How long...

yes.

get the hide off and pack with ice. the body should be wrapped in game bags or cheese cloth. time is the factor.

" field dresser." Gutted only ? Hide still on" Chest cavity packed with frozen milk jugs?

I`d just wash the cavity out with some of that jug water and head for the
processing area. No speeding.

Ice would keep the loins (back straps) cold, even the shoulder, but nect\leggs wont enjoy the coolness. 90 minutes isnt that long, assuming you wash out the cavety. Ive left a steak sitting out on the counter for longer than that before tossing it on the grill. I wouldnt go more than a few hours though.

I've dressed them out and nothing else (no ice, no skinning), and left them for a week in my garage, and it all turned out fine. I'm not giving this method as advice, I'm just saying that venison isn't as fragile and perishable as people tend to think.

Check out a couple of the posts here... http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=3787736

Game processors have told me one thing while others tell me another; leave skin on, remove skin immediately, bone out immediately, let hang at least 24 hours, etc. I think if you get the animal cool within a dozen hours or so, you're more than fine. I've left elk in the field overnight and they were still quite warm the next morning. No big deal.

You're obviously concerned about spoilage. Bacteria is what spoils the meat, and it takes time to grow enough to rot the meat. yes, the process might start very quickly after the animal expires, but it's certainly not instantly. some people leave animals hanging without refrigeration for a day or two before they process them. Personally, I can't see that, but I'm not worried enough about it to be in a great hurry. Get it on ice, cool it down, sure, and the warmer it is, the sooner you need to do it, but it's not something I'm going to stress overmuch on.

Good grief. Come hunt in Texas sometime. It's almost always hot. Gut, skin and quarter the thing. Wash it down and pack it in a large cooler. Pack as much ice in and around it as you can. Drain the water once a day and add more ice. It will keep for three to five days easy, and draw some of the blood out of the meat. When you go to cut it up, it will be nice and pink on the outside. Been doing it this way for well over 20 years, and people rave about my venison.

If it's a good one, do not field dress him quickly, but rather make sure to drag him thru the mud on the way out the woods, then roll him around in the swamp/ water a bit for best flavor... It's best to rotate sides when dragging, so that an equal amount of hair is rubbed off the hide on both sides... Once he is out of the woods, place the buck on the hood of the car, or leave him in the bed with the tailgate down, and drive downtown a couple times, before taking to the processors... better yet, head to the local restraunt/ hangout, stop and have a cup of coffee... Once about 3 hrs has passed, then you can take the 90 minute drive to the processors...

Interesting note, take a count at how many deer are at the processors when you get there, and try to determine how he keeps track of your deer. Some of the bigger processorss there may not give you the same deer back thatr you dropped off. if it's really hot, count the flies inside the place, and realize you are getting the worst of what you are seeing..

Cob said:

Interesting note, take a count at how many deer are at the processors when you get there, and try to determine how he keeps track of your deer. Some of the bigger processorss there may not give you the same deer back thatr you dropped off. if it's really hot, count the flies inside the place, and realize you are getting the worst of what you are seeing..

Click to expand...

Gee, way to make a guy feel comfortable. lol

I hunt in that kind of weather and have the same kind of drive home. I field dress, rinse the innards a little and throw a 20lb. block of ice (in a bag) in the body cavity for the drive. No problem. I prolly don't need to throw the ice in 'em but it eases my mind.

my wife brought home a christmas tree bag from the container store. It is zippered and waterproof material like a tarp. it is my south texas boddy bag. took a deer oct 1st and it was pushing 95 that day. pack it with ice and you can go cool off in the saloon for as long as you want.

Like has been mentioned earlier, get that hide off of the animal after gutting. With the animal's hairs being hollow, the hide begins to pull oil out of these hairs, which can taint the flavor of the meat if not pulled off.