Does anyone have any experience packing out an Elk(or any large game) in early bow season? How do you keep the meat from going bad in the warmer weather while making several trips packing it out long distances?
Hang the meat in the shade in game bags up away for critters. Also get the hide off the animal and field dressed fast to start cooling the meat fast. I should be leaving for my CO Elk hunt today but had to postpone till next year.
So you know as well as I do that early season in Colorado can be more than warm. How long can meat hanging in the shade in game bags last in 70-80 degree weather?
Well butchers age meet for 2 weeks at 40 degrees and quick age for three days at 60 degrees. So maybe a day and 1/2 and that temp?
I like to bone to meat as it will always spoil from the bone out. As I am breaking the animal down I will throw my meat chunks on bushes/downed trees or on a space blanket that is spread out. When I pull a piece off it will also get chili powder sprinkled on it to keep the bee's at bay. Once the elk is quartered everything will go into game bags and packed to the nearest draw. By doing this is am ensuring maximum air flow (thermals) will hit the meat. Lastly, I am going to take my space blanket and string it up in a lean-to fashion over the hanging meat to prevent direct sunlight. If done correctly and promptly meat can last several days in 70+ degree weather.
Use citric acid to keep the bugs at bay. I like to leave bone in if it must be hung for a while, but if I'm packing out a long way and the hunt is over once I get to the truck then ill bone it out. I've had a black tail deer hang for 7 days in Alaska the first week of August and the meat was fine. Keep it dry, keep it in the wind, keep it in the shade, keep it in game bags, and keep covering it with citric acid. It will be fine. One big thing is to make sure the meat is cooled off thoroughly before stuffing it down in your pack, especially if you use a trash bag to line your pack. It traps in heat big time.
Thank you gents, this helped me out alot, many very good ideas here. Hopefully I can make it a reality someday.
Depends if I must harvest the ribs or not. I do gutless on deer in the lower 48 because I don't mess with the ribs. I take the quarters, backstraps, and tenderloins.... Alaska requires you to take the ribs and neck in addition so I usually just pull the guts out to make the rib removal easier. Not neccessary but I find it shaves time to not have to be careful in rib removal because of the guts being in. Game Bags will keep flies off for sure. I like Alaska bags because they are cheap, but I recently switched to TAG bags to be able to reuse them. Much higher quality, but with a much higher price. The only time I mess with presoaking them in citric acid and spraying it on the meat is when I have to hang the meat for days before processing. If it is a one tag hike in from the truck type hunt, it's not worth the hassle because you leave once an animal is down.
