Sheep down - Now What?

[Ronne]

I'm wondering what guys normally do once their sheep is down. I know the meat is typically de-boned but I'm not sure what is done after that. How is it cooled (no trees to hang it from like a moose/deer)? Do you wrap it in cloth for the pack out? What is done with the meat from the first ram if your buddy is still after a second one? Thanks for any advice you can offer!

[BCHunterFSJ]

Ive had good results burying the quarters in snow (if available, of course). It is also quite cool along mountain creeks / caves. The cape should be removed and salted ASAP.

[kootenayelkslayer]

Wrap the meat in cloth or even garbage bags and bury under moss if its available. That works really well.

[MIL720]

Wrap the meat in cloth or even garbage bags and bury under moss if its available. That works really well.
garbage bags? Won't the meat sweat and go bad after 2 + days???

[BCRiverBoater]

Once the sheep is down? You do the million dollar happy dance and yell and scream. Once the photos and caping are done you do the walk of hell with your 100 pound pack.

[milroy]

Throw away the freeze dried and start eating

[HoagieAB]

Cheer, scream, cry and then come to the realization that now is when all the real work begins.........I use cheese cloth and XXXL Ziploc bags (if you can get out the same day or so).

[trail blazer]

we put the meat into zip-lock bags and then into the creek, it has kept fine this way for over a week. We also bring a half pound of lard to use for cooking the meat every day.

[Orangethunder]

Not that I've had the pleasure of having to deal with sheep but burying the meat or around water in the BIG ziplocks works pretty good. Let it cool first so it doesn't sweat and then bury it in the moss. My caribou kept for a week last year like that. As for the cape, yeah get it off and start the fine knife work and salting. If your really cocky let your buddy shoot first and then practice on his ram so your ready for yours:razz:!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

We also bring a half pound of lard to use for cooking the meat every day.

Why not use sheep fat?? Unlike other game fat, sheep fat is tasty (at least to me). Your pack just got 1/2lb lighter:smile:.

SSS

[Orangethunder]

Thats the first time I have heard of lard being packed in. Although a buddy packed a half pound of garlic butter with him...turns out its ok in track soup too:oops:!

[trail blazer]

the first time we got a sheep we didn't have lard but found that the sheep fat didn't really melt, it sort of evaporated ,so lard was the answer. I know it sounds weird but thats what happened. so when we are frying those back straps in lard with spices we quickly forget about the half pound. maybe a new trend in the making. ha ha.

[BCRiverBoater]

Might have these spices and lard, onions etc. at base camp but no way in hell I am packing them 16 miles into an area. We do not even pack salt if we know we can be back to base camp within a day or so.

[boxhitch]

Meat in ziploks can be trouble, if its not very cold out. Put it in to keep the flies off, but remove it at night once and a while to air dry a bit and to drain off the blood, which sours fast.
Pillow cases are better for hanging it high.

[358mag]

first off you better cut your tag !!!!! make it legal ,clean up all blood around the face,cut out the tongue, take lots of pictures ,do the happy sheep dance cape and debone the meat save the ribs ,load up your pack and enjoy the hike out

[Dale]

ok i'm sure that this questions has been asked a thousand times, but here it is again, how long will a cape last on the skull before the hair starts to slip? I'm thinking about 2 days max, as long as it is kept as cool as possible. I've done deer and moose but its been really cold so there is not a huge rush.