Preventing Meat From Spoiling

[CT.HNTR]

So archery season will be upon us in just about two months. Here in CT the season opens in the middle of September. Most afternoons in CT the temperature is in the 70’s but can often be in the 80’s. I have always been concerned about shooting a deer in warm weather as I am worried the meat will spoil quickly. I hunt on state land and often have a 45 minute hike to my stand so it can take two hours to haul a deer out on a cart. In the past I have always waited for cooler weather to start hunting.

What are your experiences with warm weather hunting and what is a realistic timeframe for meat to spoil in 80 degree weather?

Any tips or advise will be appreciated.


Thanks,

[xcaliber]

In warm weather, i always rinse out the cavity with water on dressed deer, and pack the chest cavity with ice as soon as i can get some. I hang my deer head down, and if temps. are over 50 degrees F. I butcher the next day. if under 40 degrees, i will wait a few days. i have a buddy that ages his venison with the skin on for 6 days, and his meat tastes the best out of our group. Scary, but the guy seems to know hat he's doing. he monitors the temp. etc.
Brett, you stink at hunting, but rock at curing deer!

[Boo]

Years ago we used to hunt Wyoming in October when the temps hit 80 to 90 F. It was par for the course to field dress Antelope and Mulies, prop the chest cavities open with a stick and get them to the processors by 3 or 4 pm. Anything hit in the gut was washed out with water and hung to dry. None of us had any spoiled meat.
Larger animals like Moose and Elk killed during temperatures above 70 get skinned and hung.

[ds762]

I've shot a few early archery deer where the temps were up. I simply dis-membered the animal ASAP and got it on ice .. never had a problem.

[hankenhunter]

I dont really have that problem as most of my game is shot within 400 yards of my house. I am lucky in that I am surrounded by green belts and farm land. As an added bonus, last year a crap load of ringnecked pheasants were released and the mild winter helped the population to explode. I have seen 17 different broods running around so far and I am sure there are many more that I missed seeing. Fall is going to be a fun time.
When I do travel to hunt, I always bring a cooler of block ice to cool the meat and the celebratory beer.
Hank

[vixenmaster]

Gut yer deer soon as you find it. Haul it home if'en you have ice chest wid you stop get ice. Hang deer n skin & cut it up, put in trash bags n cover wid ice. I go thru this every yr at least twice, n sometimes 3 times afore it gets nice n cool

[Horizontal Hunter]

I live in Western Mass and often hunt in southern Connecticut during the early season. I have shot deer mid morning on 80 degree days and spent and hour or two getting the deer out, and another hour and a half in the truck getting it home. If late in the day I store the deer overnight and it gets processed the next day. I have never had a problem.

Make a good shot and get it dressed and propped open and keep it out of the sun. Pepper or a game bag will keep the flys at bay. Once I get it to the truck I put it in a tarp with ice in the cavity, between the hams, and along the back.

I keep 1/2 gallon and gallon milk jugs full of water in the freezer and do the same if I am keeping it over night. I put the wrapped deer on the floor of the garage out of the sun and it keeps well. I have kept them until early afternoon the next day and they are well chilled and there is still ice left. The trick is to wrap them like a burrito, keep them out of the sun and leave them alone. No peeking.

If you don't have one get a Thermacell. It is a life saver during the early season.

Bob

[foofoo]

found this on another forum- deer Hanging Time.

65-70 degrees 24-36 hours
50 degrees 3-4 days
35-40 degrees 7-10 days

[strum]

i have always brought my deer straight home and quartered them up immediately ..never had an issue with temps because of this.
I've never tried letting them hang for a few days. I know that's the norm but i have had good luck so far.. i usually put the quarters in unscented garbage bags and let them sit in my shop fidge at 40 - 50 degrees for 2- or 3 days..

[Waif]

Get the heat out of them as you can. Windpipe comes out on hot days with neck hide split to chin. When you get to water wash excess blood out or towel it out after gutting. Hanging in the air in shade helps. Pulling hide will also but my last choice as meat starts to dry faster. Keeping bugs off with a game bag covering all of the deer including nose will keep things good till following day. Out west quartered deer go in a large clean cooler of ice when its real hot out. A fresh deer not being aged yet allows some time in heat with out spoiling if aired and heat is decreasing but it does age faster.Rigor mortis setting in makes for better cutting and takes several hours usually. Bacteria and flys the biggest thing to avoid by keeping it clean.It's more work but if you haul it far turn it at least partway through to keep the heat from piling up in a hip joint on one side. Be sure where it rides in/on vehicle the spot it rests on is not heated from exhaust or heat from engine and is airy when possible if going any great distance.

[Starvin' Hillbilly]

In Northern Arkansas weather can be in the high 80's - 100's ! my friend Kris hunts wearing shorts! . . .of course he's olive completive, being Italian and all. my white legs would look like arc wielders out there!

Back to the topic . . . get the guts out of them! its a bonus cause w/ broad heads they will bleed out. we get them home (takes bout 30 min) get the hide jerked off, quarter them and I might get flamed for this, but we submerge them under cold well water w/ ice. the cold water will get changed 3-5 times, it will pull the blood out (and the game (y) taste), also maybe throw in a small hand full of salt, that will give the bacteria if any a kick. If its going to be a while then if laws permit . . . quarter and coat w/ a cheap can of black pepper and hang in game bags . .. . throw some pepper around on the ground to, this will keep the coyotes away (I heard also bears) -ken

[Deerstalker]

X2, what vixenmaster said.

[rayman]

I think deer meat can take abuse better than a lot of other meats, but flies and yellow jackets become a problem quickly too. Maybe I should try the black pepper thing. I just get the deer skinned, de-boned, and on ice at the earliest convenience. After stopping at the local diner for cheeseburgers and fries if its cool enough. Would prefer a walk-in cooler, but may have to wait until winning the lottery on that.

[F250-2]

I worked with dead big game animals for over 3 decades with a F&G Dept. and have been hunting for over 50 years (deer, caribou, moose, elk). Only use water on a carcass if you have gut shot the animal. Even then - wipe it as dry as you can with towels after you clean the nasty stuff off the carcass. Best case scenario in warm weather : Gut the animals ASAP from chin to tail, skin the animal, get it quartered and boned out. Place meat in cloth breathable game bags (Cabelas is a good place to buy them) and hang them in the shade. If you can't hang the bagged meat, then place bags of ice around bags of meat. I place the ice bags in heavy duty trash bags to keep the water from the melting ice off the meat. The blood on the meat will dry to form a "crust" and help protect the meat. Water will defeat that process. Never place meat in plastic bags for any length of time - air is your friend. Allow the meat to cool in the game bags that will keep the bugs and dirt off the meat.

[Waif]

I rinse blood off all game and stock animals once dressed and hung.Blood a fast growing medium for bacteria.Hair from bullet or arrow and accompanying dirt,clots all get reduced as well as what's not seen transferred from hide to carcass by knife. Flies are attracted to moisture. Whether from muscle tissue or introduced water. A blood clot going to take longer to dry than a thin layer of water. All aired carcasses dry an outer layer that deters a flys interest more after drying. Nostrils need covered as they dry among the slowest if eggs to be avoided. Clean,dry and cooled the goal for hanging. Odor=flavor. Induced from scent glands,hide,air quality and ambient odors in hanging area. Chest spreader needs to be clean and split pelvis can be taken advantage of by tying a leg to one side to spread open if not using a game bag or quartering.