After the shot

[Kingpuck]

So I have been strategizing about this upcoming season and thinking about how things are going to work. Because I will be hunting alone have to think things farther out. Which brings me to the question on my mind. What do you do with your meat after the shot and pack out? Was going to buy some coolers to put in the trunk and back seats (drive a car) and have some ice already in the coolers. Then place the game bags in the coolers for the ride home. Course the issue is buying coolers which are expensive and then buying bags of ice which can be expensive also.

Been thinking about using old gallon juice jugs for the ice instead.

Really worried about meat spoilage and wasting a nice animal. Want to be fast and efficient and make sure as little meat spoils as possible. Any thoughts?

[ellensburgpo]

Cheap coolers can work fine, use dry ice.

[syoungs]

milk jugs with water and saw dust, forget the correct ratio but a google search will answer it for you, ice seems to last forever doing this, and its cheap. as far as coolers go, you can go with foam coolers if your just looking to keep it cool enough to transport home, i had a couple guys bring their animals to me last year with boxes lined with foam board as a cooler, although it was in the bed of a truck, a smaller size could be built relativly easily, probably not cost effective if you dont have the tools though.

i also have seen people use dry ice, then a layer of towels, and put their meat on that. least then you dont have water to deal with I guess, the seasons I hunt dont really require such extreme measures though, I just use my jugs with sawdust and water. ( same benefit of no melted water as well)

[huntnnw]

Look on craigslist..lotts coolers on there for fraction of the cost new. I have never packed ice with me in 25 years of hunting. Meat is either fine till I get to gas station or its cool enough out to hang

[ICEMAN]

Kingpuck, most hunters do not pack a ton of ice in advance of a deer down. Some may, I have not seen it.

Instead, simply get the hide off your game, get air to circulate around your meat. Get natural cooling started. Often game is hung at a camp in shade for a day or so if temperatures allow. If it is warmer out, get someone to town for multiple bags of ice to hang around your deer.

IMHO, temperature is just too unpredictable to expect to need ice in advance of your kill.

[PA BEN]

How long will it be after you gut your deer before you get home? A deer's body temp. averages 104 degrees, once it's dead gut it, it has to cool down to the outside temp.

[Skyvalhunter]

what time will you be hunting and for what i.e. deer, elk?

[Blacktail Sniper]

How far away is home from hunting ground, are you day hunting from home or camping/motel hunting?

Is there a town with a store, minit-mart, etc., fairly close to your hunting area if home is a ways away?

Some of the Wal-Mart plastic coolers can be had pretty reasonable and can be used for other trips/adventures.  Or the styrofoam will work as well, just not as durable.

I like to use the juice jugs that are a half-gallon size I believe, are flat-sided so they fit together better than the roundish milk jugs.  Tip, leave a couple inches at the top clear and don't put the cap on until the water is frozen to allow for expansion. Collect enough to fill your cooler, then freeze them and put in your cooler when you leave.

The solid chunks don't melt as fast (never heard of the sawdust thing, interesting idea), then you should have plenty of cold when you put meat in there, and no melted water.  A cooler full of frozen jugs should last most or all day, then can add ice if needed on the way home.

[Fletch]

Can also locate a place to hang the meat in coldstorage if temp is really that big of an issue...generally cost you 5-7 dollars per day and often well worth it ...if available.

[zackmioli]

what part of the state are you hunting and what season? we skin and hang our deer for a few days while at camp, just get the hide off and make sure the air can circulate and no direct sun and you should be fine unless the temps get too high. then we throw some bags of ice in the chest cavity for the drive home.

[Alchase]

Kingpuck, most hunters do not pack a ton of ice in advance of a deer down. Some may, I have not seen it.

Instead, simply get the hide off your game, get air to circulate around your meat. Get natural cooling started. Often game is hung at a camp in shade for a day or so if temperatures allow. If it is warmer out, get someone to town for multiple bags of ice to hang around your deer.

IMHO, temperature is just too unpredictable to expect to need ice in advance of your kill.

I agree, I would not even worry about it.
We have never had to pack ice. Get the skin off as quick as you can. We have hung deer for days in the shade, wrapped in meat bags to keep the hornets and fly's off.
This is during General rifle season, not archery or hot weather.

[dmv9]

So after the shot...
You've gutted the deer. And you're two miles in the backwoods. Alone.
Do you just grab the antlers and drag it back to your car or cut it up there? How do you carry the meat? another backpack?

[CP]

If the terrain permits it (downhill or flat), dragging is an option.  If not, I always have a wheelbarrow in the truck and game bags in my pack.

[dmv9]

Is your pack blaze orange? I'm looking for ones now.

[Smossy]

So after the shot...
You've gutted the deer. And you're two miles in the backwoods. Alone.
Do you just grab the antlers and drag it back to your car or cut it up there? How do you carry the meat? another backpack?

From my understanding, Gutt/Skin it, Get it quartered up if you can. Get the meat hanging and cooling...
Carry what you can to your vehicle with your hunting pack, then grab a frame pack that is waiting for you at your car and bring that back for your second trip, strap as much meat to your pack as you can, repeat as needed,