Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting why do people not gut deer right away?

We usually gut our deer within an hour of shooting. This past season opening afternoon, i shot a nice wide, white tined 8 pointer at 320 PM and Hope was still out there hunting on the front part of the property. Because she has started sometimes using the trophy pics on our Christmas cards we send out, she doesn't like them to be gutted before she can get the pics taken. So I waited until she got back to our cabin and we got some pics taken and it was a little past 6 PM before we started gutting the deer. It was fairly cold that day here in Mid-MO, probably mid 30s, but I was starting to get a little nervous. I hung him up afterwards and we skinned him out on Monday along with a dandy 10 pointer Hope took Sunday morning. We've only eaten the tenderloins so far on these guys, but they were fabulous as always, So there doesn't appear to have been any detrimental impact from the delay. Might start hanging them up by the head'/neck to field dress them, looks like it could be easier and less messy.



Hope's 10 pointer,.