What's the deal in Montana?

fletch · Nov 17, 2004

I was in south east Montana last week hunting Mule deer. Had a great trip for my first deer hunt out of state. My question is this....on the trip over we saw many vehicles with many animals in the back, some with deer, elk, antelope...some with all 3. Every animal we saw still had the hide on them. This was mainly on the 7 of Nov, last day of antelope season. It was close to 60 that day on our way over. On Monday the 8th it was into the 60's. I have always taken the hide off my animals to cool them as rapid as possible. Why where all of these people leaving the hides on? If they were all killed that same day I could understand, but the number of animals in some of those vehicles would suggest they were collected on multiple days.

NeMont · Nov 17, 2004

Fletch,
It got cool enough during the night to keep the animals cooled down during the short days. Keeping the hide on keeps the meat cleaner if you don't have time to butcher or bone out. The fact that is was below freezing the nights before and that the days are short the meat would be fine.

Nemont

Randy11 · Nov 17, 2004

I agree. i also think that hunting here in montana we are just more accustomed to colder temperatures. this early season has been pretty warm since opening weekend and i know personally, im so used to just throwing it in the truck and skinning it at home, i wouldnt ever think to skin it in the field.

kilowatt · Nov 17, 2004

Would you do that with an ELK too??

Brian

mtAl · Nov 18, 2004

Agreed. I've never had one go bad on me as long as:
Nights were cold.
Parked in the shade if it was going to be a warmish day.

If I had a pickup with a topper and a clean bed I might skin one and put in back. However, I hunt out of a Subaru. A few deer fit on top or in the back just fine!

berto · Nov 18, 2004

yep, same here. leaving the hide on to get it home is no big deal, it's what i always do IF i don't have to pack it out (i end up packing 90% of my animals on my back so deboning is the way to go). IF i get something out whole or quarterd with hide on, i hang it and skin it in my garage that night and leave the garage door open a bit to cool it out well.

i've never had any meat spoil, tho i deboned a big buck once and packed him out the same day and he ended up having that not-so-yummy rutty flavor

Wildartz · Nov 18, 2004

Hey Fletch...
If you properly field dress your animal immediately on the kill (some Texans I know take the deer home first????), open the brisket and throat, remove the windpipe, your animals cools plenty adequately. Actually, once cooled (I throw my game into the first spring or creek to accomplish this...)leaving the skin on actually keeps the meat cooler than if you skinned it, plus it keeps it from drying out or in the case of really warm weather, keeps the flies off... I can understand your first reaction that the skin keeps it too warm, but its not like a blanket which keeps your human body warm, you need internal heat to do that... and if you properly cooled it in the first place, after one cool night,the skin insulates it and keeps the interior cool... I was a chef for years and my game has never spoiled from leaving the skin on... I must qualify that though... leaving the skin on for any length of time (I hang my meat for a week to 10 days) it can be a b--ch getting the skin off!!!

fletch · Nov 18, 2004

Thanks for all of the replies

Hornseeker · Nov 18, 2004

Hey Fletch, I talked to Doug and it sounded like you guys had a good hunt. Did you hunt public land down there or private? Block mangt or otherwise?

Just Curious,

HS

berto · Nov 18, 2004

fletch,

where are your pics and what's the story of your hunt?

rost495 · Nov 18, 2004

tossing your animal in the creek or water is a good way to introduce a lot of harmful bacteria. Follow that by some temps of over 40 or so and its a breeding ground for the bacteria. Damp and warm is the way a lot of bacteria loves to multiply.

FWIW.

Jeff

Wyomingben · Nov 18, 2004

I agree with all the posts except tossing into the creek, keep them dry.

WB

crextin · Nov 18, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Nov-18-04 AT 03:07PM (MST)[p]Wildartz...Dude what planet are you from? (CA)

Never and I mean NEVER put your animal in a creek to "cool" it off!!!!!!!! That is the fastest way to ruin the meat. Yes water is cool but you can introduce bacteria and other nasty shtuff into a perfectly good carcass. I have seen that happen on more that one occasion. guys trying to cool the carcass till they can get the animal packed or drug out. And loosing the whole thing every time.

As for the issue of seeing many successful hunters with the hide on their animals. That has been sufficiently explained in other posts in this thread.

eelgrass · Nov 18, 2004

rost495,
you're right. I had to drag a deer across a river once, and then had to camp with it overnight because of darkness. The meat spoiled big time. (The things I used to do for a deer....I must have been crazy back then)