once the buck is down.

[kastles]

So once i have dropped a deer, field dressed it, brought it back to camp, is it fine to hang it over night. we will be going opening weekend september and don't want to spoil the meat. how soon do we have to get it refrigerated. if quick is there somewhere in the princton area you would recommend? thanks
kastles

[hunter1947]

You will be fine with you animal till you get it into a cooler on Monday or Tuesday if you are starting your hunt on Saturday.

When you shoot the deer get the gut bag out pronto and the rest lungs ,hart ,urine bag ,etc .
Then get it skinned out ASAP.

Then try to find a patch of timber where the sun don't hit all day long and hang it up in there on a meat pole.

If you know where there is a bridge that has a good body of water running under it ,hang up your deer under there ,thats what I do.

The cool water thats there will drop the temp 5 or 6 degrees cooler then away wear ell's.

Make sure you put some pepper and vinegar on the deer before putting cheese cloth over the deer ,helps keep the flies off.
Good luck on getting a deer.

[Nalidixic]

Once the buck is down......
The fun is over:-P:-P:-P

Nalid

[OOBuck]

Once the buck is down, the work begins.....

Cheese cloth or better known as game bags. I like
Wayne idea of the pepper or vinegar though. These old guys are a weath of info,, thanks Wayne:razz:

[sfire436]

If it is sticky hot, as a last resort you can actually dump it in moving water over night. This will chill it to the bone. Done it MANY times and NEVER had a problem!

[Sitkaspruce]

Make sure you put some pepper and vinegar on the deer before putting cheese cloth over the deer ,helps keep the flies off.
Good luck on getting a deer.

Ditto on what Wayne said. I bring a couple of gallons of white vinegar with me when ever I go on hunt lasting more than a day. Best bug detere out there for meat.

One thing that I noticed is that you make no mention of skinning it. Make sure you skin it before letting it hang. You can leave the hide on it until you get to camp, this will keep it clean as you bring it out of the bush. Then get the hide off it, wash it down with a vinegar and water mix and let it dry out before bagging it. I use two single bed sheets, sown together with a tie string on top. Then hang it out of the sun and make sure you have air flow around it.

Good luck and have fun

Cheers

SS

[BCRiverBoater]

I prefer to have it in totes or something if putting it in the water. I would never want it in contact of the water itself. I have seen super heavy duty bags used as well as pack boxes etc. I would try to avoid having it in the water. I use a meat tent when on longer trips. Hang it in the shade and the tent keeps all the bugs out. Mid Sept is usually fine for leaving meat hanging for a number of days. Just keep it out of the direct sunlight.

Meat bags are an absolute must.

[TIKA 300]

Holy crap,i wouldnt leave any of it hanging!!!!!!!! I would make sure every steak and roast is eaten within the 1st 48 hours,so theres no spoilage AT ALL

Just buggin ya,good question,and great info TK

[sfire436]

I prefer to have it in totes or something if putting it in the water. I would never want it in contact of the water itself. I have seen super heavy duty bags used as well as pack boxes etc. I would try to avoid having it in the water. I use a meat tent when on longer trips. Hang it in the shade and the tent keeps all the bugs out. Mid Sept is usually fine for leaving meat hanging for a number of days. Just keep it out of the direct sunlight.

Meat bags are an absolute must.

I leave the hide on and put the hide side down on an sand bar or something. I also tie it up as to keep it from running down stream If it is clear moving water I feel it is safe to do so. After I hang it I let it drip dry and then skin it. Nice thing is that it will be quite cold and the eggs will not hatch if any are laid. It is a tried and true way! But I can understand people going :confused:. But after they see the results they are quite happy.:mrgreen:

[OOBuck]

If it is sticky hot, as a last resort you can actually dump it in moving water over night. This will chill it to the bone. Done it MANY times and NEVER had a problem!

Running water or not I would strongly advise agaist this... Lots of nasties
can live in water...

[campking]

If you ever see an old guy at the local hockey arena filling his utility trailer up with ice in September you know he has had a good morning. Done it many times works like a charm meat is kept nice and cold and no bugs to worry about.

[Caveman]

If you touch the meat with the palm of your hand and it feels cool to cold to the touch, generally it's fine. I've hung meat in mid Sept to mid Oct for up to seven days in rather warm temps. Contrary to popular belief I've even left the hide on. My thought is, if the hair and hide are designed to keep the animal warm, would it not work to keep it cool and fresh once the body temp is gone. No chance of bugs penetrating it. I'm not saying you want to do this all the time but it can work if you're careful. Water is one of your worst enemies. Keep it dry as possible. If you use a creek be prepared to wipe it down afterwards. A butcher told me that's the biggest problem he sees.

