Handling and Cooking Game

Circular 495
Mae Martha Johnson, Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist
James Knight, Extension Wildlife Specialist
College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences New Mexico State University

Each year hunters waste thousands of pounds of m eat through carelessness, ignorance, or neglect. Here are some suggestions to help you preserve your meat so that you can deliver it in good condition to the cook or to the freezer. The quality and flavor of the meat depends a great deal on the care you give it from the moment it is killed.

The expert hunter cares for game immediately. Strong flavor is due to:

Inadequate bleeding
Carelessness or delay in dressing
Failure to cool the carcass promptly and thoroughly
Wounds causing the blood to spread along membranes

The first hour an animal is shot is the most critical period. Skin, clean, and hang the carcass to cool immediately.

Bleeding

There are various op in ions on bleeding animals. When animals have been shot in the thorax, internal bleeding into the lung cavity may be enough. Neck or head shots take additional bleeding. Some hunters open the carcass and sever the large blood vessel leading to the heart (point B, fig. 1). If no trophy is desired, slashing the throat will aid bleeding (point A, fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Illustration showing where to cut a deer carcass to aid in bleeding.

Figure 1.

There are probably as many techniques for dressing the kill as there are hunters and kinds of animals. A carefully dressed animal is the hunter’s pride.

Since time is vital to the quality of the meat, start by removing the entrails quickly and completely to begin the cooling process immediately.

To dress, lay the animal so the head is slightly up hill. Insert the blade of a sharp knife beneath the hide and the belly muscle directly below the breastbone. Cut along the center line towards the tail (fig. 2). Keep the blade of the knife pointed upward, being careful not to puncture or rupture the intestines. Stop about five to six inches from the tail. Cut a circle as shown in fig. 2. Musk glands at A and B may be removed. These glands cease to function at death, but surface residue may taint the meat it touches.

Cut the bone and skin from the first rib to the throat. Turning the carcass down hill, split the pelvic bone between the back legs with a small hatchet.

Split open the neck, cutting through the breastbone, and expose the windpipe.

Fig. 2: Illustration showing where to cut a deer carcass for skinning.

Figure 2.

Turn the carcass uphill and clip the gullet. Then the entire visceral mass can be removed without severing any part. Clean the heart and liver to prepare on the hunt or to take home. Cut away bloodshot and badly bruised areas to prevent extensive spoilage. Wipe the body cavity thoroughly with a clean cloth, or wash and wipe dry. Prop the cavity open with sharpened sticks and hang the carcass in a tree until the cavity surface is thoroughly dry. Be sure there is good air circulation.

Some hunters prefer to skin the animal while dressing it. After skinning, wrap the carcass in light muslin, cheesecloth, or mosquito netting to cool. This covering will keep flies, bugs, and dust from the meat. For ease in handling, quarter the carcass and hang the quarters in light muslin bags for cooling. Avoid heavy tarpaulins or canvas bags that hold in the heat.

Other hunters like to leave the hide on for protection on the homeward trip. Insofar as possible, keep the animal cool when transporting it. Carrying it on the hood of the automobile may cause heating thus spoiling the meat quality. A six-hour cooling period is recommended by many hunters before transporting.

By day, especially warm days, you may have to hang your kill inside an open tent to keep it in the shade. At night, hang it out of doors where it is cooler. Meat sours rapidly when warm and moist. Bear, javelina and other animals with a high percentage of fat will spoil quickly if not cooled. At temperatures above 40° F these animals must be refrigerated within 12 hours.

Skinning

When skinning an animal, roil the hide away from the cavity and under to give a grip that will help in skinning and that will prevent injury to the hide. Deer, elk and antelope hides make fine gloves, jackets, and jacket linings. Antelope skin doesn’t wear as well as deer or elk. If you plan to use the hide, avoid damaging it by dragging or careless handling. Salt the hides with non iodized salt (two to three pounds for the average deer hide) immediately after removing to prevent spoilage. Iodized salt will discolor the hide.

Aging and Freezing

While it is considered wise to age game meat, there is little agreement on the length of time. In general, about ten days at 35 degrees to 40 degrees F will be satisfactory. Aging allows the meat to firm and gives the body enzymes time to tenderize the muscle. Frozen meat does not age.

For best flavor, six to eight months is considered maximum keeping time of frozen game. Many authorities advise allowing less time.

Cutting

When cutting the meat, trim off any remaining fat. The fat from wild game is responsible for much of the wild taste and tends to become rancid quickly.

A butcher will do a good job of cutting and wrapping for freezer or for further use. It is important to tell him what cuts you want, the number in the family, and how the cut will probably be served.

If you cut it yourself, be sure you have a clean, roomy, well ventilated place to work as well as sharp knives, saw, and other equipment. Trim off all discolored or bloody parts and fat as you come to them. The main cuts are similar to those of a beef carcass and may be cut into steaks and roasts or ground for burger.

Game Birds

Most general recommendations for handling game animals also apply to handling game birds.

Many hunters prefer to draw game birds in the field since it is best to dress and cool them as soon as possible. Wipe out the cavity with dean paper or cloth and hang or lay the bird in a well ventilated place to cool. Hanging close together or stacking game birds in a mass may cause heating.

Pluck birds while they are dry and still warm, or skin them. If plucked, singe them over a flame to remove the down except for water fowl.

Paraffin and water removes the down and small feathers from plucked ducks or geese. For six medium birds, use three cakes of paraffin and six quarts of hot water in a deep (but not wide) kettle. Bring to a boil. Dip the fowl one at a time so that a thin coat of wax covers all feathers. Cool them until the wax hardens. Scrape away the feathers and wax with a knife.

If a game bird (except waterfowl) can be lifted by the lower bill without its breaking, it is a mature bird and is considered less tender. The outer end of the breastbone is rather flexible in any young bird. Knowing the age of a bird will dictate how it should be cooked.

Aging game birds 24 to 48 hours just above freezing temperature removes much of the wild flavor.

Filleting Fish

Make the first cut just behind the gills. Slice down to the bone; then, without removing the blade, turn it and slice straight along backbone to the tail. Note that the fillet has been cut away from the rest of the fish. After slicing fillet off at tail, turn fish over and repeat procedure on the other side.