Transporting Your Harvest

Information provided by Jeff Watson from the Meat Cleaver

While properly field dressing game is a key element in the race-against-the-clock effort to preserve your harvest, a hunter’s work is not over once this has been done.

Just as important as properly field dressing your game harvest is effectively transporting game back home after field dressing is complete.

Don’t let your hard work this hunting season go to waste as a result of poor transit practices. Check out our tips below for safely getting game from Point A to Point B:

Transport dead animals out of the elements – preferably in a trailer, enclosed truck bed or trunk. Use a drop cloth or tarp to keep the vehicle clean. With this method, your harvest will stay both cool and clean.

-After field dressing, transport the carcass absolutely as quickly as possible to refrigeration.
 

-Note that heat not only affects whether the meat is safe or spoiled, but it can also affect the taste of meat that hasn’t spoiled. Keep it cool to preserve both the overall integrity and the taste of the meat.
 

-If outdoor temperatures are anywhere at or above the high 40s or you’re transporting your harvest a long way, fill the cavity with bags of ice to keep the meat cool.  Use a high-quality cooler filled with ice to keep meat cold during transport. Ice should surround all meat to maintain <40°F. Add more ice if traveling long distances
 

-Do not transport your harvest on the hood of a car or on top of a vehicle; the meat will be exposed to the heat from the engine and/or the elements, which will affect the taste of the meat … or cause it to turn entirely.