First Time Hunting Deer in Southern California (D16)

Adam,

I always heard that meat should be in breathable bags (game bag) and meat spoils a lot faster in plastic...Could just be an old wives tale.....lol

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Haha! I am sure there is truth to it. I hang game bags if I am hunting elk and have to make more than 1 trip.

I also dont wait 20-30 mins after the shot, usually the deer go down almost immediately so I get there ASAP and get the meat off and am back to the truck within 2ish hours from when the shot was fired.

Who wants to get their fancy Kuiu backpack bloody anyways? Then I cant wear it around like a fashion statement. Hahaha.
 
Doesn't blood wash out?! Hell, I wouldn't know.

Yeah, I'm cheap, I use old thin bed sheets. Plastic is the enemy.

The only thing I can say is get it skinned asap. Kinda like I was taught with elk even when it's cold.

I don't know, I'm new to the game, maybe I'm wrong.
 
Its not that, I am not judging. I was joking about wearing it around town by the way. I didn't realize guys really did that around others.

I've killed 3 turkeys this year and have 5 big game tags left. Washing your pack bag 4 or more times a year will break it down. It also gets annoying cleaning the pack after (just my opinion) and washes out rain proofing. The blood can get stinky/nasty when mixed with sweat if you kill and still hang around to help others in camp.

I've used the trash bag method on a lot of animals when transporting meat and never had an issue with spoilage. YMMV
 
My Kuiu pack gets soaked in water overnight and hit with a pressure sprayer multiple times a year.
Heck, last weekend I spilled nearly a whole energy drink in it. Repeat process.
For a 8-9 year old pack. It’s held up great for the punishment I’ve done to it.
That being said. My Kifaru should be showing up any day now.
 
Its been a little since we've had a good debate anyways. It is amusing that everyone uses a different method. I definitely wouldn't recommend the plastic bag for an extended period.
 
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Its been a little since we've had a good debate anyways. It is amusing that everyone uses a different method. I definitely wouldn't recommend the plastic bag for an extended period.
To me, it's the same theory as skinning. Let the meat breathe. Can't do it with plastic.

Can't be all bad, you're still here right? Same with my pops.

Different strokes for different folks.
 
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Its been a little since we've had a good debate anyways. It is amusing that everyone uses a different method. I definitely wouldn't recommend the plastic bag for an extended period.
It’s good to get different perspectives.
I quit the trash bag around 08, When I got back to the truck I opened the bag. The meat looked like it was sweating. I thought this isn’t good.
 
Who cares if your gear gets bloody ? It's hunting which means you are in a compromised environment and you do your best to preserve the kill as best as you can. I've been in situations where the whole animal came out and others where you had to do the best you could with the terrain you had to deal with to get the meat out. I have a hat that I always wear when I hunt big game and it is covered with blood from all the past hunts I have done. Personally I like worn out functional bloody but clean as best as I can gear. It reminds me of past hunts every time I put it on....
 
To me, it's the same theory as skinning. Let the meat breathe. Can't do it with plastic.

Can't be all bad, you're still here right? Same with my pops.

Different strokes for different folks.
Yeah, I definitely wont debate that breathing and cooling is what it needs to do.

However, some guys will shoot, wait 20-30 min, then gut it, call friends have them help with a drag out then bring it back home whole/gutted. It has been left with hide on and bone in for hours at that point and the meat is fine.

I dont see how putting it in a bag on a meat shelf for an hour is really that detrimental all things considered.
 
Living up the hill for awhile my family and I have had the privelidge to take deer on our land. Normally what we do is get it down to the place where we can skin it everything intact including guts, Normally we skin and harvest all the things you might not have time for on the side of a mountain in the heat. We normally split the animal open and remove the innards and keep the liver and heart. We like to cut the back end hooves off before we hang and then hoist it on a gambrel and take what we want. After that we use a strong fan to blow air over the whole carcass to seal the flesh and the next day we cut pack and freeze what is left.
 
This thread is making me nauseous...gross. man I hate touching wild game.
 
Maybe i missed it but if you are retired dod you can access camp p, they have hunting and a range you can shoot at. The sportsmans club on base can help you get hunting and here is the range info.

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