Author Topic: Warm weather hunting food safety  (Read 1366 times)

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Offline motorman

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Warm weather hunting food safety
« on: September 14, 2011, 05:54:21 PM »
Hello to all a few years ago i shot a squirrel hunting  and it was about 65 out ,  i carried it with out field dressing it for a hour or two went home cleaned it cooked it and was sick to death about 4 to 7am that morning im scared to hunt and eat one again what can i do to get over this ? i also am concerned about them wolves?? can someone enlighten me on proper field care and hunting in warm weather thank you

Offline tacklebury

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2011, 06:24:33 PM »
Well, you can be pretty positive it wasn't that squirrel.  I am SafeServe certified and you can leave pretty much anything out for up to 4 hours without any issue.  It also takes typically 15 hours for enough bacteria from bad food to develope in the gut and cause illness.  That being said, there are other things like allergies, bites etc. that can cause reactions much more quickly.  When I warm weather hunt, I never worried about field dressing squirrels.  I often would bring home my limit and then stop by the trash heap on the way to the house and make quick work of them.  If you are going to field dress them, you will definitely release a lot more blood scent and if you are around wolves, probably attract them more.  One thought you might try would be to carry them in a rubber lined laundry type bag, to avoid dripping blood as you're walking around.  We don't have wolves here to worry about, so that's the extent of my thoughts on it.  More than likely though, if you did have food issues it was from 1 to 4 days previously.  ;)
Tacklebury --}>>>>>    Multi-Barrel: .223 Superlite, 7mm-08 22", .30-40 Krag M158, .357 Maximum 16-1/4 HB, .45 Colt, .45-70 22" irons, 32" .45-70 Peeps, 12 Ga. 3-1/2 w/ Chokes, .410 Smooth slugger, .45 Cal Muzzy, .50 Cal Muzzy, .58 Cal Muzzy

also classics: M903 9-shot Target .22 Revolver, 1926 .410 Single, 1915 38 S&W Break top Revolver and 7-shot H&R Trapper .22 6" bbl.


Offline motorman

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2011, 06:43:48 PM »
tacklebury thank you for your response by wovles i meant those fly type larve on the squirrels sorry for the mis understanding i didnt think that food poison set in that quick either but it stilll bugs me see i deer hunt muzzleloader and shotgun here in maryland and its always cool then or down right cold when i harvest one so i do not have concerns with that squirrel season starts here sep 3rd till feb so i want to wait till its cold to hunt squirrel also but im itching to get out now and enjoy the great outdoors its about 65-87 here now friday hi of 65 low upper 40s here fri night so i want to get out there and enjoy thanks for response be safe and have fun

Offline briarpatch

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2011, 08:55:12 PM »
The wolves want hurt you or the meat but they do have the icky look to them. I would wait until after a few frost before I would hunt them. By then the wolves were gone.

Offline tacklebury

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2011, 12:44:50 PM »
tacklebury thank you for your response by wovles i meant those fly type larve on the squirrels sorry for the mis understanding i didnt think that food poison set in that quick either but it stilll bugs me see i deer hunt muzzleloader and shotgun here in maryland and its always cool then or down right cold when i harvest one so i do not have concerns with that squirrel season starts here sep 3rd till feb so i want to wait till its cold to hunt squirrel also but im itching to get out now and enjoy the great outdoors its about 65-87 here now friday hi of 65 low upper 40s here fri night so i want to get out there and enjoy thanks for response be safe and have fun
Sorry for the mis-understanding on wolves.  I do the early Antlerless deer hunt here and it is a concern for quick processing also.  When I got mine last year.  I made sure to get it right up to the house and started cold well water running through the cavity and rinsing it down.  I had a big cooler and once it was skinned, I quartered it, separated ribs and backstraps and usable neck portions into the cooler.  One bag of ice chilled it down quick and held it for 2 days frozen.  ;)  Then a couple days later when time allowed, I processed it at home the rest of the way.  All but the straps that is.  They got made up right away.  ;)
Tacklebury --}>>>>>    Multi-Barrel: .223 Superlite, 7mm-08 22", .30-40 Krag M158, .357 Maximum 16-1/4 HB, .45 Colt, .45-70 22" irons, 32" .45-70 Peeps, 12 Ga. 3-1/2 w/ Chokes, .410 Smooth slugger, .45 Cal Muzzy, .50 Cal Muzzy, .58 Cal Muzzy

also classics: M903 9-shot Target .22 Revolver, 1926 .410 Single, 1915 38 S&W Break top Revolver and 7-shot H&R Trapper .22 6" bbl.


Offline keith44

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2011, 08:11:15 AM »
as far as the squirrel making you sick, as long as the digestive tract was not ruptured there should not have been any issues. 
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Offline jakeemt

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2011, 10:12:07 PM »
Hey man squirrel season opens in may here and goes until feb. I live for it. I do hunt them pretty much all summer,fall and winter. During the summer I have taken to carrying a small soft cooler with a few of those frozen ice packs in it. I line the inside with wax paper. Works pretty well.

Offline spruce

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2011, 01:24:42 AM »
In warm weather I freeze a gallon milk jug and put it in an old cooler, throw the cooler in the back of my truck and after hunting a spot I put whatever I got in the cooler.  Works good when you're gonna be out all day.
 
May not be necessary, but gives me peace of mind!

Offline keith44

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2011, 05:12:08 AM »
excellent idea spruce, better safe than sick
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Offline tacklebury

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Re: Warm weather hunting food safety
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2011, 12:33:54 PM »
I do this for my deer when the weather is over 40 degrees F.  I put 1 bag of ice in cooler to start it then can quarter it quickly and pack in ice.  ;)  Actually do it for fish too.  Maybe I should start for squirrels too.  ;)
Tacklebury --}>>>>>    Multi-Barrel: .223 Superlite, 7mm-08 22", .30-40 Krag M158, .357 Maximum 16-1/4 HB, .45 Colt, .45-70 22" irons, 32" .45-70 Peeps, 12 Ga. 3-1/2 w/ Chokes, .410 Smooth slugger, .45 Cal Muzzy, .50 Cal Muzzy, .58 Cal Muzzy

also classics: M903 9-shot Target .22 Revolver, 1926 .410 Single, 1915 38 S&W Break top Revolver and 7-shot H&R Trapper .22 6" bbl.