Need Advice on Meat Care?

I'm going with BKC as top notch advise (aside of the soap and tire cleaning comments :) ), not only is it spot on it is also the most realistic option when hunting in the hills. The only thing I would differ from is the tarp, I would use something breatheable. Keep it out of the sun at all times, find north facing heavy timber. Washing it like mentioned is key.

It hasn't been mentioned yet, so here is some advice. It sounds like you are not going to be backpacking in and are hunting out of a large elk camp. Most of our western communities have meat lockers or someone with a walk in cooler. Usually it is only 5-10 bucks a day to hang your quarters at one of these places. If you kill your elk early, take the drive into town and pay the small fee to keep your animal nice and fresh for the remainder of your stay without having to worry about it.

Hey everyone, I just picked this up off of craigs list. This is a cooler that fits in the back of your truck ( sometimes you see the guys driving thru the neighborhood trying to sell meat, fish or whatever). If you measure it and do the math, it is 570 quart size. You can see it sitting next to my 96 quart cooler that I have been using for years. If you get the real big ones from yeti they will only be about 300 to 400 quart size and cost you about 600 dollars plus. This will be perfect in elk camp and I also have a buffalo tag this year. It is not on craigs list but I know where another one is if any one is interested. The guy who sold it to me said to put a small cooler inside of it with dry ice and then every day take a piece out and put it in the cooler to keep the bag ice frozen. 7-10 days of ice. no problemAttachment 3543Attachment 3544 I'm guessing 2 elk will fit no problem. If you boned them I bet you could get 4 elk. I better hold 400 pounds of bison because that is what I bought it for.

That cooler would hold a ton of beer.

Also...If it is hot you will def. want to debone, smaller pieces of meat will cool much faster. Hang in the shade, as mentioned, by a creek if possible, for cooler air. and I would recommend game bags also for the breatheability. Then you just have to watch the meat, and if hanging won't work during the day get it in the cooler with ice. Drain water as it melts. I use block ice with dry ice mixed throuhought...helps keep everything colder. Also be careful not to pack the dry ice against the meat directly...you can freezer burn your meat before it ever hits the freezer. That's how I do it, and it has worked nicely. I wish you luck this fall and hope you get the experience of packing meat home out of the mountains.

I've always given the advice to my friends about game meat care and handling...."Treat it like it's the best, most expensive hunk of beef you can get!" Ask your butcher how they do it.

I always gut the animal (game & fish) as soon as possible. Get it cooled down asap. Keep it clean. I usually butcher all my game myself. I get the hide off, quartered/deboned and get the meat into muslin or cotton sacks/bags. (keeps the dirt and flies off). Once I get the meat home, I start to cut, wrap/package and freeze. One thing I do is remove ALL the fat from the tissue, IMHO the fat gives it a strong flavor.

Freeze ice in 1 quart water bottles starting now as you take meat out of the freezer. Take your 150 quart cooler full of ice. in back of truck with topper an cover with old sleeping bag. On your trip. an a 40 quart cooler . When you get your deer or elk debone an put meat in cotton queen size slip cover for pillow 200 thread count per inch if you dont understand the pillow part ask wife or women an she can get you the slip cover. takes 4 or 5 for elk let elk hang in cool area over night than place in cooler after day or 2 you can cut up meat .Ive had ice last in my coolers this way over 2 weeks . live in michigan. hunted in col.an kansas brought elk home from col. an deer home from kan. this way. an works for me. I hunt early bow seasons.

I have worked or a ran a butcher shop in Cody wy for the the last 13 years up until a few months ago I have shipped stored tons of elk. The biggest thing is get it cold fast and it will stay that way if you keep it on ice don't use dry ice until your on your way home. When you pack your elk for the ride home fill your coolers half full of your elk put paper bags down put your dry ice in paper bags on top of the dry ice then fill your cooler the rest of the way up cover the top with more paper bags close the lid duct tape the lid closed your meat will hold up to five days in 80 degree heat. Make sure to keep air out of the cooler the dry ice will disolve very fast if air gets in. The best thing after your hunt is take it to a processing plant and have them quick freeze it then pack your coolers as instructed whole muscle once cold will hold for a long time hope this helps if need more instructions on breaking it down for easier packing pm me good luck

We Should pack clean and clear,and shuold be can keep in cool stuff.

FirstClass Foods Inc

If you are near a spring or a cool water source, you can hang the meat over the water or if you can put the meat in a waterproof bag and place right in the cool spring water.