Post by: TeacherMan on July 11, 2009, 03:18:35 PM
I know getting the hide off and guts out ASAP are crucial, but once I quarter it should I take the time to hang the pieces I cant pack or just leave them on a tarp and start booking them out to a cooler? I hate spoiling/wasting any meat.
Any special tricks people have to helping save the meat? I'm not a newbie by any means but I always worry about this stuff. I have used pepper on the meat to keep yellow jackets and flys off and I have been told to cut the hind quarters down to the bone to help cool them quicker.
Post by: bearpaw on July 11, 2009, 03:33:51 PM
Meat will survive warmer temps than most people think, if you get it in the shade and all parted out to air out and cool it down fast. If weather is too hot, you better look for a creek.
Post by: Mike_D on July 11, 2009, 03:37:37 PM
anywho... my .02
Post by: Ellensburg on July 11, 2009, 03:38:13 PM
If it's not too hot, just get it quartered, and hang it in shade with game bags on it. It will cool out good. Pee or spit around the area to discourage coyotes. Pull the gut pile a little ways off in the open so the birds go to the gutpile and hopefully leave your meat alone. Also think about where the sun will come up in the morning before you get back.
Meat will survive warmer temps than most people think, if you get it in the shade and all parted out to air out and cool it down fast. If weather is too hot, you better look for a creek.
This is great advice...
If ur not gonna get it all out that day you gotta get it quartered up so it has more surface area to cool. Peeing around it is good advice. I will remember that bearpaw!
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on July 11, 2009, 03:40:36 PM
but once I quarter it should I take the time to hang the pieces I cant pack or just leave them on a tarp and start booking them out to a cooler? I hate spoiling/wasting any meat.
Any special tricks people have to helping save the meat? I'm not a newbie by any means but I always worry about this stuff. I have used pepper on the meat to keep yellow jackets and flys off and I have been told to cut the hind quarters down to the bone to help cool them quicker.
Should always hang it so it has good ventalation all the way around, laying it on the tarp is a bad idea.
The secret to having good quality meat is getting it cleaned out, hung up and cooled down, not cold or frozen, as quickly as possible. To do this, the internal organs have to be removed, the hide has to come off, and the carcass placed in a cool environment. Without a doubt, the longer the carcass is on the ground, the greater the chance the meat will spoil. Trapped body heat provides an ideal environment for bacteria to flourish.
A big game animal's body temperature is about 100? to 106? F at the time of death. Under normal conditions that temperature will decrease at a rate of 2 degrees an hour from the larger muscle masses in the rump, neck and shoulders. Twelve hours after death the large muscles of the hind legs may still be 76 degrees or more. Therefore, it is very important to do everything you can to increase that rate of heat loss.
Options that aid in dissipating heat from the carcass include: skinning the animal, placing the carcass in a shaded area, hanging it off the ground for maximum air circulation, and quartering or partial boning. Do not place the meat in any type of plastic because plastic will hold in heat. Also, do not place the meat directly into water. This simply makes an incredibly wet and sloppy mess that is difficult to handle.
Post by: Gutpile on July 11, 2009, 03:45:00 PM
Pee or spit around the area to discourage coyotes.
Bad idea, If Ice or Rasbo does that every scurvy coyote in the area is gonna want to come and get laid.
Post by: Houndhunter on July 11, 2009, 04:08:34 PM
Post by: alanger on July 11, 2009, 04:33:45 PM
Post by: bearpaw on July 11, 2009, 04:39:59 PM
The human scent doesn't always work, but it does most of the time, coyotes are usually scared to death of human scent.
If the flies do blow some of the meat no big deal, just trim it off. Pepper does work to keep flies off and there are a few other things too, I just don't like having to pack any more than I have to when hunting.
Post by: Ironhead on July 11, 2009, 05:50:53 PM
Another thing to do if there is not enough shade is to erect a tarp high enough off the ground for good ventilation that will create shade for the meat . Hang it vertical instead of the usual horizontal way.
