Keeping Meat Cool

[paulvallandigham]

Lets see: You live in Southern Colorado- a very large state, where the temperatures tend to be warmer, in the early parts of hunting season, than they do up North. Seems I covered that.

Hot spring pond= Cold Doesn't kill off all the bacteria at night. DID YOU NOT SAY HOT SPRING FED POND???? DID I NOT SAY bacteria need Heat, Water, and Food? Os that NOT being provided by that HOT SPRING???

Parts of Colorado under 4500 feet elevation: I specifically remember reading where I mentioned Hunting Above 6,000 feet, and that there are parts of Colorado that are not that high!

I have many local hunters here in Illinois who hunt every year in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Once in awhile, I meet someone who hunts New Mexico.

I sharpen their knives for their hunts. We discuss at length what they have done in the past, and what I recommend they try differently to protect and save MORE meat than the old, "hang it and case it" method. I Have NO doubt that the old method works, Fred. But I Noted my objection to it is that I don't like to waste that much meat if there is any alternative, I never said it was not a useful method to use when all else fails. And I didn't say it produced bad meat.

I was thinking instead of the last folks I helped get ready for their Elk hunt in Wyoming, where they were in a " dry " camp, several miles from the nearest " Cold Mountain Stream". That is why I did not mention it. Sometimes, the hunting is going to be far from a nice, cold stream where you can simply put bags of meat in the stream to keep it cold- you won't need ice-- where you can keep an eye on it, and any interest of local bears, and now, wolves.

The fundamentals remain the same. Get the hide off- because that insulating hide will spoil meat under it. Cool the meat as quickly as you can. Then dry it, and keep it clean. As long as the meat stays cool- near that 37.5 degreesF. temperature, you can predict it will last about as long as meat you put in your refrigerator.

If you are hunting in thin air, where the bacterial count is lower, and remains lower because of the shortage of moisture in the air, you get to "cheat " on that temperature requirement a bit. But you can't cheat on the water, or food part of the equation. The Hang it and Case it method deprives both Bacteria and blow flies of both the food, and moisture in the meat. Do use the Game Bags sold for this kind of thing to help keep the flies out, and the bacteria from contacting the flesh.

The Temperature on the sunny slopes up high may reach 80 degrees, but the cool valleys and shaded areas there often barely reach 50 degrees, and then only for a little more than an hour a day. It is remarkable how different the temperatures are in the Mountains at elevation, and how you have to prepare to shed or add layers of clothing during the course of a day's hunt, depending on whether you are in shadow or in the sunlight. The Serious, repeat hunters from here who hunt southern Colorado, and New Mexico, or Arizona for Elk often take refrigerated trucks with them to carry the meat back. Others have modified RVs that provide the same kind of protection. The Guys who hunt further North take fewer preparations, a a group, although much depends on when they go Elk Hunting. By Mid-September, and October( when many of them hunt), its quite a bit colder- not a surprise that the first snows have already arrived-- and they are hunting Elk at lower elevations. The requirements for keeping Elk meat cool and safe change dramatically, depending on When you hunt Colorado, and where you hunt there.

Thank you for your comments, guys.

 

[the11]

You have a hot spring fed sewer pond?

I have heard men call it a lot of things, but a "hot spring"? That's a new one on me. :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Don't worry. I knew what you meant. :wink:

 

[Vaino]

Paul...get out there and hunt some elk in the remote areas where conditions aren't ideal but where the meat is still maintained in excellent condition. You know yourself that talk is just talk and nowhere near real life experiences. Deer hunting in the Midwest is nothing like elk hunting in the West.
By the way... I surely do enjoy your "shorter" treatises on other topics :grin: ...Fred

 

[DEWB]

FWIW,Went mule deer hunting in colo. a couple years ago and luckily got a nice little buck. What we did was quarter it and put it in game bags,took it to town [about 40 miles I think,also a reason to ride the horses and get a shower ] and had the local buther freeze it for us for the trip home. On the way home we put it on dry ice in coolers and it was mostly thawed by the time we got home which was over 700 miles I think. I know it wasn't as big as an elk an I know folks don't like to freeze meat twice and I don't either but it didn't hurt our meat . In fact that little high country buck was the best tasting deer I have ever had! Going back again this fall if we get drawn. Dew

 

I have never been a big fan of quartering in the field unless I have to.

