Wilderness Meat Care Thread

[Xtorminator]

I use the hide when I'm by myself. If my wife is with me one of us holds the leg while the other cuts the meat off and places it in a game bag.

 

[Aron Snyder]

I use the hide when I'm by myself. If my wife is with me one of us holds the leg while the other cuts the meat off and places it in a game bag.

That doesn't sound good!

 

[Hardstalk]

My first velvet buck. when I returned to the truck after the pack out I called my taxi and asked "what the f do I do? I still have a tag to fill!?" They stated "find a cooler or freezer, fill your other tag and keep it cool" "we would rather handle it" I did just that. Natural velvet came out great. I suppose if you have partners in the field and your the first one to tag out it may be something of concern. But I would talk with your taxi, they know best. And most taxis have their own preference on how you handle the horns/velvet that they have to work on and make look good for you.

 

[Xtorminator]

That doesn't sound good!

Hay, a guys gotta get it done.

 

[ftballman125]

if you are blessed with low temps like you guys are it makes it easier. low temp is the key. how do you southern guys do it where there is heat?
try saving 1000lbs of water buffulo meat in the middle of arnhemland by yourself with 90+ degree temps. you just can't do it.
some great info here though thanks.

you might as well just pack it out though with the amount of constant tending to turning, immersing, spraying, etc, there wouldn't be much time for more hunting, at least not near all your meat.

This is a question that I haven't really been able to find a good answer to, if there is one. I hunt the desert where temps can be in the high 90s - low 100s easily. I backpack 2-3 miles in, which means about a 1.5-2 hour pack out if loaded with meat. Assuming I can debone my mule deer fully in two hours from getting it down, that means I'll be looking at around 4 hours, at best, until I can get the meat back to the rig.

The plan once the deer is down is:
1) to first gut the deer to get a lot of heat out quickly
2) then basically do the gutless deboning method on it, separating muscle groups out
3) spray the muscles with citric acid, and lay them out on a tarp to dry/air cool (from 100+ down to 90+... not much cooling there).
4) I'll rig up another tarp to create some shade for the meat (there's no real natural shade where I'm at).
5) Once I've gotten all the meat/skull cap off of the deer, I'll pack the meat up in a TAG BOMB bag, and sandwich it between my frame and my pack, hopefully allowing it to have maximum breathing while being carried.
6) Carry back to coolers in the rig.

So, that's the plan. But big unknown is still whether that will be good enough to prevent spoilage. I would really hate to lose any meat. I haven't gotten a deer in the desert before... and smaller game like jackrabbits are easy to process/dry quickly.

Does anyone have any tips/advice to improve on that plan? Any experience with archery backpack hunting for desert mule deer in near 100 temperatures?

 

[Where's Bruce?]

This is a question that I haven't really been able to find a good answer to, if there is one. I hunt the desert where temps can be in the high 90s - low 100s easily. I backpack 2-3 miles in, which means about a 1.5-2 hour pack out if loaded with meat. Assuming I can debone my mule deer fully in two hours from getting it down, that means I'll be looking at around 4 hours, at best, until I can get the meat back to the rig.

The plan once the deer is down is:
1) to first gut the deer to get a lot of heat out quickly
2) then basically do the gutless deboning method on it, separating muscle groups out
3) spray the muscles with citric acid, and lay them out on a tarp to dry/air cool (from 100+ down to 90+... not much cooling there).
4) I'll rig up another tarp to create some shade for the meat (there's no real natural shade where I'm at).
5) Once I've gotten all the meat/skull cap off of the deer, I'll pack the meat up in a TAG BOMB bag, and sandwich it between my frame and my pack, hopefully allowing it to have maximum breathing while being carried.
6) Carry back to coolers in the rig.

So, that's the plan. But big unknown is still whether that will be good enough to prevent spoilage. I would really hate to lose any meat. I haven't gotten a deer in the desert before... and smaller game like jackrabbits are easy to process/dry quickly.

