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Hi guys!
At this time of the year, for the backpacker hunters, how do you bring your meat home? with or without bones? and why?
I'm used to bring the whole animal (moose(4 pieces) or deer) at the bucher with skin. but I won't have ATV or meatwagon in NZ so this all new to me.
Also, form the posts a read here, you all seem to process your meat by your own. but for travelling, it's a lot easier if process and deep freeze by a butcher. any recommendation near Queenstown?
thanks for your help
I usually shoot deer, break down the deer on the spot i.e. take back legs off, back steaks, front legs (if not too mangled). Walk back to the closest hut with legs still with skin on, hang them up to cool down overnight usually (huts I go to have meat safes, or you could buy one of those portable ones), or at least for a while. Then bone out legs and pack it all in my pack for the carry-out. If I was camping out rather than at a hut (which I don't do very often) I guess I would bone out at camp on a plastic bag or something.
Definitely lighter and less of a pain to squash into the pack when boned out. I tend to eat the good cuts as steaks and take the rest to a local butcher for sausages, because it's much easier to convince the kids to eat sausages rather than chewy steaks.
Yup, agreed. Have a chilli bin waiting in your car then just pop to the nearest gas station and buy some ice on your way to the butcher.Quote:
Originally Posted by Juicy
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I tend to bone out on the spot. Separating out the muscle groups means you get the heat out way faster, which is key. Hang the muscles in a nearby tree or sitting on top of a scrub bush. An extra 15 - 20 minutes in the breeze makes a huge difference and meat will last a long time after that hung in a tree in an old pillow case or whatever you use if the heat has been let out in the first instance.
The breeze will form that dry skin on the meat, once this forms it seems to last a bloody long time out of the fridge.
your last line jumped out at me....... been there and done that NOW I know better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Juicy
chewyness is generally one of three things in this order
1 you neglected to remove the silverskin...thats the muscle sheath,the silvery bit thus its name..cut this off and will be vastly better...I know I know it looks like you getting a smaller bit of steak,and in case of round steak it goes from lovely big cut to 3-4 smaller little steaks but the difference for those with fewer teeth left of impatient younguns is huge.
2 you didnt age meat at all..it got shot,cut up and chucked in freezer..far better to age for a week in fridge...you can get away with doing this at other end EG get it out of freezer on Monday and dont eat till after friday sortt of deal...I like to upend a small saucer inside larger SS mixing bolw and sit steak on this,so as it sits the blood can drain into cavity at bottom of bowl...or do marinate thing.
3 you stressed animal when it died or it was a smelly old stag....
I used to carry animal out whole...its got to be plurry close to wagon for that now days..front end always boned into bag,back end too if a long way away...too easy to do the four quarters and back n eye steaks into big pack thing with fallow. reds I can only fit front end i ndaybag so back wheels come out via a shoulder ride attached to pelvis eg cut off across kidney area (strangely enough got a deer recently with two other hunters and they had NEVER seen a set of back wheels carried out this way) must be a old meat hunters thing that newer generations just dont see anymore.
As per previous answers, I do a lot of butchery in the bush. More or less skin animal and harvest back legs, shoulders (if not smashed) and backstraps. Sometimes take ribs and heart. If the animal is big enough, I take tenderloins as well. I don't see the point of carrying out skin and bone which is going to be discarded anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by JSV
As for what you should do, it depends. If you're going on a guided hunt on private land, there may be an ATV waiting for you and a guide may do all the hard work. If going unguided on public land, you could carry the whole animal out, but you may regret that decision after a couple of kilometres. Guess it depends on your strength, distance to be walked and size of the animal.
I do exactly as @Juicy and @Six5Bleedmoor said.
Taking boned out meat from front legs, backsteaks and the whole hind legs reduces weight to 40% of s whole gutted carcass.
Amazingly, skinning a back leg and removing the bone cuts that down by another 50%.
Also, although it is the second heaviest thing known to hunters, meat does flow around and fits will inside your pack.
I do exactly as @Juicy and @Six5Bleedmoor said.
Taking boned out meat from front legs, backsteaks and the whole hind legs reduces weight to 40% of s whole gutted carcass.
Amazingly, skinning a back leg and removing the bone cuts that down by another 50%.
Also, although it is the second heaviest thing known to hunters, meat does flow around and fits will inside your pack.
one thing that never ceases to amaze me in videos photos is the number of people ( I wont call them hunters ) who carry out deer whole with the head on - I cannot see any reason why one would carry out the extra weight - if someone gave me a common sense valid reason why one would I shall be educated - in the mean time I will regard them as idjits
I will admit I carried/dragged a whole goat home guts and all when I was first starting out. Only once though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry the hunter
As for the queston asked by the OP, I play it by ear depending on the size of the animal, how much time I have, and how close to the vehicle.
At one end of the spectrum, for a small animal like a goat or fallow, not too far from the vehicle, I just gut it and carry it whole and do the cutting up at home. For a big red, there isn't much option but to cut it up on the spot unless you are very close to a vehicle, but the bigger ones are a struggle just to get them across a small gully let alone carry out from the bush.
