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Discussion: Hunting in Summer

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LWJ2009	Hunting in Summer Jul 12 2012, 4:39 PM EDT So how many people plan on hunting game in the summer months should something craptastic happen? Rabbits and small creatures would not be to much of an issue to deal with but what about the larger creatures that your going to have to process? Do you have a plan to deal with the parasites that are more common in the summer months? Do you have a plan for meat storage? Are you going to be able to quickly dress your game to prevent it from spoiling in 90 plus degree weather? Post reply Do you find this valuable? Keyword tags: None
Oakspar77777	1. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 12 2012, 10:37 PM EDT Avoid rabies carriers during the hot months (late June to mid November here): fox, racoon, skunk, dog, cat, bat (not that you are likely eating skunk or bat). Sure, you can technically cook or freeze out encephalites strains (or which rabies is the worst), but a knick while cleaning could be devestating. Other than that, it is just about getting the meat cool as quick as possible and cooking it through. Most hunting seasons are based on the reproduction cycle, not when it is safe to eat them. Note that during hot/dry seasons many animals will be very thin, particularly the females, as they will have finished weaning off and won't be able to put the weight back on in the drier months. That said, to keep it fresh, time is the key. Fast is good; immediate is better. Get it bled, open, and gutted as fast as you can. Then freeze it, smoke it, or cook it immediately (maggots usually take 16 hours to lay and hatch). I am often cleaning spring chicks in the summer, and they do fine. I've never had any trouble with whitetail deer and I have cleaned them in heat and humidity where I would a constant shower of sweat. Of course, something like an elk, moose, bison, cow, or horse might be another thing all together, but for things under 200lbs, I wouldn't forsee any problems. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
11ACRBlackhorse	2. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 12 2012, 10:53 PM EDT Good topic LWJ Oak real good points. We get our yard birds in summer too and zero issues. We drop the carcass in a tub/bucket of cold water after gutting. Then proceed to do the rest in the water. Skunks if gutted right can be processed like most animals and tastes like possum/ raccoon. Dog, coyote, and fox taste pretty good. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
demsmine	3. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 12 2012, 10:57 PM EDT I bow hunt in Oregon and our elk season begins at the end of August. I found that the trick is, you have to de-bone or open the meat down to the bone. It seems that the heat is held a lot by them. Of course, as always get the hide off as fast as possible. I don't myself, but i know a guy who antelope hunts, and he swears that the trick to keeping an antelope fresh, out in that high desert heat, is throw a bag of ice in the cavity after you gut it. But that is just what I heard. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
11ACRBlackhorse	4. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 12 2012, 11:08 PM EDT "I bow hunt in Oregon and our elk season begins at the end of August. I found that the trick is, you have to de-bone or open the meat down to the bone. It seems that the heat is held a lot by them. Of course, as always get the hide off as fast as possible. I don't myself, but i know a guy who antelope hunts, and he swears that the trick to keeping an antelope fresh, out in that high desert heat, is throw a bag of ice in the cavity after you gut it. But that is just what I heard." Ice in the cavity does help. And laying bags of ice on it covered with a tarp too. Now we do process livestock in summer if a injury will kill them. Cooling it down while processing is a must. We use buckets of water for this. Then you hang in a cool and dark/shaded area to cure/jerky. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
thomas13mike	5. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 12:27 AM EDT Hog hunting in Texas is year around so there's no telling how hot it's going to be. I've killed them in winter and summertime both. And as long as they're dressed out within a couple hours and on ice I've waited up to a couple days to process it. Or in the smoker if no ice is available. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
IamSlowRide	6. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 5:35 AM EDT "Dog, coyote, and fox taste pretty good. " I really just don't know how to react to that...lol, not the coyote and fox but the the dog part... Could I eat "a" dog in a desperate life or death situation, yes, you bet your arse. Could I eat my own dog...the thought sickens me, my wife and children would have to be on deaths door and even then I don't think I could do it, they are family after all Post reply Do you find this valuable?
shadowmancer	7. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 5:44 AM EDT \| Post edited: Jul 13 2012, 6:12 AM EDT Yes: D I shift my prey based on the season and the weather. I will be eating more than just meat as I have a few tricks up my sleeve to stay fed. I’ll shift it up based on the life cycle of the animal and the season. A few examples of my prey and times would be moose and deer in the fall, bear and a mix of fish in the spring, hare and fish in the winter whitefish and Northern grouse in the summer. Trap lines keeping live prey will help prevent spoiling. In the case of fish I could keep them live. I would keep them in a bucket or in a hole filled with water lined with a net until I’m ready for them. Hot spells I'm switching to deep water or fast water fish no pike too wormy. Since I will be thinking beyond meat I will be keeping in mind the seasons of various edible berries, seeds, acorns, plants and tubers that exist in the wild. I could eat rather well for a few days on pond lily tubers and cattail hearts dandelion greens and clover. I'll grab and store pinecones to store the pine nuts the same goes for acorns. I don't recommend mushroom hunting without ALOT of knowledge and practice, the same thing goes for hunting wild carrots as wild hemlock looks just like it. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
11ACRBlackhorse	8. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 6:36 AM EDT "I really just don't know how to react to that...lol, not the coyote and fox but the the dog part... Could I eat "a" dog in a desperate life or death situation, yes, you bet your arse. Could I eat my own dog...the thought sickens me, my wife and children would have to be on deaths door and even then I don't think I could do it, they are family after all" I so understand the family part. It would be real difficult. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
shadowmancer	9. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 7:04 AM EDT couldn't eat my dog, who would I hunt with? Post reply Do you find this valuable?
