Meat managment in warm weather

[six]

I didn't want to hijack the Best advice to first timer? thread, but I wanted to share something I learned last year.

Rewind to September 2, 2016. Turned out to be the warmest day of the season. 9 a.m. cow down, and panic sets in. We quartered the meat and packed it to the river .25 miles away. I've read many times to hang the meat in the shade over the river. We get to the river soaked in sweat. I dropped my pack and got down on my hands and knees to dunk my face in the river. My hands were on a rock that was in the river surrounded by water. The rock was as cold as a cold Coors light that was just taken out of the cooler on 4th of July weekend. We hung the hinds over the river and laid the loins, and fronts on rocks. The fronts were as cold as they would have been in a refrigerator when we came back for them. Not a good place for them to be overnight with bears in the area, but it saved the meat in my opinion.

[Brendan]

I haven't had to use them yet - but I carry a couple large contractor bags with me, where in an emergency I can put my game bags into the contractor bags, and then right into a creek. I've heard at least one person say they've just dumped their game bags (synthetic tightly woven type) directly into a creek to save the meat with no ill effects.

[saddlesore]

You have to be careful about exposing meat to creek or pond water directly. A lot of stuff in there that might be transferred to the meat and then you eat it.

[Brendan]

You have to be careful about exposing meat to creek or pond water directly. A lot of stuff in there that might be transferred to the meat and then you eat it.

Except that those organisms are killed by freezing or cooking. I agree it's not the best option - but better than losing the meat.

[Elkduds]

Warm mid-Oct, in an aspen/oak burn. No shade, no water, no snow.

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Tried this. Meat a few inches off the ground on branches, hide a few inches above the meat for shade.

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Took a few hours to pack out the quarters, which cooled in the shade I made.

[six]

Mark

That awesome. Part of why hunters are who we are. We adapt and have a good amount of common sense.

[Heartwood]

To speed up the cooling process and eliminate bone sour, bone the quarters, especially if the weather conditions are hot. Boning also makes the meat fit much better into the coolers for transport and storage. The most critical part of meat care in my opinion, is to get the body heat out quickly and to keep everything clean/insect free in quality bags. If I'm close to the trailhead or road and conditions are cool, I will leave the bone in but all other times it comes out.