I recall a wise Vocational Agriculture teacher discussing meat preparation many years ago. The way he put it was this. Gut shoot a corn fed Angus steer, chase it all day then kill it, and dress it. Throw the carcass on the hood of your truck and drive several hundred miles. Skin the steer a few days later. The meat will taste gamey, too.
I field dress and cool out my deer immediately and skin it and chill it within hours. The meat is always good.