Black pepper moose.

[TGF]

I read an article a few years ago about "Black Pepper Moose" where this fellow went hunting moose in August when it was warm out (20 degrees celcius). When he got his animal it was far from roads and a few days out so he just quartered his moose and hung it, left hide on, and added handfuls of black pepper to the open flesh areas. It dried out the flesh areas a bit and if moist area came then handfuls of more pepper were applied. Of course he would get rid of all blood shot meat. He said he would do big rutting bulls this way and you could cut them with a fork when cooked.

I'm not interested in what butchers have to say as I have a couple uncles who cut meat and they think its crazy. I understand their rational.
So forget about what you have been taught...."cool the meat as quickly as possible", get it to a butchers......
Wondering if anyone has tried this method?

[WoodOx]

I dont know how pepper would help to cure meat, but I guess its possible.

I think a lot of butchers are so busy, they just complain and say they cannot do it, when in reality with some effort there wold be no problem.

Thats alwyas a problem with busy business - trades in the okanagan are a perfect example. So spoiled with so much work, wait until house markets plateau - many will be in for a rude awakening.


Cooling of course, is always best. Does anyone know if curing with pepper could ruin anything though?

[Jelvis]

Cooling moose isn't easy, the outside seems cool but near the bones is warm the meat gets sour and then ruins the meat, You have to get it into a cooler as fast as possible when it's not cold out. As far as pepper is concerned it keeps some flies off and hornets but not enough when it's warmer. Even in October it can be warm in the day. If your herculine hang it twenty feet off the ground and theres no flies up that high. Take it in to cooler or have generator and cooler with you. Take skin off it will keep heat in and use game bags cheese cloth. Drive to nearest cooler.

[Dillybar]

I have seen many quarters at the butchers covered in pepper but none with the hide on. I thought it was just to keep the flies off not to act as a cure. I ran into a problem a couple of years ago in October, we got a moose on day 2 of a 14 day trip. The weather never was cold and we were concerned about spoilage. When we delived the meat to the butchers a crust never did occur and the butcher told us we should of submerdged the meat in the river to cool it for a couple of hours a day. I am still not sure I would do that.

I am interested in what others have to say about this thread.

[butcher]

I butchered for 10 years and saw some things that would put you off meat.

If you're going to sink meat in water to cool it fine. But when it comes out don't do it again. Dry and cool is the way to go. Pepper works a bit but not always. I'd rather cool it and get some thick game bags on it during the day and let it breathe at night. If it's too warm and you can, get it in a meat locker!

[moosinaround]

Ive heard of pepper being a detractant for flies and hornets. I'd buck the hide off that critter fast, and open up the shoulders from the ribs, and bag it in cheese cloth or game bags. Hang in the coolest spot available, and also clean out the blood shot meat. Get to a meat processing facility or cooler asap to hang or process. Be prepared for anything, that critter was doing fine before we killed it so we owe it to do as much as we can to ensure it is eaten up. Moosin

[.308win]

Ive heard of pepper being a detractant for flies and hornets. I'd buck the hide off that critter fast, and open up the shoulders from the ribs, and bag it in cheese cloth or game bags. Hang in the coolest spot available, and also clean out the blood shot meat. Get to a meat processing facility or cooler asap to hang or process. Be prepared for anything, that critter was doing fine before we killed it so we owe it to do as much as we can to ensure it is eaten up. Moosin

X2, Also heard of this for keeping flies off the meat, Not to sure about the helping of the rutty bull!....Not saying that it isn't possible!...Just never heard anything of it!....Hey, if nothing else, the meat will be preseasoned!!...What could go wrong!!

Perry

[ribber]

:-DAS for putting your mooose meat in a creek , it works perfectly, it cools the meat to the bone and keeps the crows and flys off but it will not stop a bear as I found out.I've left meat in a creek for a week with no ill effects

[mapguy]

i think the pepper just keeps the flies off the meat

[tuchodi]

Jelvis is right about the meat turning sour by the bone if it doesnt cool right. Personally I would never leave the hide on as it is to good an insulator. We use meat tents, the ones from armstrong that are advertized in the hunting regs and they have worked great. The best thing we found is to hang it in the tent and let the crust dry out, we make sure we hang it in the shade and have have kept moose and elk that way over a week with no problem.

[Mulies]

This hole meat spoilage thing is the reason I like to hunt in october and november. That and the fact that there isn't any bugs! (usually) Have used the pepper and it does help with the blow flys. But only if you spend the time needed to clean the quarters and get them as free of shot meat and surface blood as you can and into cheese cloth bags.
I am going on an alpine deer hunt on the opening in september. The plan is to dig into the snow drift that seams to be always up there and cover any meat that we might get. Then pack the boned out meat to the truck the next day and put it in the big cooler of ice we are taking along with us. Haven't lost an animal to spoilage yet and don't want to start now!!

[Gateholio]

Guys, black pepper can keep flies away but it is NOT a preservative, nor is it a substitute for proper cooliing.

Natrual preservatives are - Salt, sugar, Acid and dehydration.

[TGF]

As I said in my earlier post, forget about everything you learnt....just wondering if anyone has tried this method.

