Digital image One November Russ Van Zoeren hunted a public tract in Kansas for a week. For the first five days, the temperature was in the 70s, and the deer movement was predictably slow. But then one night, storms and a cold front crashed in. The mercury plummeted into the 30s, and a northwest wind shook the trees. Next morning at 8:15, a buck prowled out of the long, dense cedar thicket that Russ had been watching all week. The deer ripped a scrape and walked, grunting, beneath Russ’ stand. His arrow was true. At just under 200 pounds dressed, the animal was on the light side for a mature Kansas buck. But there was nothing light about [...]

Short answer is, no. I’ve had several bad experiences with bucks I’ve shot at last light and left overnight. If the meat didn't flat out spoil, it sure tasted funky. I won’t leave a buck out now if the temperature is 40 degrees or above. And 40 is marginal, I believe you need the night air to dip down into the low 30s or cooler to have any hope of salvaging good, tasty meat from a deer that has lain on the ground, blood and guts in, for 12 hours or more. This is the most agonizing dilemma that I hope you are not forced to deal with this season. But if you are, go back to your truck, relax [...]