Backpacking Meat Care

[CBKY97]

This October will be my first time backcountry camping on an elk hunt. Normally we take a camper or rent a small place near our point of access, so this is a new situation to me. A friend and I will be hiking in and setting up a small camp 3-4 miles from the trail head. We both have tags but I’m having concerns with what we can do with the meat to allow both of us to fill our tags. If one of us fills a tag early in the season and we take the meat back to the vehicle at the trailhead, I have concerns of someone trying to steal it while we are out trying to fill the other tag or stealing our cooler before we can even make it back with the meat. With it being October in Colorodo I feel there is no option to take the meat back to our camp and hang it because the temperature will not be cool enough, and getting a cooler to the camp is obviously not an option. What would be your suggestions? Are my concerns of theft at the trailhead legitimate?

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Take care of the meat first and foremost. I wouldn't worry about Trailhead theft if your coolers are inside a locked vehicle. Try to park in a shady area and cover the coolers with an insulated blanket since October days can get pretty warm and the inside of your vehicle may get hot.

 

[CBKY97]

Take care of the meat first and foremost. I wouldn't worry about Trailhead theft if your coolers are inside a locked vehicle. Try to park in a shady area and cover the coolers with an insulated blanket since October days can get pretty warm and the inside of your vehicle may get hot.

The meat is for sure the priority, if it gets down to it we will just fill one tag and leave so we don’t spoil any. That’s a good plan, I have a couple of heavy duty coolers that I think would be ok, but the blanket would be a good measure for sure. Thanks!

 

[Lark Bunting]

Get the meat to coolers at vehicle. Fill with block ice, frozen jugs of water, dry ice or whatever you bring. Lock coolers in vehicle. Go back and hunt.

Or, drive meat to a pre-arranged processor to hang in their freezer

 

[bruceleroy]

Ive hung meat for 8 days in September in Colorado. It was not a cool year either. Kept it in the dark down by a creek. No issues.

 

[Wrench]

Think about convection, thermal conductivity and evaporative cooling.

Keep it hung at night and pile it on the cool ground and cover with anything insulated you can spare......near a creek is better and if you have water close enough to use you can make wick type cooler.....lots of thermodynamic tricks to work with.

 

[TylerTheTerrible]

I’d be more concerned with people trying to steal your fancy coolers (full or not) than the meat. And I don’t think that’s going to stop you from bringing coolers...

I’d feel it out and decide after you get an elk on the ground. Weather might be cold anyway. In October last year, it was in the single digits in Montana.

 

[Bighunt531]

Truck topper???

 

[trophyhill]

Or, drive meat to a pre-arranged processor to hang in their freezer

I'd be calling processor's or meat locker today in the nearest town. my plan would be for both to pack meat to the truck. the guy with the unfilled tag return to hunting, the guy with the filled tag take meat to town, come back and continue to help his friend fill his tag. simple

or as suggested, have plenty of ice and lock er down.

 

[5MilesBack]

It will be plenty cold during October to hang the meat. It gets cold enough at night even in late August and September.

 

[CBKY97]

Get the meat to coolers at vehicle. Fill with block ice, frozen jugs of water, dry ice or whatever you bring. Lock coolers in vehicle. Go back and hunt.

Or, drive meat to a pre-arranged processor to hang in their freezer

I hadn’t thought about running it to a processor, I will certainly have to look into that. Thanks!

 

[CBKY97]

Truck topper???

Unfortunately not, I would’ve liked to get one but it just wasn’t in the budget this year.

 

[rclouse79]

I just did an antelope hunt that was very hot. I have a cheap Walmart cooler, but it is huge. I found various bottles that I could freeze and stack in it to fill it all the way up. I stuffed towels in any air space that was left at the top. I left the cooler in my rig mainly because it is too heavy to move around. I think tinted windows help to keep it cooler inside. When I opened it up after a full day in the sun there was no water in any of the bottles. Last year I did ice blocks and still had most of the ice after five days. If you keep it in your vehicle someone stealing it would be way way down on my list of concerns.

 

[PowellSixO]

Get it skinned, quartered, cleaned, put in good game bags, and hung in the shade as soon as possible. If you do this, you'd be surprised how long the meat will stay good for. I've hung a coues deer in the mid 80's (highs for the day), for a week straight. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that deer. In fact is was one of the better ones I've harvested.

 

[cnelk]

Ive lost count how many elk we've packed back to the truck.
Never even entered my mind about someone stealing the meat...

Hell, guys are killing antelope, deer and elk now in August!
October is a piece of cake.