Proper Meat Care for Antelope

[WyoDoug]

I shoot them, quarter them, pack them back to the truck. I then hang them off my camper jacks on the shade side of the camper. Next morning they’re glazed and cooled out. I toss them in a cooler and head to town for ice. If it’s not antelope no1, it goes in the cooler when I get it to the camper as the Wyoming wind will usually glaze them over while I’m working them up.

I did see an antelope one time, gutted with hide on, laying on a cooler, against the sunny side of a big motorhome. All four legs were splayed out like a bloated cow laying dead in a field. Kick myself for not turning around and taking that picture.

That is exactly what bothers me when I see that. That is not hunting. That is wasting game. I have had people ask me to help them butcher animals I even found maggots in and so rancid, all you can do is walk away and empty yer innards out.

 

[mtmuley]

Everytime this subject is raised, some people act like you have to have a degree in chemistry to produce acceptable tasting antelope. Cracks me up. mtmuley

 

[Keeptrying]

Not only that, exhaust includes unburned gasoline and some solid waste matter. Not good for hauling meat that way.

When I hear people say antelope isn't good meat I know they are doing just that. It is the most delicious meat if one takes just a little time. We freeze gallon bottles of water in the deep freeze and bring extra coolers. Leave them shut and in the shade they will last for a week.

 

[WyoDoug]

I take meat care and the cooling part way more serious than a lot will. I spent 3 1/2 weeks in the hospital due to a meat borne bacterial infection. The consequence of take chances with meat scares me and I definitely do not want anyone else to go through what I did.

 

[MaxPower]

Antelope are simple to process. Even by myself (and I'm no pro) I can skin and quarter one in about 45 minutes. Cooling doesn't have to be fancy, I just refill milk jugs with water and freeze them. Easier to keep the meat dry this way vs bagged cubes.

I try to get them broken down and in a cooler within an hour. The one time I didn't it was in the evening on a cold October day so I could afford to just gut the thing.

Haven't had a bad bite of antelope meat yet....

 

[Toban204]

As a bit of an aside, when you are quartering and skinning an antelope as quickly as possible, what do you do to ensure you stay onside with the evidence of sex laws for big game? I looked at the Wyoming G&F website, but it’s not clear to me how you can keep the genitals attached if you are skinning the animal out right away for the cooler.

Second question, are you required to keep the rib meat in Wyoming? I likely would trim it off and keep it anyway, but just want to make sure I know what’s required. Thx.

 

[madtom]

As a bit of an aside, when you are quartering and skinning an antelope as quickly as possible, what do you do to ensure you stay onside with the evidence of sex laws for big game? I looked at the Wyoming G&F website, but it’s not clear to me how you can keep the genitals attached if you are skinning the animal out right away for the cooler.

Second question, are you required to keep the rib meat in Wyoming? I likely would trim it off and keep it anyway, but just want to make sure I know what’s required. Thx.

Wyoming does not require you to keep evidence of sex attached. When I’ve shot doe antelope I usually just have a portion of the udder in a ziploc. Wyoming does not require you to take rib meat either. Just the four quarters, backstraps, and tenderloins.

 

[WyoDoug]

As a bit of an aside, when you are quartering and skinning an antelope as quickly as possible, what do you do to ensure you stay onside with the evidence of sex laws for big game? I looked at the Wyoming G&F website, but it’s not clear to me how you can keep the genitals attached if you are skinning the animal out right away for the cooler.

Second question, are you required to keep the rib meat in Wyoming? I likely would trim it off and keep it anyway, but just want to make sure I know what’s required. Thx.

Good question. You need to read your game book that is shipped with your license it is in there. Every state is different. I leave a piece of the udders on each of the hind quarters and just peel that off once I do my final butchering. For bucks where antlers are required, I take the skull cap and leave the testicles attached to one of the hindquarters.

 

[JM77]

Wyoming does not require you to keep evidence of sex attached. When I’ve shot doe antelope I usually just have a portion of the udder in a ziploc. Wyoming does not require you to take rib meat either. Just the four quarters, backstraps, and tenderloins.

