Carcass care in warm weather

[5Cent]

I'm sitting here looking at weather.com in disbelief.....78*F. After calling around to the local processor's, meat markets, etc, no one is open on Sunday and the question comes to mind....what does everyone do if they kill a deer in this warm weather and you can not get the deer into the processor until the morning?

Do you have a custom full sized cooler readily available? Do you skin, quarter and place these in a cooler? Do you just pack the chest cavity full of ice and call it a night? Lets hear it....

 

[rossbows]

You can debone it and put it in bags and put on ice. Or quarter it but in refrigerator.

 

[Jackalope]

I horn hunt and pass on does this time of year...

If I shot a big one. Well I think I can fit a buck in my refrigerator if I take the shelves out. lmao.

I have shot does in the past when it was hot though. And I vowed never again. The gut job sucks. They stink far worse. And the fat isn't solid but sticky like paste.. I quartered her up and put her in the fridge.

 

[tuffshot]

Being a southern boy, I figured you would have more input, Jackalope.:smiley_chinrub:

 

[Jackalope]

Southern deer don't have the fat on them that these deer do. Nor do they stink in hot weather like these do. The gut job still sucks... But most tomes back home we just quartered them up and in the cooler they went. Right in the field... You're allowed 7 does and 3 bucks in ms. No tags or check stations. Its the honor system. Or it was atuleast the last time I hinted there. So we just quartered them up rigjt then and there. And back home every good ole boy has a cooler with ice beer amd water. Just get to drinking and quarter it up.

 

[cotty16]

Pack it full of ice. Leave the ice in the bags if possible. With the fur on the deer it'll insulate itself. Then get her to da butcher tomorrow.

 

[huntn2]

skinned, quartered and in the fridge here.

 

[5Cent]

Pack it full of ice. Leave the ice in the bags if possible. With the fur on the deer it'll insulate itself. Then get her to da butcher tomorrow.

Joe, no problem here with the smell and the fat, but know what you mean. Before college, we would always butcher our deer at my uncles with my cousins all throughout the year as we would get em, but that was quite a few years ago. I need to aquire a large HDPE board, get some vaccum bags for the sealer and get a good boning knife. Uncle is a foreman at the local slaughter house and had the tools. Until then, it's going to a processor.

Cotty, have you used this method and had success? I completely understand the concept and would do multiple "Big Bag" ice bags, inside and out, but there is just something that concerns me about this.

How long does it usually take you guys to do a quartering job? I'm think around 2hrs during the weekdays, longer if weekends and beer is flowing.

 

[Beentown]

Hanging, skinning, and quartering only takes me 1/2 an hour if I have everything ready...which I usually don't.

My general method if it is warmer than 50 is to hang'em. Get the skin/fur started around the legs and head. Then I go to town with a gripper and skinning knife.

Once she is skinned out I will take a little time on pulling the backstraps and catfish tenderloins out. Hose them off and package them with my vacuum sealer. Heck I will eat at least one that day.

Quarter her up, rinse off and refrigerate/cooler the parts immediately. I start picking meat off the ribs and neck. I put them in a seperate bag for commercial made products. I get to the quarters as soon as I have a chance.

I process mine from the roota to the toota. I use our kitchen aid mixer with the grinder/stuffer attachment to make my own sausages, burger, brats, jerky, etc...

I do take some cuttings to a place for some of his trail bologna and hot pepper roll.

 

[cotty16]

I did it last year with my early season buck and everything turned out fine. I had him packed all day, then replaced the ice before bed. Most of the ice was still solid in the morning.

Ive never butchered my own so that was my option.

 

[dante322]

if youve got the time go ahead and skin it and quarter it, otherwise, leave the skin on it, pack it to the gills with ice, wrap it in a tarp and hang it till you can get to it.

 

[Mike]

My processor is available 24-7 which is nice.

 

[5Cent]

My processor is available 24-7 which is nice.

Heck yes it is!

Good info guys, mucho gracious. It's one of those things ya just gotta do to get the confidence and skill back. I found a sharp fillet knife, so I just need to get a good size cutting board. Till then if I connect, it's gonna get the ice package till the morning. Thanks fellas.

 

[Beentown]

One thing that is nice to have is one of the big plastic tables with folding legs. You can start cutting up the larger pieces on it with no cutting board. Easy to clean up and just great to have. Menards have them on sale this week. Twenty something bucks I believe.

Beentown

 

[uglykat26]

i have been butchering my own since i shot my first deer , im lucky though i havent gotten one in warm weather , but i do have access to a walk in deer cooler if i need it

 

[Gordo]

I'm with jackalope in waiting for it to cool down before dropping the hammer on does. Its a hell of alot more relaxing when its nice and cool outside and you dont have to rush.

But if it is warm out the ticket is to quarter'm down and stick'em in the fridge which can be done quickly if you already have a good hanging spot with your ropes ready to roll.

I dont trust packing it full of ice. If that ice starts to melt just a little bit the water run off/drip will spoil meet in a hurry when its warm out.

There has to be a cheap/easy way to insulate a small area and have a nice cooling element to be able to hang an entire skinned deer and give it a proper cure. Ive been thinking about it but havent come up with anything. That would be the way to roll. Anyone ever try anything like that?

 

[Beentown]

I had an idea and just haven't tried it....

Using the rigid foam boards and making a "coffin" shaped box with a slit in the top so you can slide it over the hangin rope. Just have the top of the coffin hinged so that you can open it to slide the deer in. I can see it in my minds eye but having a hard time describing in type.

Anyway, just add dry ice and a couple small drain holes.

 

[RedCloud]

I have seen where guys converted a small shed into a walk in cooler. They took 2" foam board and wrapped the inside of the shed and taped the seems. They cut a hole in the side of the shed and placed a huge air conditioner in it. Don't see why it wouldn't work. Be just like a refer truck rolling down the highway.

 

[Gern186]

If you know a local bar owner from a small town, call them and explain your situation. They might let you place it in their walk- in cooler as long as you have it wrapped up and clean...... My uncle owned a bar here in town for about 10 years and we put many deer in their walk in cooler on warm nights.

 

[hoot gibson]

i just put mine close to my ole ladys ass . keeps it cold all night .