Haul road firewood/ meat cooling

Cowbell

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Couple of questions for you haul road veterans. Is it possible to get firewood from public areas south of the pass that are heavily wooded? Or are there restrictions?
Also, has anyone ever used streams or edges of the sag to cool meat during the daytime (assuming within eyesight and river not rising)?
 

OXN939

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Couple of questions for you haul road veterans. Is it possible to get firewood from public areas south of the pass that are heavily wooded? Or are there restrictions?
Also, has anyone ever used streams or edges of the sag to cool meat during the daytime (assuming within eyesight and river not rising)?

In my experience, cooling meat in water is a really last ditch effort. Every time I've seen it done, even with multiple contractor bags that were kept in the packaging until immediately before use, water finds its way in. If that's the only way to get temps down, it may be worth it, but just something to consider.
 
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I’ve seen many thoughts expressed on cooling meat in water. Some are adamantly opposed to it. I’ve seen it done (where the bags of meat were totally immersed and meat completely saturated in cold moving water). It had no effect on the quality of the meat and that was with a 3 day immersion. Cold clean water and raw meat are not incompatible in my experience.

If it came down to likely spoiled meat (from warm weather) or putting the raw meat in cold water to prevent that, mine will be going for a dunk. If nothing else, I’ll be able to avoid heat spoilage and a wanton waste or failure to salvage citation.
 

rayporter

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i agree with kevin. i would not hesitate to sink meat in water.

a large number of hunters in the south immerse their meat every year in a cooler of ice water and some leave it for days. some change the water daily and some add ice daily and some just let it set in cold water when the ice melts. i have had meat done each way. no problems. and no plastic bags.
 
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Cowbell

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i agree with kevin. i would not hesitate to sink meat in water.

a large number of hunters in the south immerse their meat every year in a cooler of ice water and some leave it for days. some change the water daily and some add ice daily and some just let it set in cold water when the ice melts. i have had meat done each way. no problems. and no plastic bags.
Yes I live in TX and this is exactly what I do. That's why I thought it would work as have seen it done with elk in the Rockies.
 
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Cowbell

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I’ve seen many thoughts expressed on cooling meat in water. Some are adamantly opposed to it. I’ve seen it done (where the bags of meat were totally immersed and meat completely saturated in cold moving water). It had no effect on the quality of the meat and that was with a 3 day immersion. Cold clean water and raw meat are not incompatible in my experience.

If it came down to likely spoiled meat (from warm weather) or putting the raw meat in cold water to prevent that, mine will be going for a dunk. If nothing else, I’ll be able to avoid heat spoilage and a wanton waste or failure to salvage citation.
Thanks Kevin - exactly what I was thinking.
 
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In the early-season Denali Highway and Fortymile Caribou hunts I’ve done, we’ve brought along those 135-liter Igloo coolers loaded with ice. Once an animal is down just quarter it out, and layer it in the cooler in the ice. Ice is in direct contact with meat, no contractor bags. As long as you religiously drain the blood water from the cooler, it will keep well over a week on ice. You will lose a little bit of meat on the edges where the blood sort of “soaks out” into the water, but it won’t spoil. I’ve done this with half a dozen caribou and never had spoilage problems or off-flavors.


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Cowbell

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In the early-season Denali Highway and Fortymile Caribou hunts I’ve done, we’ve brought along those 135-liter Igloo coolers loaded with ice. Once an animal is down just quarter it out, and layer it in the cooler in the ice. Ice is in direct contact with meat, no contractor bags. As long as you religiously drain the blood water from the cooler, it will keep well over a week on ice. You will lose a little bit of meat on the edges where the blood sort of “soaks out” into the water, but it won’t spoil. I’ve done this with half a dozen caribou and never had spoilage problems or off-flavors.


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This is what we do with deer in the southern states. It gets any game flavor out as well
 

Larry Bartlett

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most hunters bring their firewood from south of the pass. It's legal to collect dead and down trees and limbs, but no cutting. This reduces the visual impacts along the road as best can be. There are dead willows and river debris at high water mark to burn, but it wont fuel you for a week.
 

Larry Bartlett

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meat immersion should only be used as a last resort, IMO. That is, when temperatures climg to 65 F around the meat and the meat core temp climbs above 55F...that's my que to submerge game meat inside protective bags. If the river is runnin clear, i'd use game bags vs plastic bags to avoid sweating fluid trapped inside plastic. If the river is muddy, use the plastic to keep grit off your meat.

If temps hover around 60-65F but core temps remain lower than 55F...keep it dry, ventilated and shaded. Bring some 2x4s maybe 6-8 feet long and make a meat rack that allows your meat to hang at least 3 feet off the ground. Squirrels and fox will smoke your meat pile otherwise.
 
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Cowbell

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Thanks Larry - sounds like we owe you for even having the opportunity to experience the haul toad as non residents. We plan on making a Home Depot stop before leaving Fairbanks to build a meat pole.
 
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Larry is spot on, I submerged some moose meat in contractor bags last year when temps got 70+ And it was a failure. Best to keep meat hanging in a cool shaded area.
 

VernAK

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I've gotta agree with Larry again!

If you can get one cool night to get the meat temperature down, then hang it in the shade, you should be alright.
 
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