Antelope Meat Care

I have a few question specific to Antelope about meat care that I would appreciate some feedback on.

1. I can probably fit an entire quartered antelope into a single game bag but should I still separate out the quarters so they aren't mashed together hindering the cooling down process?

2. The unique conditions of an antelope hunt often make it possible to be back at the truck within even an hour of getting an animal down. I've heard people say you shouldn't immediately throw your game bags into a cooler with ice though because the cooler will trap in the heat. Is there truth to this and what should be done instead?

3. Tips or tricks for managing the brittle hair that always seems to get on the meat when skinning antelope?

Thanks!

I always let them cool down to the ambient temp before icing them down. Then wrap in individual game bags and garbage bags to keep dry then bury in ice. I would never put a quarter in plastic bag until body heat is out of them. We have done this in Wyoming and when we get back to Oregon the quarters are comparable to those that I have hung in walk in coolers.

The hair is a tough one. Cut away from the carcass and try and minimize best you can.

If possible, hang the meat such that it dries out on the surface, forming a rind. When you slice off the rind to process the meat, the hair gets sliced off with the rind.

Use one of those green kitchen scratch pad to remove hair and dirt. I always have one in my kill kit.

Roller cooler full of ice is your best option. Quarter it and stuff in ice. Many times a roller cooler can make it to the kill site.

While quartering, place the game bag on top of a piece of sage if available. By the time you're done, that ever present wind will have it reasonably cooled.

With our temps now, get him gutted then layed out on top of a sage bush with the body cavity opening up to catch the wind. He will cool off nice then can be put in the cooler. It would be best to not have the quarters packed in tight, allow some air flow between them.
Work the hide from the skin side and you won't have many hairs on the meat.
Fall is here now in Wyoming, we have cool temps and precip coming end of this week and into beginning of next, more snow is on the way. Get your animal gutted and they should be fine until the quarters hit the cooler. If worried quarter it out and pout the quarters on top of a sage bush to cool out before leaving the kill site.

Thanks All!

CubsFan said:

I have a few question specific to Antelope about meat care that I would appreciate some feedback on.
1. I can probably fit an entire quartered antelope into a single game bag but should I still separate out the quarters so they aren't mashed together hindering the cooling down process?

Click to expand...

I would split it up into 5 bags just for a number of reasons, doing so will help dissipate heat and help with organization when you are cutting everything up at home.

CubsFan said:

2. The unique conditions of an antelope hunt often make it possible to be back at the truck within even an hour of getting an animal down. I've heard people say you shouldn't immediately throw your game bags into a cooler with ice though because the cooler will trap in the heat. Is there truth to this and what should be done instead?

Click to expand...

True sort of, most people don't use enough ice and don't cool the cooler off before hand. If you have a cooler with an internal temp of the ambient environment, then toss in meat with a couple of freezer packs your meat is going to spoil as the cooler will trap the heat. If you ice down your cooler before hand so it's cold and have a 1/5 ratio of ice to meat you should be fine putting the meat in the cooler 10-20 mins or so after the hide is off. Use block ice or freezer packs that are long and thin if possible and place them strategically. Organize your cooler such that the meat is never sitting in standing water.

CubsFan said:

3. Tips or tricks for managing the brittle hair that always seems to get on the meat when skinning antelope?

Click to expand...

Always cut the hide from the bottom up rather than top down. After your initial incision you want the blade facing up so it cuts the hide and not the hair. Watch the gutless video randy does and really focus on how he is holding his knife and making cuts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbnp82DWMCE

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Hope this helps