Warm weather processing

[NYRturkeycall]

Does anybody have any experience or thoughts on a kill and processing in warm weather... specifically regarding meat spoilage? In a perfect world it would be a quick shot, quick track, 10-minute field dress and dragging and driving back home about 1 to 2 hours after the deer was shot. I was even thinking about stopping at a gas station and grabbing a few bags of ice to pack into the cavity on the way home... Truck bed is covered.

Tomorrow is calling for mid-70s. I don't mind hunting when it's warm, my concern is Meat spoilage. I do not have an extra refrigerator to store quartered parts And my garage isn't exactly the coolest or the cleanest. 

 Thanks in advance.

[broomeguy]

Quarter ASAP and put in large cooler until processed.

[Robhuntandfish]

10 minutes ago, NYRturkeycall said:

Does anybody have any experience or thoughts on a kill and processing in warm weather... specifically regarding meat spoilage? In a perfect world it would be a quick shot, quick track, 10-minute field dress and dragging and driving back home about 1 to 2 hours after the deer was shot. I was even thinking about stopping at a gas station and grabbing a few bags of ice to pack into the cavity on the way home... Truck bed is covered.

Tomorrow is calling for mid-70s. I don't mind hunting when it's warm, my concern is Meat spoilage. I do not have an extra refrigerator to store quartered parts And my garage isn't exactly the coolest or the cleanest. 

 Thanks in advance.

Can you open the cover?  

If you can get air to it in the truck you'll be fine.  Guys in the south laughing at us for worrying.  I wouldn't want water on the meat.  You could also freeze a bunch of 2 liter soda bottles full of water and keep them in a cooler.   Then if needed can pack the deer in them and also keep it dry.  

But if you can open the truck and get air to it you'll be fine. Do you have a freezer for the quarters?  Wrap them in a bag and put in freezer.  If your going to process the next day they won't be frozen solid.  I've done this several times.  

[ShootEm]

I shot a buck on November 5th, 2022 at 10am when it was 75 degrees and did almost exactly what you said. Gave him 30 minutes before taking up the track. The blood trail was good, and I had him recovered in about 15 minutes through some crazy thick cover. Field dressed, dragged out, and loaded. Gas station was just under 5 minutes from the parcel where I then loaded 3 or 4 bags of ice in him with the tonneau cover open as @Robhuntandfish said. Drove about 20 minutes to my parents where we got him hung up, skinned, quartered, and into coolers with ice. Processed him the next day late morning and the meat was totally fine.

In my opinion, the biggest thing is to have a plan, take high percentage pinpoint shots, and be as efficient as you can executing that plan after the moment of truth. Oh, and don't forget your thermacell!

Edited September 13 by ShootEm

[2BuckBizCT]

I just wonder what the guys out west do? It's 100 degrees in august for those states with 8/15 openers. Maybe @Trial153 can opine? I'm thinking Arizona, Cali, etc. 

[Trial153]

It’s meat, not ice cream. it won’t melt…get  the skin off it and get it quartered up and in the shade asap, make sure you have air flow around it.  Don’t stack meat, part it out… A cooler with ice works fine, keep the meat dry and on top  in bags …

[broomeguy]

Hunted Texas and South Carolina where it's freaking hot. Usually don't gut until at truck (to keep flies at bay) then go to final destination then hang and quarter and put in cooler. 

[fletchny11]

The guys out west get them skinned and quartered and into game bags asap. Keep clean hang in shade. Get to a cooler soon as you can but clean well taken care of quarters and such can tolerate more than you'd think. 

 

I have packed a whole deer with 2-3 bags of ice more than once and it works.

[phade]

As noted, skin quarter and separate it in cooler / cool room. Stacking meat creates the spoil.

[Wolc123]

One of these days my 1950 something GE deer fridge might take a crap.  Until then, I can easily fit one mature, skinned and gutted, deer carcass in there.  I’m a little worried if I get (2) though (I have two dmp tags and am going to try my best to fill both at the earliest opportunity). 
 

If they fall on the same hunt (I’m carrying a repeating shotgun until my first tag is filled, then switching to my ML just like I did during last year’s early gun season), then I will gut both and skin the larger one first, cut it in half and hang in deer fridge.  I’ll then skin the smaller, but only hang the back straps in the fridge (and the neck roast if it’s a button buck), and then grind and freeze the remainder.  

I have always prefer to age the venison, at least a few days, prior to processing and freezing.  That’s far more critical with older deer (just like any red meated animal), to get it thru rigor mortis.  

