How Much Time do You Really Have?

[trophyhill]

With the onslaught of backcountry hunters and solo hunters, and new hunters, season and weather dependant obviously, how long do we have to get our meat from field to icechest without spoilage? What has your experience been?

 

[5MilesBack]

I hunt in a lot of timber, so I've always been able to find a cool place to hang it while I'm hauling loads out, or to hang it overnight to start hauling in the morning. I've never lost any meat to spoilage in August or September.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Sunlight is your enemy; shade, creeks and streams your friend. If you are smart you have more time then you think. But I’m not sure there is a hard and fast time limit, heck if you rifle hunt you probably have days or weeks

 

[trophyhill]

Sunlight is your enemy; shade, creeks and streams your friend. If you are smart you have more time then you think. But I’m not sure there is a hard and fast time limit, heck if you rifle hunt you probably have days or weeks

Yeah in certain rifle conditions, we may be more worried about our meat freezing solid! Thats a great point there!

 

[Wheels]

Whenever we get an elk down it’s priority #1 to get the meat on ice, everyone is done hunting until that happens if you’re with others. Granted that is during archery season when warm temps prevail.

 

[MTtrout]

Lots of variables as you already stated. Even with that they’re more variables to consider. For example, was it a gut shot or got contaminated during the butchering, was it hung where it has access to air movement and out of the sun, was it hung in the right material to let it breathe (dry out and form a crust) and deter flies…? We’ve killed elk from as early as August 15th where meat stayed in the field for at least a full day. It’s always nerve wrecking for sure but have never experienced a problem. I believe under the right conditions we have more time than we think but obviously get it cooled as fast as possible.

I believe it was from Cornell but I read an article awhile back that talked about how long it takes to cool the center of a hindquarter even when placed in a cooler. Pretty telling on how long a mass that large retains heat.

 

[Gerbdog]

During archery its work work work til that meats on its way to a processor, usually 14+ hours of packing meat. We usually push as hard as we can to get this done as quick as possible, we lost half an elk years ago because we backed out after a shot for the night because we werent confident of the placement.... well it died nearby and we lost the half laying on the ground.... another one we lost a couple quarters to flies laying eggs .... still not sure how that one happened, it was in game bags, but is what it is. I have gone on deer hunts where we planned to submerge the meat in bags in a cold water source til everyone tagged out.... but it didnt come to that on that trip..... but the concept was solid.

 

[Behlftball]

Hang in a good place and get the hide off as quickly as possible

 

[butcherboy]

It’s surprising how long meat can hang in the mountains. Get it skinned, quartered, and hung up or spread out to allow circulation around it. Pick a spot that will be shaded in the afternoon. I’ve hung elk for 4-5 days no problem. I let it get a dry crust on the quarters first before bagging. Flies won’t lay eggs on dry crusted meat. If you put fresh quarters into a loose bag and flies get in then you will get fly eggs. If they do lay eggs on the dry meat they usually won’t hatch out in the air.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Way longer than most guys think if you know what you’re doing. And way less than most guys think if you don’t know what you’re doing.

 

[MTbowhunter36]

I've hung meat in game bags in 80° heat for several days. Just have to stay vigilant in ensuring it's out of the sunshine. Getting air circulation is key.

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[AKHUNTER]

I've sunk meat in the creek in contractor grade garbage bags with great success.

 

[CMS829]

This is at the top of my mind as a solo hunter. Curious to learn any other tricks/tips.

 

[CMF]

It was 25 hours from the shot until we got the second load of my NM bull to the truck, temps of 48-75, no issues at all. It was cleaned at night and the bags stored on the ground in the shade during the day.
I've twice shot whitetails in the evening in MS and not found them until the next day, one was almost noon the next day with overnight temps barely in the 50s, no issues.

 

[SwiftShot]

I often will hang meat over night after I have packed it out. Cool dry place is your friend. Never lost anything and I hunt in September. Keep it out of the sun and get air flowing around it. Shade with a breeze works well. If in the timber, around water is always cooler in the shade.

 

[JPD350]

There is never an issue till there is one, all one can do is to work diligently and be knowledgable.

The first half of Sept in southern NM can have 85 degree days and 65 degree nights, time is of essence. In my opinion 85/65 temps and in PJ country will give you 24 to 36 hours, IF you can keep it in the shade. Always carry a tarp with you to help shade the meat while you are gone packing a load of meat out, in PJ country you hang your meat and in 30 minutes it will be in the sun. It could take 4 or 5 hours to pack out and back if you are 3 or 4 miles in (at least it does for me), a couple hours cooking under a hot sun is very bad.

LOL sometimes bears will help keep any spoilage to a minimum if you have to leave meat over night and there are no big trees anywhere close. bears love big white meatcicles.

 

[NickyD]

What does the level of hunting pressure have to do with meat care? Afraid someone will steal your meat?

 

[Mike Islander]

I hunt in a lot of timber, so I've always been able to find a cool place to hang it while I'm hauling loads out, or to hang it overnight to start hauling in the morning. I've never lost any meat to spoilage in August or September.

I killed this buck on August 31 at 6pm. 88 degrees and 70% humidity. Shoot, gut to "cool", haul in those conditions. Probably a few hours for great meat. Overnight for good meat.

 

[Marble]

If the night time temps get down to at least into the low 30s, preferably to low 20s, and then mid 40s during the day, and I can keep the meat in the shade, I've gone as long as 6-7 days hanging. If temps aren't that cold at night, then it doesn't matter, and the next morning, the meat needs to be put into something to get cool. Once it's cool, it easy to keep it cool for a long time. We transport from CO to CA each year with the meat wrapped in old foam mats, sleeping bags and in our trailer.

We never freeze our meat until we process it. Not because we don't want to, but we would prefer it to hang as we like the tenderness and flavor.

If it's archery and it's hot during the day, then it has to be handled immediately.

My experience is that once meat gets cool and it's protected from bugs and sun, it's pretty easy to deal with.

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[CentennialState]

If the night time temps get down to at least into the low 30s, preferably to low 20s, and then mid 40s during the day, and I can keep the meat in the shade, I've gone as long as 6-7 days hanging. If temps aren't that cold at night, then it doesn't matter, and the next morning, the meat needs to be put into something to get cool. Once it's cool, it easy to keep it cool for a long time. We transport from CO to CA each year with the meat wrapped in old foam mats, sleeping bags and in our trailer.

We never freeze our meat until we process it. Not because we don't want to, but we would prefer it to hang as we like the tenderness and flavor.

If it's archery and it's hot during the day, then it has to be handled immediately.

My experience is that once meat gets cool and it's protected from bugs and sun, it's pretty easy to deal with.

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Interested in your system- in Colorado, mid September. 70 during the day, 50 at night. First day elk is quartered, bagged and hung in the shade. The next day it’s placed on…bags of ice? And then wrapped in your foam mats and sleeping bags and it stays like that for how many days until you get back to CA? And then hung from your garage rafters for how many additional days until you process it? And how do you keep it cold in the interim?