Nick Z Report post Posted January 17, 2006 Hello All, Ive been reading some of your post and you all sound like the fellow hunters I should be talking to. My name is Nick and ill be moving to glendale AZ from long island NY this july. I been hunting whitetails and turkey 27 years now over here. Mostly Bow but I hunt rifle and MZ also. Im really going to miss this area but im looking forward to hunting muleys, coues and of course elk. Im learning alot on how to hunt your area just by reading your post but ill be asking a few questions from time to time. Im concerned about keeping my game meat fresh in the field with the warm weather and all.. Do I bring coolers filled with ice and quarter my animals at camp? Over here I hang the deer till I get home and my kids help me do all my own butchering. Id have to say im mostly a meat hunter and this is VERY important to me. Id appriciate any replies. Thanks Much. Nick Z. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted January 17, 2006 Welcome! Ice is like GOLD here, especially during the early (August, Sept, October) hunts. High country winter and spring hunts are more forgiving, but elk need to be taken care of quickly, no matter what the season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Reynaldo de la Torre Report post Posted January 17, 2006 Hello All, Ive been reading some of your post and you all sound like the fellow hunters I should be talking to. My name is Nick and ill be moving to glendale AZ from long island NY this july. I been hunting whitetails and turkey 27 years now over here. Mostly Bow but I hunt rifle and MZ also. Im really going to miss this area but im looking forward to hunting muleys, coues and of course elk. Im learning alot on how to hunt your area just by reading your post but ill be asking a few questions from time to time. Im concerned about keeping my game meat fresh in the field with the warm weather and all.. Do I bring coolers filled with ice and quarter my animals at camp? Over here I hang the deer till I get home and my kids help me do all my own butchering. Id have to say im mostly a meat hunter and this is VERY important to me. Id appriciate any replies. Thanks Much. Nick Z. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I just bring them home and hang them in my shed overnight. I have never had a deer spoil. I will skin them in the field if it is warm out and especially if they have obvious parasites. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.270 Report post Posted January 17, 2006 main thing is to get the hide off soon. especially with an elk. if it's real warm, get it to a locker plant real quick too. also with elk, most of the time you're in high country that is fairly cool. the sept. can be a challenge, but again, the main is to get em peeled and quartered. a good ol' garden hose will take a lotta heat out also. hose em down and let the natural evaporation cool em off. you don't have to worry near as much with deer. get em skinned in a reasonable time and hose em off. you're gonna have a harder time learnin' the language here than yer gonna have coolin' off meat. welcome to the club. Lark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KeithV Report post Posted January 17, 2006 NICK Z welcome to arizona the main thing you will have to get used to is the diferance in terrain i dont know if you have ever hunted here but your in for a nice suprise look into some high power optics and tripods good optics are more important than your rifle or bow here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
runningbird Report post Posted January 17, 2006 NNNIIICCCCKKKKYYYYY how ya doin. get the hide off. early hunts are tough you got to be fast. but the later hunts are much different. Just wait till you spend your first winter night in the desert after a 70 degree afternoon. man it can get cold and its a different cold than back east. I'm sure you've heard all about the dry heat wait till you feel the dry cold. your deer will be fine in the shade this time of year and freeze good at night. have fun and welcome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZP&Y Report post Posted January 17, 2006 Hey Bud, Welcome to AZ - July is going to be a nice introduction to summer in AZ. If you're up on the Flagstaff area and harvest a deer or elk , I can strongly recommend Dennis @ coconino game processing. He has processed 2 of my elk in September and done a superb job. There is even a great detail description on how to work with the animal to prevent spoilage. http://www.gameprocessing.com Good luck - and enjoy the reality of public land and all that it represents!~ AzP&Y Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted January 17, 2006 Cubed ice in the field is good to completely surround the quarters in a large chest(s). Keep the drain plug open. If you don't want to get the meat wet and water in the muscle fibers, come with lots of frozen 2L bottles of water. Dry ice can be used over the meat in a sealed chest till you get it processed at home (even can picked up at the grocery store on the drive home). On an elk, skin it rather all than just having an open body cavity to air cool it. The neck meat in the elk spoils real quick since the hide and hair are thicker, so skin to the jaw/back of skull. The no-gutting field dressing method works great on an elk. I cringe seeing an elk hanging in a tree for days during the September archery season. If the hung game cools out at night, you can cover the game with a sleeping bag during the warmer day and keep it in the shade. I figure it takes me about 12 hours to muscle out, trim, cut steaks and package an elk by myself. Then I take the poorer cuts and meaty trimmings to the butcher and have them make the sausage and salamis. Doug ~RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bchoitz Report post Posted January 17, 2006 Welcome to AZ (soon....) I moved down on July 1st 2001. What an introduction to this place! I'll second, third, fourth etc... what everyone les has said.. The sooner you get the hide off an animal the better it will be. If you are taking it to a processor close to where youa re hunting, do it soon after harvesting, like that afternoon or the next day. Bret C. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Z Report post Posted January 18, 2006 Thanks alots everyone, That is all great info you gave me! It dosnt sound as bad as I thought it would. I cant wait to get started. learning the language was a good reply also..lol I dont think ill ever get used to calling a big buck a toad.... And no I never did hunt AZ. but I will be buying some quality optics when I get there for sure! So anyway I went out tonight with the muzzleloader after I made the post and got a one sided spike buck with only three legs. sounds funny but its true. I saw him earlier in the season and the landowner said I should have shot him.(good management he said). well like I said I love the meat and my aim was true thru the irons at about 50 yards..I shoot a T.C. 50 cal. caplock . Gonna try and post a pic. Thanks again all. Nick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted January 18, 2006 Congrats on that buck! Welcome to AZ from me too. Always nice to meet new friends. Chef Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted January 18, 2006 Congrats on your buck! I've killed many a critter with that exact muzzeloader. I love seeing the "old" percussion cap, scopeless, smokepoles still being used, great job! You are gonna love AZ, unless you dig ditches for a living , Welcome! JIM Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ultramag Report post Posted January 18, 2006 whats all that white stuff around the deer? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kwp Report post Posted January 18, 2006 I was just thinking the same thing ultramag Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
