earlyseason kill Question.

[hurley0816]

How quickly do I nd to process my deer in warmer weat. I know I cant hang it like it is in the 40's. so what can I do?thanks

[Ridge Runner]

I've shot deer on damage permits in the 90's and haven't lost one yet
1) get the guts out soon as possible to let the cooling process begin
2) keep it in the shade (a cellar or springhouse is best)
3) watch the fly's
Once you get a deer cooled down they don't spoil to quick.
RR

[timbercruiser]

I would carry a large ice chest with plenty of ice and either quarter the deer and put it in the cooler or pack the whole deer with plenty of ice inside of a tarp or something similar.

[bhunter50]

The local locker owner is a good friend of mine, he said a deer with ice in the cavity will last a long time, I am imagining it would last even a day or two or more. Although I would always get the deer processed yourself or to the locker asap!

[skeeter 7MM]

It depends on when you harvest the animal. For example if in the evening it may be feasible to let the animal hang over night to cool without nothing other then being gutted and skinned. On the other handif in the am with heat of the day still to come or where the overnight temp is still high you should:
FD and skin asap to get the body temp out/down
Keep out of direct sunlight

If no electricity pack the cavity with ice, quarter or deboneand place on ice in coolers. I use frozen milk jugs as ice packs vs loose ice as it minimizes water on the meat surface.

If you have electricity and if feasible a spare fridge or 2 works really well just remove the shelves then hang 1/4s and loins (b'straps). Or you can debone and place the meat in a fridge for a couple days to relax then finish the process. The onlycuts that reallybenefit fromarelax period are the steak, roasts, etc.So if you have limited space available just place your grind into food safe bags and freeze.

[hurley0816]

I plan on keeping the backstraps and the rest i will pretty much be burger and jerky. so can I just let the straps sit in the fridge and grind the rest right away?

[gallred]

Here's a twist on the question. In cold weather, how quickly do you need to dress a deer, say if you have to come back in the morning to recover it?