What is the fastest way to cool game meat ?

[fearnodeer]

Okay I've been doing my research on bison and # 1 priority is cooling the meat. I've read that in the first two hours game meat should be cooled to 70 degrees and within the next 4 hours down to 40 degrees. I am planning on taking a freezer full of frozen milk jugs and once we have one down filling it full of treated water and submerging the meat in it for a little while to help the cooling. The biggest question i have is can i submerge the meat in a game bag or do i need to put it in a plastic bag first. I believe we will be deboning. Okay now its your turn, does anyone have any suggestions or how do you deal with this issue.

[hunter1947]

Dump the whole animal in a cold river if you can before skinned out for 20 min..

[bozzdrywall]

In elk camp early sept I always wrap the meat in a garbage bag and put it in a creek for half hour or so then get it to the bucher seems to work well I would not leave meat sit in water for too long.

[GoatGuy]

The smaller the piece meat, the easier it is to cool.

[yama49]

I agree with GG, also debone your meat.

[Jelvis]

Don't put warm meat in plastic bags that is a no no right off the bat, it will go green on you fast and BAM! Your wasted.
Jel .. No plastic bags on warm meat .. worst thing you could do ..

[CanuckShooter]

If your shooting bison, I would assume it will be in the late season?? Skin, quarter and hang in the shade, should do it when it's cool out, if it's a little warmer you can open the hinds just above the knee joint and split the neck to assist with letting heat out, and allow any breeze to hit the meat.........................................I would never immerse my meat in water your just inviting bacteria to form!!!

[bozzdrywall]

Jel would the meat spoil after a 20 min cool down in a bag in a creek. I do it just for a quick cool down befor the 2 or 3 hour ride in the box of my truck to the butcher. I could learn something new every day till the day I die and I would still ask stupid questions ha ha.

[markt308]

Don't put warm meat in plastic bags that is a no no right off the bat, it will go green on you fast and BAM! Your wasted.
Jel .. No plastic bags on warm meat .. worst thing you could do ..

gotta agree with the Jel-man on this one. Plastic bags are bad news on warm meat!

[fearnodeer]

If your shooting bison, I would assume it will be in the late season?? Skin, quarter and hang in the shade, should do it when it's cool out, if it's a little warmer you can open the hinds just above the knee joint and split the neck to assist with letting heat out, and allow any breeze to hit the meat.........................................I would never immerse my meat in water your just inviting bacteria to form!!!

No this is Oct 1 - 15 so i am exspecting warmer temps.

[hunter1947]

Don't put warm meat in plastic bags that is a no no right off the bat, it will go green on you fast and BAM! Your wasted.
Jel .. No plastic bags on warm meat .. worst thing you could do ..

But you can put cold meat in a plastic bag after its cooled down the put it air tight in the cold stream..

[blackbart]

Given that you are going in early Oct I wouldn't be too worried about putting the meat in water or a freezer right away - those tactics are only for when it is really warm out.

Get the hide off of the animal ASAP. Then break the animal down into whatever sized chunks you can handle. Hang the meat in a shady spot overnight and it will be cooled down.

[scallywag]

oct 1 up north you might be able to just throw some snow on it..

[Mikey Rafiki]

Ya, Oct shouldn't be too bad. Hide and Hang High.

[peashooter]

Those jokers on wild tv always shoot game and retrieve it either next day or in the eve after a morning hunt. Wonder what that venison tastes like.

[Darksith]

Given that you are going in early Oct I wouldn't be too worried about putting the meat in water or a freezer right away - those tactics are only for when it is really warm out.
Yeah, was thinking the same thing. You are heading up to pink mountain, what kinda temps are you expecting? You might wanna research that a bit, you don't wanna be under prepared for the cold. You will have strong frosts in the mornings most likely.

[.300WSMImpact!]

Those jokers on wild tv always shoot game and retrieve it either next day or in the eve after a morning hunt. Wonder what that venison tastes like.

I have always wondered this myself, I guess when you shoot just for trophies it don't matter

[Stresd]

That's reason why I am in the process of putting a Cooler together in my Cargo Trailer right now. Won't have to worry about the Temperature on the 3rd week in September. Be able to keep the beer nice and cold too.:mrgreen: Biggest expense besides the trailer was the Honda 3000IS to run the system.:-( But I tell you . Well worth the money, as that puppy is sure quiet.8)

[kennyj]

Should be heavy frost in Oct. De-bone it and lay the meat out on racks or branches above the ground so the air can circulate around it. By morning it will be cool. If it warms up to much during the day put the meat in a cool spot or in coolers and put it back out again at night. Thats how we do it.
kenny

[Jelvis]

