Preventing Game Meat from Spoiling

[Physch]

Hi. Typically I hunt during the winter, so temperatures are generally not a concern. This year I have a hunt in September in an area where daytime temps average 82 degrees and evening temps are around 59 degrees. This hunt is for elk, but the question is for all game. How do you keep the meat from spoiling in these temperatures while you pack out the meat in multiple trips? How long is too long to be out at those temps?

 

What I have read so far is:

 

1. Store meat hanging from tree on Northside of hill, mountain, canyon, in the shade.

2. Cover with breathable cloth (game bag/pillow cases, etc.)

3. Gutless harvest

4. Spray with either citrus juice or meatsvr?

 

If this question has been asked before, I apologize, just wanted to know what options are available to start preparing for the trip.

[Big Tub]

If in th 80's in the day: skin it asap and get to the meat packer afterward. 50's is not cold enough at night.

[stanley]

I would say a definite YES to the first three suggestions. Never done the fourth idea, so cannot offer an opinion on that.

 

I think you're on the right track. Get the meat skinned and away from the guts ASAP. Hang what you can't pack with you in some shady trees, covered with good game bags or pillow cases. Make sure it stays DRY! If there is threat of thunderstorm while it will be hanging, I recommend you tent it with a small tarp or keep it dry anyway you can while it is hanging awaiting retrieval! If it gets wet and the weather conditions are right, it would be VERY easy to have flies lay eggs and you won't see the damage until it is too late (and gross ).

 

Not too tough to keep the meat in good conditions if you follow the basics (which you seem to already understand....).

 

Good luck!

 

S.

 

[muledeerarea33?]

Processed a salvage tag doe two weeks ago. I took 30 min from body to fridge. Every piece of meat had an ice bag under and on to of it before the fridge. Just be fast and aware of temps, have enough ice at the truck to cool it quick.

[elkaholic]

if its just packing out - 2-3 hr wait - use gamebags -- hanging in the shade-- it takes a while for fresh meat to actually cool down

 

if you have time open and remove all the big bones in the legs so the big chunks of meat to cool faster -

 

do not just throw all the deboned meat in one bag either - I try to use a lot of bags and keep the chunks as separated as possible

 

as far as citrus or pepper or meatsaver - not really necessary before packing out - now if you have a prolonged stay in camp and don't have several ice chests with lots of ice to pack meat away - then storing in shade wrapped up-to keep it insulated each day and hanging out to cool each evening will usually be ok for a few days

 

as stated above weather can dictate what needs to be done to keep it dry and clean and cool

 

dry can be best but in some cases keeping it cool by hanging it and misting it works also especially on real hot days just make sure its not in direct sunlight - water is not going to hurt the meat as long as its not soaking in it- not many use this method and prefer it to dry out but you tend to loose more meat when being processed if it drys tooooo much

 

if packed in ice in chests make sure the chests are tilted so the water can drain out an opened plug.

[ready2hunt]

game bags and shade + the other suggestions above and you are good. I wouldn't do the 4th myself.

[azslim]

I have hung a carcass in a tree, hung 3 to 4 frozen 1 Gal milk jugs of water in the cavity, then wrapped a tarp around it and put up another tarp to shade the entire thing. it worked.

 

Now I have a 120 qt cooler that I can fit a cow elk into, have to cut above the kneed on hind qtrs, I use frozen 16 oz water bottles for ice in it, put a layer on the bottom and stick in the rest wherever they will fit. I have to bone out a bull to fit.

[.270]

first off, you hafta be plum negligent to let meat spoil. with that said, the most important thing is to get the heat out of it. gut and skin asap. i'm not a fan of the gutless method. no single thing lets out more heat than gutting an animal. deer are easy to cool off. if nothing else you can chunk em up and put em in an ice chest. elk are a lot harder. get him skunt, cut off the front legs. cut the neck off at the shoulders (eat the neck, it's excellent) pull the backstraps out. take off the hind legs and seperate the sirloin tip (front of the thigh) you can either take it all the way off or leave it attached some toward the upper part of the leg, works well if it's hanging. take a saw and seperate the ribs from the spine. don't forget the filets. if you can hang an elk quickly and have a chain saw, split it full length from tail through the neck. might cut the front legs almost off to let the heat outta the chest and do the deal with the sirloin tips. but again, the most important thing is to get the heat out. even if you don't get it real cool right off. if you have water, hose it off. water takes the heat out really well. if you're by a clear creek, put the meat in the creek for awhile to get the heat out. but don't let it get in the sand. hard to get it out. if you keep your prize clean and cool it off quickly it will be much better to eat. i have some photos that show kinda what i'm talking about if someone wants to post em. and never ever ever wrap in in plastic unless it's on ice. no garbage bags, blue tarps, nothing plastic. plastic makes heat and is your worst enemy. nothing beats open air to cool it off. hang it out at night, lay it down and wrap it up in a cotton tarp or old sheets and cover it with blankets or sleeping bags in the day. Lark.

[Viper]

You can make a darn good/large cooler with a tarp and old sleeping bags....just add ice. This will buy you a couple days. Good for transport too.

[Xnt]

You need friends, lots of friends who are in shape. If you have no friends, start begin friendly with people. Better to share venison with friends than for it all to spoil. A heavy duty game cart will help, but you still need friends.

 

Last September bull I arrowed was at last light, and we were up for another 12 hours, getting it skinned, quartered, moved back to camp, and then I stayed up and got it all in the coolers that night. All because I didn't want it to spoil. It was humid and warm. It was an exhausting, miserable process, but I was amped for killing a bull so I made it through.

 

At minimum, skin, quarter, and get it into pillow cases/game bags. On the hind quarters, cut a channel to the femoral bones so air can circulate around the femur. The bones hold a ton of heat and can spoil the meat in its vicinity so you want ventilation getting in there.

[lancetkenyon]

Go to Home Depot, hire some "temporary labor" to carry it out quickly. Put it on ice. Drop off "temp labor" on your way home.

[5guyshunting]

The last 2 years we were lucky to have a friend at camp that is a retired butcher. During these two seasons he processed 3 elk and 5 mule deer. As he made the cuts, all meat was put in ice chests. As ice melted, water was drained and more ice added. He told us the meat would be better because more blood is being drained. All the meat was excellent, so I dont know how true the "keep it dry" part is.

[Physch]

Thank you for the information. I really appreciate it.

 

List in Progress:

 

1. Meet as many people as you can.

2. Get animal

3. Skin immediately

4. Remove bones

5. Wrap meat in separate game bags and let air hit

6. Store in shade

7. Call people that you met in step 1. If step 1 was a failure go to step 8.

8. Hire employees from Home Depot.

9. Make sure in step 1 that you meet and invite a butcher. If fail, PM 5guyshunting to see who his friend is.

10. Get on ice as soon as possible. Can build cooler out of tarp or purchase a 120qt cooler. Tilt cooler to let water drain out.

 

You guys have a great day.

[Whitesheep]

11. Shoot it where you can legally get your truck with beer, ice and coolers ready to go.

[bhuntin]

pepper helps keep the flies off if you don't have game bags immediately once you get the hide off.