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What u do if shoot deer in warm weather?

Sligh1

Sligh1

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Been hunting for 30 years & I guess I’ve never really came up with a great plan. So- your hunting youth season or early October…. Let’s say u are traveling to hunt. What you all do? Best I’ve done is cleaned them asap and through them in a chest freezer. But what if a guy didn’t have a freezer?!?!? How u all handle warm weather deer? Any tips?
 
I gut em, put ice on them to get them home then butcher them right away. I told your brother you guys need to build a walk in cooler room.


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Down here in Georgia, we usually get them to the processor asap. If that’s not an option, skin and quarter it and toss it in a cooler. Then take it to the processor the next day.

Or do as Curtis Walker suggested and build a walk in cooler.
 
In wyoming antelope hunt we skin them in field, quarter them, and put in big coolers with ice (quarters in big garbage bags not sitting in water). Good all day in 90 degree heat. Could easily do same with deer.
 
Can't speak much for deer as I usually wait for cooler weather.
But for bear, gutt asap and let the meat cool off Naturally before cutting it up.
I've seen some damned rank meat from killing and putting into a cooler while the meat is still hot, even with ice!
 
Butcher gave me the following advice and it has worked well on many urban early deer. I keep half gallon jugs of ice in the freezer. Gut deer, put it in an otter sled, put on concrete floor in garage and stuff cavity with the ice jugs. Replace jugs every 24 hours. It is amazing how cool the meat is when I am finally able to butcher them. Be sure cut through the hams all the way to the pelvic bone and cover that exposed meat with ice. I put each ice jug in a plastic grocery bag. When I swap the ice, the jug is clean enough to put back in the freezer.
 
I have an old double door fridge a buddy gave me Years ago. There have been a couple I had to cut in half to get them in it but it is great for early season.


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I like to age my deer meat. I skin them out and quarter them right away, then put the quarters and de-boned meat into a spare refrigerator I have for 7 to 10 days. Then it's time to finish butchering, meat is tender and no gamy flavor, fit for a king.
 
Rjack said:
Butcher gave me the following advice and it has worked well on many urban early deer. I keep half gallon jugs of ice in the freezer. Gut deer, put it in an otter sled, put on concrete floor in garage and stuff cavity with the ice jugs. Replace jugs every 24 hours. It is amazing how cool the meat is when I am finally able to butcher them. Be sure cut through the hams all the way to the pelvic bone and cover that exposed meat with ice. I put each ice jug in a plastic grocery bag. When I swap the ice, the jug is clean enough to put back in the freezer.
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I second what RJack said. Most vital part is a quick recovery and field dress. When I urban hunted, I'd use frozen gallon milk jugs of water. 2 or 3 of them placed inside the chest and body cavity will cool the carcass down quickly and help keep it cool for the trip home and possibly overnight in the garage.
 
First quarter deer, put bag of ice in bottom of cooler, I have pvc pipe with end caps cut the length of cooler usually 2 or 3 two inch pipe's will do the trick, lay them on top of the ice, put meat on top of that. The theory is the pvc pipe keeps the meat from being directly laid on the ice and blood can free flow to the bottom of cooler to be drained, this is the best redneck idea I have come up with for it.
 
Quick field dress and quarter. I like hide off - quarters in game bags hang in shade, and let the heat dissipate, evaporation helps even if ambient temp is high. Next transfer to cooler, and ensure meat is not sitting in water.

I killed an antelope in 80 degree heat cloudless day and packed out 2.5 miles. Meat was great.

Deer meat is more forgiving. Biggest mistake people make is delay in field dressing. I want it done an hour after the animal died, 2 hours tops. In most online videos TV celebs wait a really long time to recover, but that’s mostly for likes and $$$
 
Two things I learned from guys that do crop damage permits. First is to buy the cheap water bottle cases at Walmart and freeze the 12 oz bottles. One or two cases in the freezer stay frozen in a good cooler a long time. No water on the meat. After the kill gut the deer and get the rib cage open. Fill cavity w frozen bottles. Peel back hide from back straps and put frozen bottles against the area to cool. This is easier if you have a canvas painters tarp or even plastic to wrap up the deer if you don’t have a big cooler. If needed bagged Ice can go on outside of the plastic tarp Till you can get to a cooler or fridge
Second guy uses white pillow cases from Walmart as game bags. Bone out the backstraps And neck. Remove the hind quarters and shoulders. It all goes into cotton first. Then plastic trash bags and into truck w AC on full. Blaze home to waiting fridge for rack storage out of bags. Wash pillow cases in bleach and dawn for reuse.
Both guys feed a lot of meals to friends and their quality is top notch. Both guys try to get to the deer ASAP after the shot in hot weather. Get it cool and keep it dry seems to be key
 
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