If your in grizzly country don't hang animal close to the tent area, hang it over and across a ways.
Grizzly can smell it three miles away if wind conditions are right for the mammoth brown bear.
If you go back in to get the last meat to carry out, the next day be ready for horrible lissis the giant silver tipped grizzly will be on it or real close by and the birds, pickin and grinnin, eagles, ravens in the trees. Look Out! Behind you. Bear.
Jelly Bean Bear

[moosinaround]

Get the hide off it!! Open up the thick parts, the hams, the front shoulders, around the neck. Some guys will submerge them in the creek with just the gut area open, seems that would work if the water is half a$$ clean?! Get it to a cooler PDQ! I am usually prepared for a field storage situation too if it is in late Aug or early Sept. Moosin

[Jelvis]

I see inexperience here on all levels of meat preparation and cooling down.
First of all it's the heat, the hornets, the bluebottom flies and eggs.
They lay eggs in the warm creases in the flesh and they become maggots in a couple veeks. ha.
Their tiny furry legs and feet transfer germs onto the meat cuz they were just sittin on a pile of bear shit and dead rotting stinky carion from a skunk also.
Not just cooling down but avoiding flies and even game bagz will have holes and they creep in by the dozens hombre'
Build a smudge to keep bugs away or hang the carcass up over fifteen feet or so and the flies don't fly that high.
I would bone out during the day and spread it out at night in the cool, then pepper it good with coarse black pepper it burns the flys ass and he leaves fast.
Jel .. Assault with pepper .. pepper steak mmmm gah hooood tasty and tender

[CanuckShooter]

Dry ice...that is the answer....put your meat on dry ice, guaranteed to cool it down fast!!~!!

[Jelvis]

October early, the meat can go sqwerly, it's warm still and flys but also you watch out for BONE SOUR.
The carcass can feel cool on the outside to your touch but near the bones the meat is real warm and greening up into sour, sticky, slimey stinky meat, yuck!
Bone sour happens to lots of first timers on a large animal like an elk or moose.
Even a deer can get bone sour and rot by the bone.
Jel .. Bone sour ( google it ) the heat must escape from these areas too .. or sour

[ROEBUCK]

the name of the game is to skin and quarter the animal as quick as possible and get it hung.and in the shade.
Ive had moose down in 70 degree weather and had no probs .get it to a cooler as soon as possible .
if the nights get near freezing you should do fine

[madrona sh]

I hunt in pretty warm weather for Blacktails here in the Southwest Country. Here is what I do: Gut, Cut and Carry. Just don't @%$# around and get it out.

[walks with deer]

Jel is right black pepper and game bags
I bring a genset airconditioner and some insulated tarps from work with a thermometer if you get over fridge temperature for more than an hour you are headed to town.
Wind and creeks help keep the temperature down my dad and I did tests years back you will find it cooler near mountain streams. (This will only buy you a couple days if it is hot)
Keep a lantern underneath and a fire in camp all people in camp piss in a 12ft radius around your pole zero blood guts or fish in camp keep the fire burning bells on your game bags and many many slugs in your shotgun.
A good drip can go south quick if not organized.

[Fraink]

A horror story from the first ever year they offered the hunt, -20 and the guy field dressed the bison like you would a moose ( gutted and propped open to cool), the next morning the meat was soured. I have been on the hunt twice and was advised to get the hide off fast never had any trouble. 2 yrs ago my son shot his 4yr old bull at 1pm and we had it gutted skinned and cut in 8 pieces by 5pm. Hey Jel, I like the black pepper advise.

[Black Lab]

the name of the game is to skin and quarter the animal as quick as possible and get it hung.and in the shade.
Ive had moose down in 70 degree weather and had no probs .get it to a cooler as soon as possible .
if the nights get near freezing you should do fine
I agree with ROEBUCK never any problems. I would never ever, consider water, your just asking for trouble. If the weather turns to rain and you have game, I would get out of the bush as fast as you can. We don't bother with game bags anymore, too much trouble. Shade and air circulation is your friend. Watch for flies eggs, and keep it clean.

[Pre '64]

We flew into a lake (otter Lake) in back of Prince George one time. They were having record high temps that sept, (25-27 C). Shot two moose on wednesday evening. We immediately quartered them and hung the quarters in the shade behind the camp and skinned them. Mixed vinegar and water and sprayed them down good. After it dried a bit we doused them with black pepper. No flies at all on the meat. Plane picked us up sunday afternoon. We stayed overnight in a motel in prince George and then had to drive Nanaimo and took the meat to the butcher, he said it was perfect. Vinegar is great for keeping bacteria down.

