Meat care

From Alaska Outdoors Wiki

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Big game care 2.1 Evisceration 2.2 Disarticulation 2.3 Legal Considerations 2.4 Other Practical Considerations 3 Small game care 3.1 Waterfowl 3.2 Game birds 3.3 Hare 4 Resources

Introduction

Table quality of game meat is directly related to field care: good care of good meat gives good table quality. For highest quality a game animal must be cleaned and cooled soon after death. The meat must be kept cool, but not frozen, until it is processed for freezing or other long term storage. This is often no problem in Alaska, but hunters should always be prepared for occasional fall warm spells which may make meat care challenging.

Big game care

The basics of caring for game meat can be summed up in three words: clean, cool and dry. That is:

• Game meat must be kept clean of hair, gut contents, dirt, leaves and other foreign material. It must be cooled as rapidly as possible.
• Meat must be kept cool because warmth promotes bacterial growth with will diminish taste and eventually destroy the value of the meat.
• Meat must also be kept dry because moisture also promotes bacterial growth. While short immersion in cold water is a good mechanism for initial cooling, unless the meat can be dried after being brought out of the water, its value is questionable. Some hunters use heavy duty plastic bags for this to avoid getting the meat wet at all.

There are two basic strategies for initial meat care, evisceration and disarticulation. These apply to all big game hunting. There are also legal and practical considerations to keep in mind.

Evisceration

As the name implies the animal is moved onto its back and a cut is made from the anus to a point high enough to allow removal of the viscera. Care must be taken not to cut into the rumen or other organ contents. Meat contamination by gut contents can dramatically diminish its quality. The viscera are then carefully removed, including a final cut of the trachea / esophagus to remove the lungs and heart. The hide is removed and the meat can then be cut with saws and knives.

Disarticulation

In this method, the hide is removed from the quarters, and cuts carefully made to allow each to be removed. The meat of the neck, brisket, and ribs are removed. The meat of the tenderloins are removed last. If done well, very little edible meat remains. The gut contents are not disturbed. Even an entire moose can be cleaned with a sharp knife in this way. Here is how it works:

Once you have your first moose or other large animal down and on the ground, everything you learned about field dressing a Whitetail goes out the window. With a large animal the last thing I ever want to do is “gut it”, unless I have to leave it in the field over night. Your priority is to get all the eatable meat off of and away from the carcass as soon as possible. You do this to cool the meat as fast as possible, and the gut is where heat stays the longest. The following technique can be used by a lone hunter, or with help.

Position the animal on one side as best as you can. Whether you want to “cape” or not, your first cut should be up the back, tail to antlers. Try to make one continuous cut to avoid getting hair onto the meat as best as you can. Gently lift up on the hide and start cutting it away from the carcass paying attention to avoid cutting a hole back through the hide or into the meat. You peel the hide over and down the legs. If you are not going for a full cape, I cut off the lower legs at the knee and elbow and pull the hide off the end. You will also need to keep a small section attached to one haunch with your proof of sex intact.

Once the skinned side is exposed I first remove the Backstrap that is exposed. I next will lift up on the front leg and remove it by cutting away from the armpit region towards the spine. I put a game bag on the haunch starting at the elbow and rolling it upwards as I remove the haunch, keeping it clean. Next I remove the rear haunch in a similar manner, paying attention to the body anatomy you can easily cut it free of the hip joint, remembering to have it in the game bag as it is coming off.

Now you have a carcass that is missing the Backstrap and a front and rear haunch. You can easily bone out the neck and remove flank steaks and brisket where exposed. I like to carefully bone out the ribs, making sure I don’t puncture the gut. If you are in a Unit that requires you to take the rib cage out whole, leave it for now.

Rotate the head 180 degrees and then grab one of the down side legs and flip the animal over. This is easier than you would think, even on a large moose. Now skin this side as you did on the other side. Remove the haunches; bone the neck, etc. as you did on the other side. Next, carefully break the two lowest ribs next to the spine. Gently use the back of one hand to lift up on the enclosed stomach lining as close as you can to these two ribs and the spine. Your Tenderloin is fully exposed and can be easily removed. Flip the chest over and repeat this process on the other Tenderloin. Now you can cut off the rib cage if you hadn’t boned the ribs previously.

After all the meat is “free” and away from the belly, now is the time to remove the heart, liver, kidneys, tripe, or any other internal organs that you want. Once you try this you should find it the way you will always Field Dress in the future.

Legal Considerations

Evidence of sex must be retained in some hunts. Moose meat must be removed from the bone in some units. See the Alaska hunting regulations for details on these and other meat care requirements.

Other Practical Considerations

All meat hanging in the air must be protected from insects, or eggs laid by flies will turn into maggots. A citric acid mixture sprayed on the meat may be used to prevent flies from laying eggs.

Meat may be cooled for days or longer, depending on temperature and moisture conditions. Smaller pieces of meat should be processed for long term storage as soon as possible.

Bears may be attracted to stored game meat in some areas. It is not legal to kill bears to defend meat; however, bears may be legally harvested in these circumstances if the season is open and hunters have appropriate licenses and tags.

While fat from domestic animals is often added to ground big game meat, some hunters avoid this fat altogether, either using fat from the game animal if tastes permit, or cooking oils.

Resources:

• Packing a moose - how far would you go? (Alaska hunting forum thread)
• Moose Meat Care Overnight (Alaska hunting forum thread)

Small game care

Waterfowl

Game birds

Game bird meat care can be as simple as removing the breast section from grouse. With practice, this can be done without tools by lifting the breast away from the rest of the body.

Hare

Resources

• Hunting for Trophy Meat ADF&G
• Field Care Handbook
• Care of Alaska Game Meat in the Field