldn't wait till morning. 4:30am I was back to camp with the ram on my back and the meat on ice. A long night to say the least.

I do have an interesting story to mention. I have often heard of buffalo capes slipping in January. I went to the taxidermist recently and saw just that. Take this as a warning people. A bison holds a lot of heat. Even in just their heads! Just because it's minus 20 C does not mean the animals hair won't slip! Get the cape removed ASAP if you plan on doing a mount on a bison or other such large animal. Hair is a great insulator, just because the quarters cool fast does not mean the head will do the same!

[Seeker]

This is what I love about this site, the ability to be able to pull and learn from others experience. I have never hunted bison, but would like to and I did not think about hair slippage. Good on you Big Boar for starting this thread. There are definitely a few good points in this thread to consider in future hunts.

I was at a taxidermists one time and a guy I knew came in with a 3 day old muley buck and the Taxidermist frowned on him for leaving the upper neck and head in due to possible slippage.That was in November when things were plenty cool enough for meat preservation. I guess lesson is if you want to have anything done with fur, get it off ASAP regardless of whether or not we are going to eat it what's under it.

[Ron.C]

Like most, I'll do everything possible to get my game out not leave it overnight, regardless of the weather. Not just because of the potential for the meat to spoil, but I'm not in the buisness of offering free meals to coyotes/ravens/bears etc.

[Tenacious Billy]

I shot a moose with my bow a few years ago when it was nearing last light - followed the blood in the dark as far as we could until we lost the trail. Showed up the next morning and found the moose a hundred yards or so from where we had called it a night. Gutted him out, got it hung and skinned....meat was just fine.

[hunterjeff719]

i had to leave a white tail buck 2012 season overnight. shot at last light and we had a hell of a time finding blood trail. the friend i was with was questioning if I had actually hit the thing until he saw blood. (I knew i had him) we finally found blood trail but then lost it. went back first light in the morning and found him about 100-150 yards from where we left off. it got down to just below freezing that night and when I gutted it he wasn't totally cold so im guessing he had bedded down and died not long before we got to him. that's been my only experience leaving an animal overnight in my short hunting career. hopefully it doesn't happen again. the meat looked fine and it did get eaten but I still didn't like the fact it was left with guts in.

[coach]

I didn't want to hijack your thread, which is why I started this one.


This is what I love about this site, the ability to be able to pull and learn from others experience.

Exactly how this site is supposed to work. Good on you, BiG Boar, for starting this thread. Some very good information being shared. :-D

I had several conversations with some very experienced backpack hunters (I'll cal them mentors) this year about what to do with an animal killed just before dark. Their advice: don't ever try packing anything out in the dark, in steep conditions, over blow down, etc where you are risking your own safety. Gut the animal (or quarter using gutless method), get it off the ground - get it away from the gut pile if applicable. Get yourself out safely and formulate a plan to get the animal out in the morning. After those conversations, and with a clear understanding of the "don't pack meat out in the dark" rule, I was on a goat hunt in October where my hunting partner killed an animal two hours before dark. By the time all the work was done capeing, quartering, deboning, etc, darkness was rolling in. Against our self proclaimed "rule", we loaded the goat into our packs, donned our headlamps and managed to get it off the mountain and back to camp without too much difficulty. We did have the plan however, that it the going got tough, the meat would get hung in a tree and we'd come back for it in the morning. Although everything worked out, my mentors let me know they were surprised I made the decision I did and reminded me of the "rule".

In the situation in the other thread, the hunter determined that even trying to get to where his animal had tumbled was too dangerous given the conditions and time of day. IMO he made a difficult, but correct, decision not to risk his life. With cold temperatures, the meat should have been fine. By not opening the animal up, there was a better chance that predators would not find his billy. Sounds like shitty circumstances lead to the wolves getting to his animal before he could. Good on him for sharing the story. I admit, I'm quite surprised the predators found the animal in the dark. I'd hate to think that less experienced hunters would read the criticism of his decision by the minority here on this site and make a poor choice in the same situation and wind up injured or killed by attempting a retrieval in unsafe circumstances. I'd like to know the opinion of experienced goat hunters regarding whether they think a goat is likely to be in the same place at first light as where it is spotted at the end of the day. My understanding of sheep is that where you "put them to bed" is where they will be in the am. Not sure if this applies to goats too.

