So I've set aside a week for pronghorn hunting in Wyoming in Unit 26 and the success rate is about 98%. I've never shot a speed goat, so I'm not looking for a record book animal and have tags for a buck and a doe. I'm driving up from Texas and picking up a buddy that is just along to help and hang out and I will pick him up in Denver at the airport and he will have a return flight at the end of the week. So, here is my question. If I fill both my tags early in the week, am I able to let the goats rest in the coolers for 5-7 days before processing? I cut up my own wild game and prefer to not use a mass processor. If I tag out early, I won't be able to leave immediately since my buddy's return flight schedule. I've heard that pronghorn meat shouldn't be aged in a cooler so that's my concern. So, what is your opinion on aging in a cooler and/or, should I have dry ice ready to freeze the meet relatively quickly or do you have a suggestion that I haven't considered?
How long is too long in the cooler for a Pronghorn?
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Goatshoes
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I think you'll be fine. In 2016 we whacked 4 pronghorn near the unit you are hunting. Several of the goats were processed but not frozen and one or two were quartered and unfrozen. On our way back home to Southern California we stopped for three days of elk hunting in Utah where we stored the pronghorn meat and capes at a processors (cold but not frozen) for a small fee. Everything turned out great. If you can find a processor to hang it for you for a couple days that would probably be the way to go.
Good luck
Good luck
Hummer
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Skin and get it cooling right away, get it into refrigeration within 4 hours, and process it within 48 hours of the kill. You'll have some prime meat. Anything beyond those parameters will be iffy.
PAGOAT
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Deboned clean dry meat in big ziplock bags in a cooler full of ice I've had for 6 or 7 days until I've got home. I have had nothing but good meat from those antelope. Keep the meat clean, dry, cold and I think you'll be just fine.
we stored the pronghorn meat and capes at a processors (cold but not frozen) for a small fee.
This would be the way to go most processors will store your meat for a fee. Then when you're ready to go home pack on ice or put dry ice on it. Keeping it dry and cold.
This would be the way to go most processors will store your meat for a fee. Then when you're ready to go home pack on ice or put dry ice on it. Keeping it dry and cold.
deer_shooter
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Slight variation, I take a vacuum sealer and the large pleated bags and run the sealer off an inverter in my truck. I get the quarters cleaned up and in a vac seal bag then into the cooler with plenty of ice. I've had them in there 5-7 days also with no issues.
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VikingsGuy
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I know you want to keep the meat as dry as possible, but are you better off using plastic of some sort (ziplock, clingwrap, vac sealer bags), or something more like butcher paper and frozen jugs instead of loose ice. The reason I ask have always assumed letting the meat "breath" and dry out is better than trapping residual moisture within a plastic barrier. But in MN we were only an hour or two from a processor so never really mattered much.
LCH
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I've kept both deer and pronghorn in a cooler for more than a week with dry ice, no problems at all. I quarter, double bag in oversized garbage sacks, throw a few blocks of dry ice in there and good to go. Depending on temps, may need to throw in some more dry ice after 3-4 days. When I get home I let it thaw in the cooler, then process/package/freeze.
Get some dry ice for your cooler when you hit Wyoming, most grocery stores have it. Keep your ice jugs frozen in the cooler with the dry ice then just put your quartered antelope in there , without dry ice for the return trip.
Antelope can be aged, we do it every year in our garage so a few days on ice will be fine. Keep the meat dry in the cooler.
Bring your fishing pole, fall spawn trout are beautiful and a blast to catch.
Antelope can be aged, we do it every year in our garage so a few days on ice will be fine. Keep the meat dry in the cooler.
Bring your fishing pole, fall spawn trout are beautiful and a blast to catch.
Goatshoes
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I use the jumbo size ziplocks and keep the zipped end above the ice/dry ice line.
https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Big-B...1Gw-fPSf7L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Big-B...1Gw-fPSf7L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1
I hunt antelope within an hour or so of the house so i may not be of much help, but here's what i do. I get it skinned, washed off, quartered, then i also vaccume seal the whole bone-in quarters and toss them in the freezer. Then back into the field for more (game bags inside of non-scented trash bags should work well in coolers). Keep them clean (get as much of the hair of the meat as you can) and cool.
Topgun 30-06
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Just one quick comment on keeping meat until it's processed. DO NOT SEAL it in plastic bags UNTIL after it has completely cooled down.
