Looking for ways to keep my moose quarters cooled down. Fly in trip, Not able to leave camp for a few days. Need to keep weight to a minimum on fly in.We have propane fridges.Some days the temp rises into the 70's and this is to warm for the often 2 moose we hang. any help appreciated.

We hunt in Northern BC each year during the last two weeks of September. At that time of year, the weather is variable with some days going into the high 20's C. Last year we got only two nights below freezing out of 18. We shot five moose with 4 of those hanging for 4 days.

When we shoot a moose, we get it to camp as soon as possible and get the skin off. It is hung and cut in half. Our hanging pole is in deep shade but in the wind. If necessary because of flies we will bag the halves but this is not always required. Also, we will put a tarp roof over the hanging pole if it looks like rain. When we leave camp, the halves are cut in half and the quarters loaded into a pickup for a 15 hour drive home. We do not load any meat that is not totally cool.

We have used this method of looking after our meat and after over 30 years we have never lost any meat and some has hung for as long as a week.

IMHO, if meat is hung in the shade even during warm weather and allowed to cool completely, it will be fine for the 2 or 3 days you mentioned.

Mauser98 has good advice!

Get the skin of as soon as possible. Clean (preferebly by cutting) any damaged or soiled parts. Cut in halves (or quarters if more convenient). Hang in a cool place with good circulation of air. If you have to use fly-protection, don't let the net touch the meat.

Mauser 98 has some great advice. You have to get the hide off quick. Then the real trick is to find a couple trees in a shady place that are in line with the prevailing breezes. Put up a pole or rope between the two trees and hang the meat up as close to the cross pole as you can. Then put a tarp over the pole and tie it tight at a roof-like angle. You want to have enough pitch that rain will not pool, but not so much that you are crowding the meat.

The main things to keeping meat from spoiling are to keep it out of all light, and in a dry, breezy location. As long as it cools overnight, you'd be amazed how long moose meat will last in a setup like that. A couple August's ago I kept a sheep like that for 12 days. Didn't lose an ounce of meat to spoilage.

Canuck

Have to agree with Mauser but the thing I do different is debone the moose and split him up between 6 game bags. Reason being I'm usually hunting alone and if I can"t get the trike to him the next day I"ve had to carry him out. Once cooled that first night you'll have days to transport as long as it's kept out of the sun.

Draping a water proof tarp around but not touching the meat, good ventilatetion holes top and botem. Lay wet canvis tarp or burlap over top of that and keep it wet. Water evaporation will cool the air in side another 5 to 10 degrees. Thats how thay did it in the old days

Welcome russianhunter!

have to agree with mauser 98

weidmannsheil
martin

Great advice from all.
One thing we ( my generations of hunters) is to rub the hanging meat generously with black pepper. Lots! This discourages flies and meat-bees (hornets) from disturbing or laying.

skin and quarter it, keep in the shade or wrap it in a tarp during the day and hang it at night...Once it forms a black crust you pretty safe...

I was raised in the hot southwestern desert and when I was a youth we had a celler that we dug and covered with logs and dirt and kept a hanging beef in it at all times..Moisture rots meat, so keep it dry and in an airy place thats shaded and it will last a long time.

One can also soak large chunks of meat in brine then dry it in the sun and it will keep a very long time indeed up to several months. Almost as good as a deep freeze.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

In addition to what has been said above, I would add as follows. When you first butcher the moose, you can submerse the meat in water to cool it quickly (and to wash the blood off). Do so in a clean brook or in plastic bags so it will not get dirt on it. Do not leave it in the water too long as you want the remaining heat in the meat to cause it to dry. When you take it out run your hands over the meat and squeeze out any water that may have gotten in between the membrane surrounding the muscles. Don't bone it out unless you have to. Coat it with a citric acid solution on a daily basis to prevent bacteria from growing. I have kept moose in great shape this way on float trips thought he temps were usually in the 40s. If it is extremely warm and you have to, put it in plastic bags and put it in the creek to keep it cool. I had to do that for a afternoon and evening last year when I killed a large bull caribou a three day pack from where I was being flown out of and daytime temps were in the 80s. The meat was fine.