temp that deer meat spoils

[kdenhead]

Some of this has already been discussed, but here it is again for clarity.

Danger zone for bacteria growth is 41 to 135 degrees. The most critical part of danger zone is 70 to 125. This is where most bacteria tend to multiply the fastest.

Foods that are rich in protein, high in moisture and low in acid are called Potentially Hazardous Foods by the FDA. Venison meets this definition.

Time becomes a key part of your answer to spoilage. According to the FDA, time becomes a very important control factor in the safe service of food when temperature control is not possible. Potentially hazardous food products (venison) should be discarded if it is held between 41 to 135 degrees for more than 4 hours before cooking or consumption.

Note: This 4 hour time is cumulative during field dressing, transporting, processing and preparation. Cooking the product to proper temps "restarts" the 4 hour clock on the holding of cooked product.

Keys takeaways: keep food cold (below 41) or hot (above 135) to avoid spoilage (bacteria growth). Pack game on ice ASAP to reduce the amount of time in the danger zone. Game should not exceed 4 hours in danger zone.

[cosmiccowboy]

I can tell you that 45-50 years ago before we had ice chests, ice, walk in freezers, etc. if the nights were getting into the low 40's (afternoon highs in the 70's) we would skin them out completely and wash them real well but not quarter them and then let them hang in the shade for days while we continued to hunt...The meat would develop a thick, tough dark brown skin that had to be removed when we processed the deer but we raised a family of 6 on deer meat and never got sick.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

I would say 2 hours in the heat and after dressing the deer which has been recovered in less than an hour. After a kill it may take me 1-1.5 hours to get a deer out, and another 30-45 minutes to the processor. I will dress the deer and spread the ribs to cool as much and as fast as I can. Of course if ice is available that will be used right away. I have had no problems with spoiled or bad tasting meat to date.

[ZZ Pops]

BigL, I think you're asking a question that has no black and white answer. Raw meat, especially since it contains blood, is a great medium for bacteria growth and that growth most likely starts as soon as the meat is exposed to the air. Since the growth of bacteria is inhibited by cold temperatures, it is important to cool meat as soon as possible and to keep it cool (< 41 deg. F). I doubt that the growth of bacteria completely stops at 41 deg., but it will be impeded to the point that it is of little concern.

The point at which meat is "spoiled" will depend on several factors; size of the animal, how long bacteria were allowed to grow, how much bacteria were introduced initially, how long the bacteria friendly environment (temperature) lasted, and so on.

There is likely a time that once exceeded, uncooled meat could be declared unsafe to eat, but that would seem to me to be an average time or a wild guess.

[BigL]

Take a look at these links. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgi.../hgic3516.html

Thanks. This section of that link pretty much says 4 hours in the danger zone.
Chilling: Improper temperature is meat's worst enemy. The surface of the carcass may be contaminated with bacteria that can spoil the meat unless chilling stops the growth. During warm hunting seasons special care should be taken to keep the carcass cool. It should be kept in the shade and allowed as much air circulation as possible.

Refrigerate the deer carcass as soon as possible for best quality. If the weather is over 40 °F, it is strongly recommended that the carcass be taken to a cooler the day of the kill. If the air temperature is above 50 °F as it often is in South Carolina, the deer carcass should be refrigerated within three to four hours after killing.

Some of this has already been discussed, but here it is again for clarity.

Danger zone for bacteria growth is 41 to 135 degrees. The most critical part of danger zone is 70 to 125. This is where most bacteria tend to multiply the fastest.

Foods that are rich in protein, high in moisture and low in acid are called Potentially Hazardous Foods by the FDA. Venison meets this definition.

Time becomes a key part of your answer to spoilage. According to the FDA, time becomes a very important control factor in the safe service of food when temperature control is not possible. Potentially hazardous food products (venison) should be discarded if it is held between 41 to 135 degrees for more than 4 hours before cooking or consumption.

Note: This 4 hour time is cumulative during field dressing, transporting, processing and preparation. Cooking the product to proper temps "restarts" the 4 hour clock on the holding of cooked product.

Keys takeaways: keep food cold (below 41) or hot (above 135) to avoid spoilage (bacteria growth). Pack game on ice ASAP to reduce the amount of time in the danger zone. Game should not exceed 4 hours in danger zone.

Good stuff right there. Thanks!

BigL, I think you're asking a question that has no black and white answer. Raw meat, especially since it contains blood, is a great medium for bacteria growth and that growth most likely starts as soon as the meat is exposed to the air. Since the growth of bacteria is inhibited by cold temperatures, it is important to cool meat as soon as possible and to keep it cool (< 41 deg. F). I doubt that the growth of bacteria completely stops at 41 deg., but it will be impeded to the point that it is of little concern.

The point at which meat is "spoiled" will depend on several factors; size of the animal, how long bacteria were allowed to grow, how much bacteria were introduced initially, how long the bacteria friendly environment (temperature) lasted, and so on.

There is likely a time that once exceeded, uncooled meat could be declared unsafe to eat, but that would seem to me to be an average time or a wild guess.

Thanks makes sense. I'm going to go with the average time of 4 hours as a baseline. Something I've always wondered since on here a lot of people let it lay overnight. I'm partially color blind and blood trailing at night is almost impossible. I pretty much only hunt evenings it if I'm hunting with others who can help or with my .270 to drop them in their tracks.

[Sully352]

It will be fine,you had him to the processor within an hr.Besides the inside temp of the deer was higher than 91 to begin with

X2

[Richard]

It took me 7 hrs to find a buck I shot once. Temp was about 40 when shot and about 80 when found. Gutted and filled cavity with ice and 1 hr. later to processor. Meat was fine. My processor told me if its gonna be a while before you get it to me, don't skin it and if you 1/4 put on ice right away, if not don't wash the blood out of the cavity. The blood seals the meat and water will make bacteria grow faster.

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[Storm]

For pigs its about an hour for deer it all depends on how high the temp really gets over nite at 50 degreetemp IMO is no problem any thing higher than that or overnight no thanks but this is just what I do.

[gonehuntin68]

All I see in this thread is a lot of guessing going on. I've killed many a deer in the back country and there was no way to get them on Ice. We would gut and skin and hang at night were the temps would only get down in the Mid 40's and during the day we would wrap them in our sleeping bags in the shade to keep cool during the 80+ degree days. Never had a deer go bad over several days of hunting. I'll bet well over half the deer I've killed in my 25+ years of hunting have never been cooled below 40 in under 4 hours and I've never got sick from eating it. Think about all the Elk and Moose that are killed in the back country, there is no way they are getting them out in under 4 hours or getting the meet cooled down in the early season. I do a lot of night pig hunting in the summer months and the temperature is never under 80 and I've ate several that didn't hit the ice for over 4 hours and never got sick from eating them. Maybe me and my buddies are just lucky but I am talking about 100's of animals, not just a few. With all this being said, I still want to get the animal cooled as quickly as possible but I'm sure not going to throw a animal away because I didn't get it cooled down in under 4 hours. I'll let my nose decide if it's bad or not.

[Richard]

Guessing? Sounds like you are "gambling" especially with pork!

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[gonehuntin68]

Guessing? Sounds like you are "gambling" especially with pork!

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Look, more guessing.

[Richard]

Look, more guessing.

Look more pot stirring

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