AZBridger
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should not be a problem as long as they are dry and clean like everyone is saying. I have a big 150qt pelican and almost always "age" my deer in for 7-10 days before i process it. using frozen water jugs if possible keeps it much drier, but there is also some condensation that can build up in the cooler that you need to worry about a little bit. just check the meat regularly and make sure it stays cold
BucksnDucks
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It is possible, but I don't recommend it. The OP stated resting in cooler before processing. I'm picturing quarters with bone in, maybe neck, rib cage, backstraps and tenderloins still on the bone. Most importantly I'm thinking unwrapped meat, susceptible to moisture (either melted ice or condensation). It can be done, but 5-7 days is a long time and vigilant attention would be required. Coolers can be cold enough but will lack circulation. If you have to do this turn meat often.
My advice would be to bring a folding table, wrapping supplies or vacuum sealer and do a minimal process there. Odds are you will tag at least one or both animals early. Do the backstraps and tenderloins as you would at home, then quarters de-boned and packed in big pieces. Plan on further processing and grinding later.
Other option is pay a processer or find someone with a walk in to hang antelope until its time to head home.
I don't like the idea of antelope meat in a cooler for that long with a chance of getting wet and lacking air circulation.
My advice would be to bring a folding table, wrapping supplies or vacuum sealer and do a minimal process there. Odds are you will tag at least one or both animals early. Do the backstraps and tenderloins as you would at home, then quarters de-boned and packed in big pieces. Plan on further processing and grinding later.
Other option is pay a processer or find someone with a walk in to hang antelope until its time to head home.
I don't like the idea of antelope meat in a cooler for that long with a chance of getting wet and lacking air circulation.
Topgun 30-06
Active member
You're really not picturing how most people do an antelope in the field. Most immediately debone everything on an antelope unless they have a processor to take it to. The meat is not in very big pieces as small as those little critters are and no matter how careful you trim them when you do one you'll be very lucky to have 40# of meat when you're done. If he takes care of it like most have mentioned on this thread he'll have no problem keeping the meat in good shape for a week or a little longer in a decent cooler until he gets home.
I'm another one in the bone out in the field (even for antelope), carry my nice little game bag or two (~35lbs for a doe antelope, ~45-50lbs for a buck) back to the truck (way easier than dragging or even carrying full quarters), put the bags in a cold cooler, and work on processing them when i get back home. I've been pushing the "cooler aging" longer every year (up to around 2 weeks for some critters last year), and the meat just keeps getting better and better. Someday I'll make a dedicated aging setup in an old fridge with temp and humidity controls, but for now the "cooler aging" has worked really well me. It's really nice to focus on hunting while in the field, and saving the fine processing and vacuuming sealing until the trip is over, at home with good lights, plenty of sharp knives, and the vacuum sealer/grinder/freezer all ready to go.
Bukwild3
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If you will be by Douglas,Wy you can stop at the safeway. They have dry ice or did. Just call first. I think Wright,Wy had a safeway also. The dry ice froze 3 lopes for 3 days. You can just keep adding. Make sure you research how to use it if you havent. Main thing is to make sure the ice doesnt come into contact with the meat(freezer burn) and have a place to relieve pressure. I used jug ice to keep it cold for a couple days. Then on the way home i added dry ice because i didnt want to worry with them for a couple days while traveling and resting a bit when i got home. In my opinion you can keep them cold for a week. Meat was excellent! Good luck and safe travels!
WapitiBob
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You will be just fine.
Toss the quarters, backstraps, etc, in a cooler with ice, drain and add ice as needed. In about 2 days the temps will stabilize and the ice will stop melting. The muscle that is in contact with the water will leach some blood but nothing else will happen to it. Once home, cut it up as usual. Been doing it for years. If you don't want the blood leached out, keep it off the water. 100qt will be a bit big for bone in quarters; I just put my Antelope Buck in one that's 52 I think and it was a twitch small.
Toss the quarters, backstraps, etc, in a cooler with ice, drain and add ice as needed. In about 2 days the temps will stabilize and the ice will stop melting. The muscle that is in contact with the water will leach some blood but nothing else will happen to it. Once home, cut it up as usual. Been doing it for years. If you don't want the blood leached out, keep it off the water. 100qt will be a bit big for bone in quarters; I just put my Antelope Buck in one that's 52 I think and it was a twitch small.