Many butchers will accept the meat for processing, I can't speak for QT, but my local prefers more meat and less bones, and won't accept the whole carcass with skin on. Front and back wheels plus other cuts is fine.
The only queenstown home kill I know of is the bloke in riversdale so about 100km one way , he does a good job though, I only hang my carcasses in his cool room, but he's well known in area, he does travel as well. I process all my own meat as I like doing it , and make my own small goods, take my time using my own recipes , can't get that done by a butcher
In NZ we are not obligated to take any meat, so unlike Canada and the US, we dont spend hours taking every little piece of edible meat. Takes a bit of getting your head around, but the reality is you are often miles from your vehicle or camp or pick up point. And the human body can only carry so much. If you shoot a meat animal and want to take as much meat out as possible, then the above posts have pretty much detailed it - remove as much of the excess weight as possible, cool the meat down, and get it in to a cooler as soon as is practical.
For most of my deer, I take the backsteaks first, so easy while its still sitting up a bit. Then both back wheels. If its a big yomp to get out, I skin and short bone it. If its a bloody big yomp, then I fully bone it but leave the meat as one big lump until I get out. Then if I figure I can carry more then I take the tenderloins by going through from the back under where the backsteaks use to be. And lastly take the front legs boned out. Hang it as long as you can until putting it in your pack and I use old pillow cases for that. If its gonna be a bit of a bloody mess from the carry out, I reluctantly use a plastic bag over the pillowcase. With our game animal population as it is at present, theres no need to feel compelled to take everything if its gonna compromise your ability to walk out.
Once I get it home I place the meat in single layers on a rack over an oven tray so that the blood can drain away. Several trays for the whole job. In to the fridge or a chiller and leave it until you think its suitably aged or the wife gets ratty with the meat taking up her good fridge space. Then break it down and freeze.
the only thing I do differently to Husky is that I vacuum pack the meat in heavy plastic bags in fridge before freezing - yeah never bother with the front end - I might if I head shot an exceptional eating animal such as a big dry red hind - I get a local home kill to mince for me and mix in some really fatty beef - usually they will donate some beef fat - if I had mutton flap's would use that to
Had a neighbour, ex SA who arrived at home one summer evening with a complete red hind, head on, guts in. He had carried it for 3 hours. Didn't know how to gut etc, someone did it for him back home.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry the hunter
ha he earned a beer a young fella I worked with got two hinds in the river bed Ruahines took him three hours to gut - hind quarter and back steak - he admitted to get ones head of he bashed his knife threw the neck with a rock - I pointed out that if he was only taking hind quarters and back steaks why did he need to take the head off - he admitted he realised after doing one it was not needed - ohh well we all have to start somewhere - I was lucky I guess -I was killing sheep regularly when I started hunting
Just add it to the meat tree...Will hang in a nice breeze for at least a week and still be just fine.
Attachment 246681
If that meat bag touches ground Mr rat or mouse will chew hole in it and then Mrs blowfly will get in and add mechanical rice to all your hard won venison. Happened to a couple of mates last year.right royally pissed off.
ok in the east of canada brown bear and wolf aren't really a problem to let the quarter hang. but depending of temperature, flies could be a problem!
we ordinary just let our moose hanging outside the camp to free air, if the temp is right (october average 10c day 0c night)
but since you all talk about covering if hanging is choose... it have to be protect it, is a hunting meatbag enough for coverage/protection? (like socks style and not the one Makros post)
I'll hunt on public land and don't plan to be near a hut. And Red deer is my main goal.
I do prefer to let hang a night so the quarter are easier to carry but my ability to hang it, problem free, will dictate how it goes.
if butcher don't like skin, no problem with that, I know how heavy is the skin lol and will take this weight of my shoulder happily
@Barry the hunter, your question is only relative to your "hunting" situation. When you have 1 moose for four hunter permit, only male, with minimum size antler or deer, also male only, minimum antler size to, and all animal have to be register to a registered station with the whole animal by law. You do what you have to do and you try to keep every ounces of meat you get from it.
I do understand it won't be the case in my trip to NZ, but I will try to bring as much meat from my trip as possible.
so only one butcher option?
Google map was right about butcher LOL
I guess I'll have to make some road trip to drop it...
@JSV try this link for a butcher
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/food-safety-...ekill-provider
Location: Queenstown,
Measure type: Homekill/recreational catch service provider
I have one they are damn great but delicate the zips need carefull use they can catch on the light weight fabric - wash carefully - I use dish wash liquid and soak for a day then rinse and hang out to dry - mate left his in shed for a week bloody and when he did eventually remember to wash it the fabric fell apart - but they are great - one fly in roar trip we had 12 sets of hind quarters and back steaks red and fallow hung in two of themQuote:
Originally Posted by Makros
Yup, had this for a few years. Haven't had issues it does pay to be gentle on the zips though. For $150, they are damn useful kit for extended trips.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry the hunter
I hand wash in warm water with dish washing liquid in a big crate. Had 7 sets of hind quarters and 8 sets of back straps in this one by the end of that trip. I was slightly worried how strong the orange cord that came with it was as I hung it all off that (with different length cords to space the meat out).
