Cold shortening can happen any time the meat is cooled too rapidly. It doesn't have to freeze. The conventional wisdom in hunting is to skin and get the meat cold as fast as possible. However, for the most tender meat, that's not necessarily the best way to go. The trick is to hold off cooling for a while. Of course in warm weather, thick meat can take too long to cool and start to spoil. In cooler weather, though, postponing skinning until the meat goes into rigor mortis will make it more tender.
This is the problem with gutless dressing. I've done it many times and the meat always comes out tougher than if I wait to bone. In doing it gutless, the hide is pulled off and the meat cut when hot. As it rapidly cools, the fibers will shorten and that makes them tough. If it's left on the bone until rigor mortis sets in, it can't shorten.
