Lanse couche couche

I've heard of people wiping down the meat with a cloth immediately after washing it with water. I've always heard that is the thing to do if you do use water on the meat.

Alsatian

I would first gut the deer. Have to gut it sooner or later, might as well gut it right away and save the extra weight on the drag out. If dirt/leaves get inside, fine, I'll rinse the inside out later anyway so it doesn't matter.

I'll get the deer home, hang it up andrinse out the inside of the body cavity. I'll skin the deer, including removing the head and front legs. I'll remove the right front shoulder and lower leg as one piece, put it in an ice chest with ice. I'll remove the left front shoulder and lower leg as a second piece, put it in the ice chest. I'll remove the backstraps and put them in the ice chest. I'll remove the tenderloins and save them for washing, wrapping in plastic wrap, wrapping in freezer paper, and freezing immediately. I'll remove the meat off the left and righ rib cages and put in the ice chest. I'll remove the left and right rear legs and put in the ice chest. I might need more than one ice chest for all this meat. I might be inclined to put the meat into garbage bags to keep it from being in contact with the water, but I'm just as likely to skip this step as I'm not sure there would be any benefit to it. I would then wait at least a day to complete the butchering process. I'm thinking that this would allow the meat to go through the process of rigor mortis. Additionally, I would likely be tired after the hour long drag out process.

If I had a big cooler at 40 degrees, I would wash out the deer body cavity and then dry it out well. I would then let the deer hang in there for a couple of days maybe more. But I don't have such facilities and so I would do as described above -- cut it up and get stuff on ice.

I'm sure as hell not going to leave my deer hanging out overnight at 59 degrees at the coldest. That would be a recipe for spoiled meat, I'm thinking.

Alsatian

I've heard the story about water and deer meat. Of course, the story makes perfect sense, but you have to think a little about it. Does water encourage bacterial growth? Yes. If you don't use water will your deer meat be subject to bacterial growth? Yes. Do you want to leave your deer with raw flesh constantly bathed in moisture . . . heck no. Does a transient washing of the body cavity with water followed by drying substantially alter the bacterial culture of your deer meat? I'm guessing not. I like to do this to get rid of any dirt, leaves, grass, etc., that may have gotten into the body cavity. I would have to hear the argument that says washing the body cavity for 30 seconds with running water from a hose followed by drying with paper towels does ANY damage to the condition of my deer meat. Now, running water on the deer and leaving it in a lump on the ground, wet, not open to free circulating air . . . that might be a problem.

RuLzU

WOW good post .. very good post.. Answered alot of my questions thats i wasnt sure of myself.. especially the washing of the carcass, after gutted while behing hung. thats what my buddies and i did last year. we got water from the stream with buckets and washed out the deer.

skybuster20ga

we brush on a salt n water solution when we are up to camp and it will be a few days or longer before wehead home and begin butchering. mind you the temps up here run in the teens to the mid 30's during deer season

npaden

I personally haven't gutted a deer in a while. I see it as a complete waste of time. I skin and quarter the deer in the field and cut the backstraps, tenderloin and neck meat off of it and leave the rest of it where it fell. Even if you gut it, you are going to have to skin and quarter it at some point if you are doing the butchering yourself.

I've shot wild hogs in 90 degree weather and the important thing in warm temperatures is to get the meat in a cooler on ice ASAP. It usually takes me about 30 minutes to have it quartered and in the cooler on ice. If you have to haul the deer out a ways I think you have a couple hours at those temperatures if you get it quartered up and haul it out on your back to get it to a cooler and on ice.

countrymudder

yeah i normally dont gut a deer anymore unless its really hot..like during bow season in the south..the only thing you get from gutting them is the two smaller inner tenderloins..witch isnt a lot but are the best part in my opinion.
And this is to all fellow hunters..when you do gut it in the field..or when getting rid of the the carcass remember not to throw them in creeks or pond..it could contaminate the drinking water for the animals and spreadchronic waste disease..which has been a problem..luckliy we havent had any reports in arkansas. Leave it on the ground away from streams and ponds..where scavengers and predators can clean it up..thanks and have a great season

mcraddock

Step 1 - field dress
step 2 - drag you lazy ***hole. He said you had an hour long drag ahead of you. Nothing about ATVs, carts,...
step 3 - call processor to see if he we stay open until you get there
step 4- drop off deer or put it in large ice chest with a few bags of ice in and on it til morning

chazspot

I agree with Dr. Kill here. Some assumptions were made without considering everything. Why assume he is using caps to get his point across? Yes, he might have very poor vision and hence can't see what he is typing. Also, I don't think he was saying he can't tolerate the conditions and got himself into a predicament without proper preparation. He is asking for opinions and feedback and what could be best practice for a particular situation.

I personally think timing is everything here. An hour drag and the temps are cooling, but not significantly. I would say start gutting ASAP and subsequently begin that tortuous drag. Once back at the truck, wipe out cavity with wet rag if possible and then pack cavity with ice.
Ideally, the deer gets skinned and quartered that night. Quarters and other meat get thrown in the frig.

In non-idealistic conditions, I would say hang deer, wipe out thoroughly with damp rag, and make sure it’s iced sufficiently.

npaden

FYI, you can get the tenderloins without gutting them. Just reach in after you cut the backstraps out and you can nearly pull them out with your hands.