What to do after the kill

[CurtisWalker]

It looks like it's going to be another fairly warm October this year so it got me thinking what do you guys do after the kill to keep your meat fresh? I know field dress it ASAP but what steps do you take after that if you can't process it immediately?

 

[biggest buck]

I don't shoot it if I cannot process it right away.

 

[nemohunter]

I have an old fridge, doesn't work but it still insulates like a cooler, I can skin and quarter a deer and put in it and put some bags or blocks of ice in with it, I don't leave it in there for long periods but its fine til I can cut it up or take to a locker

 

[shadowpeople]

Get it quartered and in coolers with dry ice, or a fridge is even better. Or just get it to the locker right away.

 

[DGorman]

I have a fridge on my porch that we use for garden stuff in the summer and deer in the fall. I just quarter them and stick them in the fridge for a couple days.

 

[skyleralan]

Many lockers will meet you after hours in small towns. Just give the person a call and let them know ahead of time obviously or right after you shoot it.

 

[JNRBRONC]

I have a HUGE cooler that will fit a quartered deer in with gallon jugs of ice.

Or I can call the local locker after hour cell phone number and meet them there.

Or sometimes I bone the deer out and can fit it in the normal refridg until I get around to final cut and wrap.

 

[dedgeez]

I just eat it raw....... :drink2:

 

[beararchery]

I just eat it raw....... :drink2:

Dang, beat me to it!

 

[loneranger]

Wait till Nov...well,,Sorry ,I predict a warm November too.

 

[CurtisWalker]

I process all my deer by myself. Get more meet that way.. I have a freezer I can quarter and put the deer in also just didn't know if there is an easier way.

 

[Booner]

I try and have all my previous season's meat eaten and have plenty of freezer space so I can just butcher her that night and be done with it. It's nice to let them hang when conditions allow but I have no problem de-boning and having her all ready to grind that same night.

 

[nannyslayer]

Quarter it out, get it in a cooler, run cold water over it until the meat is cooled down, pack in ice (top and bottom or bottom will spoil), OR slice, package freeze.

 

[HorseDoctor]

Don't soak it in water! Gut it, skin it & hang it in a shed (or at least the shade) overnight. Then you can bone it out the next day. Boning is quick. (There is a you-tube video of a guy doing it in 8 minutes) Even I can do it in less than an hour. Boned out even a big deer gets small enough you can put in a fridge or large heavy plastic bags in a cooler with dry ice or BAGGED ice until you can finish the process. Do NOT soak in water or have direct contact with ice! Ask any butcher. The end result will be much better table fare. :way:

 

[TheMadCatter]

We just have a walk in cooler and if we shoot a deer now we hang it in it.

 

[Rjack]

I have a garage refrigerator and the freezer section is full of 1/2 gallon apple juice containers of ice. Get the deer in on the garage floor in a large tub, fill the chest cavity with jugs of ice and pack ice around the hind quarters. Switch out the ice every 12-18 hours and this will work for at least a couple days.