I know pepper isn't a preservative, and has been used to keep flies off the meat. In the article I read the pepper "by the handfuls" was used to seal the meat off from the air. This isn't just a sprinkling of it. It is rubbed into every piece of exposed flesh. It forms a hard crust. Not sure if it would work but if no one has tried, I just might have to try a piece but unfortunately or luckily my families 3 moose draws this year are in early Dec so will have to keep from freezing:-|

Sometimes I also debone my moose (as well as goat) if they are big bull and no atv accsess and pack it out. And if its too far of a pack for deboned meat then I just pack the frying pan into the bull and camp for a few months:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

I go back to Ontario and hunt whitetails where it gets pretty warm in day. If we get a deer we hang it with hide on but we remove the guts right up to the tongue. The wind pipe is where most of everyones deer begins to spoil, as well as blood shot meat. Have left them 6 days with hide on as long as it gets in the 3 to 5 degree celcius range at night or cooler. Sure tastes good.
My buddies cringe when I tell them I've left the hide on my deer for days but they are very surprised when they taste it.

[Jelvis]

In Europe they hang ducks by the head in the crotch of a branch and wait till the body falls off the head then it's ready. I know if you leave hide on you won't get hard crust on the meats outside surface, which wastes meat, but all depends, if the temperature is right at the time. Some guys say get hide off, faster the better cause the hide pulls off in some areas when warm. When cold have to skin harder. I like your idea of rubbing pepper but have you seen the price of pepper lately? Wow!

[TGF]

Yes the deer we leave hide on are hard to get hide off fer sure. But we use atvs to pull on the hide and it only rips in a few areas so we cut first and she comes off nicely.
Pepper is pricey especially when you use 5 lbs per moose:-?

The hide that acts as an insulator also acts as an insulator when the meat has been cooled and it heats up in the day....keeping the meat cooler.

[hunter1947]

I think buy leaving the hide on would cause the meat to go bad on the hid side ,if


your going to use pepper then take the hid all off and use the pepper on all.

[CanuckShooter]

Another one I've heard of is to 'smudge' the meat by burning alder willow fires for a couple of days with the quarters hanging in the smoke.

[One Shot]

If you're going to sink meat in water to cool it fine. But when it comes out don't do it again.

Butcher, can you place your meat in large plastic bags (not garbage bags) and then place them in cold water if the temp. is high and no coolers available for a few days?

[Jelvis]

CanuckShooter - Smokin. heck of an idea in late october smoke would flavor the meat, I could see a smudge in my camp, for sure, and put the coffee on.

[Doe See Doe]

Would wipeing it down with vinigar or lemon juice help at all?

[Jelvis]

Doe See Doe; grab the viniger and lemon juice, mix and dilute with water, in a bowl, and apply, with a clean cloth and wipe hair and blood off the meat, cleaning it for the table. I do this at home when I'm cutting the carcass up and wrapping, works good, and helps the meat. excellent observation. doeseedoe

[mapguy]

about a table spoon per we use a white brush from wall mart works better than rags just make sure to dry well with a clean cloth

[abbyfireguy]

We skin our moose as soon as possible....Wipe them dry and clean(no hair or blood shot meat)...Then wipe them with vinegar and gamebag them...
Once hung ,we spinkle pepper all over the game bags....Done....
Keeps flies away well,but definately not a replacement for cold temps.....
If its not cold outside run for the cooler....
We are responsible to get all that meat home and consumable,,I hate wastage.....

[one-shot-wonder]

He said he would do big rutting bulls this way and you could cut them with a fork when cooked.

The pepper would do nothing for the tendernous of the meat just aid in the bug detraction. I think his big bulls are tender becuase he is hanging the meat for some time. This is somehting I always do hide on and off depending hte situation and temperature outside, but I am always sure to hang my animals 7-10 days depending on when I can cut them and the temperature in the hanging room. Always great meat, regardless of the month the animal was shot. I actually prefer to leave the hide on if it is cold outside so as to avoid the crust forming and having to carve away the outside layer of meat.

[Mik]

I know you asked about moose, however, we tried lots & lots & lots of pepper on 2 muleis in the Kooteneys about 4 yrs ago and it didn't help at all.
We cleaned the meat, cut out all the spoilage, even washed it down. Flies are amazing and can get in everywhere:icon_frow. (Don't worry, the meat wasn't spoiled),
Anyways, we have never used Black Pepper Since.

[TGF]

I know you asked about moose, however, we tried lots & lots & lots of pepper on 2 muleis in the Kooteneys about 4 yrs ago and it didn't help at all.
We cleaned the meat, cut out all the spoilage, even washed it down. Flies are amazing and can get in everywhere:icon_frow. (Don't worry, the meat wasn't spoiled),
Anyways, we have never used Black Pepper Since.

Ahhh finally someone who has tried it. I figured someone on here must have. Thanks for the info Mik....I won 't be trying it. It does go against my better judgement.

[Stresd]

Have been using Pepper on our game for over 40 years with excellent success. First we use a spray bottle filled with vinegar to dampen the meat. And then immediately dusted with pepper taking real care to get up under the loin flaps and any bullet damage that has been cleaned out.. The vinegar acts as an astringent making a few mil of the surface tougher for the bugs to penetrate as well as allowing the pepper to stick and do its job. And no you do not taste vinegar or pepper in the meat. Have never had any complaints on our game from the different cutters we have used since old Percy (the best of the bunch retired.) If any other old timers remember him they can attest to the fact that he was very selective about the quality of gutting and cleaning that he would accept into his locker. If not up to his standards you would have to find someplace else to have her done, and you ended up on his will not cut for list. Percy was the one who originally suggest this method to us and it has held us in good stead over the years.

[TGF]

Thanks Stresd. Did it work well when the temp rose? Or did you find it just worked keeping the bugs off? The article I read said he used it to age the meat and it turned out pink (not red) and extremely tender where you could cut it with a fork when cooked.