Thread: Overnight meat recovery - thoughts?

Thanks all - the numbers have spoken.
My summary from the posts is...
Seek and ye shall find, to assist get a thermal monocular or dog.
If you leave it overnight likely that only back steaks are any good.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Tongue in cheek. You know - not taking yourself too seriously.
Its still millennium, strange sort of talk though, eh. Better suited to war vid games really.
And have you noticed (you may not have) its all about brands and flash gear too. Come to think of it, Ive never seen a hunting vid that uses all this strange jargon where the hunters wear black singlets and swannies, and use 4x 'scopes.

Grates an old guy like me no end.

@Tahr Do you want me to make a video for you mate ? Black singlet and shorts is the norm !

Originally Posted by Nathan F

@Tahr Do you want me to make a video for you mate ? Black singlet and shorts is the norm !

Don't worry Nathan. Must be a week since he's shot a deer. Its withdrawal symptoms.
He'll settle down once he's shot something.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Have never done it. Hate the thought of it. I know others' do it. When I was meat hunting in the Ruahines often enough I would find them in the dark and then bivy there and carry them out in the morning. I have spent some uncomfortable nights in an old fairy down bivy bag and all of my clothing. But its never longer than 8 hours and you can get going with the carry.

Leaving them overnight seems to go hand in hand with long range shooting. My approach has always been if I cant retrieve it or get to it that evening I don't shoot it.

Duleys do it and their vids seem to have normalised it. But I bet they don't kill a house mutton on their farm and then leave it laying outside for 10 hors before they get around to skinning and gutting it.

And while Im at it, WTF is this YouTube invention called a "blind"? Im guessing its what's always been called a "look out" or "shooting spot". And a "recovery" - jeez - what ever happened to "going to get it". And "checking weapon status"? What happen to "have ya checked ya gun"? And "got my eyes on one". FFS, it was always "there's one" or "I can see one". And people walk "clicks"?? My hip clicks when I walk, but I guess they are actually meaning something else. I dunno. Its whole new YouTube language.

On these points I’m with you Tahr. Never have I ever killed a house meat(mutton) then left it overnight to skin/process next day…

Same as veni, it recovered there and then….


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[QUOTE=Sarvo;1271667]

Originally Posted by Tahr

Yes. Always play it safe, especially when on your own. I did that a year ago. Arsed up over a bank in the dark with a pack full wen I should have gone back for the load in the morning. Concussed my-self and dislocated 2 fingers. Putting them back in there and then was an ouch moment. One finger is still pretty buggered. So the co-reltionship between age and wise is a fallacy.

I have the same prob
Arsed up and dislocated middle finger
Put it back in immediately
But now the joint that was not dislocated is like yours
Deformed and wont straighten
Do you know what it is

It almost read like you put a dislocated finger up yer arse….must be the 4:30 start this morning….


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I have left gutted animal over night to recover the next day...when was a long way from home and expected back...meat was fine and having pack to carry it out was good...have left one deer overnight.shot across gully with 223 at about 200 yards,couldnt get across gorge so climbed up 400 verticle meters onto track then dropped 600 vm to car..came back next day climbed 800vm,dropped back down to animal,back up to ridge and back down to car fair pooped. mid age stag mid winter and it was fine due to cold conditions... in summer down here,if shot in afternoon ,by mid day the following day it would just about be crawling out on its own,if the wasps hadnt carried it away first.Ive seen pig flyblown in 3 hours...some quick butchery and into freezer saved the day.

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Are you guys talking about leaving overnight not gutted ??

I shot a Spiker in Thermal at 4am - tried to light into it immediately in gorse and crap
Gave up quick and thought go back in daylight
Back barely 90 mins later - found it
Had foam coming out its arse and mouth
Actually found it by the stench

Walked away

I must be fussy
But no way would I dress and eat an animal not gutted within a short time

I plucked plenty of dead sheep when a kid - so its not the smell (not to mention Possum skinned belly black/green)
Just cant eat something like that
Prob "mind over matter"

@Sarvo wow that was quick for it to go off! Must have been hot. Our the round went into the guts.

Yep when I come back to NZ one of the first things I’ll be looking into is a small chiller to hang game! Enough space to stand and butcher.
What do you guys have? I have hung those last two fallow bucks and that Muntjac for 3 days a peace. Cold here at the moment be lucky if we hit double figures. Nighttime minus 3 tops so cooool meat lol. Summer and I have the use of a chiller. The garden shed goes back to the wife

Here’s some ideas from the uk https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co....chiller.10139/
That Pepsi drinks chiller looks okay.

the drinks chillers are only a box..all the fridge bits sit on top and push cold air down into them...you could change out box for something bigger...

Originally Posted by Nathan F

@Tahr Do you want me to make a video for you mate ? Black singlet and shorts is the norm !

Yes please.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

@Sarvo wow that was quick for it to go off! Must have been hot. Our the round went into the guts.

Was actually less than hour and a half
Yes - very hot night for pre dawn
No - neck shot

Originally Posted by Tahr

Yes please.

Ok we are away in a few days.

I wouldn’t eat anything left overnight with its guts in. Even in the middle of winter. It’s basically a big compost heap going rotten from the inside out as soon as it hits the ground. Seen a guy try it once after a hard frost and it was still tainted. Foul.
Go shoot another one, plenty around.

Wow. Sounds like I am lucky to still be alive considering the number of “rotting” animals I have eaten over the years.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Wow. Sounds like I am lucky to still be alive considering the number of “rotting” animals I have eaten over the years.

You and me both. Never had an issue!