How long to ice game?

I just shot an eland and have been icing and draining daily. How long do yall ice your game before processing?

I do till the melted water is clear, not pink. Don't know why, just the way I was taught.

Usually 5 to 7 days. Depends on the size of the animal for me. This is for whitetail / axis.

A combination of the two ways mentioned above

This may sound weird but I always ice mine until I have time to process. I process myself. Typically I shoot something on a weekend and I will ice it until the next weekend. Sometimes it is less than that. So typically I go 5-7 days but Ive been known to ice for only 3.

Same. I did the two does I shot last season the next day, because that was the only chance I got. Surprisingly, I couldn't tell any difference in the meat quality. It may just be that they were young, and does.

Just long enough to take to the processor. I taste no difference between icing for 1 day vs. 4 days, which is the longest I've kept one on ice.

This is my take, ive been told im wrong but I disagree. I ice it till I can get it taken care of. Sometimes that means it sees no ice and goes directly into the freezer, sometimes I refrigerate it instead of icing it. Sometimes it will sit on ice a few days to as long as 2 weeks. I have never noticed a flavor or textural difference in any of it.

The meet looks pale on the outside but if you cut it open its still red. People do it because it makes them feel good. It may work good if you have some meat from a gutshot animal because the gut etc is on the outside of the meat, but other than that I see little reason to ice meat other than to keep it from spoiling. This theory of soaking meat isn't done with commercially produced meats and I would think that most would agree that commercially produced meats are superior to game meats, at least I sure know I rank a nicely marbles ribey over any cut of deer or feral hog.

Until I get home from the lease

However long it takes to drive from the lease to the processor.

As some have said previously, just until I can get to it to process myself. Unlike others, I try not to let water touch the meat at all. I keep the meat elevated above the ice and periodically drain the water. I have kept meat in a cooler for a week like this and never had any issues with palatability.

yep, my dad was anal about not getting water on the meat.

I like my meat bloody, blood is juice and keeps it moist. I keep it on ice until it gets to its final destination. I taste no diffence between pulling the straps and eating them right away vs icing and taking it to a processor

This ^^^

Depends on my schedule. I don't mind letting it sit on top of ice for a week as long as I drain the bloody water out and continue to add more ice. Never had a problem.

The elk we have killed in Colorado were never cleaned out with snow. Skinned out and covered with game bag and let the blood crust over. My dad was like PMK's dad on this subject on deer and elk.

As long as I have to. Up to 10 days if need be.

i have done it for up to 10 days but usually because I get busy and don't have time to butcher since I do it myself. I try to do 5-7 days but have gone up to 10 with no problem but I never let it sit in water. I just keep the plug open and tilt the cooler to allow water to drain and replenish ice daily.

If I leave it on ice I will pack the meat in ice open the drain plug and elevate the opposite end of the drain, put a brick under it etc. it will keep the water draining away from the meat.

Yeti Cooler..A week
Igloo..Couple days
Stop and Rob Styro...4 hrs max

I do not ice. The only water it sees is when I wash it out after skinning and gutting.

This.

Usually do this for a full week.

Had a guy give us some backstrap two weeks ago. Once it thawed, I knew it hadn't been bled out as long as I do. Was a little more gamey smelling, and tasting, but we wore it out anyway!