keep meat from spoiling with two hunters

[Sniff]

My friend and I are going the 2nd week of September OTC Colorado. It will be warm and I am wondering what others have done in a situation where one person has an elk down and in meat bags, while the other is still trying to punch their tag? Is it good enough to get it in some coolers on ice and continue to hunt? Do you run one to a processor and go back and hunt? I have read about setting logs in shade over running water to keep the meat cool, would this be enough in the September heat? I want to be prepared in case we both get one and am looking for any advice or experience with this situation. Thanks

 

[GregB]

I've done the logs over water but only for a day or two while I'm packing out. any longer than that you would be best to use coolers and dry ice. Bone it out to save some cooler space.

 

[Rich M]

I age beef and venison for 7-10 days in coolers as a rule before processing. Never shot an elk. I do drain the water every day and add more ice as needed.

If you can get the meat in a cooler and cover it with ice, spend the night at the truck so the meat actually starts cooling - drain the water and top off the ice in the morning, will be good for several days. Be nice if you could rig a hose to drain the melt water.

Here is hoping you actually have this problem to deal with.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Here's a good thread on backcountry meat care with input from guys more experienced than me:

Wilderness Meat Care Thread

We talk a lot about hunting, but meat care seems to get overlooked! I have my own system on how I keep game preserved for several days in the backcountry, but I want to make sure everyone has a good idea on what to do before this season starts. I generally have a few tags in my pocket on any...

www.rokslide.com

My two cents based on losing an elk to spoilage in 2016 and successfully getting elk into the freezer the past 2 years: policy amongst me and my hunting partners is that once anyone downs an animal, everyone pitches in to help and no one hunts again until the meat is safe. "Safe" is a judgment call highly dependent on the circumstances. Early archery elk season can be mighty warm. I debone the meat ASAP and hang it in synthetic TAG bags in the shade with the meat spread out as much as possible to maximize air contact. I haven't had to resort to submerging meat in a body of water, but I do carry two XXL Kuiu dry sacks for that purpose should the need arise. Once you get the meat back to the truck, dry ice (or a generator-powered freezer) is a much better cooling option than regular "wet" ice. Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules on how long meat will keep. I admittedly err on the cautious side because of my bad experience 3 years ago.

 

[5MilesBack]

Yep, you both haul the meat out until it's on ice, in a commercial cooler, or at the processor. Then you both go after another for your buddy.

 

[4ester]

Yep, you both haul the meat out until it's on ice, in a commercial cooler, or at the processor. Then you both go after another for your buddy.

Exactly. Meat takes precedence.



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[Wrench]

The meat will keep MUCH longer if you can get it cool to the bone (deep into the heat holding joints/bones) and then spread it out for maximum exposure at night and pile it tight with everything you have to insulate it during the day.

If you're 14 hours into getting it open....I'd be in a hurry to get out, if you watch it die and get it spread out to cool right away....I'd hang and hunt.

It's situation depending.

 

[Still Hunter]

Temperatures vary a lot at the higher elevations. You need to use common sense. We take up spare ice chest with block ice at the base camp in the event someone gets a elk. ( Block ice last longer) It is all hands on deck until the meat is taken care of. Weather permitting the meat can just hang. If it is warm the successful hunter will take the meat out and into the processor. The Game Warden will certainly look EXTREMELY unfavorably at your "spoiled meat"
Use the website below and enter the closest town with an elevation close to the area you plan to hunt on this website and you will get a average temp for the area for the different months. For example , the closest town to us is at 8750 elevation , but our camp is at 10,400. We consistently average 5-8 degrees cooler at our 10,400 elevation than down at the closest town.

www.usclimatedata.com

 

[trophyhill]

Your both packing meat.....

 

[tttoadman]

first of all, packing is priority 1. We usually pack out together without stopping until it is all in.

We have hung meat for a week in aug sept as long as it freezes at night. Hang it open at night. Get up early, and take it all down and wrap it up in a bundle of old sleeping bags and then wrapped in a tarp.

 

[danarnold]

we all pack till everything is out, we have brought a chest freezer/small gen. last several years which is worth its weight... I've taken meat to a locker and kept it frozen in the old sleeping bag/tarp setup for longer than 20 hours, outta the sun of course

 

[grossklw]

I freeze a ton of empty gallon milk containers. I'll hang the meat overnight over a stream or in the shade to get that initial cool-down. I then throw in the coolers where the frozen ice jugs are sitting. I left meat (once it's cooled down) sitting on those frozen milk jugs and it has made it just fine over a week before I got home to process. No spoilage, and it was cool to the touch. I have a couple giant coolers and they get taped shut and filled to the top.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've left meat for a few days even after I've gotten home, in my coolers with frozen milk jugs. And when I'm processing the meat, my hands hurt from how cold the meat is.

 

[wytx]

You may have favorable conditions for just hanging at camp in the shade. Make yourselves a nice shaded meat pole at camp, if it's too hot then get the meat on ice. I agree with all that the meat takes precedence over hunting.

 

[OFFHNTN]

Most of the time I have been at a truck camp when I've hunted with others, so there is a ton of cooler space with ice, and that's where the meat goes while the other guy hunts. I put a couple of sleeping bags over the coolers during the day to help insulate and keep the cold in, and at night when the temp drops I take them off. If it gets cold enough, I will open the cooler lid.

 

[Empty Quiver]

One other thing to consider is if you are going to leave meat even for a short time, are Bears depending on the density of Bears in the area you hunt.

 

[Brooks]

Wanton waste if you leave it at camp and it goes bad because you thought it was more important to help your buddy hunt for another elk. Pack it out or have a packer lined up. Leaving meat in a stream never sounded like a very good idea to me if the weather is warm, say 70 degrees..... what’s the water temp in a stream then 60 ??? Priorities !!

 

[11boo]

Somebody is running to town for a bunch of ice once it is hauled out. During rifle seasons, it’s never been an issue

 

[mwebs]

Crazy to think someone would let there buddy's elk go to waste to keep hunting. Maybe if your chasing multiple elk, but once that's done, everyone should be focused on getting the meat out. That is why were hunting right, the meat? If someone shoots an elk with us we all stop hunting to get it safe, if guys aren't into that then there in it for the wrong reasons and can hunt alone.

 

[bz_711]

I freeze a ton of empty gallon milk containers. I'll hang the meat overnight over a stream or in the shade to get that initial cool-down. I then throw in the coolers where the frozen ice jugs are sitting. I left meat (once it's cooled down) sitting on those frozen milk jugs and it has made it just fine over a week before I got home to process. No spoilage, and it was cool to the touch. I have a couple giant coolers and they get taped shut and filled to the top.

Same with the frozen milk jugs...I'll have 150 qt cooler full of frozen jugs in vehicle or at camp.
Another tip that's worked for me plenty of times...meat in waterproof (dry bags or good contractor bags) and place in cooler, surround with frozen jug ice, then top off with water...the block ice gets the water cold which finds it's way into every open air pocket in cooler to surround the meat in ice cold water. I've kept it this way for 4 days but confident it could work longer...meat was so cold processing my hands were numb.
If sitting around camp lets say, you could take out each night to hang and help breathe and dry.

Good Luck...the meat is great...would really bother me to lose any...