Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: Machias on July 31, 2019, 03:17:57 PM

Title: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: Machias on July 31, 2019, 03:17:57 PM: How does everyone like to handle taking care of their bear meat and the hide in the heat?
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: Machias on July 31, 2019, 03:22:28 PM: Me, I like to make sure, probably more so than other times of the year that I will be able to get to my bear soon after it is down. I am even more leery of taking a risky shot than I am at other times. Similar to a approaching rain storm. I have passed up shots right before a heavy rain storm or if it looked like I might have to leave a bear overnight in the heat. But, once I get a bear down I want to, as quickly as possible, get him skinned, quartered and meat in game bags and hanging in the shade, as soon as humanly possible. If it's a big bear and I am a loooong way from the truck, early in the season I have passed on those bears. I'd rather not fill a tag than shoot a big ol bear and lose the meat and the hide.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: bhawley76 on July 31, 2019, 03:23:06 PM: Get the hide off and cut them to the bone.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: bearpaw on July 31, 2019, 04:09:26 PM: I had put this in another topic, I'll also post it here...

Some options to consider:

- Find shade to work on your animal
- Quarter or bone out, it will cool quicker
- Quickly load in a vehicle and get to a nearby cooler/freezer
- Do not put warm meat in plastic bags
- Take some sort of refrigeration with you and don't hunt too far from it
- Avoid hunting where it will take too many hours to pack the meat out
- Get the meat in a cool stream to cool if needed and pack out at night/morning when it's cooler
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: Machias on July 31, 2019, 07:57:22 PM: :yeah: :tup:
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: huntnnw on August 01, 2019, 05:55:31 AM: this time of year I am usually heading up to truck about 45 min before dark. I dunno about some of you , but walking thru 10' high brush looking for a bear in the dark is not safe as with shadows go with headlamps everything looks like a piled up bear. This time of year leaving a bear over night is not a option it will be bad in the morning.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: PolarBear on August 01, 2019, 06:29:48 AM: I quit hunting bear in the heat after having one spoil, meat, hide and all. Hunting solo, I shot it 9 miles from my truck on a 95 degree day. No way to cool it down and by the time I did find a creek to put it in it was too late. It's the same reason that I quit hunting early archery deer. I value the meat too much to risk having it spoil.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: dilleytech on August 01, 2019, 07:53:48 AM: Lay the hide out flat specially at night to cool off. Hang quarters and separate meat from the bone while hanging and let it cool down for awhile in the shade and whatever you do don’t leave a wounded bear over night or all day if your not sure on the shot. Your going to loose it anyway if you do. Unless you don’t care about the meat. Which to me is the best part of the bear to take.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: Machias on August 01, 2019, 08:30:44 AM: Quote from: PolarBear on August 01, 2019, 06:29:48 AM
I quit hunting bear in the heat after having one spoil, meat, hide and all. Hunting solo, I shot it 9 miles from my truck on a 95 degree day. No way to cool it down and by the time I did find a creek to put it in it was too late. It's the same reason that I quit hunting early archery deer. I value the meat too much to risk having it spoil.

Same here. I have even skip elk in Sep sometimes if its super hot and I'm hunting a remote area.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: bearpaw on August 01, 2019, 08:50:20 AM: I'm reconsidering my mid August archery elk hunt in Utah, it depends how the weather looks. I can easily get a bear out of the mountains in time, done that numerous times, but I'm not sure I can get an elk out in time if it's real hot and he is very far from a road.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: stringer on August 07, 2019, 11:11:16 AM: Quote from: bearpaw on July 31, 2019, 04:09:26 PM
I had put this in another topic, I'll also post it here...

Some options to consider:

- Find shade to work on your animal
- Quarter or bone out, it will cool quicker
- Quickly load in a vehicle and get to a nearby cooler/freezer
- Do not put warm meat in plastic bags
- Take some sort of refrigeration with you and don't hunt too far from it
- Avoid hunting where it will take too many hours to pack the meat out
- Get the meat in a cool stream to cool if needed and pack out at night/morning when it's cooler

:yeah:

The only thing I would add, get the mouth open and propped right away to get the head cooling.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: Bango skank on August 07, 2019, 11:21:58 AM: Having a couple coolers packed full of ice in your truck is a real good idea if youre out hunting in this heat.
Title: Re: Meat and Hide care in the heat
Post by: Bango skank on August 07, 2019, 11:28:43 AM: After looking at the forecast, im going to wait until sunday to go back out hunting.