Quartering Meat or Deboning for Pack Out in Hot Weather

[Semorbux]

Got a question for you California hunters. During our season, heat is a major issue. When you guys down a deer and have a long pack out, are you completely boning out your meat or is quartering enough?
Just wondering if the time saved just quartering out and getting on the trail is going to cause issues with bone souring in the hind quarters or do I need to take the extra time and completely bone the meat out.
My typical pack out will be between 1-3 miles one way. In the past we hunted in the hills and the truck was pretty close, now I'm hunting areas that I have to walk into and temps can get into the 90s before I plan on heading in for the day. Thanks guys.

 

[justin davis]

Long pack out? Debone forsure. It saves weight and doesn’t take much time

 

[Brightwhite]

The benefit to leaving the bone in is it give the (especially the bigger rear quarters) some structure to allow more circulation around the meat versus collapsing and sinking into the game bags and having to rotate it around to get air.

For your stated 1-3mile packout I am assuming thats anywhere from 1-2 hours of time where the meat is in the pack and getting hot. I would probably leave bones in for that particular distance but opt to hike to a shaded area before or in the middle of my walk out and stop for lunch, nap, snack, etc and hang the meat to get some good breeze on it in the shade for about an hour too cool (or keep cooling). Then book it out of there and get it on ice.

 

[Yoteassasin]

Get in the shade and you’ll be fine . You need air on it fast and as long as it’s in the shade no need to bone out for a day

 

[oldgrowth]

I'm in the debone camp. I have taken a few deer in 100+ degree weather and never had any meat spoil. I Just get to shade as quick as possible, then gut the deer. then I drag the carcass to another shady spot to debone. This gives the meat bees something to work over while I debone. Like Justin said already, it saves weight too.

 

[Marble]

Bones hold in heat. Getting meat off the bone will let it cool faster. Doing this and putting it in a thin fabric bag in the breeze will justsuck the heat out.

If you have a creek near by, you can put the meat in a contractor type bag and get it cooled

If I was only a couple hours from getting it on ice I would just quarter and go.

If back packing, debone fronts, probably leave in rear depending on overnight temps.

Meat doesn't spoil in a few hours, it's more resilient than most believe. That said, get it cooled asap then do your thing with processing.

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