I have two big leg for an axis - how do I freeze them ?

Is there a special bag?

Driving from to to Florida with 3 coolers of axis meat. Hunt report to follow.

Thanks in advance

Mike

You don't need to freeze them. Crushed ice and some salt to get the temp down to 34-36 degrees, they'll be good for a week or more. Plus, it will leech blood. I do an ice/brine soak on everything, just keep them below 36. I use a remote thermometer I got in a kitchen section to keep an eye on the temp without opening the lid. It's got a 3 foot lead, and plugs into a digital readout. It's wet aging, some steakhouses do this for weeks before serving the steak. The salt keeps bacteria from growing, and the temp keeps it tasty.

Agree

Just put them in a cooler any way you want and cover them with ice to the top of the cooler.

I usually add in a pound of common table salt to help clean up the meat as it sits and soaks

Have a safe trip home

I'm going to slightly disagree with the above suggestions. I don't like "soaking" my dead game unless it is particularly blood shot, at least for the extended time periods in this example. Of course, you have to keep it packed with ice but I think a better way is to keep draining it as it melts and adding more. I think "soaking", especially with salt added and allowing it to be soaked for days in salty water, removes flavor from the meat. If you don't like the way it tastes, that is gaminess or whatever some call it, then just give it away and buy beef, pork, or whatever and save the trouble of transport, cutting, and packaging. Obviously others view this differently and that's why they have multiple flavors of ice cream.

I generally buy some dry ice and load up the coolers. Mine evaporates about two pounds a day.

Thanks for the advice guys. Got it to game processors in North Florida - 3 hrs from Orlando. I got to go up there anyway in next few weeks.

I used icing and salt but also drained the water and refilled the ice.

Main thing I decide was to drive thru the night. Lower temps by 20 degrees, showers in La and driving with the truck cover open helped a lot.

Meat all safe. Have 2 tenderloins with me in the yeti.

Need to upgrade my cooler - have 2 yeti - may get a rti pelican or yeti as long as it fits in the truck Ben under the cover.

Mike

One can buy a helluva lot of ice for the difference in price between a Yeti and a one of the cheaper coolers that are more insulated than the average. Like many we freeze gallon water jugs to use.

Axis is fine eating. Enjoy.

There must be about six brands of Yeti type coolers .Pricey but I think worth it .Bottles of frozen water and you're good to go.

Every single person who buys a YETI or any of its clones just proves that PT Barnam was absolutely correct

Dr John Bridges knew about YETI way back in 1587

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
I'm going to slightly disagree with the above suggestions. I don't like "soaking" my dead game unless it is particularly blood shot, at least for the extended time periods in this example. Of course, you have to keep it packed with ice but I think a better way is to keep draining it as it melts and adding more. I think "soaking", especially with salt added and allowing it to be soaked for days in salty water, removes flavor from the meat. If you don't like the way it tastes, that is gaminess or whatever some call it, then just give it away and buy beef, pork, or whatever and save the trouble of transport, cutting, and packaging. Obviously others view this differently and that's why they have multiple flavors of ice cream.

I'm obviously late to this game, but this is my approach too. You can keep game iced like this for several days with no ill effect. I do this with most of what I kill, even in the relatively warm area in which I live.

And yes, axis is some of the best venison you'll get a chance to eat. I love it.

A comparrison to Yeti.
I have an Igloo 120 Qt unit.
I purchased a large amount of frozen food in New York City.
I purchased a 25 Lb block of dry ice (from Natuzi Bros - Queens) for 60 cents per Lb.
It lasted a full week and I had 5 Lbs of dry ice when I got back to Texas.
The trick is to pre-cool the cooler, since it takes hours of cooling to just get the inside and insulation of the cooler down below freezing.

I asked the cooler question in context of hauling meat mainly from Texas to Florida. I like free range axis hunting. White tails do little for me so I plan to hunt free range axis in tx as my primary North American hunting.

The first step is actually planning better and getting a good deer processor in tx.

But assume I am hailing meat back to Florida.

I have a igloo 110 qt I bought at Costco. I like it. It is big and light. The issue is parts are not top quality - it's drainage plug leaks. Also it is too big for my truck bed and cover so I need to drive with the cover open - whic I tend to do when I am hauling meat as it is cooler.

The yeti are good but they are heavy and small. Also prime targets to be stolen.

I am not a big fan of the yetis cause they are so heavy, add ice and meat and I can barely lift it by myself into the truck. Yeti are bullet proof but stupid expensive. I bought them cause I had xmas gift cards at bass pro.

I have a bedslide in my truck so I can easily drain the coolers. Bed slide does cut into the height of the truck bed.

Mike

Guess I'm odd man out cause I love my Yeti. Was used to buying a new "Igloo" every year cause they didn't last in the back of the truck. Been using the same Yeti for almost 7 years now. It's paid for itself in "Igloos" I didn't buy.

When I was was hunting in WY I took my Coleman, metal, would pick up frozen deer at processor in Sundance then drive to Spearfish get 10# of dry ice and would still have a small block when I got to Ohio. As I no longer go to WY, sold my property, I don't have a need for anything better.

Rad

Packing in ice is fine.Salting is fine.Iceing and salting is counter productive.The best thing is to get it processed locally where you hunt .Packed tight into a decent cooler it will stay frozen with no extra ice for two ,three days easy.Most StaTES NOW HAVE LAWS AGAINST bringing in Deer or Elk that is not deboned.They think that is a way that CWD is being spread from state to state.OB

Just picked up my processed deer.

I give a very high recommendation for Kinner Kountry Sausage in Madison County Florida.

http://www.countrysausages.com/

They charged me $106 to process a big axis. In that they added 9 pounds of pork to create hot links and few pounds of high fat beef to create ground chuck.

Also created cube steak and everything was perfectly packed in vacuum sealed bags.

I had taked my dog to UF small animal hospital for a check up and my Mom was along. She was so impressed with the processing job done - she asked next time I am driving thru Madison County to drop of some beer for the guys.

Also the yeti coolers paid off - I just dropped the frozen meat in a cooled yeti with no ice and drove in florida sun for 5 hours - meat still frozen solid.

Mike