I am an experienced freelance hunter for ducks, geese and upland birds. Over all these trips I have learned many things that make these trips go much smoother. I am going on my first out of state deer hunt the first week in December. One thing I am concerned about is processing our deer, if we get lucky enough to get one. Do most of you just quarter and/or debone the meat and keep it cool until you get back home? Do you process it while you are there? We have room in the trailer and are contemplating taking a grinder and extra chest freezer I have to have all the work done before returning home. I am open to any other advise you have for a first trip. I have already been scouring landowner maps, topo maps, all the rules and regs of the state. I am hunting private land, but have scouted out 3 larger public areas in case our land is devoid of deer. Thanks for any insight.
I'm curious of this one as well! I'd like to travel out of state (4-5 hours away), and this is the one thing that is holding me back. Would I need a trailer, process it all myself, then worry about coolers and ice?
That is basically what I did this year. I took a small freezer with me and planned to debone the animal on site. Then freeze it, then bring home to process it. Although I didn't get anything to do this, that was the plan. I have other friends that have done the same trip. They took there animals to a local butcher and had it processed and Packaged. Then put in cheat freeze and was brought back in a trailer. I didn't take a trailer, but took my truck, so everything fit in the bed. Sent from my SM-G900V using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
Where do you park the trailer when you hunt though? leave it attached to your vehicle? I'm thinking of buying a motorcyle hauler trailer and converting it into a camper/processing station. But where would I park it to sleep at night? sorry for hijacking the thread
I would say find somebody near that would let you park at there house or property. But I guess most would use a rustic camp site or find public land that allows camping. Then leave it there for the duration of the trip, just like a tent. Sent from my SM-G900V using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
For deer I usually just lay them on the tailgate of my truck and debone the meat and put it in a cooler with ice. If will hold several days in the shade nicely just pull the drain so the meat isn’t sitting in water. With CWD restrictions you need to be careful about carcasses crossing state lines.
Thanks guys for the early feedback. I am actually planning to take a grinder and completely process the deer in the evenings as of now. I am going to cut steaks from the loin and grind everything else to be efficient as possible on the trip. As a back up, I have found the nearest 2 butchers, in case. I plan to leave the trailer in the Motel lot. Already cleared it with her and she has outside electric for the freezer. The farmer I am hunting with has an old barn he says we can leave stuff in as well if we need something to be closer to the hunting site. I have read all the regs and understand that in Iowa, carcasses can go out with normal trash, which can go in the motel dumpster I am told. Keep any other ideas coming!
While I prefer to process my own, I paid $100 to have a deer processed when I went to Wyoming in September. Best $100 I spent on that trip, it allowed me time to wrangle the grandkids rather than processing meat. I have quartered deer and put them in a large cooler with ice in the bottom. The meat kept fine for 3-4 days. Good luck on your hunt.
When my taxidermist went to Wyoming to hunt antelope he took a small freezer and generator in the back of his trick. The boned on the meat in their motel room and put everything in the freezer for the ride home with the generator going. He said he wont even accept animals from people hunting out west anymore because they all come back rotten. Glad to hear you are thinking about field care before the trip. Good luck.