Does anyone have any tips/advice to improve on that plan? Any experience with archery backpack hunting for desert mule deer in near 100 temperatures?

What?! How can you do a gutless deboning AFTER gutting a critter?

 

[Bar]

It's magic.

 

[ftballman125]

What?! How can you do a gutless deboning AFTER gutting a critter?

It is magic.


I meant debone after gutting, heh.

 

[CW_12]

Learned a ton by reading this thread. Thanks for all the good info.

 

[ftballman125]

This is a question that I haven't really been able to find a good answer to, if there is one. I hunt the desert where temps can be in the high 90s - low 100s easily. I backpack 2-3 miles in, which means about a 1.5-2 hour pack out if loaded with meat. Assuming I can debone my mule deer fully in two hours from getting it down, that means I'll be looking at around 4 hours, at best, until I can get the meat back to the rig.

The plan once the deer is down is:
1) to first gut the deer to get a lot of heat out quickly
2) then basically do the gutless deboning method on it, separating muscle groups out
3) spray the muscles with citric acid, and lay them out on a tarp to dry/air cool (from 100+ down to 90+... not much cooling there).
4) I'll rig up another tarp to create some shade for the meat (there's no real natural shade where I'm at).
5) Once I've gotten all the meat/skull cap off of the deer, I'll pack the meat up in a TAG BOMB bag, and sandwich it between my frame and my pack, hopefully allowing it to have maximum breathing while being carried.
6) Carry back to coolers in the rig.

So, that's the plan. But big unknown is still whether that will be good enough to prevent spoilage. I would really hate to lose any meat. I haven't gotten a deer in the desert before... and smaller game like jackrabbits are easy to process/dry quickly.

Does anyone have any tips/advice to improve on that plan? Any experience with archery backpack hunting for desert mule deer in near 100 temperatures?

Anyone have any tips/advice for this situation?

 

[elkmule123]

Guides in BC when I have taken moose have used finely ground pepper immediately upon field dressing, covering all exposed surfaces, to repel flies, bees and the like. It seemed totally effective. We always use gutless method and bone-in. (I think the bone-in is a requirement.) The quarters are then hung, and as soon as possible flown out and hung in a cooler. Has anyone else heard of or used the pepper coating? Or other methods?

I've never tried the pepper method, I've always hunted later on in the season. Since I've gotten into bow hunting, I'm sure meat care will become an issue. Hence, why I'm reading this thread. Thanks for all the great info on here. I have come across chili powder working better than pepper at keeping the flies ans wasps away. Heres a thread on Elknut forum.
http://www.elknutforums.com/Hunting/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=491&p=5925&hilit=chili#p5925

 

[mtnrunner260]

This is a great thread and will be grabbing some of those bomb bags.
Another thing I've done to debone is once the quarter is separated for the body hang it on a tree limb and cut off individual muscle groups from there. If you can rig the game bag open near by it is beyond slick. Just cut off some meat and drop in bag, repeat until done.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

For what it is worth, I tried chili powder while breaking down my bull last fall. We had an easy pack out and got the meat cooled quickly with no meat spoiling, but I felt that the chili powder did very little to repel the swarming bees and flies. Maybe it did its job, but I am going to go with citric acid next fall.

Also, in response to ftballman's query about deer in the desert, meat that is hung where air can circulate will cool very well via evaporation. Enough so, that I would think you can get your animal home with no issues, provided you keep the meat clean, keep insects off it, and let air circulate around it (out of the direct sun) for at least 20-30 minutes before packing it up and hiking out.

A point that is often missed, is that air flow around the meat dries the surface, lowering the likelihood of bacterial growth, which is really what triggers spoilage.

 

[elkmule123]

Were they landing on your bull or just flying around. Just curious, Like I said, I haven't tried the chili powder or pepper. Citric acid obviously helps as a bacteria growth inhibitor as well.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

They definitely were landing on the bull. But it might have sent them off quickly without laying eggs. Not sure.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Talking to a newer member about meat care and I remembered this thread, so I'm bringing this one back up for a lot of the new guys out there that haven't seen it. The info in this thread is invaluable, not quite as entertaining as the manscaping thread, but probably more useful.

