The 3 principles of meat care are
COOL, DRY and
COVERED.
Gut and skin the animal as quick as possible to get the meat cooling
When field dressing, use the inside of the hide or a tarp to keep the meat clean and out of the mud, blood, and brush. DO NOT let any of the meat touch any hair.
Keep all caribou meat on the bone.
Keep all rib meat, caribou, moose, sheep on the bone.
When de-boning a moose, follow the fascia and cut big muscle groups. Small meat pieces spoil fast. Keep meat chunks as large as possible. Keep all rib meat on the bone.
Once the meat is back to the airstrip, build a meat pole (you will need to bring parachute cord for this). If there are some small trees around, build 2 tripods with vertical poles and then put a ‘ridge’ pole across the tripods. Hang the meat and cover with a tarp. Use a heavy-duty tarp (minimum 8x10), with the silver or reflective side out, facing the sun to reflect the sunlight off the meat. Lightweight Kifaru style tarps actually heat up underneath. If there is no timber available, build a pile of brush or rocks so that air can circulate under the meat and turn the meat bags over at least twice a day.
Bring powdered citric acid and a spray bottle. Add water and dissolve the citric acid in the spray bottle. Apply to the meat.
Make sure and bring plenty of high-quality game bags.
GETTING MEAT HOME
Your meat may be frozen in Tok at Frontier Cold Storage (907-505-0651).
It can be shipped home frozen in totes, coolers, or ‘fish boxes’ as excess baggage on the airline. Taken to a processor in Fairbanks, Delta Jct., Anchorage.
Shipped on the Alaska Trophy Express truck (715-497-3913).
If you wish to donate your meat; provided it is clean and in good shape, I will appreciatively accept your donation.
RESOURCES:
- Larry Bartlett’s YouTube channel. Checkout his ‘Project Bloodtrail’ video
-
Alaska Dept. Fish and Game moose hunting resources