You did exactly what I would have done. If they were real friends I would think that they would have offered you the deer at the time it was harvested. It seems more likely that they lack the ambition to take care of them as soon as they should in warm temperatures and thought they could avoid the consequences by giving it to you.
It amazes me how some hunters will spend untold amounts of time and money if the pursuit of a deer and then go brain dead once they make the kill.
Keep doing them the way you do!
Dave