Keeping meat in streams?

[Duckslayer89]

Hunting the backcountry I've always packed meat out as soon as we kill an animal and it takes a few days off the hunt before we can get back in to try and fill more tags, what about just keeping meat in an ice cold stream fully submerged for a week? Is it any different than letting it hang in cool weather? Thanks for the advice been rolling this idea over for a while...

[rtspring]

I have hung mine to cool for a few hours, then put it in big black bags and put into a creek for a few days. Never had a problem

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I've never done it but would if the situation arised. Have read on the NET about people ageing there meat this way. I'd do it as Rtpsring stated after cooled then into garbage bags and into stream.

[Bob33]

If I did it, I would put the meat in plastic bags. Sitting in water for hours on end is not the best thing for meat.

Remember that meat should be kept below 40 degrees. Meat above 40 can develop bacteria that grows exponentially.

If the stream is cold enough, this could work for a short period of time.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I have done this but bone the meat out and use one gallon Ziploc freezer bags.  Purge as much air as possible.  Depends how cold the water is, also find a shaded area that doesn't get sun. 

If you are at higher elevations and it gets cold at night, I've also hung quarters/whole deer in the evening, in the day they go in the shade on the tarp with sleeping bags and pads on top, hang back up in the evening.  Have had this work well for up to 5 days when it was 30s-40s at night and highs in the 60s-70s. 

[wapiti hunter2]

It works. just keep the water off the meat. The heavy duty contractor bags from the local hardware store work well. Not the cheep flimzy ones but the real heavy duty ones.

[swashington2128]

I have been looking into this also for an Alaskan Moose Hunt. What I have found as a recommendation is to put the meat in plastic bags and then put that in dry sacks sealed well. Place them in the river with rocks on top. near impossible for wolves, yotes, or bears to find them and easy to grab and go when ready.

[Duckslayer89]

What about no bags and just keeping it in quarters? But then you still have backs traps ect. Sounds like the bags are necessary and will last up to a week if chilled well. Any other advice welcomed! Thanks for the help guys!

[MR5x5]

Super general guidelines for meat in the field:

Below 40 for two weeks
Below 50 for one week
below 65 for three days

[Jonnyjammer]

Super general guidelines for meat in the field:

Below 40 for two weeks
Below 50 for one week
below 65 for three days

this would be good to know,can you give a source from where it came?

[Bean Counter]

Dunking an unprotected drumstick into water: 

Think of all the bacteria growth

Some guys don't actually put the meat into the water, but build a bridge of felled logs over the stream, and put the meat on the logs. The cool running water underneath helps keep it cool. If you can cover the meat to keep the sun off this would seem to be a big winner.

On tempertures, remember that the ambient temp doesn't always have to be below 40 in order for it to be safe for several days. if it gets into the 30s at night, you can get the meat so cold that it can safely survive daytime temps in the mid 50s if its hung in the shade. I've done it and been fine.

In any case, make sure you open up the back hams so air can vent all the way in to the bone and cool the core of the quarter. There's a TON of heat in there and even if its snowing you can get some spoilage.

[grundy53]

What about no bags and just keeping it in quarters? But then you still have backs traps ect. Sounds like the bags are necessary and will last up to a week if chilled well. Any other advice welcomed! Thanks for the help guys!

No way.

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[sagerat1]

Many years ago my partner shot a spike. It was pretty warm and it was opening day, so we in our infinite wisdom put the quarters in the creek during the day and let them hang at night. Bottom line, after 3 days the butcher refused to cut it in his shop. We were able to salvage very little meat.

[MR5x5]

Super general guidelines for meat in the field:

Below 40 for two weeks
Below 50 for one week
below 65 for three days

this would be good to know,can you give a source from where it came?

From a Dwight Schuh article on meat care:

"Once you get all body heat out of a carcass, air temperature is almost irrelevant. Commercial butchers age beef for up to two weeks at 40 degrees, and they quick-age beef for three days at 65 degrees. Guided by that continuum, I believe if you can cool meat to 65 degrees, you have roughly three days to get it into a cooler. If you can cool the meat to 40 degrees, you have up to two weeks."

[Jonnyjammer]

how cold would a running mountain stream be?