The deer has been hanging out in the shed and our temperature have not been above 10 degrees here as a daytime high. I have cut up the carcasses and placed them in the deep freezer but I have thawed some out for tomorrows feeding. Is this going to be okay??
Also, the leg bones I have skinned and placed in the shed for the cats to gnaw on. They love them.

i would wait the ten days, and i would not rely on the daytime highs to indicate how well frozen they are. if there was sun on your shed it could have been quite a bit warmer in there.

the reason for the deep freeze at 0 F or less for ten days is to kill tapeworm cysts. if your dog gets tapeworm, they can pass it on to you, so this is not a minor consideration.

the reason for not feeding any part of the GI tract is because the stage that parasites are in in their development by the time they are hanging out in the GI tract is very dangerous for dogs.

also, as long as you are getting free wild game (which is great! i've been feeding with wild game for a few years now), know that you should never feed wild mountain lion or bear to your dogs because they are carriers of trichinosis, and that is not killed by freezing.

the source of my info, btw, is the montana dept. of fish and game. a wildlife biologist and dog fancier there brought me up to speed.

Thanks Alice.
10 days it is and no GI tract. No mountain lion or bear either.
Our shed is actually shaded 24/7 as it is in the tree line but I still not going to chance it.

Congrats on switching!

My dogs have been eating mostly deer and wild moose meats and bones for the past couple of months thanks to hunting season.

One thing to watch out for (besides what's been mentioned already) - I noticed that deer bones are much harder than beef/pork/chicken bones. Even the ribs can be quite tough and hard. Should be ok with a dog that knows how to eat, but might want to watch out if you have a gulper or a young puppy.

I don't see why anyone would go to the trouble of removing the meat from the bones though... the dogs get so much enjoyment from ripping the meat off themselves and it's great for keeping their teeth clean. I find that tearing into meat does a better job keeping teeth clean than just gnawing on bones alone.

As for the poop getting softer from richer foods, I don't see it as a problem. I do understand why people would prefer the little dry poops from a cleaning-up perspective

Unless your dog gets very gassy or is clearly having trouble adjusting to the richer meats, there's no reason to be concerned. The poop simply reflects what goes into the dog. Coyotes and wolves in the wild get very dark loose stools after eating organs and meats from a fresh kill... once they're done with the richer foods and move onto the bones and hair, the poops get smaller and drier. Neither kind of poop is "better" than the other - it's simply a reflection of what the animal ate.

It's best to make the adjustments based on the dog's general body condition and not to focus so much on what comes out

One thing I can say Carol,
Don't forget the meat for you and your family, you'll get excited about all the meat you'll find for your dogs(reduced or sales)fill your cart and go home without YOUR diner!

Hee hee...been there. Got home and went "oh s**t, Honey how does pizza sound?"