Post by: billythekidrock on July 11, 2009, 05:53:17 PM
Post by: bugle-em on July 11, 2009, 06:09:11 PM
Post by: Crunchy on July 11, 2009, 08:28:02 PM
I bring block ice to camp (use costco milk jugs), along with bags of ice. We usually have 4-5 150 quart coolers in camp. Put quarters in game bags, then large garbage bags to keep meet dry, and then set on block ice, and cover with ice bags. Your good to go for probably 3 days.
Post by: dave on July 11, 2009, 08:41:16 PM
Post by: bucklucky on July 11, 2009, 08:57:54 PM
Post by: norsepeak on July 11, 2009, 09:27:46 PM
Post by: Bean Counter on July 11, 2009, 10:00:34 PM
That bone sour can make or break ya. . The less you have to cool the better and that bone will hold the heat longer than anything.
:yeah:
I've been taught (by people way smarter & experienced than me) that boning out an elk is just as critical as skinning it.
Post by: Timmybob on July 12, 2009, 12:06:05 AM
Post by: Bean Counter on July 12, 2009, 01:39:42 AM
The bones hold a lot of heat and this radiates out into the surrounding meat. Even if you've skinned the quarters, you can get spoilage if you don't at least cut some space around the bones for air to circulate and take the heat from the bones outta there. I've never had it happen on a deer but I've heard of a few unfortunate stoires from elk hunters.. must be due to their bigger size.
Post by: HoofsandWings on July 12, 2009, 09:47:42 AM
How about if you are taller than the new trees around you?
Post by: TeacherMan on July 12, 2009, 12:10:07 PM
Post by: Mike_D on July 12, 2009, 02:12:19 PM
Sounds similar to my first event. I've been hunting specifically Elk for about 6 years now, & my first elk occurred on my first hunt... bagged a beautiful 5point raghorn. My friend and I are almost like two stooges (not sure where larry was this time) forgetting one thing after another, but it took us almost 4 hours to get him out of a gully. We were totally unprepared for it when I got it. I didn't lose the meat, but some of it was bit stronger, but I found through Jim Zumbo (sportsman show 03 I think...) to soak the meat in milk overnight, and the stronger flavor would dissipate.
Now I'm loaded for bear (and elk, and deer) with a 12K lb winch, chains, skinning blades, meat bags, ATV and winch, 50ft of steel cable etc... Now I just don't see elk anymore... :dunno:
Post by: bugle-em on July 12, 2009, 09:19:54 PM
Post by: coachcw on July 13, 2009, 06:57:50 AM
Post by: buckhorn2 on July 13, 2009, 11:28:10 AM
Post by: gasman on July 13, 2009, 03:24:22 PM
I have pack bards and a Barbie Jeep witha wincha nd lots of rope, actully i need to get some "Mule Tape" ths year, and if my son is with me, i will have teenage muscles to work :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
PM me and i will get you my number.
Post by: SHANE(WA) on July 13, 2009, 03:44:13 PM
Post by: Rhino on July 13, 2009, 11:16:08 PM
Post by: SNIPER10 on July 14, 2009, 12:27:24 AM
Post by: Slider on July 14, 2009, 08:35:56 AM
Post by: tmike on July 14, 2009, 08:52:11 AM
Post by: TeacherMan on July 14, 2009, 06:49:58 PM
Post by: GreenHunter on July 15, 2009, 01:44:00 PM
So my first question is are they one-time-use or do you reuse them?
And second has anyone tried to make their own game bags? I used a bedsheet I got at goodwill for $2 on a doe last year that didn't work as well as I had hoped. It was hard to keep it wrapped around the carcass as I was carrying it out. Also I think I need something with less threadcount like cheese cloth to help with ventilation.