I'd love to not have to quarter an elk in the field, but I've never been able to shoot one on a hill such that it rolled down to a road. :wink: Even 300 yards is too much. I'll drag deer, but not elk. Two years ago I shot a wee 350-400lb big calf 300 yards from the road in relatively flat country. I was maybe 4 hours southwest of where Chuck lives in Pinyon-juniper mesa country. I cut it in half to make it somewhat manageable but it was still two really big loads to haul back to the truck. BTW, that big calf was the best eating elk I've ever taken. My wife requested something young and tender and she was happy.

Skinning and quartering helps get the heat out quick, and quick is good. On smaller animals, I will just pack the body cavity with those frozen two liter bottles and take it home. Not elk.

Sean

 

[LaBonte]

DID YOU NOT SAY HOT SPRING FED POND????

Nope read my post again - I did place the comma in the wrong place, but I was talking about the WEATHER in regards to your earlier comment about cold killing off bacteria and my point was despite what the books might say, the fact is that even when the temp is below 29°F it doesn't kill them off when the daytime is warm. My sewer pond is NOT a hot spring - dang if I had a hot spring on the property I sure wouldn't be using it as a sewer pond. I'd be renting it out to the turistas the way they do up the road apiece at Trimble and Pagosa and living the life of Reilly :thumbsup:

Parts of Colorado under 4500 feet elevation: I specifically remember reading where I mentioned Hunting Above 6,000 feet, and that there are parts of Colorado that are not that high!

yep you did - but my point was that here in Colorado you don't generally hunt elk in those lower elevations so it has no bearing on the conversation, since in Colorado the vast majority of elk hunting is at 8,000 ft and above - mostly above, up to tree line which is 10-12,000 ft in most of the state.
A factoid: historically elk WERE NOT high country critters they were plains and foothills occupants. They are today in most cases found in the way high up country due to human population pressures and "stocking" by game departments.
My point though was regarding your comment about low humidity at high elevation which DOES NOT hold true just because you're high up. In this country humidity varies considerably over a 24 hour period no matter what your elevation - how close to water, how close to the forest, what side of the mountin you're on are all factors besides elevation - it's not as simplistic as you made it out to be. And snowfall here in the southern half of Colorado is more likely November than September of October, that's the dry time of year most often - the real high country will get some snow before hand, but it's seldom enough to make a big difference although it is nice when it happens.

And it's nice that your friends can afford all them fancy rigs to pack their meat home, but most of the folks that live here and have hunted here for years on years (many if not most are subsistence hunter who DEPEND on the meat to fill their larders) don't find all the fancy gear to preserve meat necessary - even when guiding out of staters, which more than few, including myself have done/do to make a bit of money in the fall.

Paul - In your own words elk hunting is something you've never experienced first hand so why not sit back and listen to those that have that first hand knowledge - you might just learn a thing or two......and yes knowledge of meat preservation can be a cross over set of knowledge, but as others have noted elk just ain't the same critter as deer in the flat lands....Note that Sean's CALF weighed 3-400 lbs. I know there are some big corn fed deer in the midwest, but I reckon even there, 3-400 pounders are few and far between...quartering an elk is the way to pack it out and even then it's a chore without a horse or mule when you're back off the road hea

FWIW - this time of year through late fall I get to look out my window everday and watch the elk herding up on the river flats just about 600 yards downhill - it is a grand sight to just sit and watch. One of the bull's, a big ole 6 point (western count)trucks back and forth from the hills to the flats through my yard - that critter is about 800 pounds on the hoof and is some sight when he poses for the folks here abouts.....

 

[the11]

I'd love to not have to quarter an elk in the field, but I've never been able to shoot one on a hill such that it rolled down to a road.

That's why God invented horses .... and quads.

I have never actually packed an elk on a horse, but lots of guys do, and yes, they quarter them if they have to go far. If it is not a long trip to the truck, you can leave the hide on and drag them to a place that you can get to. But you have to be careful about doing this for too far as you can bash the meat up a lot. (One of my Father in law's hunting buddies wrecked a whole bunch of meat on one side on a moose this way)

My only experience with elk has been to use a quad (owned by the rancher on whose property we were hunting). I have a buddy who generally uses his horses. But there are also lots of guys who debone and pack out on their backs. Whatever works.

 

I'd love to not have to quarter an elk in the field, but I've never been able to shoot one on a hill such that it rolled down to a road.

That's why God invented horses .... and quads.

