WILD GAME PROCESSING

Immediately clean the carcass with vinegar and water. Do not let the meat sit in ice water. Cover the carcass with a game bag once dry. 

Keep the carcass in a cool environment, ideally a meat cooler.
It all starts in the field!  And just as soon as possible.

Meat from game animals is essentially no different than meat from domestic animals.  Both need to be handled and prepared with care to avoid food safety problems.  The potential for contamination and food-borne illness is very similar for a deer or elk as what would be found in domestic sheep or cattle.

Many of the same pathogens found in domestic livestock such as salmonella, listeria, e.coli, and staphylococcus, can also be found in game animals.  Game animals are dressed and skinned under less than ideal conditions, so the potential for contaminated meat is greater.

It is important to keep two things in mind--time and temperature.  Hunters need to clean the animal, remove the hide, get it back to camp, and get it cooled off as quickly as possible.  Simple measures such as hanging the carcass in the shade can help.  It also might mean taking the meat from the animal back to town and putting it into a cooler.  Protecting the meat from dirt, hair, and insects with a game bag while it is out in the field is very important.

By following common sense procedures out in the field, both the hunt and the feast can be safe and satisfying.

Good luck with your hunting and we would like to be of service with the cutting and wrapping all to your specifications!