Post by: MagKarl on July 16, 2009, 10:40:53 AM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on July 16, 2009, 11:01:32 AM
Post by: Da stump on July 16, 2009, 03:27:45 PM
Another thing that we used to do when it was going to take awhile to get the meat out was saturate it with pepper doen't help with the cooling but helps with yellow jackets and flies. Peppered venison isn't bad either. :drool:
Post by: GoPlayOutside on July 16, 2009, 03:34:27 PM
Post by: HoofsandWings on July 17, 2009, 12:22:13 PM
Post by: Bob33 on July 19, 2009, 10:26:14 AM
The funny part is that we dumped the two heads in a mini-mart dumpster on the way home. We got a good laugh thinking about the poor soul that would find them after being in the hot dumpster for a few days.
Post by: Austrian Hunter on July 19, 2009, 01:31:18 PM
Post by: buckhorn2 on July 19, 2009, 07:04:51 PM
Post by: gasman on July 19, 2009, 07:18:17 PM
I don't see anyone using dry ice in the coolers :dunno: is that a bad idea?
I believe if you use dry ice, you do not want the meat touching the dry ice. Use a piece of foam between the dry ice and the meat. the meat can get "freezer burn" if it sets on the dry ice to long. (the piece of meat that is touching at least.
This is what i was recmended to do when i asked the same question, but I have no first hand experiance.
Post by: Elkpiss on July 21, 2009, 04:15:39 PM
Post by: Al Bundy on July 21, 2009, 04:36:07 PM
Thanks everyone! :brew:
Post by: Austrian Hunter on July 21, 2009, 04:45:25 PM
I don't see anyone using dry ice in the coolers :dunno: is that a bad idea?
I believe if you use dry ice, you do not want the meat touching the dry ice. Use a piece of foam between the dry ice and the meat. the meat can get "freezer burn" if it sets on the dry ice to long. (the piece of meat that is touching at least.
This is what i was recmended to do when i asked the same question, but I have no first hand experiance.
I agree Gasman!
I thought of using butcher paper or wax paper to wrap the dry ice. But I think regular ice will do the job also. I am paranoid thinking I can lose my harvest.
Austrian
Post by: Cylvertip on July 22, 2009, 02:46:34 PM
From - www.outdoorsdirectory.com/magazine/meatcare.htm
Care of Alaska Game Meat in the Field
By Doug Drum, Indian Valley Meats
HC52 Box 8809, Indian, AK 99540
Tel. (907) 653-7511
In order to make the best product from your game, we need to start with game that has been well taken care of. There are many theories on the best ways to take care of game in the field. Personally, I use a proven method that is based on the principals used in the meat processing industry. The aim of this method is to make life harder for bacteria and flies by; creating a cool, high-acid environment to slow their growth, limiting their food sources by bleaching out blood, making a protective glaze coating and by controlling flies.
(Meat yield from a good-sized bull moose can run into the hundreds of pounds...and it is good eating! Photo by David M. Johnson)
THE GAME BAG
Never use plastic or woven plastic bags because they tend to hold in the heat and don't allow for proper air circulation. Always use cheesecloth or a cheesecloth like material, which is strong enough to carry the meat while it allows for maximum air movement, yet still has a tight enough weave to keep flies out. You can find the bags at most sporting goods stores.
TREATING THE BAG: Prepare a citric acid solution as follows: Blend (in a blender or juicer) three lemons (un-pealed), one large bottle of lemon juice concentrate and one small bottle of Tabasco sauce. Soak the game bags in the solution for 20 minutes to one hour. Then let them air dry completely (not in the dryer). Finally, seal them in zip lock baggies. [You may want to use rubber gloves while preparing these bags -- Webmaster]
RESULTS: Flies may light on the bag but the citric acid burns them and they will not hang around. Also, the citric acid helps to reduce bacteria growth. Bacteria grows rapidly at a pH level of 7.0. The pH level contained in lemons or limes is around 2.35. You can buy a high concentrated dry citric acid at Indian Valley Meats that will make a gallon of liquid for $2.00. This will also help the pH level drop to around 5.3. The higher the pH level the more chance there is of spoiling.
