Quality game-meat starts when you shoot

[Salmonsmoker]

If you ever visit a slaughterhuse where cattle and hogs are converted into beef and pork, you will learn a lot about field care of fresh killed game.

What happens when a truckload of LIVEstock arrives at a stockyard?

First they are weighed, then put into holding pens where they remain for at least 24 hours. WHY? Because hauling creates fear, which creates adrenaline. Adrenaline is not a good meat seasoning, and it takes a minimum of overnight to be dissipated by a living body.

Second, when an animal is killed, it is immediately opened up - the intestines and internal organs are removed. WHY? Immediately upon the death of a body, the soft tissue begins to break down - a process accellerated by body heat. As this tissue breaks down, the contents of the intestines and organs begins to seep into the body cavity. This seepage is not good meat seasoning.

Third, with the hide removed the carcass is halved and hung. Over the first 12 hours or so, the intermusclar blood will drain which makes for better looking meat. Also, rigor mortis sets in. Over the next 10 to 14 days, the meat is left to hang and stretch against the rigor mortis - forcing the cell walls to break down, which tenderizes the meat.

And WHAT does all of that have to do with wild game food preparation? EVERYTHING. How you care for your kill in the field has a direct effect on what it tasts like when you cook and serve it. (Let me prefice this with a clear understanding that the following is only an ideal way to handle meat in the field. Its relavency to what happens on the hunt is only a guide or mark to aim for.)

The best treatment for game meat is to:

1. Kill it dead on the spot. (Running - as in a drive or when wounded - causes adrenaline to flow into the meat giving it a strong flavor.)

2. Immediately open up the body cavity and remove the intestines & internal organs (being careful not to puncture any of them) and quickly cool the carcass (using water or snow helps)to prevent contamination from the internal body seepage. (I must admit to having not been able to find a late-evening-shot deer until the next morning which makes for stronger flavor).

3. Let the carcass hang in a cool environment (as near to a constant 38 degrees as possible). If it freezes, it is hard to work with and has not aged. If the meat temperatures gets above about 45 degrees, it will quickly start to mold - also not a good meat seasoning.

I have found that specific field-dressing proceedures vary from hunter to hunter. With the hunting season soon upon us, I'd like to hear from others about how you accomplish this necessary step in wild game food preparation.

ss

[This message has been edited by Salmonsmoker (edited 08-01-2000).]

[William H Bonney]

SS, you can probably tell, I'm bored! Going through all these old threads:rolleyes:

The last 5 deer I've shot,,, I shot in the neck, I'm in shotgun territory so their close shots. All those deer were DEAD, before I could put the safety back on. With virtually no damage to any meat. But the trick is to learn how to gut the deer without exposing any meat, and use you're knife sparingly, I use my hands for probably 70% of the gutting process.
I see guys all the time splittng that pelvic bone, to make more room, but ya gotta split open the inside of the thighs to do that.
That wastes alot of meat, when you go to butcher it, cause you have to trim off that dead exposed meat.

Aiming for the neck was a "conservation" decision for me,, I lost too many deer aiming for the "boiler room", one inch one way or the other, and all you did is wound him. Hit em in the neck and they drop like a sack of potatoes.

[Salmonsmoker]

William,

Shot placement is a major element in good venison. Not many hunters agree with that, but, for the people with a critical sense of tast, the difference is very evident. Adrenalin is not a good meat seasoning but a wounded deer quickly becomes loaded with it.

[chuck44mag]

Just shoot them in the head then you'l get an other neck roast:D

I know you want the antlers-I havent found a good way to cook them.

Neck/head shot deer go down now and the only mess you have when field dressing is what you make and I dont make much with my 2 1/4 in Buck pocket knife.

I have taken deer from 20 yds to127 yds in the head with ML, 30-06, 7mm mag,and the 44.
2 in the head with the bow 13 yds and 15 yds. but only if the shot is there other wise it's a lung shot.

[Salmonsmoker]

Chuck,

A quick kill will always produce better meat. My goal in hunting is always to get the best meat that I can. Thanks for your input.