How Long Can the Meat Hang?

[Pine Donkey]

Pepper is always a good idea. It may not keep the flys away, but at least you will not be able to tell if they pooped on your meat!

[bigorange]

my meat hangs perdy long

Put some pepper on it and see how it hangs...

[lancetkenyon]

Depends on the conditions. I watched a deer hang in a camp a few years ago. They shot it opening morning, gutted it and hung it, no skinning though, or wrapping of any kind. It was on a 10 day hunt, and that deer hung in the open (including sunlight) for the entire time. Temps were from the low 20s-mid 50s. There is absolutely no way that deer was edible by the time they got it home. I watched it swell up like a balloon, covered with insects/birds, and was disgusted the entire time. What a waste of table fare.

 

I am of the "Keep it clean, get it cool, and keep it cool" camp. I gut/skin/quarter as quickly as possible (within an hour of shooting/recovery), and get it in a cooler on ice (but not touching the ice or water). I have left game in a cooler for up to 14 days while helping others and the meat has always been very moist and tasty when I get back and get it to a butcher. Last year I had to quarter and leave my deer overnight in the canyon, but temps were about 40^o at the time I shot it, and cooled to the 20s overnight. Got back early the next morning with help and packed it out. Meat was cold to the touch, but not frozen. The deer is now completely gone, but it sure was good eating!

[kazpilot25]

Depends on the conditions. I watched a deer hang in a camp a few years ago. They shot it opening morning, gutted it and hung it, no skinning though, or wrapping of any kind. It was on a 10 day hunt, and that deer hung in the open (including sunlight) for the entire time. Temps were from the low 20s-mid 50s. There is absolutely no way that deer was edible by the time they got it home. I watched it swell up like a balloon, covered with insects/birds, and was disgusted the entire time. What a waste of table fare.

 

I am of the "Keep it clean, get it cool, and keep it cool" camp. I gut/skin/quarter as quickly as possible (within an hour of shooting/recovery), and get it in a cooler on ice (but not touching the ice or water). I have left game in a cooler for up to 14 days while helping others and the meat has always been very moist and tasty when I get back and get it to a butcher. Last year I had to quarter and leave my deer overnight in the canyon, but temps were about 40^o at the time I shot it, and cooled to the 20s overnight. Got back early the next morning with help and packed it out. Meat was cold to the touch, but not frozen. The deer is now completely gone, but it sure was good eating!

 

 

Now that's just wrong. They didn't even skin it? Come on people! I'm a firm believer in field dress and skin ASAP to get that meat cool. What a waste.

[zukicrazy]

We let the cow hang in a tree for almost a week it was 19 at night and 50 in the mid day we had her cover with a elk bag and in the shade .

[Sam]

Last week on the cow elk hunt, I shot one Saturday morning. Had it skinned, quartered, and hanging in game bags by 2pm in the shade. Strung up tarps to keep the sun off. Night time temps were in the upper 30s, daytime low 70s. Meat cooled nicely at night. But it really wasn't cold enough to get that deep chilling effect that I prefer. Monday when I went to put the meat in the cooler, I smelt some bone sour from one of the front shoulders. There was some blood shot between some of the fat layers and it started to spoil. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. So, I cut off about a third of the shoulder before coming home. The rest of the meat was perfect. I cooked up some of that shoulder and it tasted fine. With daytime temps in the low 70s, I was pushing my luck. I think it was a bit warm, even though the meat was in the shade. I also should have made sure all the blood shot was off the meat.

 

In year's past I have left quartered elk and deer hanging for 5 or 6 days with no issues at all. But, daytime temps were more like in the 50s.