[Brez]

Each and every situation is different. When bow-hunting in poor tracking conditions, my partners and I would avoid last-light hunting. With good tracking conditions, ie: late season, cold and snow on ground, we would stay on stand longer - but we would be equiped to track all night if need be, having good lanterns and whatever it would take.
Sometimes, a shot with lots of daylight left would still result in a situation where the animal was retrieved in the dark.
Our policy was and is to track and follow with minimal waiting and it has served us well.
Out on a mountain with minimal equipment, options are different.
One tries the best one can and, if mistakes are made, hopefully they are avoided in the future. There are no guarantees.
Oh, and htis certainly is not limited to bows - using a rifle does not decrease the risk, just increases the range.

Then why would you shoot with a bow at last light?

[rocksteady]

Did not read all the posts, but, nope... Tracked everything down, finished it off, spent all night by headlamp getting it out.....

Goat-19 hours, door to door, 2 hours drive each way, so 15 hours from when I left the truck.....

Have never felt body pain AS bad, in my life....

[.300WSMImpact!]

from my experience if it does not wreck the meat it does change the fresh flavor kinda makes it taste more gamey, but sometimes you have no choice

[hunter1993ap]

Exactly how this site is supposed to work. Good on you, BiG Boar, for starting this thread. Some very good information being shared. :-D

I had several conversations with some very experienced backpack hunters (I'll cal them mentors) this year about what to do with an animal killed just before dark. Their advice: don't ever try packing anything out in the dark, in steep conditions, over blow down, etc where you are risking your own safety. Gut the animal (or quarter using gutless method), get it off the ground - get it away from the gut pile if applicable. Get yourself out safely and formulate a plan to get the animal out in the morning. After those conversations, and with a clear understanding of the "don't pack meat out in the dark" rule, I was on a goat hunt in October where my hunting partner killed an animal two hours before dark. By the time all the work was done capeing, quartering, deboning, etc, darkness was rolling in. Against our self proclaimed "rule", we loaded the goat into our packs, donned our headlamps and managed to get it off the mountain and back to camp without too much difficulty. We did have the plan however, that it the going got tough, the meat would get hung in a tree and we'd come back for it in the morning. Although everything worked out, my mentors let me know they were surprised I made the decision I did and reminded me of the "rule".

In the situation in the other thread, the hunter determined that even trying to get to where his animal had tumbled was too dangerous given the conditions and time of day. IMO he made a difficult, but correct, decision not to risk his life. With cold temperatures, the meat should have been fine. By not opening the animal up, there was a better chance that predators would not find his billy. Sounds like shitty circumstances lead to the wolves getting to his animal before he could. Good on him for sharing the story. I admit, I'm quite surprised the predators found the animal in the dark. I'd hate to think that less experienced hunters would read the criticism of his decision by the minority here on this site and make a poor choice in the same situation and wind up injured or killed by attempting a retrieval in unsafe circumstances. I'd like to know the opinion of experienced goat hunters regarding whether they think a goat is likely to be in the same place at first light as where it is spotted at the end of the day. My understanding of sheep is that where you "put them to bed" is where they will be in the am. Not sure if this applies to goats too.

very solid advice,. if we kill an animal just before dark, depending on how much time is on our hands we will just take the guts out, prop the cavity open with a stick and throw a bunch of pine bows and a couple shirts on it. try to have the animal on its back and not on one side or the other, because the side on the ground will hold the heat all night and could bone sour. if my dad is with me, we will normally split a small load for the trip out, mainly because he is fast with a knife, not like me, i swear i barely blink and a deer is done when he's around. i was on a solo trip once, and managed to kill an elk just before dark, i was in fairly rugged country. just pulled the tenderloins and heart and liver out. good thing as i screwed up on my way out and missed my intended route. if i would have had a loaded pack theres a good chance i would have had a major nightmare on my hands.

[ydouask]

So many variables; how hot is the animal before it expires... has it been scared, chased ?, body size, fat and hide thickness etc. There are many examples given by members who for one reason or another didn't get an animal gutted , or skinned and did not lose any meat. I'm happy for you. There are also quite a few stories of large animals like Moose and Elk that have bone soured overnight. I wouldn't take the chance of not removing guts and hide unless personal safety was an issue.
I have skinned and had tanned many , many deer, elk, and bear as I was in the business for years.

