From shot to Cooler: How long in 90 -100+ degree heat

[metsastaja]

Our deer season starts July 31 here is Sunny Southern Florida.  Temps will be 90 - 100+.

How long do you think we will have to get meat quartered and into a cooler before infestation or spoilage begins.

[stickbowmaniac]

Better have the ice chest close by.I would say you would need to have the animal on ice within 2-3 hours tops.Make the shot,give the animal 25-30 minutes to expire on a good hit,then i would get to tracking and have the skinning knife ready.If you can gut it in the feild so much the better to start the cooling process put ice bags in the chest cavity.I've killed many hogs in the hot weather.I don't waste any time getting them cleaned and on ice.

[shortstroke 91]

I've killed hogs and deer here in Texas with temps like that and taken as long as 2 hours to get them into a cooler without spoilage problems. Of course time is paramount but if you can gut them ASAP and get them out of direct sunlight it sure will help. We've killed several in those temps where we were so far from the truck that we just boned them out right there and backpacked the meat back to the truck and into the cooler.

[marlon]

Ouch that's hot with humidity !

[Mike Gerardi]

I shot a hog at Rays one July. by the time we got it back to the cooler it was covered in fly larva. Had to wash it down with a hose. That was only about an hour from the shot to the skinning shed. Didnt hurt the meat , but I wouldnt waste any time. Us northern folk do not have that problem.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Same as in Sept when it used to open.....

[Chris Shelton]

Wow, July, that is crazy, Maryland DNR is thinking of opening our season 10 days earlier, so Semptember 5th instead of the 15th!  And I thought that was early!  Sorry but I'm no help, us northern boys get bent outta shape when it reaches 40 degrees during gun season!

[Zbearclaw]

Work fast and you will be ok.

If you are hunting big properties where a mile drag out is possible look up the "gutless method" for breaking down a critter.

I have had them quartered and heading to my icechest in my pack 45 mins after releasing the arrow.  Of course that was when I saw the deer go down and didn't have to wait it out.

[Archer Fanatic]

I almost lost a nice buck about 5 years ago on opening day here in Ohio because of the heat. I found it right away but by the time it took to walk to my truck and drive back to get it the heat bout cost me my meat. I had to walk a mile to my truck. If it is 80-90 degrees I will not hunt anymore till it cools down.

[magnus]

A trick I use is freezing a couple of two liter bottles. After gutting the deer put them inside instead of bags of ice. When they thaw there is no water mess like with ice bags. I was told  water prometes bacteria growth and quickens spoilage. Easy cleaning of the bottles too. I use four of them if they fit. Just my 2 cents.
Magnus

[alligatordond]

Ditto Biggie

[longarrow]

Don't know how the flys/wasp are there. Carry a can of black pepper and good game bags. Here the flys/wasp will ruin meat as fast/faster than the heat will!!

[RC]

Hot or cold I have the critter field quartered and in my meatsack 15-20 minutes after I find it. A cooler of ice is waiting in the truck and if I`m no more than a mile or so in I can have it in the cooler in less than an hour no problem. I use an old pillow case for the meat during summer while I`m packing it out. If I`m near a river or creek I`ll put it in a trash bag and let it cool in the water a few minutes If I`m more than a mile in.

  If I waited till it was below 80 degrees to hunt my season would be cut down to maybe 4-6 weeks.
  You can take care of the meat you just gotta plan a bit. Field quartering not only helps the meat cool faster it saves your legs on the walk instead of drag back to the truck.In all my hunting in the heat I`ve lost one pig due to spoiling. He was gut shot and it took me 4 hours to find him and I did`nt have a pack .RC