Questions on packing meat out of the field

[ashridge]

I'm taking my 13 year old son to Wyoming next month to hunt antelope for the first time (his first time, not mine). It's been 10+ years since I hunted antelope, and the several times I did so, it was never necessary for me to pack them out of the field on my back, I was always able to drive relatively close and just drag it to my vehicle. However, I want to be prepared for the possibility on this trip that there may not be a 2-track road close by and we may need to pack them out on our backs in case of success.

A few primary questions:

1) Is there any good, efficient way to keep hair off the meat when skinning/quartering in the field?

2) Do I need mesh game bags, or will heavy duty garbage bags work okay to put the meat in for the pack out?

3) What kind of pack do you use to pack the meat in/on?

4) Do you normally just go ahead and de-bone in the field, or just quarter with bone-in and bring them out that way (in addition to the backstraps and tenderloins, of course)?

Any additional helpful tips would be appreciated.

 

[RICMIC]

I will try to address all your questions ashridge. You will have an enthusiastic 13 year old pack mule with you, so I don't think you will have too much of a problem. This year will be my first antelope hunt, but I have packed out a number of elk and mule deer from much tougher terrain than you will be hunting.
1. Keeping hair off meat; your method may vary depending on whether you are going to mount the cape or just leave it in the field. If you are just taking the meat and head, then peel the hide back and use it as a barrier to keep meat out of the dirt. Always cut blade up and guide with your finger so that you don't cut the hair. You can quarter or de-bone and place the meat on the hide after you open it up. I prefer to just bring some plastic along, but generally use one of those lightweight space blankets to lay the meat on to cool until I can bag it. If you are capeing, antelope are probably light enough that you can lay it on the plastic as you peel the hide back, and cut off meat as you go.
2. Game bags; mesh is fine for quick cooling, but it doesn't protect meat from dirt and flies. Cloth game bags work well, or just use a pillow case. A heavy garbage bag doesn't allow for much cooling, but if it is a short packout, then just recant in your coolers or get it to a meat locker. I have found that citris spray works well to keep flies off the meat and even off the outside of bloody game bags.
3. A de-boned antelope won't weigh too much to carry in your day pack if you have room. You can also tie the meat bag on the outside of your pack; it's not like you are packing an elk down a mountain. Here's where a garbage bag will serve to keep blood off your pack.
4. I de-bone everything, but that is because of the weight, terrain, and distance. You could likely just quarter an antelope, especially if there are two of you and you have a way to cool the meat down once you are back in camp.

There have been some excellent articles on this subject in past Eastman's magazines, or just do an internet search. You will find the photos helpfull. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[ithunter]

We generally gut our antelopes and take them back to camp to hang and de-bone. Typically it is a short drag to a two track depending on the area. I am sure you remember how thin the skin is on an antelope which is why we usually bring a plastic drag. As RICMIC mentioned a quartered lope wont weight much if you go that route and your have your own pack mule in your son.

 

[Tim McCoy]

Antelope hair falls out easily and can get all over the place if you are not very careful. Rolling the hide up and out of the way, as a barrier, as RICMIC says, works. The number one goal I have for Antelope is to get the meat on ice ASAP if it is warm. What ever I need to do to expedite meat on ice, I do. Then the meat is fantastic. If cool or cold out, you are lucky, sitting it out for a time will start the cooling process nicely. I travel with a large, 120+ qt. cooler full of ice, often 2-3 blocks, rest cubed. If I will be away from town for 3-5 days, it may have dry ice on top and all air space filled with news paper. I usually quarter bone in, lay 2 quarters on blocks, bag of cube on top, lay two more quarters, bag on top. Backstraps etc in a bag, layed on ice, with more on top. Open cooler drain, tilt up a bit, leave lid cracked. In about an hour, you have some chilled quarters. Will often take the extra cubed ice and spread it around to cover the warm meat as much as possible. When warm, I almost always gut an antelope first, more cooling, and get as much hide off as fast as I can. It is often 80-100 where I have hunted them. I have also hunted them in late Oct in MT, when in the 30's, gutted them, in the back of the PU they go, hide on, meat was wonderful. The key is get that meat cold ASAP, and keep that stinky hair off the meat.

 

[sneakypete]

I have bought a 2 gallon Hudson plastic sprayer that I use every year for keeping my deer and elk clean once field dressing/ skinning the animal. I saw this on a hunting show in Wyoming on an antelope hunt. Not only for washing the animal down but cooling it off to some extent. It's part of our camp!

 

[Tim McCoy]

Sneakypete is on to something. Nomad makes a portable 12v sprayer, I found a used one 15 years ago, it still works great, at least as of last season. Trac Outdoor products makes one as well. ATV sprayers work well too. I like the higher pressure from the 12v versions, vs a hand pump. Sit them in the hot sun long enough and you have a redneck shower of sorts...

 

[sneakypete]

Tim, the two gallon sprayer works great. I spray the carcass down and hand wipe it after. Actually after getting it clean and it's cool a guy could add a little vinegar and that would speed up the glazing process. That practice would be better suited for deer and elk. Tim, the show I saw the guy had a tank on a quad! For me though two gallons in a sprayer will last a long time. I also helped out the Montana economy since I bought the sprayer in Montana!

 

[ashridge]

Thanks for the tips, very useful. I plan to have a big ice chest in the back of the truck, filled with ice, so we won't need to interrupt our hunt to make a 40 mile round trip run to the nearest gas station for ice. I have some game bags, but they are mesh, using the cloth pillowcases sounds like a great idea. Can you clarify what you mean by "citris" spray? Is that the product name? I used to have some "Liquid Game Bag" spray, but I don't recall as I've ever had need to use it.

I've never done the gutless quartering method, but I'm going to watch some videos to see if I can get the hang of it, would sure reduce a lot of the mess. How hard is it to get the tenderloins under the backbone when using the gutless method?

 

[RICMIC]

Ashridge, to answer your questions; the citris spray I use I bought on-line from Caribou Game Bags. It is a powder with a small spray bottle that you just mix with water when you want to use it. You can be swarmed by flies, but they completely stay off the meat when you use it. The tenderloins come out easy on elk and deer, and I presume that it is similar on pronghorn. Just make a surgical cut by the last rib long enough to reach inside with two hands. Some say to let the gas out of the guts with a small cut, but I have never done so and don't think it is necessary unless it is really bloated (then you may have other problems). You can just peel the t-loin away from the backbone with one hand, and need to reach in with the other hand to cut off each end. The smaller the knife the better. Again, there is a video link on the Eastman's forum site where Dan Piklar demonstrated this. Good Luck