Meat preservation help

[WIbiggame]

I solved my cooler problem. Come to find out my folks don't use their chest freezer anymore so I am taking that and a generator in the back of the pickup this fall. My question is if I am lucky enough to harvest an animal what should I do to protect the meat in the cooler? I know it will freeze are game bags enough or do I need to do more? Thanks in advance all!

 

[LMD423]

I think game bags would be fine. We have had quarters freeze solid while hanging and never hurt the meat just a pain to thaw and cut up. I would try and leave space between the meat so it's not one solid block in the freezer.

 

[8andcounting]

I think game bags would be fine. We have had quarters freeze solid while hanging and never hurt the meat just a pain to thaw and cut up. I would try and leave space between the meat so it's not one solid block in the freezer.

Buy some cheap freezer paper , wrap it in that quick then put in game bags then into freezer

 

[SFR292]

I would also caution not to let the meat freeze to quickly while it's in large unprocessed segments. By the time the center freezes it could allow enough time for bacteria to set hold, maybe not to health concern level but perhaps to the point of effecting taste and texture. If the weather and time permits I think it would be better to hang first to have more control over the cooling prior to putting into a freezer. Just my thoughts.

 

[WIbiggame]

Thanks for the replies. I will get freezer paper. Also I plan to leave the bone in so the meat isn't just a clump of weight in the bottom of my bag hiking it out. Doing a wilderness hunt. Is it beneficial to make a cut on the front and back down the quarter down to the bone to let heat out? Also would wrapping the meat in a figure 8 style in an old heavy blanket in the freezer help or waste of time?

 

[wytex]

Get it cooled out first by hanging the quarters in a tree. SFR292 is dead on about that spoilage at the bone. Get it off the animal and hung up , doesn't have to be cold out just get it into the shade up off the ground. After it's cooled to the bone then think about putting it in the freezer.
I wonder if you can turn that freezer down so it doesn't freeze the meat just keep it cold for the drive.
You'll notice lots of trees with hanging poles in them at almost any camping spot on the forest. Usually the weather is just fine for hanging your meat at camp. Game bag it and get it in the shade. Canvas game bags are great for camp hanging.

 

[archer wapiti]

I would also caution not to let the meat freeze to quickly while it's in large unprocessed segments. By the time the center freezes it could allow enough time for bacteria to set hold, maybe not to health concern level but perhaps to the point of effecting taste and texture. If the weather and time permits I think it would be better to hang first to have more control over the cooling prior to putting into a freezer. Just my thoughts.

If you're talking about big chunks of uncut meat - like a front or hind quarter, it's sterile. There's no bacteria in there unless the tissue has been penetrated and bacteria was introduced from the outside. This is why we cook our steaks rare and [it is recommended that] we cook our burger a bit more. Bacteria from the outside get mixed in to the middle don't get killed. Avoiding souring along the bone is a matter of getting that mass cooled rapidly.