It was cold with snow & he was cooled out quickly as well.
One of the interesting things about game meat (and domestic meat) is that getting "cooled out quickly" isn't necessarily good. In fact, cooling too quickly can make meat tougher. In fact, if it freezes within 24 hours, it becomes MUCH tougher--and doesn't respond as well to conventional tenderizing techniques like pot-roasting or stewing.
In fact the latest research advises not to allow the meat of freshly-killed large animals (whether domestic or wild) to cool even anywhere close to freezing within 24 hours. Will have to check on that again to get the right temp....
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