If you are going to have the animal mounted, get the hide/cape off and cooled at your first opportunity. Lip splitting, ear turning, and so on need not happen immediately..( ask an experienced person to show you how this is all done).. or it might even be available on video lessons.
Here is one bad experience a fellow had. He had waited for years to get a G Bear LEH. He finally got drawn and hunted hard. He was successful beyond his dreams with a beautiful boar. He knew how to skin so he did all that. Left the paws and head in, put it in the freezer and left it there for a couple of months till he could get it to his taxidermist. All well and good, usually. He only made one mistake and it cost him his trophy.
Once skinned, he laid the hide on the floor hair side down, put the head and paws in the middle and rolled the bear up in a nice big ball. The head was so well insulated that it took far too long for it to freeze and the hair slipped. Before you jump up and tell me you have always done that and not had any problems please consider how easy it is to not take the chance. If you are not sure how to proceed with hide preparation for tanning or taxidermy, phone a taxidermist, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to set you on the right track.
As for Wild TV... it's about the filming light , eh? The meat probably never crosses their lips. Hey, gotta go catch a plane across the country as my host has a Booner all lined up for me to "hunt".

[Marlin375]

Left a few gutted moose overnight with temps around zero, never an issue.

Bison are a different story, I don't think it has so much to do with the insulating quality of the hide and more to do with different flesh, different than the ungulate flesh you are used to. You literally have a few hours to get the meat cooled down, if you want to shoulder mount it you need to keep working at capping it till your done, don't leave the head for the next day to cape it. I just wanted the skull from mine and it was a gagger of a job 24 hours after it was shot. Moose or deer you can cape the skull out days later, no big deal.

[Moose63]

Had a moose drop in a ice cold swamp, with only one horn sticking up. Came back next day, to pull it out, the perfect refrigerator....

[dana]

Can't say I've ever left the guts in over night. I always try to get as much of the critter I can get out while I'm there. I carry a headlamp in my pack but have hiked out in the dark many a time without one too. My eyes adapt pretty good to the darkness. Walking and hiking in the bush is a daily thing for me due to my work. Having bush legs and knowing how to move about through rock or blowdown just happens for me and I've never been worried about darkness. I'm comfortable in it. That's me. Heat in the critter is the leading cause of spoilage. Can happen even in late Nov. It is best to break the critter down as best you can before you bail out. And bringing something on your back means one less trip the next day. I look at the walk as wasted ground if I ain't carrying something. This is why I hunt with a backpack capable of packing some serious weight. That being said, I have never been on a cliff face with a goat at last light. I do recall making a play on a billy one year in the pouring rain and the stalk took me a long time due to the technical climbing that had to be done. Due to an extreme angle I ended up missing that billy. As I worked my way down it got dark a lot sooner than I expected due to the heavy rain storm. I remember thinking to myself when I got down that I was happy I had missed.

[325]

I shot my first moose when I was 17 and living in alberta. It was an old cow and a long ways back. I shot her with about an hour of light left. I gutted it propped it open and left it overnight. It was early September and warm, but I didn't loose any meat.
Also shot a grizzly at last light and left it guts in overnight. It stunk really bad the next day and made me gag a couple times, but the hide was fine.
For the last several years, I have only used the gutless method, so I don't gut things anymore. I also always carry a black diamond icon headlamp, so I can pack out in the dark.. And I have packed several animals out in the dark

[Jim Prawn]

Yup. Dunnit. Blacktail. Thick shit. (Imagine that, a BT in the thick shit. Crazy huh?) Shot it just before dark, looked for a couple hours, gave up, came back the next day, got it, gutted it, ate it. No problem at all. Would never not pull the trigger on something because I "might" not be able to retrieve it that day. When the opportunity presents itself, seize the opportunity. Hunting aint easy. Drinking Luckies is though.....
JP

[Jack Russell]

If you can't retrieve it, don't shoot it.

If you made a bad shot, which can happen, then you have to make concessions and play the hand you are dealt to the best of your ability.

But shooting at last light knowing you may (or will) have to come back in the a.m. to gut it and retrieve it amounts to poor choices and playing the odds of wasting meat, and a game animal. As far as I"m concerned, that lacks good judgement and is very selfish.