LWJ2009	10. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 8:45 AM EDT "Ice in the cavity does help. And laying bags of ice on it covered with a tarp too. Now we do process livestock in summer if a injury will kill them. Cooling it down while processing is a must. We use buckets of water for this. Then you hang in a cool and dark/shaded area to cure/jerky. " Where are we going to ice folks when the poo hits the fan? Your going to need some form of power and a freezer to produce it this time of the year, and lots of coolers to store it. Are you willing to use your generators to power up the freezer? Water is another issue as well, if you have a well your ok. If your also going to rely on natural sources that could be another issue. Lots of creeks around here are dried up and gone, the river water this time of the year is not always the best either. Depending on how muddy it is, same thing with the water in the canals. Next point is how are you going to pack your game out? You going to use a 4 wheeler or a vehicle for the big stuff and risk giving yourself away? Or are you going to do it the old fashioned way, which takes up quite a bit of time and energy? Post reply Do you find this valuable?
shadowmancer	11. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 9:39 AM EDT \| Post edited: Jul 13 2012, 10:00 AM EDT heh :D for me there has only ever been one way, by canoe and by a cool little tripod I designed. :D but where I hunt is surrounded by water so it's not the best example. Good questiong LWJ where would they get the ice? I suppose If i wanted ice in the summer I would dig an ice pit and fill it durring the winter. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
LWJ2009	12. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 10:34 AM EDT "heh :D for me there has only ever been one way, by canoe and by a cool little tripod I designed. :D but where I hunt is surrounded by water so it's not the best example. Good questiong LWJ where would they get the ice? I suppose If i wanted ice in the summer I would dig an ice pit and fill it durring the winter." An ice pit might be feasble if you had the insight to create them in the winter time. However that won't happen until the first winter after an event. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
OutlawJames	13. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 10:36 AM EDT \| Post edited: Jul 13 2012, 10:38 AM EDT I have a couple freezers already powered by alternate sources. I also have two root/cold cellers. One can be used as an ice house. We can cut ice from the pond or even the lake close by during the winter. You store it in the icehouse with plenty of sawdust to cover and insulate. Being it is already underground and rarely is above 50 degrees even in the warmest weather. the ices cools it even more and keeps for a long time. Thats how they did it in the old days... you guys heading to the tropics..good luck, not much ice even in the winter. I also have large, LARGE quantities of salt on hand for cureing meat and game. Smoked and stored in the cold celler will keep a long time. edit :added last statement Post reply Do you find this valuable?
LWJ2009	14. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 10:46 AM EDT "I have a couple freezers already powered by alternate sources. I also have two root/cold cellers. One can be used as an ice house. We can cut ice from the pond or even the lake close by during the winter. You store it in the icehouse with plenty of sawdust to cover and insulate. Being it is already underground and rarely is above 50 degrees even in the warmest weather. the ices cools it even more and keeps for a long time. Thats how they did it in the old days... you guys heading to the tropics..good luck, not much ice even in the winter. I also have large, LARGE quantities of salt on hand for cureing meat and game. Smoked and stored in the cold celler will keep a long time. edit :added last statement" Mind if I ask about your alternate sources? Ice house is a damn good idea. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
shadowmancer	15. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 11:12 AM EDT \| Post edited: Jul 13 2012, 11:14 AM EDT I guess when I got the pit/house running might depend on when in the year the event in question occured. I think I'll add an Icehouse/pit to my construction plans and a cool house to exploit all the plentiful running water in my region. This thread has been very useful in adding to my plans :D I guess I have some research and designing to do. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
OutlawJames	16. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 1:22 PM EDT "Mind if I ask about your alternate sources? Ice house is a damn good idea. " I have currently wind and solar, I have 3 wind turbines 2 Chinook 200's and 1 Whisper 200 set up and running in a 24 volt system with charging to 6 deep cycle Surrette industrial 4 volt batteries. I also have tied into the system, several Kyocero 240 solar panels. I have 3 more of the whisper mills and several solar panels in storage along with 4 extra batteries. These will eventually be tied into the system as I find the time to get them online. I wont kid anyone either, this is not cheap to do... the batteries alone are around 1300-1500 bucks a piece so you are looking at say 14000 dollars just in the batteries. I have a guy that does all the electrical wiring for me, as I can barely turn on a light switch by myself, so I cannot give all the details of how it is wired and all. but it works. I have also been toying with a water turbine, but have not had the time to work out all the details. ( I have most of the materials I need to make it just not the time) Once I can remember to pick up a new camera, when I am in town, I will get some pictures up. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
timberrattler	17. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 1:36 PM EDT The thought of hunting in the summer is almost alien to me. The only thing I've ever hunted in the summer was frogs and turtles. Summer to me is the time to go fishing. In the event of an apoc and the end of farming as we know it, I'd have to admit that there'd be a learning curve for me to overcome. I've followed the hunting seasons all my life and wouldn't know where to hunt if all of a sudden acres and acres of farm ground was no longer in production. That'd make for a lot more ground to cover and the first few years there'd be a lot of weeds to tromp through. Post reply 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you find this valuable? Do you?
shadowmancer	18. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 1:52 PM EDT fishing is just as good :D especially if your going for whitefish mmmmmm Post reply Do you find this valuable?
BamaChris	19. RE: Hunting in Summer Jul 13 2012, 5:42 PM EDT Fishing works pretty well for me too. I can keep us fed on catfish as easily as I could on whitetail. Since I hunt in Alabama, I have hunted in 80 to 90 degree weather. Bag of ice in the body cavity and 2 bags spread over the carcass. But in the post-apoc world the ice machine at the store will be empty and smelling like hell. Luckily, I know where there is a cave on the property and the water is always cold. Between that cold water, dressing and smoking the meat quickly, and always cooking it thoroughly, I shouldn't have much problem. Post reply Do you find this valuable?

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