Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: RockChuck on October 03, 2010, 04:25:10 PM

Title: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: RockChuck on October 03, 2010, 04:25:10 PM: I will be hunting opening weekend with a Friend near the snake river, if we get one the first day what would you suggest to keep the meat cool until we go back late the next day? bone and put in coolers not touching ice? hang in the shade? put it in plastic and submerse in the river? (going to be kind of far away). any suggestions will be appreciated.
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: coachcw on October 03, 2010, 06:47:46 PM: If you can keep it dry the river will work , but id try to process it as far as you can then put it on ice plastic then card board to keep it dry try to get air space between layers of meat . I've cooled elk off in the river then dryed the meat with a towell. good luck.
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: Wea300mag on October 03, 2010, 06:52:32 PM: We have turned a truck bed into a cooler on a couple occasions with elk quarters in 70 deg weather. Block ice and a couple tarps is all it took.
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: wsucowboy on October 03, 2010, 06:55:42 PM: Quote from: Wea300mag on October 03, 2010, 06:52:32 PM
We have turned a truck bed into a cooler on a couple occasions with elk quarters in 70 deg weather. Block ice and a couple tarps is all it took.
That's actually what I was thinking of doing this year. Hopefully it'll work good.
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: 1buckdown on October 03, 2010, 09:53:46 PM: I have a feeling there will be a lot of truck beds used that way this year :bash:
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: Wahunter555 on October 04, 2010, 12:35:14 AM: Shoots , Never thought of using my truck bed as a cooler. I may try that out this year. thanks for the tip :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: ICEMAN on October 04, 2010, 04:34:01 AM: It takes a ton of ice to turn a truck bed into a cooler with no insulation....

Wallmart sells those white marine style mega coolers for cheap. They are big enough to put ice blocks in then large sections or quarters of game in. I bring three to camp, and then make an ice block run when we get game down.... The coolers extend your ice and also keep flies away...
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: halflife65 on October 04, 2010, 05:54:51 AM: I used to hunt the snake quite a lot. As long as you get the skin off, and better yet quartered so you get the heat out of the large joints, and out of direct sun you should be fine. We hunted there for 10 or 12 years and a couple of us a year (and sometimes more) always got deer. It gets cool at night, usually, so that's helpful.

If you were going to be there longer than over the weekend, I would definitely do something about it.
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: Timberstalker on October 04, 2010, 07:21:17 AM: Quote from: halflife65 on October 04, 2010, 05:54:51 AM
I used to hunt the snake quite a lot. As long as you get the skin off, and better yet quartered so you get the heat out of the large joints, and out of direct sun you should be fine. We hunted there for 10 or 12 years and a couple of us a year (and sometimes more) always got deer. It gets cool at night, usually, so that's helpful.

If you were going to be there longer than over the weekend, I would definitely do something about it.

Absolutley, Keep it out of the sun and it will be fine.
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: Skinnyman on October 04, 2010, 08:07:22 AM: It depends how cool it gets at night. If it gets nice and cool at night, then keep it in the shade in the day (as long as it doesnt get too warm, like high 60's +). I have seen my uncle hang them in the air at night when it is nice and cool. And then make sure they are in the shade during daytime and wrap a sleeping bag around it during the day to keep it cold. I just wouldn't want to sleep in it at night!!!
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: RockChuck on October 04, 2010, 07:34:13 PM: Thanks for the suggestions, I guess as it gets closer I will check the weather and bring some coolers if the temp is going to be high.
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: high country on October 04, 2010, 07:42:12 PM: a cooler w/o ice will do also, hang it at night and toss the quarters in during the day. I am in the dry meat camp.....ice is for initial cool off, after theat it is the enemy.
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: RockChuck on October 04, 2010, 08:00:25 PM: So I could cool it off in the river, hang it overnight and put in coolers the next day with no ice? or maby a frozen jug or 2 in the cooler wrapped to keep it dry?
Title: Re: keeping meat cool opening weekend
Post by: high country on October 04, 2010, 08:34:58 PM: that would work fine.