Sept 1 Meat Care

[Kingpuck]

So I have a raffle tag to fill on the East side of the mountains and an elk tag to fill on the West side. What do you all do about meat care during the hot September days? Thinking I will bone out completely and then put the meat into a bag and inside my internal frame pack. Then pack it down to the car and put the meat in a cooler with dry ice.

Any other tips? This being my first year I want to make sure to respect the meat and not waste the life of an animal. Taking the life of an animal is a big deal and I want to care for that meat.

[washelkhunter]

Get the goods cooled asap. Best bet is laying it on shaded rocks and/or hanging it above a flowing creek bed. It will cool over night. Then down and out as fast as possible.

[Todd_ID]

Raffle tag??  I don't blame you for wanting to get something in September.  That's a great time to find an unsuspecting one.  If you do shoot something in the first week of September, then cooling is your friend.  It does not matter how you get the heat out of the critter, but you do have to get it out.  I plan on being 6 miles in the wilderness at that time, and I know it'll be hot.  If I get lucky enough to get a critter, then I'm heading for the nearest creek or spring with the quarters to cool it out.  I'll pack it out in the dark and soak it in the cold water (hour max) to drop the temperature.  The biggest thing you've got to be concerned with is getting the original body heat out of the animal; the core/bone temp has to get down low enough to stymie the bacteria and moisture trying to ruin the meat, and that's not all that hard.  If the cool creek beds are 50 degrees, then you can just hang it there.  You can keep meat in 75 degree weather just fine by keeping it in a cool area, but you've got to keep it dry and cool.  Laying on ice is not good for meat for more than a day.  Dry ice is a good idea, but I'd not do it because: 1. it's expensive, and 2. it'll freeze the meat that it touches.  I think you'll be happier having a cooler with regular ice.  If it melts away, then you can run to town to get more.

[fair-chase]

Kingpuck, that Whitcomb tag is a true blessing for you in this situation. Yes it's going to be hot there, with a good chance of it being in the 90s during the day. However, it's proximity to the river, and the fact that you cannot possibly get more than 1/4 mile away from any road leaves you a good opportunity to get your first one cleaned up fairly easily.

Don't forget a layer of insulation over the top of your dry ice. Will prevent freezer burn and also allows the blood to drain down lower than the bottom layer of meat. I also like to put a layer of cloth in between each section of meat to keep a bit of airflow between them and preventing them from sticking together. Also, multiple medium sized ice chests tend to work better than one gigantic one.


Good luck.

[Johnb317]

Internal frame pack?  You're in much better shape than I. 
Depending on the size of the elk plan on 4 trips. 
Get the hide off ASAP and hang in a cool spot. If you're boning out the meat careful not to let it mass in one big lump.  Careful with the dry ice.

[billythekidrock]

Get it cool asap. Don't be afraid to put the quarters in a creek overnight.
Buy heavy duty game bags. While boning out, place meat in multiple bags to help with cooling.
If you bone it out, back at the rig, make sure to spread the pieces out in multiple ice chests to help with cooling.
I would not use dry ice. Use block ice or better yet, 1/2 gallon jugs of frozen water.
The product "Liquid Game Bag" will help keep the blow flies and bees away.

[whack em]

All good gouge, and thanks for the question and replies.  To add my two cents, in Arizona, we would use black pepper all over the game bags / cheesecloth / meat to help fight off the flys, bees, and wasps.

[Todd_ID]

Another trick to help with flies is to take your game bags out now.  Soak them in lemon juice, cayenne, and black pepper.  Throw them over a bush to dry in the sun, and then vacuum seal them.

[Crunchy]

Another trick to help with flies is to take your game bags out now.  Soak them in lemon juice, cayenne, and black pepper.  Throw them over a bush to dry in the sun, and then vacuum seal them.

I never thought of vacuum sealing them. I might give that a try to see if it compacts them some.

[ribka]

Another trick to help with flies is to take your game bags out now.  Soak them in lemon juice, cayenne, and black pepper.  Throw them over a bush to dry in the sun, and then vacuum seal them.

I never thought of vacuum sealing them. I might give that a try to see if it compacts them some.

Great idea

I hate dealing with wasps and meat in the early season.

[ouchfoss]

Another trick to help with flies is to take your game bags out now.  Soak them in lemon juice, cayenne, and black pepper.  Throw them over a bush to dry in the sun, and then vacuum seal them.

I never thought of vacuum sealing them. I might give that a try to see if it compacts them some.

Great idea

I hate dealing with wasps and meat in the early season.

X2  That is a very good idea! I will have to give that a try if I fill a tag this year.

[rebal69972]

Tagged

[Kingpuck]

So glad I asked this question. Very unusual answers. Would have never thought of lemon and pepper.

Going to scratch the dry ice plan and just bone out fast, and get to town for ice. Might even have ice in the cooler to start with. Should I buy real game bags or go with the pillow case idea and buy a bunch of those to keep the meat separated?

[washelkhunter]

Forget pillow cases. Real game bags are an investment in the future and properly taken care of will last so grandkids can use them. Check out huntergamebags.com.    Go with the elk 4 pack.

[Todd_ID]

Make sure you locate a walk-in cooler that hangs wild game where ever you plan on hunting.  Only use ice and coolers during transport.  Many orchards and grocery stores have coolers; some advertise wild game storage, and some will do wild game but you've got to ask first.  Make sure to keep track of their business hours, and ask if they will do after hours calls.  Again, coolers and ice are for transport, but walk-in coolers are much better!