The Alaska Dept of Fish and Game has prepared this
video to assist hunters in preparing the highest
quality meat. Click here to order.
REASONS pH LEVEL WILL BE HIGH: If the animal has been running a long way and is excited its blood sugar level will drop which causes lactic acid in the muscle tissue to be higher. The meat will be darker in color and have an off flavor to it. This is why a clean kill is important.
COOLING THE MEAT
COOL THE MEAT QUICKLY IN WATER: In the field, you want to cool your meat quickly because the sooner the meat is cool, the better the meat will be. You should bleed, gut and skin your animal as soon as you can. Next, you need to reduce the temperature of the meat. If you are near a stream or lake, you can submerge the quarters to bring the temperature down. Do not cool completely in water. Retain enough heat to dry the meat when it comes out of the water. For water cooling, I carry a sheet of plastic "visquine" and spread it out in a lake or stream. Once the animal is quartered, I lay the meat on the visquine and let it cool for twenty-five minutes to an hour (depending on the mass of the meat).
WHY WATER COOL YOUR MEAT? A bath in a stream or lake speeds the cooling process and bleaches out excess blood that feed bacteria and attracts flies. Alaska game animals have a very large meat mass. Consequently, it takes a long time for the meat to cool down. The cold water temperature of the lakes and streams in Alaska help expedite the cooling process.
WATER COOLING CONCERNS: (1). I've been told by several hunters that you should avoid getting meat wet. This is partially true; you don't want to leave meat wet. This is why you retain enough heat in the meat to cause drying once you remove it from the water (also see air drying for procedures to remove excess water). (2). I've also heard concerns about Giardia in the water getting into the meat. While I can't guarantee the purity of the water or possible transfer of bacteria to your meat, I can say that I have never heard of anyone getting sick from water cooled meat, and I talk with a lot of hunters. The decision is yours based upon the conditions at your location, cleanliness of water and outside temperature. Tests have also been done in Canada by Bailight, which show the strong acid in citric acid should take care of Giardia and will also help kill types of bacteria.
AIR DRYING/STORING MEAT IN THE FIELD
AFTER WATER COOLING: After you have brought the temperature of the meat down, you're ready to begin air drying. If you are near water, there is normally a gentle breeze at all times. Hang the meat in such a way as to take advantage of this air movement. Protect the meat from the warm sun with some sort of shelter. I bring a light weight tarp for this purpose
REMOVE EXCESS MOISTURE: Once the meat is hung under the tarp, run your hands down it to squeeze out and remove any excess moisture.
APPLY LEMON JUICE MIXTURE OR CITRIC ACID: Lightly coat the meat with a lemon juice mixture (see game bags). This will create a high acid protective glaze over the meat while it is drying.
PLACE IN GAME BAGS: When the meat is dry, it's ready to place in the game bags and rehang.
FLY TRAPS
NECESSARY SUPPLIES: Buy a small can of Golden Malprin (available at Alaska Mill and Feed) and a small piece of black plastic (a black plastic garbage bag is fine).
BUILDING THE FLY TRAP: Eight to ten feet away from your meat, lay a couple of branches on the ground. Pile scraps of meat on and around the branches. Pour Golden Malprin on and around the scraps of meat. Cut a slit in the center of the garbage bag or black plastic and place the bag loosely over the pile.
HOW IT WORKS: The sun heats the plastic, which heats the meat. The flies are attracted and crawl through the slit in the plastic to the meat. The Golden Malprin kills the flies.
WHEN YOU LEAVE THE AREA: Put the black plastic and the scraps of meat with the Golden Malprin on it in a zip lock baggy and carry it out with you.