But to answer the question here, IMO put quarters in a cold brook for 30 minutes. I've done this several times in the summer for road kill deer for meat for my hounds and have ended up eating of of the best cuts sometimes. I've dome it with moose before too without any problems.

[Ltbullken]

Okay I've been doing my research on bison and # 1 priority is cooling the meat. I've read that in the first two hours game meat should be cooled to 70 degrees and within the next 4 hours down to 40 degrees. I am planning on taking a freezer full of frozen milk jugs and once we have one down filling it full of treated water and submerging the meat in it for a little while to help the cooling. The biggest question i have is can i submerge the meat in a game bag or do i need to put it in a plastic bag first. I believe we will be deboning. Okay now its your turn, does anyone have any suggestions or how do you deal with this issue.

I would definitely NOT submerge the animal in water if that is what you are thinking. I believe that is the best way to contaminate meat. My meat cutter said putting meat in bags can contaminate it as well. Quarter it and hang it in a cooler if you can get it there or hang in the shade then to a cooler. I'd make arrangements to get it into a cooler ASAP. Do research on where you can get to a cooler.

I think the priority is to: field dress, quarter, hang, skin, then clean with vinegar and water or bleach and water and dehair the carcass. All the while, keeping it as clean as possible. I like to keep the hide on as long as possible to keep the carcass clean then when I'm in a better situation, skin it. But if time is your enemy, get the hide off but do everything you can to keep it clean. Game bags can be ok if used for a limited amount of time IMHO, as I suspect they promote spoilage.... Tip: the tongue makes an EXCELLENT medium to remove hair and dirt off the carcass! Rub the tongue on the carcass, rinse in water, repeat... and that's the animal's tongue... not yours! loL!! Again, tip from my meat cutter... I've seen it, it works awesome! :-P

[orso]

I have the same draw and from people Ive been talking to it gets down in the minuses there at night.

[Marlin375]

First off....Bison is NOT venison, there is definately something different about the flesh and the speed that it will sour/rot. When they say get the animal dressed and cooling off in 3 hours they mean it. From my experience (2 yrs ago) on the early Oct hunt we had temps down to -10 on light cloud nights and -17 on the clear nights. Let the heat out as soon as you get your bison on the ground, hide off and guts out. I don't think boning helps the cooling, better hanging in the shade as a slab, fewer cut sides, stays cleaner, and easier to get clean, at least for the first night or two then de-bone it if you need to for transport. I lost the tops of my shoulders because I didn't take the hide off them till the next morning...and it was -15 over night, most bizzar thing I have seen. Flies were not a problem, once it is cooled and starting to freeze at night you're home free, just keep it cool.

Oh, And don't wait for 2 days to take hide off the skull. It rots faster than anything else and you'll be gagging.

And lastly, there are grizzlies (and wolves) in the Half Way valley in Oct, by the outfitters accounts they are mostly after the gut piles but they move through at the same elevation you are camping at so I would'nt spread your meat out all over the place.

My 02.

[bc sportsman]

30 years of moose hunting with a moose or two in camp every year (on average..some years three or four moose) and never a spoiled animal and we had some very warm periods of a week or more. We field dress immediately, and if very close to running water or a half decent pond/lake, we halve the animal and drag it in. The membrane in the gut cavity protects the meat very well and allows you to wash off any grime after you pull it out to quarter and skin. If we have to pack out, we quarter, throw into water where we find some. The only part of the meat that gets dirty is the first 1/4" of meat where you quartered it.

Don't skin the animal before putting into water...unless you have no other choice. You get too much dirt that way...if you have to skin first, then put the skinned meat into a tight weave cloth bag. Nice thing about throwing the meat into the water without a plastic bag on it is that any fly eggs laid will over-absorb water, swell up and die without ever developing a maggot. If you put the cheese cloth wrapped quarters in plastic bags, no real worries as the cool meat will slow down the hatching of any maggots. In such cases, I would wipe the meat down with vinegar/water after hanging just in case.

Be careful of many plastic bags...they have a chemical treatment for reducing garbage odors and can really affect your food...make it inedible. Learned that the hard way when I picked some blackberries and put them in a garbage bag and into the fridge. If you want to use a plastic bag, wrap the meat first in cheese cloth wraps so the bag doesn't contact the meat. Never used garbage bags that but seems to be a reasonable precaution....but no guarantees as I have never tested.

Leave in water overnight (8 hrs or so but never more than 18 hrs). Pull out of water, hang in shade, leave hide on!!! Put a tarp over the meat to keep it dry from frost or other condensation. The meat is cool all the way to the bone and the hide will insulate and keep it cool even in very hot weather. It will also protect the meat from dirt etc. Can stay with the hide on for a week or more even in very warm weather with no issues. Skin before transporting. One note...it is harder to skin a cooled quarter than a warm/fresh quarter but its a small price to pay.

