Warm weather hunting

[7MM RM]

Hey folks, just wondering if anyone has any sugestions for hunting in 25+ weather. Im worried about the flies getting to my animal while I'm gutting it. Short of bring a generator and a freezer with me, what do you suggest I do to keep my animal bug free and unspoiled...and please dont say wait till October. LOL!

Thanks

[.300WSMImpact!]

in the mountains it is much cooler, overnight would be fine to hang it, but you will have to get the meat to a cooler as fast as you can

[Mikey Rafiki]

Open her up and get the hide off asap. 25 degrees is still cooler than the inside of a critter (though not by much).

My grandfather used to hang game for days in this type of weather back in the 50's and 60's. He said just get it up as high as you can, then the flies and bugs won't get to it. You would get a nice crust on the outside of the meat that would have to be removed prior to butchering.

[bcbrez]

meat sacks, and if you have a creek near by camp you can cool it in there.

[carnivore]

Bring a hand sprayer and lots of pickling vinegar, that will keep the blow flies at bay.

[sdurango41]

We have shot several deer over the years in 25 plus weather. We typically will skin it and then wash it down with viniger and water to keep the blow flies away. Once that is done we wrap it in cheese cloth and hang it.
If necessary we have been known to toss it into a nearby creek or stream to keep it cool. If we are going to do that we leave the hide on it.

[7MM RM]

So getting the meat wet is not such a bad thing? I was always told to keep the cavity dry.

[Big Lew]

We have shot several deer over the years in 25 plus weather. We typically will skin it and then wash it down with viniger and water to keep the blow flies away. Once that is done we wrap it in cheese cloth and hang it.
If necessary we have been known to toss it into a nearby creek or stream to keep it cool. If we are going to do that we leave the hide on it.
x2! Most of my deer and moose within the past 25 years have been shot during hot or warm weather conditions....once skinned and wiped down with a vinegar/water solution, completely envelope it with good quality meat sacking and hang it in the shadiest spot you can find until you're able to get it to a cooler.

[ianwuzhere]

its a bad feeling to have harvested an animal and meat going to waste from spoilage. vinegar, hang higher for bugs, in water, freezer- all work. i love hunting when its nice and warmer out much more comfortable but all them problems are usually gone like a month later...-as much as i want to header out lookin for a big game- moose/elk etc now, i know i can wait and then hang it at home later in the season.
-i think the freezer idea would be great,especially if travelling a long ways in warm weather...
good luck..

[buck nash]

If I am just going for a day trip I freeze a bunch of water bottles and stack them in a cooler. If I get something I gut it, skin it and break it down as much as possible. I spay the meat with vinager as I expose it. Then put it in the cooler with the water bottles spread around the meat. It's worked well for me so far.

The bottles stay frozen for a few days if you have enough of them and they're in a good cooler.

[Billygoat]

What is the vinager for? keeping flies and bacteria away? what water to vinegar ratio do you use?

[campking]

We go to the local ice arena(usually open during hunting season) with our utility trailer
put a couple of feet of ice in it and lay our deer on top of the ice. It is a great way to
keep meat nice and cold on those hot days and no bugs!

[moose2]

With a moose size animal I like to gut , quarter , hang and skin as quickly as possible. If there is a wind blowing and flies are not a problem I will wait towards evening to put on cheese cloth. If the flies are bad I will cheese cloth right away. I use water and vinagar to wipe the meat down as well , as far as I know the vinagar cuts the blood and cleans the meat better than water alone. This is part of the reason it will not attract as many flies. I also like to keep the hide and trimmings about 50 feet away it seems flies, wasps and even predators will work over a bloodly hide pile before worring about clean dry quarters. I carry enough supplies aside from vinagar in my day pack to do all this in the bush if it will take along time before I can return to get the animal out. Supplies needed to do this are enough rope to hang 4 quarters and lash up a pole. A hand saw and knives for gutting, quartering and skinning. Enough cheese cloth to cover 4 quarters. I also like to carry a tie down strap ( like you use to secure an atv or dirt bike to a truck). This will help you lift the quarters on your own easily. You just need to hook the buckle end to the pole and the strap end to the quarter you lift with one hand and take up slack with other in a rachetting motion until the quarter is a desired height now it can be tied off and the strap is used on the next one. Once a skinned animal has been left out over night it should be very cool and will last many days in cheese cloth if kept in the shade during day light. But in most cases a couple hour drive will get you to a cooler this is a small inconvenience that will be worth while and allow you to continue a hunt worry free. A shorter neck will help cool the fronts a bit quicker as well. A long neck will quite often spoil first because of the heat it retains, this goes for the front shoulders as well. You can take the the front leg off at the armpit or just slice most of it away to allow cool air to get there as well. A tarp roof to keep rain and dew off will also provide shade but keep it high enough the wind can still get to the meat. I hope this helps and good luck everyone on your up coming hunts.
Mike

[moose2]

What is the vinager for? keeping flies and bacteria away? what water to vinegar ratio do you use?

I use about 4 water to one vinagar (20%) other people might use different amounts , but this works for me.

[Sooke Hunter]

One night hanging in a heavily treed area or over a running creek ....then off to a meat cooler the next day!

[Gateholio]

If it's hot, no amount of vinegar,black pepper, game bags etc are going to help you. You need to cool it down.

Lots of ways to do this, form sinking meat in snow to putting it into (open) plastic bags an immersing it into a creek, hanging it over a creek, etc.

We once did a 14 day horse trip with a moose killed on day5. Meat was in the plastic boxes and stood up in the creek. When we moved, meat got into the next creek, pronto.

[BlacktailStalker]

Quarter it (with no hyde) and ideally, bone it out.
Don't sink it in the water exposed, you'll get that gross soft layer.
Hanging it over a creek and/or under a bridge in the shade works as well as anything and is usually several degrees cooler than the mean temperature.

[Livewire322]

buy an icecream truck :) or just go into town and take it to a place with a cooler
im doing my first and last hunt in the junior season i've hunted later in the regular season before but i need to take a deer early in the season this year so the sept 1-9 is perfect for me... 3-18 is hot at this time of year.

[Tim]

now what happens if you dont have access to a creek. Will hanging in the shade work well enough alone?

[.300WSMImpact!]

now what happens if you dont have access to a creek. Will hanging in the shade work well enough alone?

in high elevation yes, early September its cold over night

[7MM RM]

buy an icecream truck :) or just go into town and take it to a place with a cooler
im doing my first and last hunt in the junior season i've hunted later in the regular season before but i need to take a deer early in the season this year so the sept 1-9 is perfect for me... 3-18 is hot at this time of year.


Doesn't the "pop goes the weasle song" scare away the deer? lol

[Glassman]

Skin it fast. Water vinegar solution to wipe down. Coarse pepper on body and make sure you get into the cavities. Put 7 or 8 frozen 2 litre pop bottles on and in body. Keep out of sun till it is in cooler.

[Mikey Rafiki]

So how many people actually carry pepper around with them during a hunt? Or vinegar?

I learn something new all the time on here.

Is this primarily used if you have to hang it for a day or two in the bush before you can get it to a cooler?