Cooling Meat in Water?

[IronNoggin]

A few years back (well... OK... it has now been a couple of decades it seems...) I was hunting elk in Southern Alberta's mountains. My partner had tagged out early, so wanted to get his bull off the hill. Sent him out with his saddle horse and our packer, told him I would be OK without him returning. Two days later I took a fine bull, and the timing for me was right close! Had to be at work the very next day!! EEK! Loaded up the head and front quarters on my saddle horse (a Big Boy capable of the job). Got them to the truck and returned for the hinds. Had them aboard, and was again on the way out, when a HUGE Mule Deer strode out into a little meadow just below me. Don't know where common sense ran off to, but I wanted that Muley BAD! One shot rang out before my mind engaged, and down he went. Now What?? I simply didn't have time to deal with getting the muley off the hill, or I would not make it back to work for the following day (and with an anti-hunting Boss those days, that would have been the end...)

So, I cleaned the deer and drug him a ways to a very cold spring with a decent pool I knew of. Skinned him out, quartered and let him cool for a spell. Then double bagged the lot, and sank it with stones down in the pool - hoping the meat was submerged enough Mr. Grizz wouldn't be able to locate it...

The way things turned out, I couldn't get back there for nearly 10 days. Expected to find that the bear had taken it, or it might have turned sour. To my amazement, the meat looked fine, with only about a loonie-sized spot on one shoulder where the water had just started to seep through that looked suspicious. Did the extract, cut him up as usual, and he turned out to be one of the finer eating animals I have ever taken!

Under extreme circumstances I would not hesitate to do the same. Dunno if at this stage I would take the Muley, but dealing with the circumstances after I did so certainly opened my eyes...

As always, your mileage may vary...

Cheers,
Nog

[Surrey Boy]

Depending on the cleanliness of the water I'd do it. I drink out of glacier-fed streams without purification tablets, so why would I be worried about my carcass? If it turns out bad, well, that's why they invented spicy food.

[Hunt'n Guide]

build a rack just above water. we have done this lots by creeks and rivers, keeps meat cool and dont have to worry about whats in the water

This works well.

Those with pack horses can just put some willow or like brush in the bottom of pack boxes and stck the meat on top, placing the boxes in a few inches of water. It keeps the meat nice and cool. You can stretch a game bag over the mouth of the pack box to allow air circulation if the weather is dry or keep the lid on to keep things dry.

[Xenomorph]

Had a bear down early morning side of the creek one old season. Gutted and placed in middle of creek and covered with stones. Went back and retrieved it the next morning and skinned/hung.

If creek is nice and clean/clear I have absolutely no hesitation. Good healthy cold water flow to cool down meat fast when I'm at an impasse? In my opinion it's a no brainer.

[Rotorwash]

I always pack some garbage bags. I figured I would skin it, quarter it , cheese cloth it till it it gets a bit of a crust. Then toss it in garbage bag and into a stream. With the top of the bag above water.

I've never been in the situation to try it. But that's my plan if the situation ever comes up

[Squire]

I always pack some garbage bags. I figured I would skin it, quarter it , cheese cloth it till it it gets a bit of a crust. Then toss it in garbage bag and into a stream. With the top of the bag above water.

I've never been in the situation to try it. But that's my plan if the situation ever comes up

I have actually done this several times (minus the crust part) when a snow patch was no longer available in the high country and the meat has always been great. I don't let the water touch the meat and I like to leave it overnight before the pack out the next day. I also leave it where it can be approached with good sight lines and never too close to camp for obvious reasons.

[okas]

all good as still wet once it gets a crust on it no way it will spoil asp

[Singleshotneeded]

Just curious on your thoughts about keeping the deer you just bagged cool in a creek or stream. This of course would be a last resort, assuming it was bagged early on what turned out to be a fairly warm day and no quick way out of the bush. Not something I would normally have considered, but it was suggested to me by an old timer that I know has killed PLENTY deer in his 70 plus years. Haven't done it yet, but now it's in the back of my mind.

I've put dozens of deer in a very high mountain stream for an hour or more, as long as you gut it carefully and leave the hide on, the hide protects the outside and the inner membrane protects the inside of the deer carcass. It's a lot better to keep it in an icy mountain stream whilst it's sunny and 20C+ at your home in the valley, and then bring it down in late afternoon when it's cooling off. I then hose it off, hang it, and skin it, and it's in a cold locker next morning...all the deer have been tasty and perfect. The old timer was right, too many paranoid schizophrenics wandering amongst us in 2017.

[scotty30-06]

Lmao....whatevers in that water is still better then what's in store/fast food meat lol....i will take the water beetles over the anabolic/radioactive/ cancer causing "bugs" lol

[hunter1947]

In the past I put the whole animal in the creeks skin and all on it to cool it down was in the creek for about one or two hours then took it out then skinned the animal,,as for straight meat from a game animal I put the meat in big zip lock bags that are air tight be careful when putting the zip lock bag into the creek you don't want to poke a hole into the bag when putting it into the creek when temperatures where in the 30C mark I have left the meat in the creek when in a zip lock bag up to 4 days with no problems ,,note that some creeks are colder then others I did a temperature test on the creek I used was 6C..