I have never actually packed an elk on a horse, but lots of guys do, and yes, they quarter them if they have to go far. If it is not a long trip to the truck, you can leave the hide on and drag them to a place that you can get to. But you have to be careful about doing this for too far as you can bash the meat up a lot. (One of my Father in law's hunting buddies wrecked a whole bunch of meat on one side on a moose this way)

My only experience with elk has been to use a quad (owned by the rancher on whose property we were hunting). I have a buddy who generally uses his horses. But there are also lots of guys who debone and pack out on their backs. Whatever works.

No horses or mules at the moment and I utterly despise quads. I'll own one of those about the same time Paul sits back and elects to not discuss something he has no direct experience with. :wink :

Sean

 

[longcruise]

Hi Wink,

Your larger problem that you will have to deal with is meat care during the first hours after the kill. If you make your kill early in the morning and get the skin off NOW you can probably get the meat cooled down and in bags before the flys get active. Same applys to killing one at the very end of the day.

But, lotsa elk are killed during the warmer parts of the day and that calls for getting the skin off immediately and getting the meat in bags as fast as possible. It's best to hang it where you kill it in the shade if possible and then move it the next day after it's had a cool night hanging.

If you can't beat the flys, not to worry! Once your meat is in camp and the night has cooled and the flys are gone to bed, get your meat out and spread it out so that you can access all surfaces. Have with you a propane torch with a large spreader nozzle (there's one called a "heat shrink") and lightly go over the meat with the torch. It will kill the fly eggs. Sometimes you can hear them popping! Next, wipe the meat down with wet cloths to clean it up. That step can be done after you get home if you like.

Some other tips:

Plan to completely bone the animal at the kill site unless you are very close to your camp or vehicle. If you are alone and have a good pack frame available, you will be able to bring out the meat of one elk in two trips. You would need a third trip for a head and/or hide.

Have a meat saw handy for the pelvis, neck and brisket. It's hard for one person to field dress an elk alone and cutting the brisket all the way up makes it easier. A collapsible hack saw with an 18 tpi blade works as good as any meat saw and better than many of the game saws sold to hunters.

You can bone one out alone if you skin it on the ground. start on one side and then roll it on it's own skin to do the other side. When your done you have a skinned elk laying on it's back or side on it's own skin.

Have a tent stake or two in your day pack. That along with a piece of rope will allow you to stake the legs on one side into an semi upright position so that you can field dress it. It's hard to hold those legs up out of the way while you work on the animal! :shocked2:

All the stuff about getting the meat home has been well covered. IMO, the first twelve hours after the kill is what you need to prep for.

 

[larry wv]

Very good information. Thanks for the tip on the torch! may go elk hunting this year. Bow season in Colorado. So the temp is warm. Nice for camping but not much rut and to many bugs Larry Wv

 

[longcruise]

Bow season in Colorado. So the temp is warm. Nice for camping but not much rut and to many bugs Larry Wv

Larry, we can have any kind of weather during your bow season. Last time I hunted labor day weekend with bow in CO the night time temp was 18deg. Daytime was up around 70 though. Anything can happen and if you stay for at least a week it probably will all happen. :haha:

 

[larry wv]

Know what you are talking about. Ice at night frost then snow or rain perhaps sleet or sun. Think I have bow hunted Colorado 7 or 8 times black powder once. Realy want to take a flinter but don't want to lose my pref points. Be nice if the state only took the number of points away needed to draw into a certain area and left the rest. Around 1600- 1750 miles not any fun to drive non stop any more. Thanks Larry

 

[Wink]

Thanks to all for the valuable information, this site really accelerates the learning process. Wink

 

[laufer]

last several years have been very warm in colorado during the hunting season, even at higher elevations late season during the day. skin asap, cool meat asap, bone out, have a nice piece or two over fire while in the mountains, it is ten times more tasty than when it gets down to lowlands, and be fit to perform under dificult conditions. good luck hunting and backbreaking!! :thumbsup:

 

[glenn mcmurray]

We hunt New Mexico during Sept. and sometimes daytime temp. reach 90 degrees. To keep our meat cool, after it has been hung and deboned, is to place it in coolers, in plastic bags, with block ice. The reason we use block ice is we can keep it for ten to twelve days. Crushed ice only last us three or four days. We place a space blanket on the ground, reflective side up. Set the coolers on the space blanket, sometimes we will have up to 10 coolers. Place another space blanket, reflective side down, on top of the coolers then cover all of them with old blankets, comforters or sleeping bags. I know that isn't very traditional but keeping meat in good conditions in that temp. calls for wondering outside the traditional box. Good luck on your elk hunt.