Game Bags

[andersonjk4]

I think it all depends on what you are using your game bags for.

If all you want is something to put boned out meat or quarters in to get them back to the truck and will take them out of the bags and into a cooler or some other container, then almost anything will work fine...  pillow cases, game bags, contractors bags, dry bags, you name it. 

If you are using the game bags to keep the meat in and hanging it exposed and letting it cool/age for awhile then it can really matter what you put your meat in.  In this case I would go with a synthetic game bag with a tight weave and little to no stretch.  Synthetics dry faster and some are more anti-microbial than cotton.  A tight weave will resist blow flys and other bugs from accessing the meat.  Low stretch will keep the mesh holes tight and could also allow a little more airflow to the meat if the bag is not tight to the meat.

 

[ctwiggs1]

True that! Haven't found a good reason to leave the bone in though. Meat cools faster and a lot less weight to pack

Rigor mortis.  Lots of food science suggests that leaving the bones in for at least 24 hours makes for considerably more tender meat.  It gives the muscles time to relax through rigor mortis.  Imagine cutting away a muscle from the bones when it was flexed, it would retract into itself, not good.

Also I use the bones so I pack them out.

Yup!  Stock, stock and more stock!

We make a batch almost weekly at this point from our game and poultry.  If I could kill more grouse I would stop raising chickens!

[dscubame]

what's the advantage of the high tech $$$ game bags over pillow cases?

Anyone?  Anyone? Beuller.

The advantage come in wet areas. The synthetic materials wick away moisture unlike cotton. So say if your hunting in a humid areas and have to hang for a day or so in the field that wet cotton is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

Sent from my RCT6873W42 using Tapatalk

You have it backwards.  Smell a cotton shirt then a synthetic after wearing them a couple days hiking.

But don't take my word for it there are actually scientific studies comparing  bacterial growth on cotton vs synthetics.

You made that up and a simple Google search will support my statements.

[Stein]

I don't use cotton game bags for the same reason I don't wear cotton shirts in the backcountry.  The big difference with what you mention is that meat isn't pumping out armpit sweat, so synthetic is a good option for me.  I use them because I never know if I will get the animal to the truck in 6 hours or 4 days and cotton just doesn't breathe or dry quickly in addition to the extra bulk and weight.  A cotton bag will stay wet a long time which is very bad unless you can quickly get the meat below 40 degrees.

If I need to go a couple of days, it is simple to rinse the blood out of the bag, air dry it for a few minutes and rebag the meat.  Repeat this until the meat has formed a crust and stops leaking and you have a nearly foolproof system that keeps everything clean, dry and cool.

To each their own.