How long do you typically have to field dress an animal before it starts to rot? And assuming a hunter didn't have access to functioning modern technology (like electric powered coolers, etc) such as in the case of a shtf event or during old times, how would hunters conserve their fresh kills before the meat started to go bad?Thanks in advance frens.
>>2785295Hunting is traditionally a winter activity, so you can take advantage of natural refrigeration. The sooner you get the body opened up and cooling, the better. But deer hunters (especially bow hunters) say you should wait as long as a couple hours before you try to track down your kill. Deer will sometimes lay down when wounded and you don't want to "bump" them and have to track them again by approaching before they're dead.
>>2785295Depends on the time of kill (morning, midday, evening), weather, and temperature. If night time temps reach close or below freezing it could potentially last almost a week hung up. If it's hung up in the sun it will spoil faster. If it gets wet it will spoil faster. If you made a bad shot and had to track it for 12-24 hours you could lose meat with the hide still on. Important tips. Get the hide off asap and get it hung up. Creek bottoms are cooler so if there's one close by then hang it there or set it on some logs. You'll have more leeway in the late fall/winter than in late summer/early fall. Before you make a shot make sure you ask yourself if you can pack the meat out in a reasonable time given the weather conditions.
>>2785387What about the skins? Do people keep those? How do people preserve them until they are ready to tan them (I assume the first order of business is to preserve the meat)?
>>2785388Same concept. If there's meat/fat on the hide that could rot if not properly cooled. You can put the hide in a freezer back home until you're ready to start the tanning process. Ethically you should always pack out the hide, head, and hooves last if you decide to keep them.
>>2785389What use do the hooves have?
>>2785409
>in the case of a shtf event or during old timesThey would've smoked the meat. Butchering something like a deer only takes an hour or two for 1-2 people and then you'd put it straight on the smoking rack, so spoiling isn't really a concern. Except maybe if you had a long way back to camp.More recently they may have canned or salted the meat. Those can also be done right away if you prepared ahead of time.I never bothered with field dressing, I just throw the deer in the truck and take it somewhere more convenient to remove the entrails and butcher.
>>2785454That looks atrocious.
>>2785519Kek
>>2785299Only bow hunters say that. I just go get the thing straight away because Its dead.
Deer will keep for ages as long as they don't get flys on them. The only weather that will wreck venison real fast is a warm wet northerly (in NZ so it won't be the same where you are) but a warm muggy rain is what does it. Keep it in the shade otherwise.
>>2785299I know someone who used to hunt with a knife in the winter. He lured them in a place with big snow with enough frozen surface to keep him on top of snow while the animal sinked and moved slowly. He quick aproach it, grab the buck by the horn and stab his throt with a knife
>>2785388I tan my own hides, after you skin and do a preliminary fleshing, you can cover them in salt and keep them in a cool place until you're ready to start the tanning. As long as they're salted and cool you can leave them for pretty good amount of time.
Check out Clay Heyes on YT. He's got a recent video on your first question and a lot of other stuff you seem to be interested in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP3pRtWgbgoTo conserve the meat you can smoke or even airdry the meat in thin strips.