Take a read on this. Some good info and opinions.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=8056&highlight=hanging+meat

[kastles]

from one end of the spectrum to the other. thanks for all the input, guess im going to have to do a bit more research and then trial and error with some of these ideas. it's not like im only going to ever harvest one deer :)
and i won't get listeria.
kastles

[Leaseman]

I'm old school too, taught by my Dad and his Uncle (life long trapper) in the late sixties and early seventies.... always have left the hide on and washed the cavity with vin./water mix.... dried it, propped the cavity open with a stick (while hanging) and cut some small fir bows and tied them over the opening, keeps flies and birds out, but still lets the air circulate...

This being said, I haven't done a lot of very early (hot weather) hunting.... with taking my son up for youth season, we will prbably bone out (if he is lucky!!) after hanging overnight and get it in a cooler.... where we are going, we went last week and the temp was around 4C for a good part of the morning!!


Mike

[hunter1947]

Another thing I have done over the years when I drop a deer ,i will put it in a cool creek for about an hour ,then pull it out and then skin it the meat looks the same as if you had skinned it out without putting it in the river.

This really cools the meat down fast after you have cleaned it then put it in the creek for a short time with the hid on.

[moosinaround]

I might put an animal in a coastal creek that is clear, but i'm not sure I would be dipping it in any creek up on the eastern side of the foothills up in 7B. If I would drink the water out of the creek then I would put my animal in it! Clean and dry is what I have been told, and have really only ever heard of putting the animal in a creek to clean it out if it has been gut shot. Moosin

[hunter1947]

I might put an animal in a coastal creek that is clear, but i'm not sure I would be dipping it in any creek up on the eastern side of the foothills up in 7B. If I would drink the water out of the creek then I would put my animal in it! Clean and dry is what I have been told, and have really only ever heard of putting the animal in a creek to clean it out if it has been gut shot. Moosin

Yes you are right fast clear running creek is when you put the animal in to cool ,good point there http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif.

[325]

Personally, I would take a drive and get it into a cooler. I would not put it in water unless it's in a bag or container. I have seen what lives in fresh mountain water under the microscope, and believe me, it ain't pretty.

[NEEHAMA]

why not stick the deer in a cooler on ice in the back of the truck?

works for my steaks when i go camping.

[rainman]

like alot of members already said ,gut it as soon as possible ,get the hide off(helps in cooling),hang it overnight if you want,take it to a cooler the next day if its hot,if its not hot hang it as long as you want within reason,if the meat feels cool to the touch its doing fine,im not a big believer in putting it in water unless its airtight bagged.

[kastles]

ok any one know where i can find a dry bag big enough to fit a deer in? lol think ill find some heavy duty pastic bag just in case.

[Caveman]

ok any one know where i can find a dry bag big enough to fit a deer in? lol think ill find some heavy duty pastic bag just in case.

Saw one of the most disgusting things in years involving a plastic bag and a whitetail doe. A young fellow out hunting the PG area and he took a doe, likely his first and his mentors, his uncle and grandfather I believe, skinned and dressed quite nicely this little beauty only to wrap it in a clear plastic bag and hang it for three days in the sun tightly sealed around the neck. You could see it sweating and running down the bag. I can't imagine what thing turned out like to eat.

[BCRiverBoater]

Oilfield stores like Northern Metallic or CF Franklin sell rolls of heavy duty plastic bags for filter and rag disposal etc. The bags are huge and very very strong. I have used them for all kinds of things in the bush. They rarely ever tear.

Remember that meat in plastic can sour fast if left in and allowed to heat up. If the meat is not in the water then remove them immediately before hanging.

I have used them inside my backpack for the hike out to keep it clean but I remove it from the plastic as soon as possible so the internal temperature does not climb more than it should while getting the job done.

[eastkoot]

No one has mentioned that to cool the animal properly you must quarter it after skinning to allow the air into the thicker parts that need to cool. Shoulders and neck are the first to spoil if not cooled. Air will cool it, water, a no no in my books. Cheese cloth or meat sacks to keep flies out then hang in a shady spot and your good to go for several days of warm weather.. Kept lots of elk early Sept. this way..

[Squire]

I have a tried-and-true method when I get an early season buck in the high country; I'll quarter and debone it, put the meat in cheese-cloth gamebags, put them in garbage bags and bury them in a snow patch with the top of the bag open to let the heat out. If there is no snow patch nearby I'll put the garbage bags in a small creek, again with the top open (above the water line) to let the heat out. This not only cools the meat but keeps the bugs off as well. I usually do this overnight and pack out the next day. I camp a safe distance away with at least a 200 yd line of sight for approach just to be sure I don't surprise any critters bigger than me on my kill. I agree with others that water should not touch the meat. I have hiked out for several hours, and drove for two more in temperatures in the high 20s and the meat is still cold to the touch when I unload my pack.
If you wish to hang an un-skinned deer in camp for a day or two, filling the body cavity with 4-litre milk jugs filled with water and frozen works. It is not ideal but the hide insulates and keeps the 'cool' in.