WINTER AND COLD WEATHER HUNTING
WHEN HUNTING IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES: The animal should be skinned as soon as possible and then covered with a tarp or plastic after cooling for 20 minutes to 1 hour. If surface starts to freeze, cover the plastic covered carcass with snow to insulate it so that freezing does not occur until rigor mortis sets in. Rigor mortis is the process where the muscle tissue starts to stiffing up. This may take up to 12 hours. If the carcass freezes before rigor mortis sets in the pH will not drop down to around 5.3 and your meat will not be tender and have as good a flavor.
Post by: coachcw on July 22, 2009, 06:18:00 PM
Post by: Cylvertip on July 23, 2009, 12:44:03 AM
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/community/inthefield/fieldguides/guidebooks-story-1.jsp?hierarchyId=87&title=Good%20Meals%20and%20Quality%20Trophies%20Begin%20in%20the%20Field%20&contentId=ross_early_season_care&categoryId=SEARCH_ai
Good Meals and Quality Trophies Begin in the Field
With temperatures hovering in the upper 90's, it's very difficult to focus on hunting season, especially with the sweat that keeps stinging my eyes. Difficult or not, hunting season is coming and with it the cooler temperatures that we all look forward to. While the later seasons will require a return to layering, the early archery and muzzleloader seasons will require hunters to take extra care to ensure that their meat and trophies are properly cared for.
Author: Frank Ross
Two overwhelming factors demand that you plan and execute proper field care in warm temperatures. First, because it is illegal as well as unethical to waste portions of wildlife fit for human consumption, which means a minimum of four quarters, tenderloins and backstrap of any game animal. Secondly, and of equal importance, you don't want to lug all of that heavy meat back to your vehicle and then find out it has spoiled because you didn't take a few simple precautions. It wouldn't make sense to expend all the energy it takes to make a successful hunt, only to have your game rot before it reaches the freezer.
The benefits of game meat are many. It contains no growth hormones, chemical additives or antibiotics, and is healthier than anything you will find in a supermarket. Elk, deer, antelope and moose all have less fat, cholesterol and calories than beef, lamb or pork, which makes their flesh not only tasty but good for the heart.
Plan ahead for success and you'll be ahead of the curve when you begin the task of field dressing your game. Take along some clean cloths, fresh water and a game bag to keep the flies and bugs off of your meat. Bees and sweat flies can be particularly annoying during this process, so take along some insect repellent for yourself as well. Just make sure you wash your hands before handling any meat after applying your repellent.
The most important step is field dressing the animal as soon as it drops. That means removing the guts, heart, lungs, liver, esophagus and other internal organs, as well as cleaning out the rectal bone. After removing all the entrails, roll the animal over to drain the body cavity, then use a clean rag to wipe off excess blood, bone chips, dirt, partially digested food particles and other foreign matter. Do not use creek water to wash it out, as it may be infected with various forms of bacteria and will actually hasten spoilage. Once you've washed out the body cavity, use your cloths to dry off any excess water, which expedites spoilage.
The next step is cooling the meat as quickly as possible. Even after evisceration, the neck and shoulders still retain a lot of heat, which must be dissipated to stop the meat and hide from spoiling. Spoiling usually starts in the neck and radiates backward throughout the whole animal. Time is critical, even in cool weather. Bacterial growth begins at any temperature over 38 degrees Fahrenheit and maggots can hatch within eight hours if the carcass is exposed to flies and other winged insects, which is a given anywhere in the field.
Any experienced meat processor will tell you that the most common mistake made by hunters is not skinning soon enough. Without air circulation, an animal can sour quickly, even in cold weather. When the weather is hot, you've only got a couple of hours to get that hide off so the meat can cool and develop a protective crust.
