Deer lost overnight

[bullminner]

I have a question because I'm new at this. This is my first year hunting and archery at that. If I shoot a deer and it's evening and I can't find it......when I go back the next morning to look for it.........is the meat etc. still good? I hunt alone on public land, White Clay Creek State Park in northern Delaware. I read in another post that if it's down and dead in an hour, it's down and dead in the morning and I want to track and recover the deer successfully.

[Quickdraw]

It depends on when the deer actualy died and how cool did it get overnight?  If it droped below 40 degrees your safe.
 
If you are taking it to a butcher they will be able to tell right away.  You can also cut into an area of thick muscle like the shoulder or rump and if the meat stings appart it is probably no good if it stays together your fine.

[tonyotony]

On that same topic: If I shoot one at sunset, and know it may take me at least a few hours to find it, and I won't have the help I need to drag it out until morning, should I let it lay until morning, or gut it first, then let it lay? I know the temps will be under 40 overnight. I'm afraid that if I field dress it, the varmints may come around before I get to it in the morning, correct?

[Woods Walker]

ORIGINAL: tonyotony

On that same topic: If I shoot one at sunset, and know it may take me at least a few hours to find it, and I won't have the help I need to drag it out until morning, should I let it lay until morning, or gut it first, then let it lay? I know the temps will be under 40 overnight. I'm afraid that if I field dress it, the varmints may come around before I get to it in the morning, correct?

When I lived in Wyoming this was a rather common scenario, as many of the places where I downed game were quite remote as compared to a midwest or eastern whitetail woods.

I usually did one of two things if I couldn't get the animal out until the next day. I'd cover the field dressed carcass with brush and logs, or I'd have a small block and tackle and I'd hoist it from a tree so it'd be as far off the ground as possible. In either case I'd also leave a garment of mine that had my scent on it. These techniques seemed to work, as I never had any problems.

Now that I live in coyote and corrupt politician infested Illinois, it's not as big a problem getting game out after I shoot it so I haven't had to do any of this, although if I had to I'd probably go with the block and tackle. I do think that a bigger problem is when you hit one and can't find it until the next day. If the animal did indeed die shortly after you shot it, there might not be much left of it by morning. Coyotes home in on fresh blood like an Illinois elected official after a bribe!

[charlie 01]

Your best bet is to at least gut it so the carcass can cool as quickly as possible. At least if nothing bothers it, (if your lucky) the meat will be in better shape than if left over night with the guts in. Its almost a no win situation if you have coyotes around and one has to leave it over night. If one finds it he will call his "friends", how many that will consist of no one knows. I've seen where they have finished off a whole deer in one night. Can't imagine how many coyotes that would take. What woodswalker says about hanging it would be a good thing, if you are able to.

[bullminner]

Thanks for the insight. I plan on going tomorrow night instead of in the morning. Delaware now has a couple small packs of Coyotes that have taken up residence in White Clay Creek State Park. I've heard two different packs yipping to each other the last two weekends I've been out. Hopefully everything will be successful. If not I'll have to resort to some of the ideas listed here.