When do I have to leave evidence of sex on a big game carcass I harvest?
Wyoming regulations require evidence of sex must accompany the carcass taken in a hunt area where the taking of either sex is either controlled or prohibited. The evidence can be either the visible sex organs, the head or antlers shall accompany the animal as a whole or edible portion thereof.

 

[madtom]

When do I have to leave evidence of sex on a big game carcass I harvest?
Wyoming regulations require evidence of sex must accompany the carcass taken in a hunt area where the taking of either sex is either controlled or prohibited. The evidence can be either the visible sex organs, the head or antlers shall accompany the animal as a whole or edible portion thereof.

Did I mis-speak or did you mean to quote the post above mine?

 

[JM77]

Did I mis-speak or did you mean to quote the post above mine?

Just clarifying your words with those of the Game & Fish.

 

[Bluffgruff]

Most antelope type 1 tags are either sex, dont worry about it for those, however, I leave testicles hanging on on ham for male animals and an udder on a ham for females in Wyoming just to be 100% legal and consistent.

 

[NEWHunter]

Second question, are you required to keep the rib meat in Wyoming? I likely would trim it off and keep it anyway, but just want to make sure I know what’s required. Thx.

Grab the neck meat too.

 

[WapitiBob]

 

[WyoDoug]

As far as sections of an animal the G&F regs requires you to retrieve. This is in the brochure that should ship with or following your license and I am cut and pasting below from the online version of the 2019 brochure:

“Edible portion of big game animal” means the meat from the front quarters as far down as the knees, meat from the hindquarters as far down as the hocks, and the meat along the backbone between the neck and hindquarters including the loins and tenderloins, excluding meat on the ribs and neck."

1. Front quarter - meat from the front quarters as far down as the knees

2. Hind quarter – meat from the hindquarters as far down as the hocks

3. Backstrap - meat along the backbone between the neck and hindquarters

4. Tenderloins - tenderloins are located inside body cavity

Personally, I recommend you take the shanks which are right below the hip and shoulder muscle groups and above the knee joints. These I recommend keeping bone in and cooking them in a slow cooker like a roast. I add about 4-5 whole garlic cloves, onions, a few bay leaves, salt, and pepper corns. Comes out really tasty. Many people add that portion to the grind pile.

 

[wytex]

Put the evidence of sex in a baggie and then in the cooler with a quarter and you'll be fine. Does not have to be attached in Wyoming.

 

[madtom]

View attachment 109749

Looking at your open tabs, your forum game is strong.

 

[WyoDoug]

Put the evidence of sex in a baggie and then in the cooler with a quarter and you'll be fine. Does not have to be attached in Wyoming.

Online advice can get you in trouble but the above is more or less correct. Nothing in the regs says antlers or proof of sex or species has to be attached to the meat. Always read your game and fish brochure and regs for this kind of information. I leave proof of sex and species attached to the meat, just because I know by experience, some game wardens can be fussy and give you a hassle or two. Easier to just make it plainly obvious and leave it attached where you can. Below is a cut and paste directly out of the 2019 Elk, Deer, and Antelope Brochure:

Retention of Evidence to Identify Sex, Species and Horn or Antler Development of Big Game Animal Harvested.

Any person who takes any big game animal in a hunt area where the taking of either sex, species, or antler or horn development is controlled or prohibited by regulation shall comply with this section while said animal is in transportation from the site of the kill to the residence of the person taking the animal, or delivered to a processor for processing.

(a) In hunt areas where the taking of any big game animal is restricted to antler point or horn size by regulation, the antlers or horns shall accompany the carcass, or edible portions thereof.

(b) In hunt areas where the taking of any big game animal is restricted to a specific sex of animal by regulation, either the visible external sex organs, head or antlers shall accompany the carcass, or edible portions thereof.

(c) In hunt areas where the taking of a species of deer is controlled or prohibited by regulation, either the head or the tail of the deer shall accompany the carcass or edible portion thereof as evidence of the species taken.

 

[antelopedundee]

If push comes to shove a warden or other LEO can simply ask you to take him/her to the gut pile.

 

[thusby]

I usually hold off until the middle of October before hunting my lopes. I pick my processors close to my areas, kill them in the morning, gut them and straight to the butcher.