Below zero meat management

[V2Pnutrition]

We shot a cow a couple of years ago with temps around -8-10F (-22C). We skinned, quartered, and packed it off the mountain like any other animal. It froze solid that night. I unthawed it when home to process myself and never had a better tasting elk the rest of that year.

What I would change is removing the game bags earlier if I had a way to keep the meat clean once back at the truck. It tore a couple of my bags because I tried to peel them back too soon. 100% on me…

 

[Caseknife]

Have had numerous animals freeze solid hanging, just have to adjust a bit prior to cutting.
Dad killed a big bull about 45 years ago, came face to face with him about 10 yards, his hunting partner showed up a bit later and they decided to keep the hide in one piece. Normally they just quartered in the hide and hung it. Hung the hide over a waist high down lodgepole. Got down to about zero that night and Dad went in the next day to pack the hide out. Couldn't do anything with it except strap it to his pack frame. Said it was like packing out a 4x8 sheet of plywood. When we packed out the bull the quarters were frozen solid and could not even begin to remove the lower leg bone and to top it off there was about a 1/2" of ice on everything, pretty memorable pack out for a teenager.