Only leave the hide on long enough to keep the meat clean, if the animal is going to be dragged on the ground, or if it will be transported over dusty forest service roads in the back of an open pickup. If you have ambitions of tanning the hide, or doing a shoulder mount, dragging your trophy is a bad plan. If you have help, a game pole will work for smaller animals, but you might want to consider other options such as Cabela's Magnum Game Carrier or the Deer Sleigh'r Sled which is easier to pack along to remote areas. Smaller game such as deer and antelope, if transported whole and reasonably quickly, can be skinned back at camp. But larger animals such as elk and moose, which usually have to be packed out in pieces on several trips, should be skinned and quartered in the field. While you're at it, remove all fat, because what little fat there is on a game animal begins going rancid almost immediately, which gives a nasty taste to the meat.
Use good sturdy game bags that are both insect-proof and breathable. Cheap, cheesecloth bags rip easily, and do not protect the meat from birds and blowflies. Get the animal off the ground and out of the sun. Hang it in the shade, off tree branches or, if a cool creek is running nearby, place the covered meat on poles near or above the water. But don't get it wet. Water is the other great enemy besides lack of air circulation. Wet meat will not glaze and sours very quickly. Keep it dry, shaded, preferably in the wind and never cover it with a tarp or plastic bags.
In higher altitudes, even with the best of care, meat hanging in camp will not last more than two days during typical weather, from late August through early October. For lower altitudes, were temperatures don't fluctuate much in the evenings, the time is much shorter. For later seasons, when nighttime temperatures drop into the 20s, hanging meat can last three to five days. That means hunters in the early seasons, who get their game early, but wait for friends to fill their tags before breaking camp, should find a freezer locker in the nearest town or debone their meat and chill it in ice chests. When using a cooler, do not place meat directly on ice. Frozen water bottles work best. Also, do not use baggies or plastic wrap when simply chilling meat, as plastic holds in heat and moisture. Freezer paper or aluminum foil is the way to go, and you'll want to keep the water drained out of your cooler. You can use plastic when the meat finally goes into your freezer back home, but preferably with a vacuum sealer.
Those driving some distance with game bags should remember the importance of air circulation. Don't stack and don't cover them with a tarp that traps heat and cuts off airflow. If you have a topper, leave the back window open to ensure adequate circulation and reduce the ambient temperature.
If you opt to take your animal to a meat processor, taking the time to bone out the meat is a simple process that pays big dividends at the dinner table. Many processors cut meat with the bone left in if it isn't deboned by the owner, but if you ask an honest cutter, they'll admit that deboned elk or deer tastes much better than one with the bones left in. That's because bones and bone marrow impart a more "gamy" taste, as does the fat. Get rid of both and remember that an animal is what it eats. If elk and deer have been eating alfalfa or corn, they're going to taste better than those that have existed on sagebrush or saplings. If you get a gamy animal, it's going to stay gamy. If quality table fare is more important than trophy size, you might want to scout areas where their diet will produce better tasting meat. However, that said, a huge 6x6 muley mounted over the hearth could help you develop a taste for sage.
Lastly, always remember that the better you clean your animal, the better quality of meat you will have. Most hunters know how to take care of their meat, but there are those who leave hair, dirt, gravel, twigs, leaves and pine needles on otherwise well-dressed meat when they deliver it to a processing plant. As for burger and sausage, it's only as good as the meat you put in it. Don't expect processors to work miracles with ground meat if you throw in tendons, muscle, gristle and all the other things you wouldn't eat on a steak. Chances are, it's going into the grinder without much, if any, trimming.
Much of what applies to meat preservation also applies to hide and trophy care. Bacterial growth starts at the same temperature for meat or hides and air circulation is just as critical. You'll want to keep the hide cool, never get it wet and remember that hair can start slipping after only one and a half days of 60-degree weather.
A common complaint from taxidermists is hunters who don't give them enough hide to work with; the most common mistake made by those skinning out a trophy is cutting it too short. For a proper head mount with full sweep of the neck, a good taxidermist needs nearly half the hide cut well behind the shoulders at mid-rib so the brisket and front armpits are all there. That means peeling the hide off the front part of the animal literally like a sausage, all the way up the neck to the base of the skull.