Try looking at possible outcomes of your actions before you act. A solid conscience and fairness to the animal will point you in the right decision.

[sawmill]

I had to leave a white Last fall,poor light and he ran an unexpected way.It was - 10 overnite.Found him at first light and he was perfectly fine,didn`t lose an ounce.

The above was a one time thing.If I find `em they go home with me that night,no matter how hard it is.Me and the wifey were out till 2 A.M. getting an elk out once,piss pouring rain too.One tough gal.Norwegian stock.

[325]

I find it interesting on American hunting shows how the hunter will arrow an animal and review the footage and see that it was a great double lung shot, yet still back out for the night. I can't imagine the meat being any good for many of those animals

[M.Dean]

I can't count the times we had to either drag a Deer or Moose quarters out after dark. But, I can remember a number of times having to gut out a Deer or Moose, propping it's quarters apart then going back in at first light to get it out. I've had to leave animals over night before, but we always field dress them at least. It piss's me off seeing these great white hunters on wild tv wack a Bear or what ever just before dark, then leave the animal over nite too! I'd bet that most of these Girlie Boy hunters are afraid of being eaten alive by Bears or even large Chipmunks to start with, and there scared shitless of the dark for Christ's Sakes too!!! Seems like now a days if you got the money to buy a Custom Rifle and a Scope that dials in to 1000 yards and a bloody Video camera, your the star of your own TV show! And us idiots pay to watch them do it!

[moosinaround]

I am kinda from the same school as Dana on this. I figure a person should not waste a trip. Take something back out with ya. I can't remember ever leaving one in the bush because of dark. If I ever was to, it would at the least have the guts knocked out of it, and a chunk of it coming out with me. I hunt for the meat, if the antlers get taken or chewed on so be it, but the straps and loins are coming home in the first trip!! I had a buddy leave a moose in the bush one night, guts in, and some of the prime cuts tasted "tainted"! Lots of heat, gotta shed it, or you risk the chance of some spoilage! Moosin

[boxhitch]

Partners and I have had to leave animals overnight a few times , usually moose , and if we find them , they get carved apart and the 4 legs and backstraps get to cool til we get back to them .
Dumping the guts doesn't do much for getting the heat out of the biggest parts fast , but seperating them at the hip socket or shoulder blade and hanging the legs with twine or laying them out on some boughs can save meat even in August heat. 20 minutes more work and the neck is exposed and the backstraps are off. The only reason I find for playing in the gut cavity up to the elbows is to collect the organs , so it doesn't happen often.
Have spent several dark hours working by flashlight , not sure how anyone survived before headlamps were invented.

Most hunters never carry the essentials to do the chores at night let alone be prepared to stay out in the bush or on a mountain til the next day. Something about the security of a camp or sleeping bag I guess.
It takes some mental preparedness as well to siwash out away from the comforts. Everyone has their own definition of roughing it , but sometimes staying out is the best choice.

[Walksalot]

One must use common sense at times. If there is a good chance the meat might spoil if left overnight because of warm temperatures then let the animal walk. Going back the next day to retrieve a bunch of spoiled meat is not only sad but it is a total waste. Had to leave meat in the bush overnight but never lost any(touch wood) to sour bone or predators. Did have a Pine Martin abscond with a liver while packing out the hind quarters of an elk but found it at the base of a tree. It was so upset at the prospect of loosing the liver it called us all sorts of bad names. In the end we left it a piece of the liver.

[Sofa King]

Be aware of your surroundings when gutting/field dressing your animal especially when dark. Have a weapon handy.
They say that grizzly bears are most active between dusk and dawn.
What can happen!
http://thegreatwhitehunter.wordpress.com/the-longest-minute-terrifying-bear-attack/

Comment from a fair chase forum!:mrgreen:
Several years ago, someone wrote to Field and Stream, and asked "Where's the best place to shoot a moose?" The answer- - - - -"Right next to a pickup truck!"

depending where you're hunting of course.
but yeah, definitely not a comfortable situation to be dealing with, gutting an animal after dark.

[Singleshotneeded]

Gut the moose or elk first if it's late, and be back at first light...hopefully nothing else will find it...

[fearnodeer]

I would not leave it overnight with the guts in, you are just asking for trouble.