If you want to skin the quarters after removing from the water...then no worries. You can wrap with cheese cloth if you wish or leave unwrapped. Blow eggs laid after meat cooled will not hatch. Secret now is to air dry ASAP and leaving unwrapped helps develop a crust a little faster. Not a big issue if you wrap or not. But at this stage...NO PLASTIC BAGS!!!

If you submersed a skinned animal in game bags overnight, hang the next day remove the cloth bag immediately to let the meat air dry. Any blow flies that land on your meat may lay eggs but those eggs will not mature within a week or two (if every) because their maturity is temp sensitive. Cooling the meat stops the eggs from hatching. I would still look at the meat every day or two...maybe wipe with a vinegar solution but do not soak the meat. If you wish, you can put your game bags back on after the meat is dry on the outside and the game bags are throughly dry. Never put on wet or damp bags. At this stage...its all about drying...you do not want your meat to get wet again.

Couple other points....never cool meat in water more than once even if the temp gets very high. Never cool meat that has already been hung to dry and then the weather has turned warm. Its too late... Do it right away (preferably the same day you shoot it...) or don't do it at all. Reason is that the meat has likely developed a crust. Cooling in the river will create a leathery type of crust that will quickly deteriorate and spoil your meat.

Guys I hunt with always cool our un-skinned quarters regardless of temperature...cool or warm. Only time we don't is if its very cool out and we know it will stay cool.

We are always being told not to do this by those who never tried it or by butchers who have had clients who didn't do it right. Told we will ruin our meat...but...the butchers we send our meat to marvel at how great shape and clean it is. Hanging meat in warm weather for up to two weeks for 30 yrs and counting with no spoiled meat ever...success speaks for itself.

One last story since I've got nothing better to do at midnight....shot a bear the first year we tried this...late 70s. We were up on the east side of Taseko lakes. Two weeks to go before we head home. Gutted it, threw it into a very cold river running past our camp for half a day, overnight...for the full day following...hung it in the evening with hide on in the shade for two weeks. Warm 60 deg weather...some days even warmer, cool at night but not cold. Drove home to Surrey, phoned a taxidermist to get it professionally skinned and then take meat to butcher. Taxidermist refused but made a deal with him to at least look at the animal with the assurance that we would not leave it with him if it wasn't to his liking. He was amazed. No hair came off...no deterioration. He took the animal, we got the meat from him next day...great tasting meat...and last time I checked some 10 years ago...that rug was still hanging in good shape in by partner's living room.

[stinkyduck]

wow experence like no other.A good read,will read again forsure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Allen50]

Okay I've been doing my research on bison and # 1 priority is cooling the meat. I've read that in the first two hours game meat should be cooled to 70 degrees and within the next 4 hours down to 40 degrees. I am planning on taking a freezer full of frozen milk jugs and once we have one down filling it full of treated water and submerging the meat in it for a little while to help the cooling. The biggest question i have is can i submerge the meat in a game bag or do i need to put it in a plastic bag first. I believe we will be deboning. Okay now its your turn, does anyone have any suggestions or how do you deal with this issue.

well im not understanding why some one has to put the meat in water, dont put it in plasket bags while warm, bad for the meat, and there is no need to put in water, wash it clean and hang it, if it is warm then get it to a cooler,its way better to let it dry and ferm up and theb cheese cloth it, keeping it dry then to a cooler if it is warm out,, this is after me knowing and working in a slaugther house for 10 years and i also hunt, and one thing i never do is put it in the river , lake, or anyother type of standing water, one never knows what died in the water, or if beavers live in it, boil water wash and clean blood off and let dry,i never under stood people putting animals in the water, to cool, try to get to a cooler or home, that all i can say, you will do as you like, good luck...

[fearnodeer]

Okay thanks for all your help guys we have decided not to put any meat in direct contact with water, we are going to the basics, gut, quarter, hang it.

[Deaddog]

We always debone and hang our meat, we are in the north country mid to late sept and have no way to get to a cooler, our meat has always been fine....we did one year go early and it turned hot....we put our meat in water for a number of days, did not hurt it at all, wouldn't hesitate doing it again, that said we prefer to just hang it in a shaded area, has kept for up to ten days with no problem.. DD

[Allen50]

Okay thanks for all your help guys we have decided not to put any meat in direct contact with water, we are going to the basics, gut, quarter, hang it.

dont for get to boil water and wash off all the blood hair dirt etc, make it clean theb dry and cheese cloth it,, and you will love the game you go after,,