Cooling meat in a creek

[buckeyearcher]

I'm headed out on an elk trip in a couple weeks and am looking for suggestions on how many trash compactor bags to carry. I have Caribou Carnivore II games bags and was planning on carrying some trash compactor bags in case I need to cool meat in a creek. Never doing it before I am not sure how many I should take. I have some 18 gal bags already, I was thinking two should suffice. What does everyone suggest?

 

[cowboy]

I would suggest you find some part of the creek covered with shade. Cut some lodge pole pine and lay over the creek with poles just above water line. Lay you meat bags on the poles just above the water. That running water will cool the air and your meat just about as good as having your meat in the water using plastic non breathable garbage bags.

When I couldn't find any poles close by I have made rock piles higher than the water line and set my game bags on these rocks.

 

[Bughalli]

I was planning to do the same, but only bringing one bag per quarter.

 

[HuntHarder]

I would plan for double bag on each quarter and 2 more for good meat i.e. backstraps, loins and neck. Bags are light weight, and do not take up much room.

 

[roadrunner]

What happens if the elk does not die near a cool running creek? Getting it away from the body core, skinned, and hung in the shade will do wonders for it, creek water or not.

I use 10 gal ziplock bags to put boned meat in after it's cooled out. Then put those into your Caribou bags (or whatever) for the packout.