Options for keeping meat in the field for 14 days.

[Shangobango]

I am exploring my options for storing meat for potentially up to 14 days in the field this fall . Will be hunting and camping from a truck camp in SE Montana the first two weeks of November. From the first day of hunting until getting back to my house should be 14 days.

I have kept meat in coolers for 6 or 7 days but never longer. Will meat hold in coolers for 14 days if handled properly? Should I use dry ice for this? I have never used dry ice before.

I will be trying to minimize trips to town due to COVID.

Right now one course of action I have come up with is putting a medium sized chest freezer in the cargo trailer. I already have the freezer and the trailer. Freezers go out so I wanted to also be prepared for that. I guess another option would be a processor in the area I am hunting but I really would rather do the processing and packaging myself if possible. I enjoy it.

Any suggestions?

 

[Sytes]

That's a hellofa long time. I'd be interested to see if any of the guru's hold secrets for 14 days, aside from a nice snow cave... My longest, three - four day pack out and that was constant work moving from stream beds to snow to tree for the night (griz, yotes, wolves, lions, etc...)

 

[johnrr65]

That's a hellofa long time. I'd be interested to see if any of the guru's hold secrets for 14 days, aside from a nice snow cave... My longest, three - four day pack out and that was constant work moving from stream beds to snow to tree for the night (griz, yotes, wolves, lions, etc...)

+1

 

[Pucky Freak]

Think of a cooler full of ice being like your fridge. Would you keep fresh meat in your fridge for 14 days? Most meat I have had in the fridge starts to turn around day 8. People age meat at about that temp but it’s ventilated and then the outer layer gets cut off and tossed, so not really a good comparison to a humid cooler.

I think you have the right idea with bringing the freezer along. Get the meat half froze, then pack in coolers with dry ice, and you should be good to go. That way you only have to run the freezer for a little while. Dry ice is not tough to work with. Just read up on the process in advance so you don’t burn yourself.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Find a butcher with a walk in freezer. Ask if they have room to store your coolers of boned out meat. Bone out the animal and put in labeled ziplocks and duct tape around the cooler seal.

 

[azelkhntr]

If you bring a freezer bring your grinder, knives and food saver and process it yourself in camp. You'll need the generator to freeze and keep the meat so you're all set. If you are hunting after Sept it'll be cold enough to freeze the carcass just hanging like as not.

 

[WyoDoug]

I have never used dry ice to keep meat cool in coolers while hunting or camping.

I have a couple 100 qt coolers that I keep full of ice. I start the hunt out with most of the meat frozen solid and in seal meal bags.

With a good quality cooler (not necessarily the more expensive ones), you can keep ice for a good two week. I only plan on one trip to town and that is to get ince. I have never had issues camping and I have went for two week trips in the past without issues. I would get some good well insulated coolers with 2-3 inch walls and you should be fine.

 

[Sam Colt]

In Texas you may not process your game beyond quartering until it reaches a final destination. That can either be a game processor or your residence. You can cook and eat a piece of your harvest in camp, but best not steak or grind the rest.

14 days is a long time to go unfrozen!

 

[ccc23454]

Find a cold storage company, pay processor, dry ice or bring a freezer: thats your choices

 

[406dn]

In Texas you may not process your game beyond quartering until it reaches a final destination. That can either be a game processor or your residence. You can cook and eat a piece of your harvest in camp, but best not steak or grind the rest.

14 days is a long time to go unfrozen!

I don't have standing, but that law is BS. So you can pay some one to package your meat, far from home, then take it home. But if you do the processing yourself,, you can't transport the meat. That is a law waiting to be challenged, in my non lawyer's opinion.

 

[Addicting]

I am taking a freezer, butchering supplies, and my generator. For a three week trip this fall.

 

[Shangobango]

In Texas you may not process your game beyond quartering until it reaches a final destination. That can either be a game processor or your residence. You can cook and eat a piece of your harvest in camp, but best not steak or grind the rest.

14 days is a long time to go unfrozen!

i agree that 14 days is a long time to keep unfrozen meat.

I have never heard of a law like the one you have there in Texaa. Glad I don’t have to deal with that.

 

[Shangobango]

Find a cold storage company, pay processor, dry ice or bring a freezer: thats your choices

Thanks!

At this point I am thinking I am definitely bringing the freezer and as a back up using dry ice with quality coolers.

I have some research to do on dry ice.

 

[kwyeewyk]

I think you'll be okay, if the weather cooperates and you have a good place to hang your meat it will keep just fine, might even be frozen solid. Bring the freezer in case of a warm spell and I think you'll be set.

 

[NoWiser]

We did 14 days in a cooler with a NM bull elk. The meat was perfect when we got home. I’ve aged venison in the refrigerator for 21 days after killing it and it was delicious. All this is assuming you don’t mix any gut shot meat in.

A generator and freezer would be the safest bet, but if you are diligent, a cooler should be fine. Dry ice would work, too.

 

[Shangobango]

Something else my son just brought up that I haven’t considered, yea I can be dense, if you don’t believe me ask my son, is that if he ends up having to fly home midway through the trip for school we may could fly whatever meat we already have at that point home with him.

 

[Ben Sellers]

I would suspect Montana in November might be cold enough for meat to keep that long if kept in the shade with moving air. I kept an elk in the shade in November in Colorado for a week and it was fine. We never go above 40 degrees and the meat kept well. If there’s a heat wave then all bets are off and a deep freeze in a trailer with a small generator is a good option. I am not a subject matter expert but that’s my two cents.

 

[WapitiBob]

I shot my Elk last year, cut it up in camp, vac sealed and froze all of it except the burger. I took that to a processor I trust and had him grind it and freeze it while I spent another 2 weeks hunting. If you have freezer and gen, I'd cut my own, vac seal it and freeze it.

 

[antlerradar]

If you bring a freezer bring your grinder, knives and food saver and process it yourself in camp. You'll need the generator to freeze and keep the meat so you're all set. If you are hunting after Sept it'll be cold enough to freeze the carcass just hanging like as not.

By the time you are done complying with the CWD regulations you have a good start on processing anyway.

 

[Gellar]

First two weeks of November? If I had no other choice, I would get it to a creek on a north slope and hang it on the bone. I would get it cooled down as quickly as possible. That may mean submerging in contractor bags in the water for a few hours or if it’s in the afternoon hanging might be fine. The nights will be in the 30s, and days will be in shade on the north slope. Aftee it’s cool, I would put a tarp over it so rain or snow does not get on it but air can still circulate. It will get a crust that will protect the meat. You will want to use a filet knife when you debone it to remove the crust. Air will be flowing over it the whole time and that will help it stay dry. Moisture and sun will be your worst enemy’s. This may not work if you are in a grizz area.