[1911beast]

how do you know when the meat turns bad and when you shoot an animal does any off the bad things get in it from the bolt wound

[trip286]

There are guidelines, but I don't know them all. Everyone I know dresses their game, washes the meat, and puts it in the freezer right away, but that's because MS usually has pretty mild winters, we can't always let a deer hang for 2-3 days like some folks can.

[7mm_nightmare]

Im from south Texas. The first thing we do down here is field dress any animal that has been taken to the ground. Once its dressed, even in mid December we still don't have the opportunity to hang any animals. Ice and 180 qt coolers are a mans best friend at the deer camp.

[jeepejeep]

You'll know if the meat is bad...it stinks! Field dress right away, keep it cool and you're good. If it's a stomach shot and the stomach contents contaminate the meat, wash it off right away and thoroughly. That will ruin the meat for sure.
As for the bullet wound just trim away any blood shot meat. It will be obvious when you see it.

[alsaqr]

Hog meat spoils much faster than deer. When the temperature is 80 degrees you have about four hours to get the hog in a cooler or on ice. Otherwise it will go bad. Years ago i gave a huge sow to a guy who took it to a fly by night processor. That processor kept the hog in his cooler for over two weeks before he cut it up. My friend complained about the "strong tasting" hog meat. One sniff told me it was rotten hog meat. i've seen a lot of spoiled hog meat since then.

Some guys get really sloppy with their field dressing of game. Watched guys burst the bladder and get urine inside deer and hogs. Watched them cut the intestines and stomach. i carry water in my truck to wash out the animal after it is filed dressed. If the weather permits and the hog is real muddy it goes to the car wash before being field dressed. Did that with these two hogs on Monday.