Early archery help

[bone collector 12]

Buddy just bagged out on me,which I'm ok hunting alone,but now I don't have any way to care for my meat(he had connections for a walk in cooler) anyway any tips or tricks you guys use for this heat and careing for meat? I have a garage but it's not finished so it gets about 80+ during the day,I have a "hanging" tree that is well shaded but not sure if it being this hot it will be ok in the shade

[Bean Counter]

If it's 80, the shade will be irrelevant. That's way too hot. Plan on lots of coolers and several Costco sized bags of chipped ice until you get it butchered.

[bone collector 12]

Now Iv heard that the meat will taste bad unless you let it hang for 3 days or so to cure?

[Bean Counter]

It will taste worse if it's rotten. If you want to properly hang elk it needs to be done at 40 degrees in a dry environment for 5-7 days. Rigor mortis actually makes it tougher after only a day or two.

[Quackwhacker]

Better ask your buddy to hook you up with his connection or it might be worth taking it to a butcher.

[Bean Counter]

We butcher most of our wild game the day of the kill when possible. That way RM hasn't caused much hardening of the meat. Also, if you grind a lot hanging is a waste of time anyway as grinding inherently tenderizes meat.

[bowguy]

Ask one of the guys around town to even let you hang it in a cellar for a bit. However finding one this time of year around town could be hard.

[NOCK NOCK]

Buy a used fridge and put quarters and boned meat in it.  Have done this for years, cut my own meat, grind my own burger, and its always been excellent eating. 

[JFewel]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,157995.msg2093004.html#msg2093004

[bobcat]

Buy a used fridge and put quarters and boned meat in it.  Have done this for years, cut my own meat, grind my own burger, and its always been excellent eating. 

That's a good way to go. Another idea is to use a chest freezer. I have a large chest freezer that I found on craigs list for $25. I have a digital temperature controller that was about $50 on Amazon, and with it I keep the chest freezer at just above freezing. When I bring an animal home I throw the quarters in there and that gives me plenty of time to cut and wrap the meat.

[buglebrush]

Forget the hanging     If you really want good meat get the hide off, bone out, and cooled ASAP. 

[jason stevens]

Never again will I hang meat as for taste I personally don't think there's a difference we harvest , cut, butcher, freeze imediatly I have had many trips were we get our animal and go home we don't stay and camp meat is more important. Get it off the bone and into coolers pack with ice and head for home.

[Kola16]

Forget the hanging     If you really want good meat get the hide off, bone out, and cooled ASAP.

I agree. Just bone it out and get it cool. I have noticed that trying to hang it when it is too warm only makes hanging worse.

[timberhunter]

i have put quarters bone in and boned out both in the fridge and the ice chest. both work well but unless you have a spare fridge i would go with the ice chest. frozen milk jugs would be best but if you use ice make sure to keep the meet out of any water.

[Redbeard]

Forget the hanging     If you really want good meat get the hide off, bone out, and cooled ASAP.

X2!!