Making your own game bags out of old bed sheets?

[ajr5406]

Anyone do this?

I have some game bags made from the cheap cheesecloth material. I am concerned that under the weight of some meat it will stretch and allow the holes to be big enough to let flys land and hatch eggs etc.

Bed sheets are cotton, breathable and dont stretch, so seem to me like a good material to use?

If you have done this before, how big do you make the bags, and do you sew in a drawstring to tighten them at the opening?

Cheers

[bacon_overlord]

I use old cotton pillow cases from garage sales.. can wash and reuse or throw away and get replacements. Twist the end and loop string or rope around it.

[Whonnock Boy]

I have just left the sheet in its original size. When ready to use, just wrap it around and tuck in or tie the corners. Fitted sheets give you some grip with the elastic corners as well.

[RiverOtter]

If you are boning out your meat, save your time and buy 4 zippered pillow cases from Walmart. $12 a pair.
If you want full carcass coverage, then ya, go with a bed sheet. As for size, I'd simply buy a double or queen, fold in half and stitch the side and one end. Extra room is never an issue.

[boxhitch]

Old sheet may not be up to the task, depending what old is.
100% cotton are the best, Kingsize pillow cases are 20x36

There are also slip cases for those body pillows
https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/RgwAAOSwxu5ZMlTy/s-l225.jpgebay, 20 x 50+, more pricey and still not wide enough for hinds



Another good reason for de-boning , and using several smaller packages

[ajr5406]

If you are boning out your meat, save your time and buy 4 zippered pillow cases from Walmart. $12 a pair.
If you want full carcass coverage, then ya, go with a bed sheet. As for size, I'd simply buy a double or queen, fold in half and stitch the side and one end. Extra room is never an issue.


Good point. I've got a bunch of pillow cases in the "donate" pile so I'll probably just repurpose them as game bags.

[longwalk]

I use two bed sheets sewn together. Works very well for deer sized animals when hanging. I hang by the neck instead of the tendons on the hind legs. Only issue I ever have is sometimes sharp bone edges on the legs will rip the fabric.

[Bear Chaser]

Have plenty of homemade meat sacks from sheets. They work really well.

[moosinaround]

Yup, I have both, cheese cloth from the butchers, and bed sheets and pillow cases. I'm ready for every scenario! Bone it out, quarter it, or take it out whole, I have a solution for it all. Moosin

[Elkchaser]

Have used homemade well sewed 'regular sheets that worked ok, but still tore too easily. Then spent decent cash for high thread count sheets that worked better but really couldn't take field abuse. If using for isolated and longer hunts sheets are ok, just have spares to avoid fly/egg damage - I've been there. I now have many XL hunter specialty bags that easily fit elk quarters and moderate-large sized moose quarters. The smaller ones do not. These are expensive but have gone on sale from time to time. I buy 1-2 every year now to replace older ones. Always have duct tape to manage field tears and for sheets I used zap straps to cinch closed (tying knots used up to much bag).

[SR80]

if your going to bone out the meat, and be packing those bags in a pack for any distance, do yourself a favor and a get yourself some tag bomb bags. Expensive yes, but they are reusable and will last years. And they keep the meat upright in your pack, not a big ball in the bottom. They're way stronger than a cotton pillow case or sheet, and bugs cannot get through the material

[saskbooknut]

Been using sheets sewn to make full deer sized game bags for close to 50 years. Don't have any reason to change. They keep flies off, meat clean. Wash up easily. What's not to like.