....another deer

[duck doctor]

I have never had this problem before and am wondering what I should do.  For the first time I think I need another freezer.  I use to fill my folk's freezer up every year but I own my own now. It is a 13cu ft freezer and she is just about full already.  Everything you can see in the pic is wild meat.  The racks are suasage and are sitting on steaks and roasts!  1 road kill doe and a bear.  I think I have to shoot a small deer now so I don't have to buy another freezer!

[vermonner]

Yum Yum.
Ya know, there's always Hunters Helping the Harvest (or perhaps a local food shelf) if you were of a mind to make a donation to those less fortunate and in need.--Not trying to lay a guilt trip or anything, just a thought

[cSpike]

You could easily fit a few more humans in there, lol.

!3ft3 isn't too bad. I think I got a 18 stand up and I usually fill it with Macs and groundfish bait for the season.

Spike

[duck doctor]

Yum Yum.
Ya know, there's always Hunters Helping the Harvest (or perhaps a local food shelf) if you were of a mind to make a donation to those less fortunate and in need.--Not trying to lay a guilt trip or anything, just a thought

I hate to say this but unfortunatly, I need all the meat I can stuff in there this year.  I am unemployed and have been for a month now. Money is tight so everything I can legally kill is going into the freezer.  I have contacted soup kitchens in the past. 

No guilt on my part.  I wish more people would donate meat to the hungry!

[duck doctor]

Well it did not take long.  I was working on the ambulance and we got toned for a car vs. deer.  They were going to chuck it because of the two broken legs. Well I snagged this one and there appears to be nothing wrong with the meat.  This deer will go between 115 and 125. It is a 3ptr.  I hate when animals like this just get chucked because the driver does't think about the animal and the meat it can provide.  I am not bashful taking the deer.  I currently do not have a full time job. I grab the hours on the ambulance that I can.  I have an interview in Berlin in the AM and the meat from my bear and 2 road kill deer will be put to good use.  I do not want to say that I am "needy" but every dime I can save at this point will reallly help!

[jayswimmer09]

im glad to see that that great meet isnt being wasted!! good job

[SPARKYICE]

i hate to be critical, and i hope you don't take this the wrong way,
but the way you have your meat wrapped, it's going to get ruined by freezer burn.

styrofoam trays and celophane are ok for short term storage in your fridge,
but for long term freezing you need to have the meat tightly wrapped in freezer paper or vacuum packed, such that no air is in contact with the meat.

i learned this the hard way. in 6-8 weeks the meat in those packages will be just about inedible.
in the bags on the left, you can already see it starting-it's that frosty stuff betwen the meat and the bag.
that frost forms from the moisture being drawn out of the meat.
when you thaw out those bags, you'll see dried out brownish patches on the edges of the meat-freezer burn.

sorry, dude, but it's true.

[duck doctor]

No offense taken.  I have been pakaging my meat the same way for over 15 years now. The only time I have run into freezer burn is when I find a package of meat that slipped down behind something and has been there for a long time. Believe it or not, 6-8 weeks and the majority of the meat will be gone!

[pikemaster789]

Fine looking deer and an even better looking freezer

[longbeardking]

i hate to be critical, and i hope you don't take this the wrong way,
but the way you have your meat wrapped, it's going to get ruined by freezer burn.

styrofoam trays and celophane are ok for short term storage in your fridge,
but for long term freezing you need to have the meat tightly wrapped in freezer paper or vacuum packed, such that no air is in contact with the meat.

i learned this the hard way. in 6-8 weeks the meat in those packages will be just about inedible.
in the bags on the left, you can already see it starting-it's that frosty stuff betwen the meat and the bag.
that frost forms from the moisture being drawn out of the meat.
when you thaw out those bags, you'll see dried out brownish patches on the edges of the meat-freezer burn.

sorry, dude, but it's true.

I too take no offense. I have been packaging meat this way for allot longer that 15 years and have kept meat AND fish for well over a year with no problem. As long as the package material is not punctured the contents does very well for me.

[SPARKYICE]

well, i guess i'll have to eat crow.
as a side note, if i see a deer on the side of the road that wasn't there yesterday, i'll stop and wiggle the leg.
if it ain't to old or gut busted bad, they go into the back of my truck.
here in ny the driver has first dibs, the cops will issue a possesion permit to them.any passersby can have the thing if the driver don't want it.
you're not supposed to just pick them up, like i do, (i could get in trouble) ,if i called it in they would probably come out and tag it for me, but it could take awhile.
it used to be you could leave your name and number with the station and they would call you when one got hit in your neighborhood. they probably still do that, i've gotten them that way before.
i'm not above picking up a dead fox to skin, either.
possums and such i'll leave alone.

[longbeardking]

Sparkyice,,,,,,,,,No need to eat crow whatsoever. You make very valid points and vacuum seal and/or freezer paper is a much better alternative. It's been many years since I have processed my own deer, but when I did, everything went to freezer paper.  All my wild turkeys are still done in paper. If I wasn't so cheap, I'd buy a sealing machine. BTW. My son and I hunt Oswego County every year for spring turkeys and spsnd most of the summer fishing Lake Ontario. You have a beautiful state. Hey nothing wrong with roadkill.