If you don't know how to cape out a head, cut it off at the first vertebrae and let the taxidermist do the rest. Many taxidermists prefer to do it themselves, since the hair on a head is short and mistakes are hard to repair. The most common error by do-it-yourselfers is a cape with four eyeholes, which happens when they cut into the membrane right above the eyeball. Sliced lips are next and almost impossible to repair, as well as leaving the nose attached to the skull instead of the hide.
Below the head, where the hair is long on the neck, brisket and shoulders, nicks, cuts and holes are relatively easy to repair. In fact 90 percent of a taxidermist's work is repairing the blemishes of skinners and tanners. That said, try to skin as cleanly as possible, leaving meat, fat and muscle tissue on the carcass rather than the hide. Otherwise, you or a taxidermist will have to spend extra hours scraping the hide clean. Your time is free, but his is not!
When packing, storing or transporting hides, think dry and cold; moisture and heat are the big enemies. The best way to store a hide in camp is folded up, hair on the outside, skin on the inside, in a breathable burlap sack kept off the ground in the coolest, shadiest spot you can find. The hide also can be kept in an ice chest as long as the ice is in a plastic bag and water are kept below the hide, or if a piece of burlap separates the hide from the melted ice.
Salting a cape removes the moisture in which bacteria thrive, but most taxidermists advises not to salt unless you absolutely have to, and then only if you do it thoroughly and well. It's no use salting a cape with the head still attached because the unsalted portion of hide on the skull will invariably spoil and ruin the whole thing. It's best to freeze a cape with the head attached and take it that way to your taxidermist. And never freeze a salted cape, as it will slowly rot in the freezer.
If the head has been skinned out and you only have the cape to deal with, make sure all the fat and meat has been removed before salting. Salt cannot penetrate fat, meaning those portions will spoil, and it can only penetrate about a half inch of meat. Rub salt into every exposed portion of skin, paying close attention to all edges, eyes, lips, ears and mouth, then roll up the hide and store in a cool area. After 24 hours, shake out the wet salt and do all over again. That will remove about a half-gallon of moisture from the average deer hide and over a gallon from a full-grown bull elk - but even that may not prevent spoilage for long in hot weather. Freezing without salt is by far the best option, and for a real trophy it's well worth a run to town no matter what the distance.
If you have great expectations, based on pre-season scouting, it would be best to locate the taxidermist you intend to use and ask how he wants you to deliver your future trophy. Most prefer their capes fresh over frozen and frozen over salted, but it's best not to assume. Once you've taken your trophy, get it out of the woods as fast as possible and let a professional take care of it. Leave your friends to hunt alone, or rejoin them later, after you've delivered your cape. It's an extra effort, and might not be as much fun as sitting around camp and reliving your moment of success, but when you think about the consequences it just makes sense. After all the work you've put into scouting, hunting, and hide care, the last thing you want to show off is a monster rack mounted on a bald head.
Gear List
Alaska Game Bags
Cabela's Magnum Game Carrier
Field Dressing Kit
Deer Sleigh'r Sled
Gambrel & Hoist Lift System
Post by: Redstar on July 24, 2009, 03:22:16 PM
Post by: Ridgeratt on July 24, 2009, 04:48:25 PM
If it's not too hot, just get it quartered, and hang it in shade with game bags on it. It will cool out good. Pee or spit around the area to discourage coyotes. Pull the gut pile a little ways off in the open so the birds go to the gutpile and hopefully leave your meat alone. Also think about where the sun will come up in the morning before you get back.
Meat will survive warmer temps than most people think, if you get it in the shade and all parted out to air out and cool it down fast. If weather is too hot, you better look for a creek.
Great Idea's! I always carry extra socks and a t-shirt that way I change them and hang the smelly clothes around the area it also discourages the pest's. To waste a t-shirt hung is strips is cheap insurance.
Post by: h2ofowlr on July 26, 2009, 03:28:00 PM
Just get that thing cooled down or it can green up on you fairly quick.