meat in the cooler

[Forest]

So this is probably a dumb question, but I have always hunted close to a locker or large freezer so have never had to haul meat in a cooler. I will be going 1450 miles with an elk this October, if successful. Have a 125 and a 75 cooler which sounds like it should be adequate. My question is what do you guys put the meat in while in the cooler??? Likely be boned out by that point, do I just put it back in the game bags or something else? Just have cabelas Alaska game bags, seem to work alright. Also should the cape get thrown in its own game bag or can/should it be put it a garbage sack?? Traveling in the end of October shouldn't be real hot, but will take a couple days and likely wont be cold temps.
Thanks!!!

 

[muddydogs]

Once I have to cooled, cleaned and boned I put the meat in garbage bags. I like to use the 10 gallon bags from Costco as they come in a box of 500 and we always have a few rolls around the house for the smaller trash cans.

If you can keep the cooler drained and the meat above the water in the cooler then leaving it in the meat bags will be just fine.

 

[Forest]

I suppose a guy would be best to have multiple bags so the meat doesnt stay warm in the middle?? Smaller bundles i mean

Once I have to cooled, cleaned and boned I put the meat in garbage bags. I like to use the 10 gallon bags from Costco as they come in a box of 500 and we always have a few rolls around the house for the smaller trash cans.

If you can keep the cooler drained and the meat above the water in the cooler then leaving it in the meat bags will be just fine.

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[muddydogs]

I can fit plenty of meat in a 10 gallon bag, almost 2 much for easy handling. I like smaller bags since once I'm boning the meat I will separate it into steak cuts, grind pile or what ever to make it easier once I go to processing the meat. Its nice to be able to get 10 to 20 pounds out of the cooler at a time to process and get back into the freezer.

 

[Bubblehide]

I use an ice chest about half full of ice, add bottled or filtered water to make a slush, add so salt and stir it up good (not to much salt) and just drop the meat in spreading it out as I go. I top it off with ice until the cooler is full. It's good for over a week like that, but depending on temps, you might need to drain some to add ice as necessary.

 

[Forest]

I use an ice chest about half full of ice, add bottled or filtered water to make a slush, add so salt and stir it up good (not to much salt) and just drop the meat in spreading it out as I go. I top it off with ice until the cooler is full. It's good for over a week like that, but depending on temps, you might need to drain some to add ice as necessary.

Are you dropping bare meat into the salt water or putting it in a sealed bag first???

 

[rayporter]

put the meat straight on the ice-no bag.

hundreds of thousands of southerners have to handle meat in HOT weather and most just ice it down and drain water every now and then.

 

[SunShine]

I hunt south Florida. We have to pretty much immediately clean wild boar when it’s 90 degrees.

I quarter them up, back straps and tendor loins. Into the cooler and ice em down.

I rotate ice and drain the water for a couple days until the drained water comes out clear. Then debone , fully clean and butcher.


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[Middleofnowhere]

Doesn’t the water ruin the meat?

 

[wapitibob]

Doesn’t the water ruin the meat?

ummm, no

The water bath will leach the blood out of the muscles but that's all it will do. Well, other than it'll be so friggin cold it'll freeze your hands when you cut it up.

If you don't want that, lay a garbage bag over the ice and set the muscles on top of the ice.

 

[mireland62887]

I use an ice chest about half full of ice, add bottled or filtered water to make a slush, add so salt and stir it up good (not to much salt) and just drop the meat in spreading it out as I go. I top it off with ice until the cooler is full. It's good for over a week like that, but depending on temps, you might need to drain some to add ice as necessary.

I've always avoided soaking the meat. I've always kept them either in game bags laying on the ice, or in trash bags in the ice, but this is interesting. I'll sometimes brine meat in salt water prior to cooking....and this is exactly what that is. I may have to try this!! Brining before freezing.

 

[AdamW]

Doesn’t the water ruin the meat?

It's a topic of much debate, several threads on it here on Rokslide. Some soak their deer meat etc. until it is pork white, some feel that ruins the meat. Personal preference. If you've never soaked meat in ice water until essentially all the blood is drained out, you may or may not like the results.

 

[silverbullet555]

I usually keep my meat in a cooler for a couple of days or up to 5 or so. I layer PVC pipe on the bottom of the cooler then put in meat in game bags and ice. Drain the water every day and add ice as necessary.



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[Jsunkler]

Here is my method when it is hot outside and I need to cool an animal down, its very similar to others on here. I use a 1-2 large 120 qt coolers with the bottom lines with frozen ice blocks in 1/2 gallon milk jugs, lay a few plastic trays on top of the block ice, place a cooling rack in the trays to allow for complete air flow around the meat, place the meat on the trays and let sit as long as needed. I keep the drain plug open to keep the condensation from building up on the top of the cooler.

Here is a small whitetail doe in one cooler where I did the process above, worked out great. I follow the school of thought that I wont soak any big game meat in water/ice, but I will brine my waterfowl before freezing.



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[Forest]

I have found a source close to where I am hunting with dry ice so I think I will go that route. Get the meat and coolers cool, (should be in the 30's at night) add the meat, layer with paper bags and then dry ice and more paper bags across the top. Thinking this should get me home on the 2-3 day trip. And not have the mess of regular ice.

 

[rayporter]

dry ice works great. your meat will probably be solid when you get home.

many times I have piled meat on the floor and inserted dry ice under a tarp and added gear on top. in 20 hours most meat will freeze.

 

[Middleofnowhere]

Very interesting.

With saltwater fish, we ice/brine the whole fish. When we cut, we use a clean knife and and try to never let the meat touch water.
With deer and pig, we have always tried to keep the meat dry and cool. It’s always difficult to keep the meat out of ice melt.

I will give it a try with direct ice/water contact on the meat. I usually have to completely debone to carry out, so the meat will be in game bags.
Thanks for everyones replies.

 

[zacattack]

I’ve never understood soaking meat in water. It’s just a bad way to handle the meat.

 

[Trial153]

I leave it in the game bags. I set it on top of ice, some coolers I have a poly board that I cut to fit and I lay it on top of the ice and meat on top of that. sometimes I use doubled up card board for the same thing.....I crack the drain open so water drains. I have driven pretty much across the lower 48 with meat like the many times.

 

[Forest]

I find it interesting that some do ice on top and others on the bottom. Regular ice makes sense on the bottom just because there's a better chance of keeping the meat out of the water. But the arguments of wanting it on top sounds logical as well!