Wild game meat care in warm weather

It is hard to believe that there are many hunting districts in Montana that are already open for many who drew a cow elk tag. They opened Aug. 15 and run through the general big game season, but they are only good on private land.

The idea behind these early tags is to help thin elk herds in overpopulated areas by giving hunters extra time and possibly a better chance of filling their freezer early and assist the ranchers in keeping more of their alfalfa and hay.

It’s not necessarily a slam-dunk with these special permits however it gives a person more time in the field which is a big part of the hunt anyway.

For those who are successful, they could have a serious challenge once the trigger is pulled: this hot weather can destroy their table-fare in a matter of hours unless the animal is cared for properly, and pronto!

“Pay close attention to the temps and have a plan ahead of time so you can be confident you will be able to take care of the meat before you release an arrow or pull the trigger,” said Liz Bradley, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 2 biologist.

The main causes of meat spoilage are heat and insects. And both are in high supply this time of year.

Tried and true methods are happily shared as no hunter wants anyone to lose any meat when prevention is possible. One local hunter who has been an exceptionally successful archery elk hunter in Mineral County never seems to harvest his bull where it can be drug out, whole.

“I always debone it immediately, then scrape off the ground in the shade, lay pine boughs down and then spread the meat out, don't pile it up. Then cover with boughs again. In the mountains the ground is usually quite cold. If you do that, it'll keep overnight with no problem.”  

Bradley adds a foot note to this clever suggestion: “Have some friends lined out to help you pack and have a way to get a hold of them. And of course, be ready to return the favor.”

Realtree also has some tips to preserve the valuable meat.

• Bone your meat as quickly as possible and get it into a cooler with ice.
• Leave the drain plug open and prop up the opposite end of the cooler a few inches so that the water drains away from the meat. - Stash the cooler in the shadiest spot possible and this method will work for a week.

Obviously, adding more ice as needed. Hunters know that the hide and insides hold in the heat, so you want to get it dressed and skinned as quickly as possible. Hanging it while you’re skinning gets the air circulating around it enhancing the cooling process but if this isn’t possible, you may want to see a few techniques of skinning large animals on the ground on YouTube.

The smaller the piece of meat, the faster it cools so quarter the animal as quickly as can be done. If you plan to leave the meat on the bone for ease of packing, cut slits into the meat to expose the bone which will allow deeper cooling.

‘Bone Sour’ is a condition that happens when the meat deep inside the quarter begins to rot around the bone. Removing the bone or exposing the meat to the air, even on hot days, will help prevent this from happening.

To win the battle with bugs, black pepper helps repel insects and is safe for the meat. Liberally apply black pepper to all sides of the meat before hanging.

Once home, simply rinse the pepper off and continue your butchering process. Some use chili powder instead reporting good results.

Breathable game bags are also popular. But make sure that they are good quality as cheap ones can easily rip. Either cotton or synthetic helps keep the meat clean and keeps the bugs off.

If you’re near a cold running creek, wrap the meat sections tightly in large garbage bags before submerging them.

Citric acid can help preserve meat, too. Teamed up with the game bags, hunters report that together they form a protective layer the insects really dislike.

Simply spray it directly onto the meat and let it dry. Then wrap with the game bag or consider wrapping first and then applying the citric acid. This also lowers the pH on the meat surface which should limit the growth of bacteria.

All of these tips can be intermingled or considered separately for use in the field.

Upland game birds face the same hurdle when it comes to quick-cooling, but they are so much easier to wrestle than big game. “Rip their clothes off (feathers and skin) as quickly as you can

and then pull out their motors (intestines) and toss the carcass into an icy cold cooler,” said miles Steve Gilbertson of Philipsburg. “Finish the housework on them (final cleaning details) at home when you’re next to a kitchen sink and sucking down a cold one."

Gilbertson was a professional hunter in Africa and Russia for several years but grew up hunting pheasants and huns in the Mission Valley.

A safety reminder from Bradly is to be bear-alert and carrying bear spray. Every year it seems at least one hunter has an encounter and there are so many that credit bear spray for making a distraught situation safer.

For those who have to make multiple trips to get the meat out, she encourages everyone that hanging it from a tree or up high on a meat pole is preferable for both cooling and keeping it out of reach of bears and other critters.