Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: heronblu on August 11, 2014, 10:41:16 PM
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Is anyone else waiting for the weather to cool down to hunt? I've been holding off on going out until the temps in the evening and morning get down to 50 or so. My logic behind this decision is that I'm less likely to spoil the meat if I get a bear. This will be my first bear if I get one and I don't want to risk wasting it. Advice is welcome!
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Always wait till it cools down..don't want to loose any meat either. Plus, berries are riper later
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I lost one bear to spoilage because of the heat years ago and swore that I would rather stay home than risk wasting an animal. If it is hot out, I aint hunting. There is plenty of time after it cools down to hunt.
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Never lost bear meat due to heat. I hunt NE WA and its typicaly in the 90's or 80's in Sept. I am also not hunting miles from the truck either here
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no rush,Ive taken several bears in the heat and it sucks,always in a rush to get the meat out..wait a few weeks
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I've found that getting meat off the bone and the hide stripped quickly saves a lot of worries. If you can do those two things and get the meat AND hide cooled off within 12 or so hours. ...you'll be fine. There's no way the meat is gonna rot in the same day, but it will sure as he'll bone sour in a hurry. I would be more worried about bees than meat for the first 6 hours after the shot.
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Thanks for the replies folks. I feel good about my decision and will wait until we get some cooler weather.
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I've found that getting meat off the bone and the hide stripped quickly saves a lot of worries. If you can do those two things and get the meat AND hide cooled off within 12 or so hours. ...you'll be fine. There's no way the meat is gonna rot in the same day, but it will sure as he'll bone sour in a hurry. I would be more worried about bees than meat for the first 6 hours after the shot.
:yeah: Yellow Jackets are the worst.
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Should always carry enough good quality game bags so you can bone the bear out. Getting the hide off and getting the meat away from the bone is the most important thing. If you can get crushed ice, use as much as you can get and pack the bags from the outside. I have killed bears and have killed elk in this kind of heat and have never lost any meat yet. I was lucky enough to have been hunting with some people that took the time to show me what to do with meat in this heat at a young age. If you ever hunt Idaho or Montana in the early Archery season, you had better know what you are doing when you kill a big game animal in the heat. I have seen one in a life time hunts ruined because they didn't know how the handle meat in the heat. If you want that cape, then you had better learn how to cape that animal and even know how to turn the ears is necessary, and have lots of salt.
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I've found that getting meat off the bone and the hide stripped quickly saves a lot of worries. If you can do those two things and get the meat AND hide cooled off within 12 or so hours. ...you'll be fine. There's no way the meat is gonna rot in the same day, but it will sure as he'll bone sour in a hurry. I would be more worried about bees than meat for the first 6 hours after the shot.
:yeah: Yellow Jackets are the worst.
I completely agree, get the meat off the bone and in the shade right away. I soak my game bags with water just before I load the meat and tie it to the pack frames. Some years the Yellow Jackets on the East side can be a nightmare! I have been skinning bear, while a friend was swatting the Yellow Jackets away with a t-shirt. Hundreds of them! My right hand has been bit so many times , my fingers swelled and I couldn't grip the knife very well and I had to switch to my left hand.
So you could say Bee's worry me much more than the heat. Get the bone out right away and it will buy you plenty of time.
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Not too mention it sucks hiking up in the hills when it's 90 and humid outside. I've tried twice this year and it was brutal, but nonetheless I love hunting :tup:
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flys are bad to, even worse than bees, they get in there pretty quick when its warm and lay there larvae , after you get the meat hung up and cooled down i would wipe it down with a light vinegar cold water soluntion, you dont drench the meat, just wipe it down and pat dry :tup:
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Great opportunity to hunt them and not shoot. You can learn a lot letting them walk away. It will cool off and you will be in the right spot.