 

I have never frozen a “fresh” kill, so I am interested in seeing how that turns out. It’s hard to imagine anything that would make a button buck chewy, but it would be worth a try I suppose.   That said, I’m trying a little harder than normal to avoid those  this year, because we still have a decent amount of that in our freezer, vacuum sealed and leftover from last season. 

It’s definitely the big “grinder does” that are my primary objective this year.  We have been out of grind for a couple of weeks now.  I’m going to try for (4) , and will go back for two “leftover” dmp tags during the second draw on Nov 1.  
 

It’s too bad they can’t issue all (4) prior to the early antlerless gun season.  Oh well, my field corn and turnips are looking spectacular this year so the Holiday ML season should be good. 

[dbHunterNY]

with the QDM co-op we encourage taking doe early when there's ample opportunity before they hole up in the thick stuff during the 'lull'. that means when it's warm but some of us still do. rinsing out the inside of the carcass early helps cool it down a lot. also i'll take the head off with strip out the wind pipe and esophagus from doe that's a major source of bacteria. then leave the hide on for insulation and to keep things clean. pack the chest with bags of ice that will drain out the neck hung from the hind legs if in a bind. best. when out in the field it helps a lot to keep it out of the sun.

if you bone it out right away in the field, don't put the meat in non-breathable bags but game bags hung in the shade boned out or at least quartered. bones spoil and retain heat. when going into a cooler with ice just let the ice melt and drain out of the cooler so it's sitting on a drier bed of ice. otherwise put it in heavy contractor plastic bags to keep it from sitting in an ice bath. don't leave it for multiple days though like that without draining the bags out. the meat will drain out and you don't want it sitting in that thick bloody "juice".

what i do here at home is have a 2nd fridge for deer and beer. during hunting season i can hang quarters in there. i use produce tupperware with an internal drain basket for trim that i'll grind later. also if height isn't an issue stackable meat totes work well. drill holes in the bottom of one the meats in and stack it on another to catch liquid draining. i stopped using those as they do take up a lot of space for one item.

[Robhuntandfish]

See if @Lawdwaz still has that cooling stick for sale.......

[NYRturkeycall]

2 hours ago, ShootEm said:

I shot a buck on November 5th, 2022 at 10am when it was 75 degrees and did almost exactly what you said. Gave him 30 minutes before taking up the track. The blood trail was good, and I had him recovered in about 15 minutes through some crazy thick cover. Field dressed, dragged out, and loaded. Gas station was just under 5 minutes from the parcel where I then loaded 3 or 4 bags of ice in him with the tonneau cover open as @Robhuntandfish said. Drove about 20 minutes to my parents where we got him hung up, skinned, quartered, and into coolers with ice. Processed him the next day late morning and the meat was totally fine.

In my opinion, the biggest thing is to have a plan, take high percentage pinpoint shots, and be as efficient as you can executing that plan after the moment of truth. Oh, and don't forget your thermacell!

Thanks all for the insight! This would be my first time processing a deer in warm weather. 

@ShootEm exactly what you described. Yes my cover rolls up so I could get air flow. I'm sure The 45-minute ride home would be fine. Then I can get it skinned and quartered at home and thrown into two big coolers to process the next day or I was thinking about even processing as soon as I get home on gambrel in a big shady spot in the backyard.

@dbHunterNY I do have mesh game bags, but I'm not sure. I want to rush the processing/deboning in the field while it's warm when I can guarantee 20% more meat if I do it at home especially with a doe. Also because down here on Long Island almost every single spot is decently thick enough where the ticks are just crawling. Barf.

Edited September 13 by NYRturkeycall

[dbHunterNY]

2 hours ago, NYRturkeycall said:

Thanks all for the insight! This would be my first time processing a deer in warm weather. 

@ShootEm exactly what you described. Yes my cover rolls up so I could get air flow. I'm sure The 45-minute ride home would be fine. Then I can get it skinned and quartered at home and thrown into two big coolers to process the next day or I was thinking about even processing as soon as I get home on gambrel in a big shady spot in the backyard.

@dbHunterNY I do have mesh game bags, but I'm not sure. I want to rush the processing/deboning in the field while it's warm when I can guarantee 20% more meat if I do it at home especially with a doe. Also because down here on Long Island almost every single spot is decently thick enough where the ticks are just crawling. Barf.

If the drag isn't long I'd just gut it and drag it to the truck with a deer cart. Then stop at the nearest gas station and stuff the cavity with bags of ice and the hide on. I'd still process it right away unless you've got a cooler or fridge to out it in.

Edited September 13 by dbHunterNY

[The_Real_TCIII]

I'm going to have the garage ready for some speedy quartering