Citric acid or chili power

[nrh6.7]

I'm trying to get a few loose ends tied up and would like suggestions on the most effective product to keep the bugs off a downed elk. What have you used that worked great and was easy to carry into the back country?

 

[Brett8133]

Pepper


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[wewarev]

Chili powder has worked great for me.

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[NoWiser]

Nothing. Get good game bags and get them in the shade ASAP to cool down. I used pepper on a moose and will never do that to my meat again. Synthetic game bags that keep the bugs off are the way to go. I use the Allen game bags. Just like Caribou but cheaper.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

^^^ Good game bags, get the meat in fast/clean. I have some citric acid in "in case" supplies in my truck if the weather report is abnormally warm but I'm mainly intending that for bacterial surface barrier, game bags and shade/cool areas are the workhorse.

 

[vanish]

While you can put a piece of meat in a game bag and that's fine, the chili powder has come in handy for us when we're trying to skin the elk and the bees are bad. We're not putting it on the pieces of meat we remove, but rather the carcass we're working on.

 

[ElkNut1]

VanishX2 -- Chili powder works amazing when breaking down an animal & bees/flies are horrendous!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[weedwacker42]

So, like just sprinkling the stuff on the hide or the sides when the skin is back? How liberal with it? I'm intrigued because we fought both flies and bees last year and I was nervous the whole time about what was happening on the bug/egg level as we were trying to get meat in bags ASAP.

 

[nrh6.7]

Thanks for all the input so far. I already have TAG bags and a set made by a RS member. My question was based on me going solo and being able to keep flies and bees at bay while breaking down an animal. I don't want to use anything on the meat if I can avoid it.

 

[Lark Bunting]

We used chili powder on a deer and an elk and mainly around the entrance and exit hole and mouth/nose where is was especially bloody.

Seemed to work really well with flies. Thankfully we haven't had to deal with bees yet.

 

[Wapiti1]

For some info on citric acid use and general field meat care, Field-to-Freezer Meat Care in Alaska, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

I've never used either the chili powder or the acid. Never seemed necessary where I have hunted. I've always been able to get it cooled down and hung up.

Jeremy

 

[Kodiak]

I have had good luck with black pepper. It is cheap and you can get it in bulk at Costco or on amazon.
I killed a bull Aug 22 in 2016 and it was hot. A good coat of pepper on the outside of the game bags kept them fly and wasp free till we could get it out a few hours later. And if you get it on the meat it is just a little extra seasoning.