couple O'Rats!

davidlt89 · October 28, 2013, 04:21:56 PM

well, today was our first check after setting yesterday. My buddy and I set 4 places for muskrat and will split the quarry. two of the places we need to use a canoe and it is much easier checking floats with two in the canoe, especially with wind. I really thought we would have more than four, but that was it out of 43 sets. Colony trap had two of them!!! of course 3-4 a day for a month and half can add up.

animals are starting to pile up in the garage:grin: skinning starts tomorrow night:grin:. God Bless.

gitano · October 29, 2013, 09:07:15 AM

GO GET 'EM, David!

If you keep this up, I'm going to start to develop a bit of jealousy.

Paul

JaDub · October 29, 2013, 03:35:57 PM

X 2 !!

Vermonster · October 30, 2013, 12:08:49 AM

Test.....

JaDub · October 30, 2013, 08:36:23 AM

Yep, that one came up. :laugh:

gitano · October 30, 2013, 08:55:21 AM

How about you Vermonster?

Paul

Jamie.270 · October 30, 2013, 08:58:39 AM

Quote from: davidlt89;128715animals are starting to pile up in the garage:grin: skinning starts tomorrow night:grin:. God Bless.

Just curious David,...
But do you always hang your deer with the hide on?
Did you really wait until the next day to skin it?

Or was that just for the photo-op?

gitano · October 30, 2013, 09:33:15 AM

David can answer those questions for himself, but the questions suggest that you do not: 1) Hang animals with hide on, and 2) wait 'til next day to skin. If I have your intent correct, let me respond with my view on those two questions.

1) Yes, and
2) Yes.

IF it is cold enough. If it is above 50 degree F when and where I have to hang the animal, I take the skin off. If it is colder, I do what is most convenient. If it comes out of the field with the skin on, then it gets hung with the skin on and it gets skinned when I get around to it. It's relatively rare in my recollection, but it could be DAYS later.

I hang ALL of my big game AT LEAST three days, and 7 is preferable. I prefer my meat "rotting" before it gets frozen. There is a very distinct difference between "rotting" (properly aged), and "spoiled". If meat doesn't get wet, and it doesn't get flies on it, I PREFER to wait as long as I possibly can to "process" it. I have hung caribou and moose quarters for two weeks before, and it wasn't freezing where they were hanging.

Wild game hung for two weeks is, in my opinion, the best tasting meat on the planet. Unfortunately, it is often too hot or too wet to hang game for that long around here. Hanging meat after the ambient air is below freezing is a waste of time and means you have to thaw it out to process it. This not "something weird Paul thought up". I learned this when I was in Germany. While it isn't done so much any more, ALL game was hung for AT LEAST a week before "processing", and "ideal" was two weeks.

Paul

rockinbbar · October 30, 2013, 11:00:50 AM

Quote from: gitano;128750David can answer those questions for himself, but the questions suggest that you do not: 1) Hang animals with hide on, and 2) wait 'til next day to skin. If I have your intent correct, let me respond with my view on those two questions.

1) Yes, and
2) Yes.

IF it is cold enough. If it is above 50 degree F when and where I have to hang the animal, I take the skin off. If it is colder, I do what is most convenient. If it comes out of the field with the skin on, then it gets hung with the skin on and it gets skinned when I get around to it. It's relatively rare in my recollection, but it could be DAYS later.

I hang ALL of my big game AT LEAST three days, and 7 is preferable. I prefer my meat "rotting" before it gets frozen. There is a very distinct difference between "rotting" (properly aged), and "spoiled". If meat doesn't get wet, and it doesn't get flies on it, I PREFER to wait as long as I possibly can to "process" it. I have hung caribou and moose quarters for two weeks before, and it wasn't freezing where they were hanging.

Wild game hung for two weeks is, in my opinion, the best tasting meat on the planet. Unfortunately, it is often too hot or too wet to hang game for that long around here. Hanging meat after the ambient air is below freezing is a waste of time and means you have to thaw it out to process it. This not "something weird Paul thought up". I learned this when I was in Germany. While it isn't done so much any more, ALL game was hung for AT LEAST a week before "processing", and "ideal" was two weeks.

Paul

Wise man, that Paul is! :)

Jamie.270 · October 30, 2013, 01:25:54 PM

I agree whole-heartedly about the aging. We've done it that way for years, always with great results. Despite what I have heard the "experts" (Ptooey!) claim about a lack of enzymes in venison, that beef has, that facilitates the tenderizing and flavor enhancement.
More than once I've wiped them down with vinegar water to remove any mold that forms during the aging process.

I was just curious about the hide being on.
With the daytime temps here during the typical deer season, that is probably why I was always taught to skin animals ASAP after field dressing. Nighttime temps tend to be plenty cool enough, but our mule deer season is typically around the 3rd week in Sept., and daytime often reaches 60-70* or so.
That, and the hides are always extremely buggy, as in full of ticks and fleas.

I was just curious, as I have never seen anyone leave the hide on for more than a few hours.
I'm sure it's the sheltered life I've led!

davidlt89 · October 30, 2013, 04:23:19 PM

yes to all your questions jamie!!!! I prefer to hang my deer at least 7 days if possible and we have had just the right temps here to do so. it has not gotten out of the 40's since we shot it and has been freezing at night. of course in my garage, it does not freeze. We will skin it saturday and cut it up. All the kids are pumped!!!! my middle boy even turned down a birthday part for the occasion. Cutting = using a knife and they all plan on having their knives:biggthumpup:.

I even waited 3 days on the coyote to skin it and they taint fast!!! Again, got to have the temps in your favor!!! God Bless.

drinksgin (deceased) · November 01, 2013, 01:24:06 PM

You can tell he is not in Texas, here you get them nekked as soon as possible and in the ice chest right now, or be prepared to let the dogs have it.
The principal reason I usually turn down offered pig or deer is I do not believe the hunters do a good job of taking care of the animals after killing.
I have seen deer left in a pickup bed, in the sun and with the guts still in, 6-8 hours after killing.
Rank!!!!!!!!!!!!

RatherBHuntin · November 01, 2013, 03:06:00 PM

When I was out there, I was taught to dress in the field, stop at the nearest gas station on the way back to town and pack cavity with 20-30 pounds of ice until you could quarter it and put on more ice or get it to a meat locker.

JaDub · November 01, 2013, 03:27:36 PM

That`s what I always try to do too Glenn. Field dress and then pack cavity with a big bag of ice for the trip home. Elk, deer or antelope............. it all comes out savory.

davidlt89 · November 01, 2013, 03:55:20 PM

rats are stacking up.

Quotepack cavity with 20-30 pounds of ice until you could quarter it and put on more ice or get it to a meat locker.

no need for that here, it is usually freezing out!!!! never ever heard of skinning in the field. when I hear "field dressing" it means gutting it out! God Bless.