How do you keep your game before butchering?

[DRH1175]

I have two deer sitting on the garage floor that is about 42degs We plan on butchering on Weds. Afternoon will they be fine. I personally havn't ever had a problem with a deer rotting in this time. My father in law insists they will be rotten by then. He is packing the body cavity with Dry Ice 25 lbs per doe. Isn't this crazy? Won't it burn the meat being so cold? Anyone have some insight as to what to do?

[LABS4ME]

I'd pack it with ice too... I certainly wouldn't trust a deer hanging out for a warm day yesterday and supposedly pushing 70 tomorrow and 60's again Wednesday. It would be no different than leaving steak on your garage floor for 3 days and then eating that! YUK! 42 degrees is above refriderator temperature. In fact I'd throw an old sleeping bag or blanket over them once you put the dry ice in to help keep the cold in. The dry ice won't hurt the meat. We used it all the time hauling elk home from Colorado.

I'm butchering our deer tonight. I think the quality of the meat is determined on how they are taken care of prior to butchering... I seen deer and elk 'sour' after a couple warm days. It really hasn't been cold enough to get the meat through a warm day or two.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm with Labs on this one... its too warm today and going to be even warmer tomorrow...Can you quater the meat and put in coolers till wed?

[smg04]

i would go with dry ice, but i would wrap the ice blocks in newspaper to keep it from freezer burning the meat it comes in contact with.i work with dry ice on a daily bases and it burns the skin on fingers after only a couple seconds but if u put a layer or two of newspaper around it u can hold it for longer