It usually takes me 2 hours tops to get my deer dressed, out of the field and dropped off at the processors. I don’t have access to ice. If it’s 80 degrees let’s say,….am I safe? That’s probably pushing it I’d think. I’m always curious about this.
Field dress to processor in hot weather
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Bigcountry40
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Bigcountry40
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There are guys out west shooting elk in 80 degree weather that are hiking 2 hours each trip, getting those guts and blood out drops the temp immediately
I guess I'm still stuck on the 'don't have access to ice' part.
Your biggest concern is the processor. Back when I worked there.... it took 2-6 hrs until it hit the cooler.
I don’t have enough freezer space for the amount of ice I need. By the time I get out of BFE to civilization, I’m already 20 minutes to the processor.
The area they’re working looks like it’s refrigerated but I doubt it….it’s at least air conditioned big time. They tag it, take your order then cart it off into that room. Nothing stays out.
If you have a garage or at least a handy tree you can through rope over for a gambrel and an empty enough fridge..you can have it skinned, deboned, and in the refrigerator inside an hour.
triple_duece
Ragin Cajun.
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Your good. The deer after dying takes at least that long to get to ambient temps of outside. We kill plenty of deer and some have laid overnight to find. Deer have really no fat running through the muscle to spoil the meat. Why can’t you quarter your deer, put on ice in ice chest than have plenty of time to bring to processor?
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large cooler + two large bags ice = instant refrigerator.
getting the guts out is obviously the first order of business here but getting the hide off is every bit as important if not more so for cooling down meat in warm weather. deer hair is hollow and is extremely good at holding in body heat. if you cannot get ice or whole deer to a walk-in cooler hang it up and rip the hide off as fast as you can. Elk hunters reduce whole animals to quarters and remove all the hide before they start packing out.
getting the guts out is obviously the first order of business here but getting the hide off is every bit as important if not more so for cooling down meat in warm weather. deer hair is hollow and is extremely good at holding in body heat. if you cannot get ice or whole deer to a walk-in cooler hang it up and rip the hide off as fast as you can. Elk hunters reduce whole animals to quarters and remove all the hide before they start packing out.
A quality cooler if pre-chilled can keep bags of ice for days. You can even use dry ice in some of them.
Getting the hide off, and chilling out the rear quarters, are keys.
I've personally seen deer shot (normal location, not gut) in the evening, not recovered that night. We had a light snow and freezing temps and then found early the next morning. When we went to field dress them it was obvious they had started to spoil, the odor was horrible.
My goal is gutted, washed out, dried, skinned, quartered and in fridge 1 hr after recovery. Have deer fridge in garage.
triple_duece
Ragin Cajun.
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The answer is ice chest. I have nothing but a shitty motel room when we go midwest. Typically killing 4 deer w our group. We bring ice in ice chest, skin and quarter where ever we can and put more ice as needed. Last year Hunter killed early, we went to a taxidermist and had him cape it out and freeze the hide. I killed one a day before and did it myself and left for home the next day. We typically hunt 10-12 days which can be plus two days for travel. This is easily done if you can clean and quarter your own animal. We actually have to debate ne everything to cross state lines. The ice bags are used to divide meat as in roast, back straps or meat to grind.
I get the ice cooler thing but hauling coolers full of ice each and every weekend in hopes I take a deer isn’t practical. No matter how you slice it (no pun intended)…it’s a 2 hour period if no tracking issues from dressing it to the processor.
Some further information regarding how long it might take for meat to spoil.
fromhungertohope.com
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I was told by professional butchers throughout the years and in different states that wild game meat begins to spoil when temperature gets above 45 degrees.
Now, I've always made it my highest priority to secure the quality and integrity of my game right after killing it, whatever it takes to preserve as much as possible. I try my best to be proactive and prepare ahead of time if I know that I'll be hunting in much warmer climates and/or temperatures. Have the items nearby that are necessary to keep game meat cool.
I've never had any game meat spoil, so I must be doing somethin right because I've killed a lot in 70-80 degree temperatures, and no complaints from all those that had the pleasure of eating what I harvested back then.
How long does meat take to spoil? | - From Hunger To Hope
Types of Meat When it comes to food safety, it pays to know the different types of meat. Different types of meat require different temperatures and cooking methods to be safely consumed, and each type of meat also has a different timeframe when it comes to how long it takes to spoil. Let’s take […]
fromhungertohope.com
I was told by professional butchers throughout the years and in different states that wild game meat begins to spoil when temperature gets above 45 degrees.
Now, I've always made it my highest priority to secure the quality and integrity of my game right after killing it, whatever it takes to preserve as much as possible. I try my best to be proactive and prepare ahead of time if I know that I'll be hunting in much warmer climates and/or temperatures. Have the items nearby that are necessary to keep game meat cool.
I've never had any game meat spoil, so I must be doing somethin right because I've killed a lot in 70-80 degree temperatures, and no complaints from all those that had the pleasure of eating what I harvested back then.
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When I hunted Ohio as a rule I didn't shoot meat deer in shitty temps or weather. The biggest reason being I didn't want to sweat like a whore in church rushing to get them taken care of. The other was they freaking stink when its warm and the fat is sticky and runny like snot. They smell like a damn goat.
I would hunt horns until shotgun and use the gun seasons to fill the freezer. January muzzleloader meat hunting is the best. No real reason to shoot meat deer early season, plenty of time for that later in cooler weather. Since you asked though. Get the guts out and you should be fine for a good while if they're not in the sun. If it's going to be a most of the day affair get the hide off, quarter, put in meat bags and hang in the shade.
My thoughts after reading the thread is either take Joe's approach and only shoot meat deer when the conditions favor meat handling. Or, if it's a shooter buck, you have all of 4-6 hours before things would get questionable pending shot placement and how long it laid before you found it. The last thought is to encourage you to make the extra effort to haul coolers and ice if this is something you're concerned about. Freeze several gallon jugs of water and use those. Even if they melt, but stay well below room temp, they'll be helpful in cooling the meat down.
Bankfish
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The buck my brother shot last night we packed with frozen milk jugs, covered him with an old sleeping bag and layed him on the garage floor. Took him to processor today and he was just fine and it's hot here in Kansas. Jugs were still half frozen.