Moving a buffalo

[MVP]

I'm trying to figure out the logisitics of harvesting a buffalo this fall. Of greatest concern is getting the meat to a packing house. The buffalo are about 650 miles away from me while the packing house is about 70 miles distant and on the same route. Although the temps get a bit cooler here in the SW in the winter it is not nearly so cold that you can just leave meat out and expect it to be ok. I am thinking to go there, shoot a bull late in the afternoon and then get on the road very early in the morning to arrive at the packing house at mid-afternoon. Not sure though how best to transport the meat/carcass. Should I just quarter the thing and then try to wrap it in a tarp with ice in the back of a pick-up or is there a better solution. I could have it cut and wrapped at the location but then I would have to hang-out for a week and still figure out how to move the now frozen meat.

MVP

[Pete]

Plywood & Styrofoam are pretty cheap. Knock together a box out of the plywood, maybe a few 2x4's going around it to held hold it together, line with Styrofoam sheets, quarter the beast and layer the meat and ice.

Excess water should drain out and every so often stop and add more Ice.

Originally Posted by DocIllinois

Found this, but the rub would be figuring out if ice will keep the stuff like a freezer would.


"...it may be concluded that a storage period upto 4 days in chiller (4±1°C) and 30 days in freezer (-10±1°C) would satisfactorily maintain the buffalo meat quality."

ehttp://scialrt.net/fulltext/?doi=ajft.2007.126.135

Buffalo meat in India is Water Buffalo, not Bison.

I'd just by some buffalo steaks (vacuum packed), put some on the grill and the rest in the freezer, and chow down!

Or better yet.....Head to Santa Fe...Stay at the Hotel Santa Fe / The Hacienda, enjoy bison dinner in the Amaya restaurant, while listening to Ronald Roybal 's native flute, and Spanish guitar music.

http://www.hotelsantafe.com/

[Guymullins]

We often have to transport meat over long distances in the heat. The way I do it is wrap the skinned and gutted carcass in a canvass tarp that has been soaked in water overnight, put on the back of an open pick-up truck and pour water onto the canvass every hundred miles or so. The evaporation from the windblast keeps the meat nice and cool and it will be fine after 1000 miles if you can keep your speed up.

[bost1751]

Dry ice works great if you have accss to it. Use Pete's idea, cover it with a tarp and place dry ice on the tarp, not on the meat.

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by bost1751

Dry ice works great if you have accss to it. Use Pete's idea, cover it with a tarp and place dry ice on the tarp, not on the meat.

Yep, combo of both above ideas. I beat feet back to WI with a quartered elk from the CO Flat Tops. Constructed containers or big friggin ice-chests, either one. The dry ice slabs go on top of the inside of the container wrapped in paper grocery bags (remember them?) or similar. The paper protects the meat from the ice burn as well as allowing you to handle it in the first place. Duct tape all seams of the container.

RESIST temptation to "check on it" and then drive it like ya stole it.

Good hunting!

[Destrier]

http://www.portablecoldstorage.com/

Did a quick search and you can also rent freezer trailers or trucks.

[Buffalobob]

Been There Done That-- Its how I come by the monicker of Buffalobob!
650# as you see it gutted out and in the truck. Almost impossible to quickly cool down. Best idea is to have a quick trip to the locker plant.

Large animals with slow metabolism die slowly so do not expect the same quick death as with a smaller mammal.