Care of game meat

[chris50362]

I'm heading to the Chapleau, Ontario area for moose/bear mid to late September. It's about a 7 hour drive from my place.

Upon killing, what is the best method for preserving the meat? Head home quick? Dry ice?

What's your method to prevent meat from spoiling?

[Rich]

Eat it real fast before it spoils......you might have a problem with a moose though. I've keep quartered deer on ice for up to a week with no problem, I just keep the water drained out of it. You'll probably need a couple coolers and a lot of ice for a moose though. When we go deer hunting for 2 weeks during black powder season we haul a small freezer and butcher/wrap/freeze all the meat, if you freeze it it'll stay frozen in a cooler for the 7 hour drive. Don't know if you have electricity in your camp.

Rich

[mikej]

a small freezer in the back of a truck with a small generator to run it works good

[Cariboo]

Get the moose or bear skinned out ASAP. Split or quarter the animal and let to hang in a cool dry spot until chilled throughout. Once chilled it can stand a few travel days as long as it it not wrapped in plastic or a tarp.

If the weather is too warm to hang quarters - say above 5-10 C - bone the animal and pack the meat in coolers packed with bagged ice.

Needless to say all hanging meat should be wrapped in a good quality game bag that will let the meat "breath" and keep the flies off.

Meat that has not cooled is almost guaranteed to sour during transport.

[chris50362]

I guess I'll take some coolers and dry ice and bone out the animal.

Though, I do like the idea of a generator and freezer.

The last time I was moose hunting I was on a fly-in (1995). I got a bull on day 3 of a 7 day hunt/fish. The temp was 15C. By the time I got back to Toronto the meat had gone bad.

This time I'll be more prepared.

I was looking at a 150 quart cooler. Since I'll only get a tag for a calf moose or bear, I 'think' the 150 quart might suffice.

[kitty kat]

The last time I went moose hunting the guys in control had planned on salting the moose down[also with pepper] and wrap it in a clean cotton sheet. Those body bags would have been better choice but not available when we were leaving. Our main concern at that time was keeping the flies away from the meat. The freezer/generator sounds the best plan. Make sure generator has the capacity to run the whole time home and a few hours getting the freezer down to temp before putting in the meat.

[dutchhunter]

meat will last a long time if it is hung in small chunks and aloud to dry with good air movement keeping it dry and ventilated even if a littel warm .extra care to keep bugs away is a must .good luck ps i like the freezer idea to but the meat should still hang skined for at least a full day befor being put in the freezer .even at plus 10 degrees it is still cooler then body temp and will start to dry the outside of the animal cooling it down

[Pydpiper]

Cabala's (as well as others I assume) sell a product that you sprinkle on the meat to prolong it's ability to remain stable during transport.

[Cariboo]

I just want to point out one downside to freezing fresh meat.

Shortly after death the carcass goes through rigor mortise. During the first stage of rigor the muscle fibres contract in length and stiffen. Hanging an animal at cool - but not freezing - temperatures allows the fibres to relax as well as being stretched by gravity. If the meat is frozen prior to this relaxation it usually ends up being "tough". This is not a problem however if the meat is all destined to go through a grinder to be made into sausage or burger.

[mikej]

maybe i should clarify what i said earlier. i just ment that i use a freezer in the back of a truck for transport after it goes through the hanging and drying process. the freezer will keep the meat from spoiling and from my experiance its does not make it any more tough. this is just my experiance and opinion.

mike

[chris50362]

Lots of ideas but I don't have a freezer or generator. So my alternative is a large coleman cooler 150 quart and dry ice, which I'm trying to find right now. Wal-mart up here don't sell them that big but the Wal-mart in the USA does.

Le baron sells them but for $220. no way! Wal-mart in the U.S. $79. Looks like I'm going on a road trip this week to Buffalo.

If someone in the Toronto area knows of who might sell this size cooler by all means let me know. CDN tire was a no go.

Thanks

[fogducker]

years ago we were in the same boat..we either had to buy a bunch of coolers and pack ice.. or get the freezer and generator
seeing we were in the bush for over a week and hours from the nearest store of any kind
we opted for the freezer and generator.
it was a great treat in the camping part to save all the meat we brought with us,for our daily meals,to keep it frozen just by running the genny a few hours a day..
and as a bonus we always had cold beer for the end of the day after the days hunt
.then for the drive home.if we were lucky enough to get hang some meat on the pole,we had it butchered/frozen and wrapped,then run the generator to keep it that way for the 24 hour drive home

[chris50362]

I went to Buffalo yesterday. Oh boy! I don't know what was going on at the Lewiston bridge but I have never seen it that busy before. We waited an hour. Border guards walking up the line of traffic and putting these scanners of some sort on the sides of peoples doors, inspecting trunks while we waited. Never seen that before. something was up.

Anyway, I digress, Went to Wal-Mart in Lewiston and got two 120 quart coolers $100 USD vs. Le Barons $220. Plus a fleece Winchester jacket ($29) and a game gambrel. Spent 3hrs and 20 min over there. Canadian border guy asked how much am I bringing back. I told him about $150USD, "OK, go ahead.

So hopefully a 240 quarts of cooler space will fit a calf or bear. Know I'll I have to do is be successful at the hunt.