5 Ways to Keep Game From Spoiling in Summer Weather
Martin Banks 05.08.23
Summer is fast-approaching, meaning it’s time to prepare for deer, bear, elk, rabbit, coyote and many other hunting seasons. The heat from the weather can impact how your game keeps – especially if you get it before the end of your trip. Here are five ways to keep your hard-earned meat from spoiling while on the hunt.
1. Cut It Up
Your meat will stay cool if you skin it and slice it up as soon as possible. Smaller pieces stay cooler longer, giving you time to pursue other prey. Cut large game into quarters. Smaller animals like deer and antelope can usually hang in one piece if it’s 40° Fahrenheit or cooler where you place them.
2. Hang It in the Shade
If you’re in a pinch, you can preserve your game by hanging it in a breezy, shaded area. This allows for convective heat loss. The shade can be as much as 25° cooler than sunny areas, helping you keep the meat fresh. If you want to protect it from pests, put it in a game bag but leave a gap in the closure so the air can circulate.
3. Stock a Cooler
Keeping large coolers in the back of your vehicle makes preserving game easy. Just stock them with plenty of ice and store the carcasses inside. This method works best for small animals, which you can place in a standard cooler. Another option is to get a rolling cooler that travels to and from your camp. Store your kills in it and roll them back to your vehicle later.
4. Create a Mobile Base Camp
Your base camp is the best place to rest, plan and store your game. Stock it with your favorite supplies and you can be on the hunt all week. You can move the camp from place to place without having to take your meat home each evening. Trailers are easy to climate control. You can set up a freezer with a generator or electric plug-in to preserve your meat without worrying about spoilage.
5. Cure the Meat
The last way to preserve your game in the field is by wet or dry curing it. To wet cure your meat, create a saline solution containing 14% to 20% salt. Cut your catch into strips and soak them before hang-drying them in the sun. The water will evaporate and the remaining salt will form a protective barrier. For a dry cure, massage the meat with large amounts of salt and any other preferred spices. Then, store them in an airtight container until you want to use them.
How to Know If Your Game Meat Is Spoiled
While these methods typically preserve your meat as long as possible, errors can happen. It’s essential to know the tells of game spoilage to avoid illness. Here are the signs your game is going bad:
- Sight: Your meat’s color will change slightly as it dries, but metallic, black or green colors could mean spoilage.
- Smell: It should smell gamey throughout the preservation process. If the meat starts to smell like sewage, it’s likely no longer safe to eat.
- Touch: Fresh, undried game will be damp to the touch, but it should never be slimy. A slimy texture indicates the meat is rotting.
The Importance of Preserving Game Meat
If you don’t cure your meat or keep it at the right temperature, bacteria will multiply within it. These pesky germs can cause food poisoning, leading to hospitalization or even death. But, don’t let that scare you away from enjoying game meat. You could also get food poisoning from grocery store meat and you now know the signs of bad food. When you hunt, you can control the conditions of your food, assuring you of its safety.
Benefits of Eating Game
One of the best parts of hunting is eating your kill, which has many health benefits. Wild game is fresher than what you find in-store, providing extra nutrients. The meats are incredibly lean, high in protein, and packed with vitamins and healthy fats. If you can keep your game meat from spoiling, it can provide excellent meals for months to come.
Keep Your Game From Spoiling This Summer
Few things are worse for a hunter than having a successful trip only to realize their meat went bad. By taking these steps, you can ensure the catch you earn is safe to enjoy.
