Preserving Meat

[Andrew]

Bare with with me guys you only have three more days of my relentless newbie questions 

Hypothetical, if we (brother-in-law and I) get a deer on the first day of a 5-day trip should I hump it out and place in large cooler filled with frozen liter bottles (no ice) and return a day later to hunt or find a shaded creek and hang it just above the water and lose no hunting time?

With the weatherman calling for highs in the 80's with lows of 50's I'm worried that leaving it out there is no beuno.

[GHETTO GUIDE]

I usually google and call around to nearest meat lockers in the area I am headed,    pack it up and find the nearest meat locker till you are done hunting.  Then pack it back up and take it home to the fridge or locker.  If you hang it you'll loose it in any weather we have righ now.  Or the flies and yellow jackets will love ya.

[Andrew]

Came across an article that mentioned placing meat in a game bag and then placing it into two heavy duty plastic bags and submerging it into a creek...anyone ever do this?

[Kola16]

Came across an article that mentioned placing meat in a game bag and then placing it into two heavy duty plastic bags and submerging it into a creek...anyone ever do this?

Yep. That's what I do 

[fillthefreezer]

Came across an article that mentioned placing meat in a game bag and then placing it into two heavy duty plastic bags and submerging it into a creek...anyone ever do this?

it works but its for short periods of time, like and hr, to get meat temp down in a hurry. it will condensate in there so you gotta get it back out in the air or it will get nasty. once its down to creek temp and you hang in shade of creek bottom it should be ok. the nights are cold. keep in shade. cover with sleeping bags if you have to to keep meat cool

[Andrew]

Sweet...thanks for the tip!  A buddy of mine suggested the same...use the water only to cool it, then hang over the stream and cover it.  I can't wait!!! by this time tomorrow I should be on the trail for the first part of the long arduous trek.

[fillthefreezer]

i will try to be on trail but sleeping at TH with an early start fri is more likely 
backstraps

[saylean]

Not sure if this would work for back country action, but I spoke to a butcher earlier this year (as I had made a few trips down from hunting camp to get ice for my elk) and he gave some good suggestions I was unaware of.

1. If you are placing meat in a cooler, first off, let it cool to ambient temperature (the temp outside). Since the body heat is 98 degrees or so, it doesnt do you much good to bone it out then immediately place it on ice...you just burn through the ice. Normally, I would place it on ice as soon as I could, without letting it cool to outside temp.

Rather, bone it out, hang it in breatheable game bags and let it cool to the temp of the outside. Make sure to split the hams and large neck/shoulder muscles if needed, so they cool properly. Once the meat has cooled to outside temp you are ready for the next step.

2. If you are doing a long camp and tag out early, but want to stay (not necassarily backcountry, due to weight) bring some rock salt. Place some ice in the cooler, then rock salt, then the meat, then some more ice, more rock salt. Make sure the meat in the bags are sealed tightly so they do not absorb the salt/ice mixture. The rock salt will help keep that ice frozen for an extended period and will keep you from having to make multiple trips back for ice, etc.
Just a tip. I havent tried it yet, but will be doing so this deer season. Best of luck with your hunts!

[Salmo]

I've placed meat in heavy canvas elk bags and know several that use pillow cases and submerge directly into creeks to througly cool meat.  Trust me the direct contact with water will not ruin the meat..   I carry pepper with me into the backcountry to strip/steak out meat after cool down in creek.  Then pepper meat and hang on rack or drape over twine/rope.  The pepper will keep the flys off the mea so they ont lay eggs and somewhat cure meat.  Hang in shade.

[fillthefreezer]

2. If you are doing a long camp and tag out early, but want to stay (not necassarily backcountry, due to weight) bring some rock salt. Place some ice in the cooler, then rock salt, then the meat, then some more ice, more rock salt. Make sure the meat in the bags are sealed tightly so they do not absorb the salt/ice mixture. The rock salt will help keep that ice frozen for an extended period and will keep you from having to make multiple trips back for ice, etc.
Just a tip. I havent tried it yet, but will be doing so this deer season. Best of luck with your hunts!

this is common practice in the fishing community, not only does it make ice last longer its like it makes your coolers super cold

[ICEMAN]

2. If you are doing a long camp and tag out early, but want to stay (not necassarily backcountry, due to weight) bring some rock salt. Place some ice in the cooler, then rock salt, then the meat, then some more ice, more rock salt. Make sure the meat in the bags are sealed tightly so they do not absorb the salt/ice mixture. The rock salt will help keep that ice frozen for an extended period and will keep you from having to make multiple trips back for ice, etc.
Just a tip. I havent tried it yet, but will be doing so this deer season. Best of luck with your hunts!

this is common practice in the fishing community, not only does it make ice last longer its like it makes your coolers super cold

Sorry guys, old wives tale. Ice is not extended from adding salt, or they wouldn't spread it on roads to hurry the thaw would they?

Salt makes your cooler seem colder because the ice is altered from the presencse of the salt.  It sort of releases the cold stored in the ice. You end up getting more from your ice, for a shorter period of time.  Go make some home made icecream. You add the rocksalt to the ice and the cold is released fast. The amount of energy is the same, just released quicker due to the molecular changes when ice meets salt.

[lokidog]

2. If you are doing a long camp and tag out early, but want to stay (not necassarily backcountry, due to weight) bring some rock salt. Place some ice in the cooler, then rock salt, then the meat, then some more ice, more rock salt. Make sure the meat in the bags are sealed tightly so they do not absorb the salt/ice mixture. The rock salt will help keep that ice frozen for an extended period and will keep you from having to make multiple trips back for ice, etc.
Just a tip. I havent tried it yet, but will be doing so this deer season. Best of luck with your hunts!

this is common practice in the fishing community, not only does it make ice last longer its like it makes your coolers super cold

Sorry guys, old wives tale. Ice is not extended from adding salt, or they wouldn't spread it on roads to hurry the thaw would they?

Salt makes your cooler seem colder because the ice is altered from the presencse of the salt.  It sort of releases the cold stored in the ice. You end up getting more from your ice, for a shorter period of time.  Go make some home made icecream. You add the rocksalt to the ice and the cold is released fast. The amount of energy is the same, just released quicker due to the molecular changes when ice meets salt.

 

[fillthefreezer]

ok so not longer but super cold

[ICEMAN]

ok so not longer but super cold

Agree.

[ridgefire]

My brother submerged his elk meat in just a game bag in the crek this year and the meat was fine