I had a scientist (and also a member here) explain to me that an animal's intestines will cease to fully contain fecal material at around 45 minutes after death. Accordingly, I prefer them to be out of the body cavity by then.
Just another perspective.
FC
There is probably truth there. All I can say is that most fellows report that 2-3 hours is a safe window for normal fall conditions, say under 55F. Of course, nothing we do is going to be passing USDA inspection, and nobody should eat the stuff without proper cooking.
