Hog Processing In The Field

[COWBOY50]

I'm sure this has been covered numerous times but I have scoured the web looking for a consensus on the matter. Hopefully hunting hogs over the holiday weekend and had plans on just processing the meat myself when I get home after Sunday instead of paying the processing fee. What's everyone's best plan for keeping the meat until I get home. IE Ice baths , bone everything at camp and just put on ice, just cut in half and ice.I have heard don't cut till rigor leaves, don't/do ice baths.

Any thoughts?

Weather should be 58/34 the rest of the week. Don't want to lose any meat and we will be dry camping where we are hunting so a walk-in is not an option nor is hosing the carcass down..



thanks

 

[FRISCOHNTR]

Gut and skin as soon as possible, debone the good cuts. Chunk the rest for sausage and put in the cooler (if you have ice); if not hang overnight in game bags at 34 degrees and you are good to go. My experience is that as long as they are cooled (out of skin and opened on the bone) they hold a couple of days in mild temps very well.
J

 

[fishnhunt]

At those temps you'll be fine to just skin and hang overnight. Just don't hang it for a week.

 

[bsanders8181]

I got one in the middle of the day once during A zone deer. 100* high. Field dressed gutless, and didn't get home until after dark. Processed it the next day. Not a thing wrong with it. As long as you take care of your meat, those temps will work for you.

 

[cjack]

We gut, skin and quarter in camp, remove backstraps and tenderloins then put on ice for trip home. I usually debone and grind the following day and if I can't then I refrigerate for a day or two.

 

[flytrue]

All my pigs lately have come when the weather has cooled off, like now, and I've never had to ice one down. Quartered, bagged and hanged worked great. The sweet pieces of meat, the liver, heart, loins and straps went in the cooler.

 

[COWBOY50]

are u guys bagging (game bag / plastic?) then ice or just putting directly on the ice, i have read where some are putting directly on the ice and then draining and adding ice daily almost like an ice wash. That one makes me leery leaving meat directly on the ice. Sounds like my best bet would be to quarter it possibly even debone at camp.. and then take of the rest when i get home.

 

[Wild1]

In these temps it really doesn't matter if you debone or not. Gut, skin and either bag it, or put on ice without bag. I like breathable game bags, cold water is fine, warm water is a bacteria breeding ground.

 

[jindydiver]

I feild dress gutless and bag the pieces in meat bags and just hang them till I can get home and put them in the fridge. Once home I bone out or make whatever cuts I want and cryovac them and freeze. The most important part is getting the meat out of the skin as clean as you possibly can. I have practised a lot and can now break up my pigs in the field without touching any of the meat and that gives me more margin for error later when we are talking time in the field before getting the meat in the fridge.

 

[socalkid]

The most important things are to get the meat clean, dry, and cool as quickly as possible. A little cold water from melted ice won't ruin it, but I find putting the ice in some plastic bags keeps a lot of the moisture off the meat. You don't want to put meat in plastic bags while it is still warm, since that heat will be trapped inside. If you wash the meat, make sure it gets dry before putting it in your cooler.

If you have enough room in your cooler, I'd recommend saving the deboning for when you get home. I also prefer the gutless quartering method.

 

[hogassin]

I like to hang the hog from a tree and skin and completely debone on the spot....Takes about an hour...By that time the meats cool enough to go into bags and pack out..I prefer .6 mil plastic bags over pillow cases (dont like getting pants and pack soaked with blood) View attachment 87115