[J_T]

I think there are two parts/scenarios to this discussion. On the one hand "leaving an animal overnight" means you didn't find it in the dark. I think everyone who finds their downed animal proceeds to care for it immediately.

I had thought the OP question was, if you don't find your animal until the next day, what is everyone's experience with the quality of the meat?

It seems many on here have assumed a hunter may find his animal and leave the care of it until the next day. I don't think this is the case at all. "Leaving it" over night with guts in is a concious decision because you found it. I don't know of a hunter, who if they find, don't do anything with it, however there are times you don't find it at night.

[E.V.B.H.]

I think there are two parts/scenarios to this discussion. On the one hand "leaving an animal overnight" means you didn't find it in the dark. I think everyone who finds their downed animal proceeds to care for it immediately.

I had thought the OP question was, if you don't find your animal until the next day, what is everyone's experience with the quality of the meat?

It seems many on here have assumed a hunter may find his animal and leave the care of it until the next day. I don't think this is the case at all. "Leaving it" over night with guts in is a concious decision because you found it. I don't know of a hunter, who if they find, don't do anything with it, however there are times you don't find it at night.


This is exactly right. I've left one elk because I wasn't sure of the shot, there was a light blood trail and I didn't want to bump it further up the mountain in the dark alone. Found it early the next morning turns out the shot was fine. If I find an animal at last light I'll pack all night getting it out, I've done this as well. If you are unsure I think it's better to let it die and come back early then chase it all over in the dark and risk never finding.

[604redneck]

I have seen animals bloat hours after dying in the fall, I myself would not quit until the animal was at the least gutted and the cavity propped open.
I agree mostly with this but unfortunately leaving when the shot was questionable and there's a chance u will keep pushing I would leave it till first light the next day

[IronNoggin]

Only ever had to leave one out there with the guts still in. Guided (Me the Guide) Whitetail hunt. Client took a risky poke at dusk when wandering back for pick up. Could not locate the buck in the dark reasonably quickly, so left him until the next morning. Despite it being chilly (just below zero) the buck had indeed bloated. And had bone sour. A Mess. Dealt with, but I now caution all of The Ladz not to pull this same stunt, regardless of headgear involved.

Personally, I've left a couple good handfuls out there overnight with guts removed. Sometimes there simply is little choice, such as this year's moose. Taken right at dusk, 2.5 kilometers from the nearest access point. Finished tubing him with a penlight gripped in my teeth (note to self, NEVER forget the headlamp for evening hunts!). As with all the rest, precautions taken, nothing disturbed, and excellent vittles.

Cheers,
Nog

[M.Dean]

No two shots are ever the same, and no two animals react the same once they've been shot. Also, I think once again shot placement plays a big part in weather you leave the animal over night to die, with the guts in. If you think you hit the animal with a killing shot,you check out the blood trail and see what it say's. If there's spraying lung blood all over the place, the animal might be only 50 or a hundred yards from you, so find it and do your best to get it back to the truck that night. If there's just a few drops of blood and a bit of hair and it's nearing dark, the best choice maybe to leave the animal over night to die. Every hunter, and hunt's different from each other, so for some to say they'd never leave a animal over night is, in my experience, inexperience. If you clipped a lung on a big bull Elk, then start to crash through the brush in the dark trying to find it, your more than likely going to scare the Bull out of what would have been his death bed, where, if left alone for the night, may have bled out 4 or 5 hundred yards from where you shot it. So, I don't really think there's just one right answer to the question of leaving a animal over night with the guts in it. Every hunt is different!

[snow]

let's say it's a hot september night, you have gutted the animal, now back in camp and have to spend the night there. any thoughts of leaving the meat submerged in a creek to cool it down overnight?

[J_T]

Ah, I just re-read your post. I think you mean, you have the meat back at camp, but you aren't in a position to drive it to town. What would you do? Sometimes you might find hanging it under a small bridge is cool enough, no need to submerge it. Or, building a small platform or hanging rack. If you're back late enough, it should be cool.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

let's say it's a hot september night, you have gutted the animal, now back in camp and have to spend the night there. any thoughts of leaving the meat submerged in a creek to cool it down overnight?

Did it this past September. Submerged mule deer quarters (in plastic bags)in a cool creek for several hrs....then straight into a cooler and bolted for home. Worked well.

SSS