 

[BackcountryMT]

Seems like a lot of these questions are centered around multi day trips.

What about downing an elk 3-4 miles in on a day hunt. Dark timber available, but no streams within viable distance. Is it best to let boned out meat lay out to dry before being bagged?

My biggest question has always been how hardy is meat once off the bone? I've never had spoilage but it always scares the hell out of me.



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[dreamingbig]

I think packing boned put meat is a pain. That said when necessary to do I will cut quarters to the leg bone while still leaving meat attached and hang that way in game bags so that meat cools better and most blood drains. The following day you can finish deboning before pack out.


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[Jason Snyder]

More surface area means faster cooling, but it also means more chance for contamination and subsequent bacterial growth. I leave quarters bone in until they are ready to move if I can. I also know some very good elk hunters that bone everything immediately.

I think if you take the proper care to keep the meat clean as you are removing it from the bone, it is no more likely to spoil than it would be if you left it on.

 

[elkyinzer]

Seems like a lot of these questions are centered around multi day trips.

What about downing an elk 3-4 miles in on a day hunt. Dark timber available, but no streams within viable distance. Is it best to let boned out meat lay out to dry before being bagged?

My biggest question has always been how hardy is meat once off the bone? I've never had spoilage but it always scares the hell out of me.
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I'm no expert, but my paranoia has led to a ton of research over the last 5 years. The culinary aspect of hunting is so important to me that I want to make sure I am bringing home the best grade of meat possible when I kill.

I think the rules I abide by are pretty simple, but as you all know, things in the backcountry rarely (never) go according to plan, so the key is adapting and figuring out solutions to the curveballs nature is constantly tossing.

Immediate Steps, in order of importance
1) Cool it as fast as possible - far and away the #1 factor in my opinion - skin, quarter, and let air circulate. The cooler the air, the better (ravines, shade). We're not dunking it in a creek right now...the animal just died and its flesh is still 90-100 degrees. Just getting that down into the 70's as fast as possible is the immediate priority. Where this gets tricky: marginal shots, animal down at night, etc. Don't forget to let air cool your bag of scraps and straps...don't just let that bag sit in one big steaming heap (I made that mistake once).

2) Keep it clean - Digestive matter, dirt, and bugs all introduce outside bacteria that are going to accelerate spoilage. Minimize these to the extent possible.

3) To bag or air it out - If bugs are not a factor, I like to air it out and get that good "crust". If bugs are around, I prioritize protecting my meat from the bacteria they introduce and the general ick factor of blowing eggs. The meat can still build up a good crust in quality game bags.

4) Surface area - keep exposed muscles to a minimum and use the natural muscle fascia as a protective barrier. There are perfectly legitimate reasons for deboning at the point you start your pack out, but unless you are in sterile lab conditions you are increasing the risk of spoilage. I have never heard of bone sour occurring in an animal that is skinned timely after death.


Longer-term storage
So you've done all the above right. Your quarters are off as fast as possible, they're clean, and they're cooling.

Maybe nature's curveballs were hangers and you smashed them over the fence...you can relax and take a few days to get the meat off the mountain. Maybe you've just fought them off and are working with an 0-2 count...doing anything you can to keep the meat from going bad or maybe salvaging what you can from a bad situation.

The above rules apply to pretty much all situations, but from here out it's largely dependent on what you're working with. Ideal storage for meat is 35-40 degrees, low humidity, dry, and sterile. The closer you can get to replicating that, the better off you are going to be.

The general rule I once heard, and this is totally untested, is that deer and elk quarters will keep for 3 days at 70 degrees and an additional day for every 10 degrees below that until you get into the lower 40's and below at which point you can go for a long, long time in the right conditions.