[RIKA]

Most of my hunting has been done, by law, in cool weather. Sure I've made a deer kill on a warm day but there was always ice available to keep the meat from spoiling. You guys have briefly mentioned warm weather kills and that GK didn't know what to do with the meat. I admit that I really don't know what to do either other than to make jerky out of some of it.

So, could we discuss warm weather meat handling, processing and the various ways of preserving it. Your experienced comments would help us all.

Thanks

RIKA

 

[GBullet]

RIKA, IMO, the two most important steps are to:

1) dress it out as soon as possible

2) protect it from insect larvae, perhaps with a fabric bag

 

[andy]

depending upon how large an animal it is, and how many people are in your group, you may need to immediately cut it into strips, dip them into salt brine and get them laid out in the sun, under the bug nettting.

 

[Aslan]

For non-shtf, I take 2 liter plastic bottles, fill them about 3/4 full of water and freeze them. I keep these in my cooler to help keep food cold without filling the cooler with melted water. In an emergency, the water from the ice in the bottles is drinkable. (so you don't lose it like when ice melts in an ice chest, that water is tytpically dumped)

If I harvest a deer sized animal in warm weather, I simply pack the bottles inside the body cavity after dressing it out. It cools the meat down really well, and will not damage and of the meat.


I also use the cloth game bags that allow the meat to breathe, but keep the bugs away.

:devil:

 

[RIKA]

What I was thinking about was emergency/shtf where ice & refrigeration isn't available. The breathable cloth body bags are excellent; I use them myself.

RIKA

 

[41mag]

Here's a real odd thought.I'm assuming that at least some of you live in the Rockies or thereabouts.Well,why couldn't you take the bug-bagged carcass & dunk it into a local,fast moving stream.It has been my understanding that,unlike the midwest,most of the water out west comes from high elevations(ie.cold,mountain fed streams.You know-like the Coors commercials).That would seem to me to have multiple benefits.First-wash the game out.blood,guts,filth,dirt,hair-all downstream.Second-cool the carcass quickly.It won't be as cold as if backed in ice but.& GBullet would probably be the better one to explain this but IIRC cool running water cools more effectively than still,colder water.Thirdly[is that even a word?LOL!]the carcass would be safe from both bugs &,I would think,both two & four legged varmits.

Now,if you're nowheres near a cold mountain stream,well,I dunno.

 

[Aslan]

What I was thinking about was emergency/shtf where ice & refrigeration isn't available. The breathable cloth body bags are excellent; I use them myself.

RIKA

ok, sorry.

Cut in to thin strips and either smoke them / dry them, or salt them down. Keep them covered in muslin or some other cloth that will let the air circulate but keep the critters out.

Some aromatic herbs, like western sage can help keep the bugs off.

once you dry the meat and make jerky, it'l keep for a good long time.

:devil: