There's absolutely
no reason to let your deer go to waste. Here are some pointers on keeping your
venison fresh until it can be processed.
Here's How:
Place a layer
of ice in a cooler (a forty-eight-quart cooler will hold a deer of up to 140
pounds or so, live weight).
After dressing and skinning your deer, quarter it (see Tips for more on quartering).
Immediately
after removing each portion, bag it (kitchen garbage bags work great for this)
and place it in a cooler over the initial layer of ice.
Place a layer
of ice, then more meat, until you're done.
If you'll be
camping for several days before butchering or processing the meat, check the
ice and replenish as necessary.
Tips:
When quartering,
separate each leg, the neck, and the ribs from the spine. Then trim out the
backstraps and tenderloins from the spine. On many deer, this leaves nothing
useful on the spine, which can then be discarded.
Place larger
portions in one bag; smaller portions may share a bag.
Keep the drain
plug on your cooler(s) open. This allows melted ice to drain, preventing it
from damaging the meat.
