Hot weather meat care

[huntnfmly]

Hey guys looking for tips after skinning and packing to cooler  I've heard it's best to keep the meat out of water from melted ice.
So just keep draining water and add more ice ?
For trip home
Thanks for the info

[vandeman17]

Correct or once cooled, put in bag then in cooler to keep it from getting submerged in water

[Henrydog]

I freeze water in old plastic milk jugs ( of the like).  Keeps the cooler cold and the water does not flood when the ice melts.  It keeps the cooler cool, but not ice cold.  Set the game bag(s) on top.  If fact I did this last night with a Turkey

[Stein]

I put a ton of ice in there and about 2 cups melts.  It's actually very surprising how little ice melts if you pack it in there and fill the entire cooler with meat and ice.

Down south, they submerge deer in icewater and it doesn't seem to bother them.

If you keep it clean and get it cool I don't think you will have any problems no matter the method assuming common sense like not using untreated water or stuff that will introduce bacteria.

[huntnfmly]

Thank you all

[RockChuck]

I freeze water in old plastic milk jugs ( of the like).  Keeps the cooler cold and the water does not flood when the ice melts.  It keeps the cooler cool, but not ice cold.  Set the game bag(s) on top.  If fact I did this last night with a Turkey

  This is what I have been doing for fish and game for a while, frozen water jugs then refreeze and don’t have to make or buy ice every time, I just put them in empty coolers pre hunt and keep them out of the sun, they stay frozen for days

[Magnum_Willys]

I put ice in garbage bags and meat in thin cloth bags.   But Ive put meat in cloth bags directly on ice and its been fine.  Best advice for meat care is “Treat it like a fine steak”. 

[Okanagan]

Depending on the situation, I have laid clean wood sticks in the bottom of coolers or refrigerators to keep meat an inch or two off of the bottom and out of any water or blood that pools in the bottom.  If you have a drain, you can drain it once in awhile before melt water rises to touch the meat.  Frozen jugs and plastic bottles of water are preferred but I always seem to wind up with free water in the bottom, some of it leaking out of the meat.

Sticks laid on the bottom also work to keep a pack out of splash and drip water in the bottom of a canoe.

[Bushcraft]

Depending on the situation, I have laid clean wood sticks in the bottom of coolers or refrigerators to keep meat an inch or two off of the bottom and out of any water or blood that pools in the bottom.  If you have a drain, you can drain it once in awhile before melt water rises to touch the meat.  Frozen jugs and plastic bottles of water are preferred but I always seem to wind up with free water in the bottom, some of it leaking out of the meat.

Sticks laid on the bottom also work to keep a pack out of splash and drip water in the bottom of a canoe.

^^^This.  The runners on the bottom of the freezer is excellent advice. Been doing it for a couple decades now and it works like a charm.

[spin05]

or get dry ice

[HntnFsh]

Its funny how about half the  people say keep your meat out of the water and the other half say submerge it in a creek when its hot out.

[elkrack]

You can get just about any idea fact stamped here on the interwebs! I wish I had saved the video but water can actually promote bacteria growth. Which will lead to spoilage. Get the meat deboned and in game bags ASAP. Happy hunting 

[fowl smacker]

You can get just about any idea fact stamped here on the interwebs! I wish I had saved the video but water can actually promote bacteria growth. Which will lead to spoilage. Get the meat deboned and in game bags ASAP. Happy hunting 

You beat me to it.  GET THE MEAT OFF THE BONE IF IT'S HOT OUT!

[Henrydog]

Elkrack is right...water leads to bacteria...

[predatorG]

You can get just about any idea fact stamped here on the interwebs! I wish I had saved the video but water can actually promote bacteria growth. Which will lead to spoilage. Get the meat deboned and in game bags ASAP. Happy hunting 

One thing i feel like i've heard a lot on higher elevation backcountry hunts is putting the meat in garbage bags so its relatively sealed and submerging them in an alpine creek when you're in a pinch. If the meat isn't in contact with the water would this still result in bacteria growth? Doesn't seem like it would but I've never been in a position to have to try it.