Posted on 11/11/2017 12:47:23 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
DENVER -- Colorado attracts hunters from around the world, Including many who are new to the sport.
This time of year, youre likely to see a hunter's catch in the back of a truck on Colorados roads.
While some hunters prefer to carry their catch uncovered while transporting it to processing facilities, others opt to make the catch less obvious to other drivers by either placing the animal behind the gate of their truck or quartering the animal before they venture home.
FOX31 looked into available options and learned using game bags and other products benefit hunters looking to avoid health hazards and preserve the quality and taste of the meat they bring home.
To learn about the best products on the market, FOX31 consulted Bass Pro Shops.
Sean Dooley, an expert in the hunting department, explained game bags are used after an animal is quartered.
He said the bags are helpful in cooling the meat and therefore preventing the growth of bacteria, you want to keep your meat clean.
Bass Pro Shops carry a wide range of products to fit every budget, some even have safety features like reflective material. If you are considering using a tarp to cover an animal, there are precautions.
Dooley explained, You wouldn't want to wrap your quarters in a tarp because that's going to hold in the heat thus increase the bacterial growth.
For more information about hunting in Colorado visit the Parks and Wildlife website here.
Everyone who hunts needs to know: The key to useable meat is to get it skinned, dressed, quartered and COLD as soon as possible.
Ive seen deer hanging in a tree with the hide on for two days, with daytime temps in the 60s, only to be tken home...butchered and wrapped...only to be thrown out a few months later.
Because the meat was crap.
Do the work and get your meat to a locker within 24hrs at the latest. 6 hours is best.
“less obvious” Because people are too pampered. All meat comes packaged in the grocery store.
This is why I don’t hunt. It sounds like fun until you take your shot. After that, its nothing but work.
Game bags come large enough for deer and antelope to go into whole, you don’t have to quarter the animal first. Gutting and skinning it first is always best, you do want to cool it off quickly.
You can even fit 1/2 an elk in some of them. I know because I shot a nice 5X5 bull elk two weeks ago here in Montana. We gutted it, caped out the top half for a nice mount, stuffed the top of the headless carcass in a large game bag and hauled it off to the processor. Temps in the low to upper 30’s the whole time.
You lose a lot of meat by quartering the animal so if the temps are cold enough I leave them whole. In Montana temps during rifle season are cold enough. Bow season is another story.
Where I hunt its pretty cold during whitetail, gun season. You gut it right away and hang it and it will cool properly. Wash the body cavity if you gut shoot it. Leave it together with the skin on and the meat stays clean until you butcher. I dont wait more than 3 days to butcher. Even less if it warms up too much.
I just jerked 4 pounds of venison, canned 2 gallons of venison stew, and tomorrow is about the same of venison chili. With a dehydrator and a good quality pressure canner you can preserve quite a bit of meat without filling the freezer.
Nothing quite like a hot bowl of rich stew and a hunk of Home made crusty bread.
L
Hunters say that too. The Funs over once you pull the trigger. At one time I didnt mind the extra work. I would shoot a doe or two for meat but I would take a trophy if one presented itself. At my age and condition its more work than its worth unless its a world class rack. I can afford to buy the meat so I let the does and small racks go.
It is work but to some it is enjoyable. If you hunt with friends who are experienced that can lighten your load too. The whole process of hunting can be a lot of work. Prepping to processing and even cooking.
If you want to hunt without the work you could go to a hunting lodge or hire a guide who will handle that part. That costs money. If you are just going for a meat hunt those are cheaper than trophy hunts.
People go out on charter fishing trips here, salmon, bottom fish and halibut. When they come in their catch is fileted and packaged for them. A successful fishing trip turns out cheaper than buying the fish.
Wait! Isn’t that where it grows?
Sounds good. I freeze. I debone everything first. I grill a lot of the better cuts on a charcoal grill. Marinate hind steaks and prime rib in balsamic dressing For an hour or two first. Char the sides and leave it pink or red in the middle.
I either make stew of make spaghetti sauce with the rest.
*peutocracy - rule by Peurile Effite Urban Twits
So, I should take a walk-in freezer with me hunting. Got it.
One of these days, I’ll go try it. Hopefully, before I get too old to hump up and down those mountains.
We processed about 40 lbs of venison burger & 10 lbs of sausage Monday night. The only thing we didn’t grind were the tender loins, back loins & ‘football’ roasts (large ham muscles). Everything else is ground up. I’m making a venison burger bean casserole tonight. I also do Sloppy Joe’s (fabulous recipe from a chef who does game), stroganoff, “pot roast” with the footballs, chili, Emeril’s venison stew (really good) & pretty much anything else where you’d normally use hamburger. I have a dehydrator & a jerky ‘gun’ (present from relatives), but haven’t gotten into doing jerky yet. I cannot remember the last time we bought hamburger or beef roasts, etc.
Stroganoff it is. I ‘ll defrost some deer, elk or buffalo as soon as I can decide which.
This doesn’t sound very American :)
Since learning how to field dress, my life has been improved 10 fold. This meat now serves meat and I learned why a man sits at the head of the table...
... so I can watch everyone eat what I harvested.
I have a dehydrator & a jerky gun (present from relatives), but havent gotten into doing jerky yet.
Venison Jerky Recipe:
1 lb. venison. Use a cut youd normally grind but leave it whole.
1/2 cup red wine
3 tablespoons Fish Sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
Slice the venison about 3/8 inch thick. Itll be easier if its partially frozen.
Mix red wine, Fish Sauce, and black pepper. Marinate sliced venison overnight in this mixture.
Place the marinated venison on dehydrator racks and grind some more pepper on them. Process at 160 degrees for about 6 hours or until it done.
Enjoy.
L
You’re actually on the right track...For years we’ve taken a generator to hunting camp for lights and battery charging, etc...Even been known to catch a Broncos game on the RV sat dish...
So we (I hunt with a group of long time hunting buddies) started taking a 15 cu ft chest freezer on a flatbed trailer with the rest of the gear, ATVs and gas...Holds our premade frozen dinners and perishables on the way up to camp, and elk/deer meat on the way back...
Doesn’t take a lot of room or juice to run...We field dress, dehide, debone and into the chest it goes...Think of it as a giant cooler...Last year we got 3 cow elk and 2 muleys in it that way...
We hunt late rifle so no need to run the gen while traveling...Baby, it’s cold outside in Craig, CO...
Thanks for the recipe; sounds good...I’m gonna try it...
Much obliged...
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