Keeping hog meat cool?

[britt]

We are heading to Mason,TX next week. My only concern is keeping the meat cool. We are taking 5 coolers and will keep the meat on ice during the 3 day hunt. Any other tips or ideas on keeping hog meat cool? Looks it could be in 70"s for temp. Thanks.

[Wheels2]

In the early deer season here in Pa we have the same issues.  Meat cools much better with the hide removed.  Two liter soda bottles filled with water and frozen do a nice job. As they thaw you have water source as well, but they don't soak the meat like bags of ice.  A couple fit into the chest cavity to cool meat quicker if you are not able to quarter and store in a cooler with the bottles.

[Wheels2]

Now might be a good time to also review Terry's post about the position of animal vitals and skeleton.

[saltwatertom]

If you are taking a pickup (so you have room), how about one of those small frezzers and an inverter for the alternator on the vehicle?

Good luck down there!    

    I know you will shoot well, thanks to Rod and his clinic last April.      

Bring back some meat for you and pictures for the rest of us!

[saltwatertom]

If you are taking a pickup (so you have room), how about one of those small freezers and an inverter for the alternator on the vehicle? Then you can plug it in when you are some place that has power.

Good luck down there!        

    I know you will shoot well, thanks to Rod and his clinic last April.        

Bring back some meat for you and pictures for the rest of us!

[killinstuff]

3 days and a freezer is a bit much.  I bone pigs out on the spot they die, wash them good when I get back to camp and put the meat in gallon size zip lock bags. If I'm staying in a motel or a ranch they go in the frig or freezer.  Otherwise they just go on ice.  It will be good for at least a week on ice.

[Caughtandhobble]

Originally posted by britt:
We are heading to Mason,TX next week. My only concern is keeping the meat cool. We are taking 5 coolers and will keep the meat on ice during the 3 day hunt. Any other tips or ideas on keeping hog meat cool? Looks it could be in 70"s for temp. Thanks.

You'll be fine... Don't use ROCK SALT in the ice!!!

[huntingarcher]

Like caughtandhobble said you will be fine just keeping them in coolers on ice.I hunt close by Mason outside of Junction.We usually hunt 4-5 days at a time keeping deer and hogs in coolers with never a problem.
If your hunting near the river we have dragged them in the water and keep on hunting.The river water in that area is very cold and will keep them cool till you get picked up after dark.That way you won't mess up anyone elses hunt.

Good luck on your hunt  

[3arrows]

Nutrisystem styrofoam coolers will keep gallon jugs of ice for 15 days at 60 -70 deg in the shade.Cheap if you have a heavy friend.

[Car54]

Small world...I'm heading to Mason this morn 'til Sunday.
I just skin & cutup my hogs and put them on ice in ice chest. Leave them there for a few days and just drain the water once a day and add ice if needed. Lots of people down here do this.

[Biggamefish]

Dry ice will actually freeze the meat in the cooler and you don't ever have to drain water out of them.  A local welding supply store should have it.

[wingnut]

No need to freeze the boned out meat.  Here is what we do with ours.  We skin and bone the meat out ASAP.  Put in a cooler with ice and drain the water out daily and add ice.  You will have the sweetest pork you've ever tasted if you do it this way.

Mike

[tom cunningham]

X's two on Killinstuff method. Boning the pig where he's shot then in a medium size vehicle ice chest to get back to camp into a bigger one is much faster for everything than to field dress and hanging later. Anther benefit is the boned out meat is so much more compact you can fit 3 times as much in the chest. Adding some dry ice will make your ice/frozen water jugs last an extra 3 days. Ice is good..a lot of ice is better.   Good luck Britt!

[britt]

Thank you for all the suggestions. We are taking 6 coolers. Sounds like de-boning is the best. We are thinking about putting the meat in game bags on ice.

[Crittergetter]

X2 on what Car54 said! I've kept game this way for over a week on many occasions. Deer and hogs. Very important to keep the water drained daily. Good luck and stick one for me!!

[jrchambers]

I have had to keep hog meat for a week in tx.  in the day I put the unboned quarters in a cooler with ice separated and the meat not in a bag,  in the evenings the temp would usualy get to 40s or 50s by 11pm,  I then re hang in game bags till morning.  keep it dry and build a skin. unboned quarters will keep cool much longer if a skin is allowed to develop.

[Redfeathers]

What wingnut said!!!

[oldgoat]

X3 on Car47, only difference is we put on ice and pull the plug keep adding ice I keep mine this way in Tex for 4-5 days helps to get the blood out also. Good hunting

[Shaun]

Like Mr Goat says abobe - just leave the plug out so the ice drains all the time. You don't want the meat floating/soaking in water, just resting on ice. Works great.

[boznarras]

I carry game and fish on ice for days in large coolers on my boat. A couple of tricks:

If you line the bottom of the cooler with a fitted piece of ensolite and then put another piece over the contents , just under the lid, it really helps. Ensolite is the closed cell foam used for sleeping pads when backpacking, about 1/2 inch thick.You can cut it out to fit against the sides of the cooler tightly, and cut a notch in the bottom piece by the drain, takes just a couple of minutes with a pocket knife. They wash up good for reuse.

Another thing is to cover the closed cooler with.a space blanket, silver side out, and secure with a bungee cord. It helps keep the sun off it and adds a trapped space of air around the outside. It is easy to take off to check/add ice.

Both of these make the ice last a lot longer, and keep the temp more consistently cold throughout the inside of the cooler.