Thread: Meat Bags

Originally Posted by viper

I have a huntec canvas meat bag which I hump round the hills in case I get a deer which never fucken happens , Christ I've done some miles lately.
They are heavy but work the one time I used it. I also use ( bullshit: carry) large plastic rubbish bags, cheap, double line them, compress into nothing. I presume they won't effect the meat if I ever knock over Deer.

U sound like u need a guide for a day @viper haha

@Padox, the joys of hunting public land mate that is getting a lot of pressure . Guys going in with quads and ute's and pushing way back before they start hunting where I am legging it from the start.
All good though as this type of deer country is new to me so enjoying the vistas and the experience.
I will get one sooner or later , just gotta keep at it.
I have been so focused on rabbits for a couple of farmers I haven't really done much deer stalking.
We still need to catch up for that coffee, should drag @joe-90 along also at some point.

I used my current system again last night. I use pillow cases and two/three Tatonka dry bags. All the boned out meat and legs first go into the pillow cases first. I let the meat cool down as much as possible, dependant on the length of the carry. Last nights carry was not long so the cool down period was not long, but I took the meat out of the dry bags as soon as I got back onto a 4x4 track; I left it there before I walked back to pick up the Hilux.
I’ve got three canvas meat bags too, they’re great for base camps or when you’re splitting a deer with a mate. I’ve only recently started using the Tatonka dry bags as I’d picked up one of those new soft and quiet Tatonka back packs and I didn’t think it’d like having blood through it, plus I got sick of washing my packs.
I’ve also got one of the Hunters Elements bags, it’s a bit big and no better than $1 pillow cases from second hand/op shops. You’d be silly not to just use pillow cases, they’re almost disposable; just stay out of the op shops that I get mine from!
Try to use 100% cotton pillow cases with a high thread count. ��

Originally Posted by craigc

I used my current system again last night. I use pillow cases and two/three Tatonka dry bags. All the boned out meat and legs first go into the pillow cases first. I let the meat cool down as much as possible, dependant on the length of the carry. Last nights carry was not long so the cool down period was not long, but I took the meat out of the dry bags as soon as I got back onto a 4x4 track; I left it there before I walked back to pick up the Hilux.
I’ve got three canvas meat bags too, they’re great for base camps or when you’re splitting a deer with a mate. I’ve only recently started using the Tatonka dry bags as I’d picked up one of those new soft and quiet Tatonka back packs and I didn’t think it’d like having blood through it, plus I got sick of washing my packs.
I’ve also got one of the Hunters Elements bags, it’s a bit big and no better than $1 pillow cases from second hand/op shops. You’d be silly not to just use pillow cases, they’re almost disposable; just stay out of the op shops that I get mine from!
Try to use 100% cotton pillow cases with a high thread count. ��

The Hunters Element bags (you know, the ones you gave me ) are far easier to wash and keep clean than pillow cases. Its important if you actually do your own washing

I only use plastic bags, but I am usually only a couple of hours away from the chilly bin of fridge. Meat stays in the bags until I am home where I lay it out in plastic trays in the fridge to age.
As per above, blead the animal as best you can (not different to doing a home kill), cool it as much as you can (I take a rolled up sheet of clear plastic and lay it out on the ground, as i bone out the meat, lay it out on the plastic to cool as much as possible before bagging it).

Originally Posted by viper

@Padox, the joys of hunting public land mate that is getting a lot of pressure . Guys going in with quads and ute's and pushing way back before they start hunting where I am legging it from the start.
All good though as this type of deer country is new to me so enjoying the vistas and the experience.
I will get one sooner or later , just gotta keep at it.
I have been so focused on rabbits for a couple of farmers I haven't really done much deer stalking.
We still need to catch up for that coffee, should drag @joe-90 along also at some point.

I see your cunning plan of a free coffee has been foiled by the tag not working very well.

The Hunters Element bags are good. Mate loves them. Handles are handy for hanging the meat with ease and they wash and clean up real good. Failing that, pillow cases.

Mutton cloth is good for breathability, but not fly proof.
But if its going in your pack, flys shouldn't be a problem.
Will soak up some blood too.

Another good point for these is that the outside dries out quite quickly and stops blood seeping.

I have a of wasps in the areas I hunt and there's no way I can hang meat in a mutton cloth or pillow case the wasps will eat through it so I bone out the meat and bag it in XL zip lock bag with as much air as possible out of the bag, put the bags the nearest darkest place in the creek ,it doesn't need to be fully submerged. I carry on hunting and culling ,end of the trip go the all the creeks pick the zip lock bags of meat and put them it a dry bag for the walk out. If the ziplock bag ruptures the dry bag stops any leakage. I've had zip lock meat in bags in a creek for a week and still in perfect condition for the trip out. I've been doing this method for the last 20years in Marlborough.

I need one of those hunters element bags...

Originally Posted by Nathan F

I need one of those hunters element bags...

@Nathan F Well worth while. 1.5 deer boned out in here (except 2 shoulders with bone in).

Yep I still use the pillow cases for getting meat home but the problem with that is the blood through the bottom of the pack. These seem like the answer

One of my packs has a large special section inside that is leak proof for meat which keeps my other equipment blood free. Usually I use cheesecloth or pillowcases to hold meat in that section, keeps cool. Blood usually isn't a problem because I do field butchering (my knees are too fragile to haul the big animals + its bones) and the sections of deboned meat don't have much blood. If i put whole beheaded rabbits in there some blood pools inside the pack and it smells great! (not).

Cheesecloth also works. Extremely breathable.

In saying that, also keen on the orange blaze HE bags as they have carry straps.