Keeping meat in NM 16B

[sprig86]

A buddy and I drew first season archery elk in New Mexico unit 16B. I am trying to figure out logistics for keeping meat and could use any insight from you guys who have hunted that unit before or anyone who knows the area. I am trying to decide if my best bet is to drive to the nearest cold storage when the first elk hits the ground, taking ice chests with dry ice, or taking my chest freezer and a generator. Anyone out there run into this storage dilemma before?

 

[raiderbowhunter]

I'd say take as much ice into camp as you can. I hunted 36 last year in Nov and it was still warm and did it this way. After we had elk in the coolers we then made a trip back to town for more ice. I like the idea of being able to keep hunting with others as opposed to having to make the trek into town when I could be helping a buddy pack out an elk.

I'm a novice though, so I could be doing it all wrong...???

 

[Big Fin]

Ice will not be an option in camp, given 16B is all wilderness. Maybe to leave at the truck when parked at the trailhead, but not in camp.

When the first elk hits the ground, here is what I would do. Find some sort of stream or creek that has evaporation going on. The more shaded the area, the better. Build a cross member or frame of some sort so that the meat will hang over the creek where the evaporation is occurring. I then have a tarp of some sort to keep the meat both shaded and out of harm from any rain.

You will be surprised how much the temp differences are in areas where evaporation is occurring. It will help you keep the meat cooler and longer before you have to head out and hopefully giving the second guy time to fill his tag without having to make a special trip to the truck to take meat to a processor, which fro 16B is a LONG ways away.

If you can find where the creek or spring runs through some heavily timbered areas, it will be even better. You don't need a huge amount of tarp, just enough to keep it shaded/dry and enough rope to hang the quarters from the frame you cut and place over the creek.

 

[sbhooper]

That sounds like a good idea. Also, remember to completely bone out the meat. Wild areas are definitely problematic for meat.

 

[sprig86]

Great thanks for the help, I have seen the creek method used before and had forgotten about that as an option. I'll plan on that. Thank you

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

I recomend having a chest freezer and a generater if you have the room at your truck,,,its a good way of proper cooling of the meat,especially during the warm early fall hunts,,,i take a 7 cu ft model,it will hold a elk and a little more.also i can store gear in it untill i need it for the meat.

 

[Redwood]

Fins steering you right here, as stated you also should bone it. The bone holds heat and will spoil the meat. While keeping it nice and cold seems to be the most important, that is not what will keep your meat. It needs to develop a crust, it needs air movement. This crust will seal meat to better hold a temp, more importantly flies won't be able to lay eggs on it.

 

[Big Fin]

Fins steering you right here, as stated you also should bone it. The bone holds heat and will spoil the meat. While keeping it nice and cold seems to be the most important, that is not what will keep your meat. It needs to develop a crust, it needs air movement. This crust will seal meat to better hold a temp, more importantly flies won't be able to lay eggs on it.

All good input. The best game bags I have found, now patented, to keep air movement at a maximum and keep flies from penetrating are these synthetic game bags from Caribou Game Bags.

Link below.

http://www.biggamebags.com/Order_.html

I have been using them for three years. The same bags have been used many, many times. They are very strong, being synthetic, they allow very good heat transfer, dry rapidly, and have a very tight weave that keeps insects and dirt away. I wash them according to the care instructions and reuse them time and time again. Some of the best money you will spend, unless you like disposable game bags.

 

[dougd]

Blackwidow

A buddy and I drew first season archery elk in New Mexico unit 16B. I am trying to figure out logistics for keeping meat and could use any insight from you guys who have hunted that unit before or anyone who knows the area. I am trying to decide if my best bet is to drive to the nearest cold storage when the first elk hits the ground, taking ice chests with dry ice, or taking my chest freezer and a generator. Anyone out there run into this storage dilemma before?

Several years ago I met a native American who gave some advice to a local hunter who killed a big buck way back in the backcountry in Hot August. Bring a large new garbage container and several gallons of Red Mtn. wine. Bone your meat and place in the plastic container and pour the Red Mt. wine or other over the meat. The solves the spoilage problem and marinates the meat at the same time.
Note: I haven't had the opportunity to try this, yet. Me thinks the high PH stops the rotting process.

 

[sprig86]

I have the Caribou Gear meat bags and this will be my first year using them. I am planning to store the meat in the CG bags and hang it over a creek or spring, with that being said would it be beneficial to coat the meat with pepper before storing it in the bags?

 

[greatwhitebuffalo]

You might want to take a look at what springs or creeks are in the area. The water temperature is normally pretty low and will circulate over the meat. Of course, you'd need to cover it in bags first.

This obviously isn't a primary solution, but I used it on a bear once and the meat kept.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

You may want to buy some food grade citric acid and spray down the outside of the meat.

 

[zia]

16 b is a wilderness area !! generators? really? shoot a bull, gut and skin and hang in the shade...get to Reserve within a few days and you are good. Hunted it for years, not that hard

 

[sbhooper]

16 b is a wilderness area !! generators? really? shoot a bull, gut and skin and hang in the shade...get to Reserve within a few days and you are good. Hunted it for years, not that hard

I agree. I also have killed elk in warmish weather and had no issues as long as the meat is boned out and hung in the shade.

Also, a good dose of black pepper on the outside will keep the flies away.

 

[sprig86]

Great, thank you for the advice. ZIA, I was planning on leaving the generator in the truck plugged into a chest freezer, but that option is off the table now anyhow. Last year was my first wilderness hunt in unit 36 of NM, and I lost a good bit of meat from not properly planning ahead. I think with the advice from you guys and lessons learned I will be in good shape this time around. Thank all of you for the valuable advice. Good luck to all of you guys

 

[npaden]

Crazy that there are this many of us from Lubbock on the forum. We need to plan a meet up or something.

I also use Caribou game bags the last couple years and am very happy with them. No need for pepper or citric acid or any of that stuff with the Caribou bags. Getting the animal broken up and off the bone and in the shade is key for cooling down. I've never had any meat spoil and I've never had the luxury of being able to keep it by a stream to cool it. If it is warm out I do try to get it to camp and get some ice and get it cooled down as quickly as possible though. I've left quarters hanging in trees overnight in 50 degree temps a couple times with no issues though. One other tidbit is that the shade moves with the day, don't forget that as the sun moves the meat you have hung may end up out of the shade later in the day.

Good luck.

 

[sbhooper]

Great, thank you for the advice. ZIA, I was planning on leaving the generator in the truck plugged into a chest freezer, but that option is off the table now anyhow. Last year was my first wilderness hunt in unit 36 of NM, and I lost a good bit of meat from not properly planning ahead. I think with the advice from you guys and lessons learned I will be in good shape this time around. Thank all of you for the valuable advice. Good luck to all of you guys

The White Mountain Wilderness is a neat place. I never hunted elk there, but I saw a couple monsters while attempting to find bears.

 

[sprig86]

That would be great to get together woth you other Lubbock guys and network. I hunted unit 36 the last two years and after the Little Bear fire last year the hunting was tremendous. Seeing how that panned out I'm pumped about hunting 16B this year after the Whitewater Blady fire last yr and the Silver fire this yr. Hopefully same results. I feel like I'm turning into a fire truck chasser for NM elk hunting. Anyone else experienced similar results?