Was in the Hamner Springs area earlier this March, cool enough breeze kept everything tip top for 6 days for the earliest deer. Had two quartered out reds hung in it just off the tops of the Ruahines in December a while back and they were perfect after 6 days too.
I haven't had issues with rats either and I peg it to the ground but I have worried about it. So far so good. If I was in an area where there was a lot of rat sign I'd hang higher.
If you live urban, leaving as much of the inevitable discard in the bush/Paddock as possible saves having to distribute the going-rotten-soon bits among the neighbours bins late at night. Also helps feed the wildlife.
I have a F&P fridge bought new 1996 as a freezer/fridge matched pair. Take the vege bin out of the bottom and its a single internal space with racks. Its in the garage as our overflow fridge, wine, beer etc. Easy to make room to age meat in. Venison and goat go single piece deep on the glass shelves and get turned daily. Auto-defrosting fridge so it drys beautifully. The dry surface formed on the meat referenced above is key. Over a week the joint will reduce in size and noticeably soften. Did I say turn daily? Essential if not on a rack over drip tray.
Also works with meat from freezer and from supermarket. E.g buy a big bolar roast with a decent cap of fat on it, chuck in freezer til required. Wrap in clingwrap tight so no air then put in plastic bag to freeze = no freezer burn and a 2 yr freezer shelf-life. To use, unwrap to bare meat, put on rack over drip tray and defrost/age in the fridge, for at least 7 days. Beef joint will reduce up to a quarter in size/weight and form a dark crust sometimes with a little mould. Drain drip tray regularly. To use trim the dry crust and any mould. Not the fat. Meat is dense, dark and delicious either as a pot roast, slow and fork tender, or hi-temp (180C), 45-60 min roast on oven rack over tray after rubbing plenty of olive oil, cracked pepper and a little salt in 20 min prior. Time depends on how pink you like it. Wrap in foil and stand for 20min before carving. Slice across the grain to serve. I've done 3yr old boned red stag shoulder like this and its to die for as a hi-temp roast or pot-roast. Fallow deer I always do as hi-temp medium rare roast. Rub with fresh cut rosemary when you oil it. Serve Falloe with mint sauce. Hi-temp Red deer hindquarters cuts.
From the supermarket, any large lump of beef with a good fat cap works well. Roast with fat up on top. I avoid Topside cuts. Rump, Bolar and Chucksteak are best IME.
I try to take out as much meat as possible. Will hang quarters, backstaps, offcuts, heart (in meat bag) to cool right down, then bone out. Liver/lungs goes to the pup. If a smaller animal, I may leave bone in and carry the back quarters out. A tip, if there are flies around, definitely hang the meat well away from the gut and carcass, and if you can process at night!
I have a quality chilly bin in the back of the cab in the ute. As it might be there for a few days, I pack ice bottles and ice strips, then cover with pre-cut bedroll foam inside the bin. This stops air circulation. Then more foam on the top lid, a rubber cover (for when the dog decides to sit on it when travelling home), then cover with a white/light towel to help keep temperature down
When I get home, can leave overnight, then process the next day into major muscle groups and steaks which are left in the fridge a couple of days to air dry, then vacuum seal for up to 7 days (seems to be the magic number). Cubed cuts for mincing are frozen straight away from processing later, and fatty/sinew/offcuts are put in meal size portions on baking paper - frozen for meals for the pup. Freeze these, then transfer to a ziplock bag inside the freezer. Means the dog gets veni/fat in addition to biscuits for a month. Seems to work really well.
A second hand Skope fridge is on the wish list in future for dry aging!
@JSV check your import regs
Give me a shout I'll come help u out butchering turning it into small goods
I hope a lot of new hunters read your post you are onto it - agree completely with how you deal with your meat - to many hunt and then the meat handling well enough said - I actually enjoy that partQuote:
Originally Posted by Snoppernator
@Jhon
Join
If you live urban, leaving as much of the inevitable discard in the bush/Paddock as possible saves having to distribute the going-rotten-soon bits among the neighbours bins late at night. Also helps feed the wildlife
Lol use the council skip bins m8
Neighbour's call the cops reckons someone had an abortion
@Barry the hunter. Should be barry the butcher, i love making perfect cuts/ packages for me and ms , no silver on meat etc. Then make small goods , use offal fresh. Respect the critter , eat well
ha actually come from a line of butchers Grandad bought his butcher shop in Gisborne I believe about 1918 - was sold around mid 1980,s Uncle Bill worked there so did my Mom and Dad and Aunties - Dear old Grandad Dick was finally allowed to retire when he was in his early eighties he made the best small goods - his smoked saveloys were to die for - never had anything even remotely as good and his black puddings --Dad was a butcher last 30 years of his working lifeQuote:
Originally Posted by Sharki
