How long until the meat goes bad?

[ARROWSMITH]

I guess I have been pretty lucky over the years, I have never had a deer run more than 150 yd after I shot it, nor have I ever waited to recover a deer.  I shoot them and either watch or listen for them to pile up, then I go get my deer.  All but one have been dead upon my arrival. (and she died of lead poisoning soon after).
 
The question is If I have to wait for a deer how long is too long?  How long until the meat goes bad?

[gunther89]

It all depends on the air temperature.  If its around 32 or below that a deer will be good over night for sure and most of the next day.  My cousin shot a buck and when he was tracking it kicked it up at 8 at night.  Went back the next day at 4 P.M. found the buck and the meat was still good.  The temperature was below 32 at night and made it about to 50 during the day. So I give it a day when the temperature is cold otherwise 5 or 6 hours if the temperature is warm out.

[69Viking]

Ok I'm going to look it up through Google and hopefully others will have input too.  I guess my question would be is how do you KNOW the meat is still good?  What is going to be the earliest indicator telling you the meat is spoiled?   

[Woods Walker]

ORIGINAL: 69Viking

Ok I'm going to look it up through Google and hopefully others will have input too.  I guess my question would be is how do you KNOW the meat is still good?  What is going to be the earliest indicator telling you the meat is spoiled?   

Your nose!  Everyone here should know what fresh venison smells like. After that, I would say look at the color of the meat.
 
I like to wait more like 8 hours or more if the deer is gut shot.
 
It's true that in warmer weather a deer will spoil faster, but you don't start to count the time until spoiled until AFTER death. The deer you shot at 8 am, that you waited 8 hours on may not have actually died until 6 or more hours after being shot, so if you waited 8 hours, then it would only have been dead only a few hours at most.
 
My own rule has always been that if I even SUSPECT that it might be gut shot, then I leave it be for at least 8 hours. Yes, may lose it to spoilage or coyotes, that's a risk, but if I push the deer and it's runs off a second time,the odds of me finding that animal are slim to none.

[passin through]

Here in Louisiana it gets pretty hot and stays that way until about january.  So IMO if you think it is gut shot & spoiled , go with your gut (no pun intended)  The best rule of thumb is of course your nose, after that your eyes then your hands.  If it is gut shot and there is any bloat at all I would not eat it.  Speaking here from personal experience.  Unfortunately I have probably handled more spoiled meat than everybody on this forum combined.  I grew up on a cattle & poultry farm and then worked for over two years at a major poultry processing center in Arkansas (7 acres under one roof).  ( That's where I learned most of what I know about spoilage)  Our processing floor temps could never excede 50 degrees and there where even tighter regs on how old the meat could be to use in certain products.  LOTS of stuff went to OFFAL for spoilage.  To say the place was not run very well was an understatement.  I saw lots of spoilage and near spoilage, the worst being when a yard hand switched off a 48 foot refridgerated trailer on the yard because he thought it was empty----- it was full of chicken wings..... in july..... in Arkansas.  They found it two weeks later[X(].
Anyways, as long as there is no gut shot/bloat and no smell you should be good as long as the temps are below 50.  The only other sign is touch...spoilage is slimey once you start field dressing and the normal blood will gag you from the start.