Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: 6.8mmARHunter on July 30, 2013, 11:19:26 PM

Title: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: 6.8mmARHunter on July 30, 2013, 11:19:26 PM: Is it valid to bag (several layer of plastic garbage bags) skinned and de-boned bear meat, and then throw it into a creek, to keep it cool, while you're taking load after load out to your car?

I was just trying to think of an option to keep if from spoiling in the hot August afternoons.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

s
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: X-Force on July 30, 2013, 11:49:47 PM: The main thing is to get your meat off the bone and separated. Even in the earily fall heat you should have minimal problems if you lay all your meat out after being deboned to let it reach shade temperature.

I've had a bear on the ground the evening before found the following morning deboned by 11 or so and not in a cooler until 5 or 6 with no loss. Obviously not ideal but the heat around the bone especially your big bone areas neck shoulders and hams are most important. And ideally you want to get that meat off asap. Quartered meat still holds a lot of heat.

If your looking at putting meat in a creek or in a cooler with ice look at food grade plastic bags. Not garbage bags.

Once your meat is cool throw it in the fgp goose neck and zip tie. If you need to throw it in a creek those bags will hold up way better and not leach anything into your meat. :twocents:
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: huntnnw on July 30, 2013, 11:50:10 PM: ive done that before
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: huntnnw on July 30, 2013, 11:51:52 PM: I have yet to see a bear here in NE WA that was left overnight in Sept be edible..we hunt them to be able to recover them that night or leave
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: X-Force on July 31, 2013, 12:08:30 AM: I was speaking of the wet side.

I have had problems on the east side. My first bear was shot in the methow valley about 7 am and it was 95 by lunch time. I did loose some meat on that bear it took 5 or 6 so hrs to get him out. Their is a lot of things I would have done different with that pack out had I known better.

And like I said leaving it over night was not ideal and I don't think I would do it again. I was just giving a worse case scenario example.
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: PolarBear on July 31, 2013, 12:59:13 AM: I have cooled off several elk and bear in creeks or rivers until I could pack them out under the coolness of night. It sucks getting a critter down in 90+ degree weather and being 5+ miles back in to boot!
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: Bean Counter on July 31, 2013, 01:03:07 AM: Quote from: X-Force on July 30, 2013, 11:49:47 PM
If your looking at putting meat in a creek or in a cooler with ice look at food grade plastic bags. Not garbage bags.

Where can one buy these??
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: csaaphill on July 31, 2013, 01:09:48 AM: seems like a butcher might sell those bags.
Guy who did my deer last year used these red plastic bags and seems to do ok.
Wondering if just plain cloth game bags you buy at K mart wall mart etc... sealed so they dont' get washed away in creek would do just as well?
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: billythekidrock on July 31, 2013, 05:46:57 AM: Do not use plastic bags of any kind. They will trap heat. Use your game bag or leave the hide on.
Just make sure to dry the meat before processing.
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on July 31, 2013, 06:31:18 AM: I always use breathable game bags .. :tup: and tie them straight to my pack frame ....works great and never any bad meat !
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: X-Force on July 31, 2013, 06:48:33 AM: I get my fg plastic bags from my butcher. But I would think anywhere that sells meat processing stuff should sell them. I haven't looked for a while.

Quote from: billythekidrock on July 31, 2013, 05:46:57 AM
Do not use plastic bags of any kind. They will trap heat. Use your game bag or leave the hide on.
Just make sure to dry the meat before processing.

I also do not just put my meat in plastic. Only if its going to come in contact with water, ice etc. Otherwise I use breathable derable game bags so the meat has air move around it and I don't have to worry about trapped heat. But if I'm throwing my meat in a cooler, creek, or snow why have water logged meat? If you ask your butcher how they would handle it they wouldn't water log it or allow a bunch of foreign debris around it.
Title: Re: Bagging and throwing bear meat in a creek to keep it cool...
Post by: boneaddict on July 31, 2013, 07:07:30 AM: I use plastic when submersing it into a creek. When I pull it out of the creek to travel, it goes into my normal game bags. The cooled dry meat travels just fine then. I don't worry about trapped heat when its under water. If the temps are cool, then air is just fine for me.