Headed down to the lease this Thur for 8 or 9 days

...and got to thinking...how long can you keep fresh quarters on ice before they need to be processed and frozen? What got me wondering was thinking about bustin' a pig or two early on in the trip. Thanks for the input!

As long as you keep them temp constantly cold and drain the blood out, I've kept them on ice for up to 7 days. Done that several times. Keep your cooler in the shade and covered seems to do the trick.

When my buds and I hunted Colorado we kept our elk for about 14 days on ice/cool. Idaho was a little longer, maybe 3 weeks before we processed it. Never had to wait that long on processing deer. Just keep it from getting wet. Hope this helps!

Have a doe my son shot during thanks giving. We boned and put on ice. Still in the cooler. Made a lot of fajita meat the other night and will cook some tonight. Didnt take to processor because it was a doe and weighed maybe 80 lbs. Cost the same to process a 125lb buck as it does a doe sooooo since we are going to eat it all pretty quick, I left it on ice and drain water. Will all be gone or in the freezer this week.

u can keep it that 8 or 9 days, just keep adding ice and draining water.

Thanks for the tips. Guess since we usually do quick weekend trips so it's never been an issue.

I have done 7 days before with no problems by adding ice and draining water.

We throw it straight in the ice & it gets real wet. Are ya'll wrapping it in something & then putting it in ice? Never done that.

We usually put it in compactor bags and zip tie them closed. When compactor bags aren't available we would double bag in strong trash bags. Water is ok as long as you drain it often.

I like the easy way!!

u can keep it that 8 or 9 days, just keep adding ice and draining water

I agree with that

x 2

if you have electric do what we do we bought a freezer off craigslist for 50.00 quarter everything and throw it in the freezer untill we leave

Only problem with that is your quarters freeze and then you have to thaw out to process and re freeze them again. Sounds like they'll make it on ice just fine for a week and a half or so. I second bagging them in compactor bags to keep them from getting wet. I've had processors tell me it doesn't matter, but the way I see it I wouldn't soak a good steak in water so why do that to my venison? One disclaimer- make sure the quarters are all the way cooled off before sealing the bags. The plastic will trap heat in and could possibly spoil the meat.

Spot on cooling them down first. If you can cool them down good first, block ice can help on keeping them dry.

I have a big marine igloo with a cage installed on a diagonal over the drain. This way you can tilt the cooler and hook up a drain hose and just keep adding ice. All the ice that melts gets drained away and I don't have to worry about water buildup. I rearrange the meat every other day but I really don't know why.

No offense, but definitely do not use trash bags. That suggestion keeps coming up, but trash bags are not food grade. Chemicals, dies, antibacterial agents, and the like. A good processor will tell you the same thing if you show up with it bagged like that. Ok for storing a cape or a bobcat or something you want to get mounted, but not something you want to eat out of or feed your family out of.

Keep adding ice and draining melted ice that turns to water. This process helps to drain the blood out of the meat ( like soaking it in salt water or milk before cooking it does)and I think makes it taste less gamy. Still would not go more than 7 day's though.

try using water frozen in milk jugs for keeping it cool - works great and keeps meat in great shape. If you are out for a while, keep rotating a few jugs between the cooler and freezer.

If you put them in bags then on the ice you dont get any drainage i just throw mine on the ice. just my two cents

I have personally done 10 days, and talked to a processor that said up to 2 weeks was fine. Just make sure you ice it well. The meat should be whitish and kinda washed out looking.

If you keep it cool it will last quite a while and will make it more tender as the aging process begins to take place.Just another thought.

get a box of the Giant zip lock bags you can put a whole Qrtrd deer or hog in it and it keeps things clean

Cool down as soon as possible, keep ice packed AROUND all the meat. dont just throw it on top. Trash bags are not good to use, they are not food grade. Melting ice, drains the blood form meat as well as wash away any tiny articles of dirt or bone. I have always keep mine on ice for at least 7 days before processing.

Put in garbage bags and keep in ice, drain water and change out bags every day or 2. Why does everyone want to drain all the blood out of their meat. When you go to the store and buy meat do you pick out the red fresh meat, or the gray old stuff. Blood is where the flavor is. Deer taste gamey depending on age, conditions (bucks during rut), but more than anything is handling. And deer taste like deer, not choice beef.

We separate the loins and back them, but leave the rest of the quarters open/not bagged in a cooler, keep adding ice and drain water, they'll keep a long time...

As for the beef/blood correlation, most of that beef has aged a ton longer than deer