Hot weather deer hunting help

Bullzeye · Post by **Bullzeye** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:56 am

This has been the hottest August that I can remember, and deer hunting here opens on Sept 17, and the heat does not look like its going to go away any time soon.

So you guys living in the South are used to that, myself, it just does not feel like hunting season if I'm hunting in my shorts lol but also brings up the topic of how to handle your deer after shooting it, in this heat.

So, I'd like to hear everyone's tricks on handling a fresh kill in the heat. Normally I would shoot my deer and hang it in the barn over night or two, and then bring it home, but this year I'm sure it will be too warm to do so. I know some fill the cavity with ice, I also know someone who puts cheese cloth soaked in vinegar and pepper to keep flies off the deer, so I'm looking on some hot weather tips on keeping your harvest from going bad in the heat.

Mark Rainbolt · Post by **Mark Rainbolt** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 10:48 am

I skin mine out as soon as possible then quarter it up and hang it in the cooler. I bought one of those Pepsi cooler with the 2 sliding doors and took the shelves out of it and made a rack with hooks on it which I mounted to the top of the cooler to hang my meat from.
Mark

flightattendant100 · Post by **flightattendant100** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 11:33 am

Skin, quarter, BIG ice chest. Works well

vixenmaster · Post by **vixenmaster** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 1:22 pm

I gut mine at the kill site, then because i live on same land i hunt. I skin n qtr n put into my freezer over nite then bone out next day. As i have gotten older i don't hunt the followin day after a kill when its warm/hot. I process my deer quickly

robertyb · Post by **robertyb** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 1:46 pm

I usually bone my out as soon as I skin it and put the pieces into a ice cooler. I keep the drain plug out so melted water can drain off and let it sit replenishing the ice when needed for 5 to 7 days. Then I process the meat and freeze it. Works the same as hanging in a cooler if a deer cooler is not an option.

acreek · Post by **acreek** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:27 pm

Field dress it. Bring it home. Skin it. Bone it out. Let steaks sit in the fridge for a day or so before freezing. All of the other meat that's going towards sausage or ring bologna gets frozen right away. So all considered, the deer is fully processed a couple of hours after it died. (But the memories live on forever.)

longbow joe · Post by **longbow joe** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 6:04 pm

I sit home n wait for the rut almost every big buck i have taken was taken the week before halloween and november 15th. ... if iget a cool day ill go out n shoot a baldie for meat when i dont have to rush take care of it .

Robinsons Rebel · Post by **Robinsons Rebel** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 12:52 am

Skin and gut deer as soon as possible and put in ice chest.I leave the plug in mine and drain it about every day for 5 or 6 days until water comes out clear.I let the meat bleed out so to speak. I think the meat tastes better that way.The main thing is to cool it down as quick as possible.

ihunt · Post by **ihunt** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 8:57 am

That is a great question Bullzeye.
May I ask, if outdoor temp is mid to hi 70’s how long does it take before meat spoils?

SEC-ond 2 none · Post by **SEC-ond 2 none** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:20 am

Robinsons Rebel wrote:Skin and gut deer as soon as possible and put in ice chest.I leave the plug in mine and drain it about every day for 5 or 6 days until water comes out clear.I let the meat bleed out so to speak. I think the meat tastes better that way.The main thing is to cool it down as quick as possible.

This is what i do with the exception on the first day i add 1 cup of Vinegar to the cooler water and add ice. On the 2nd. and 3rd. day, drain water, rinse and add fresh water and ice, (no vinegar). I will than process the meat. I will do this in warm weather or cold weather. Makes the meat taste really good.

Stephen

CT.HNTR · Post by **CT.HNTR** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:26 am

I agree this is a great question. I have had the same concerns with how much time I have to get meat into a cooler with temps in the 70's. I hunt state land in CT and usually have a mile or two hike from the truck. By the time I recover a deer, gut the deer, drag it to the truck and drive it to a cooler can be four to five hours easy.

If anybody can shed some light on the best way to deal with this type of warm weather situation with 4-5 hours of time involved it would be greatly appreciated.

SEC-ond 2 none · Post by **SEC-ond 2 none** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:45 am

CT.HNTR wrote:I agree this is a great question. I have had the same concerns with how much time I have to get meat into a cooler with temps in the 70's. I hunt state land in CT and usually have a mile or two hike from the truck. By the time I recover a deer, gut the deer, drag it to the truck and drive it to a cooler can be four to five hours easy.

If anybody can shed some light on the best way to deal with this type of warm weather situation with 4-5 hours of time involved it would be greatly appreciated.

When i hunted state land i would keep frozen milk jugs of water in my cooler. When i got the deer back to my truck i would rinse out the inside cavity with water and than pack the frozen water jugs inside the deer. this would work ok for me until i could get it home and skinned.
I now live on the land i hunt and can have my deer Telechecked, skinned and quartered within short order.

papabear1 · Post by **papabear1** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:48 am

Mark Rainbolt wrote:I skin mine out as soon as possible then quarter it up and hang it in the cooler. I bought one of those Pepsi cooler with the 2 sliding doors and took the shelves out of it and made a rack with hooks on it which I mounted to the top of the cooler to hang my meat from.
Mark

REALY !!! like that idea, thanks Mark.

Dave

sproulman · Post by **sproulman** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 10:16 am

vixenmaster wrote:I gut mine at the kill site, then because i live on same land i hunt. I skin n qtr n put into my freezer over nite then bone out next day. As i have gotten older i don't hunt the followin day after a kill when its warm/hot. I process my deer quickly

How we change as we get older.I also do not hunt everyday now even if I do not get Buck..Now you cannot hunt same spot everyday so i spend day moving my stand at times and let the old spot COOL down on scent then i comeback in a week....

sproulman · Post by **sproulman** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 10:20 am

Robinsons Rebel wrote:Skin and gut deer as soon as possible and put in ice chest.I leave the plug in mine and drain it about every day for 5 or 6 days until water comes out clear.I let the meat bleed out so to speak. I think the meat tastes better that way.The main thing is to cool it down as quick as possible.

Soak your meat in salt water for few days in frigerator ..i have old frigerator but last year i did not get Buck so it was not used..first year in longtime no Buck but things are getting hard hunting in state of pa now with all doe killing ..lucky to see a deer now let alone a buck..

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Hot weather deer hunting help

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