Good news and a warning for opening weekend
I don't know about you, but I am on pins and needles waiting for the weekend.
For the first time in years, I am going deer hunting, and I'm really looking forward to it.
I'm all ready to bundle up, but it looks like the weather will be mild. That will make it easier to sit still longer.
But, it means hunters will have to hustle to get deer field dressed and processed. Here's a news release from the Department of Ag:
WARM WEEKEND WEATHER PROMPTS CAUTION TO HUNTERS: HANDLE VENISON WITH CARE
MADISON -- With mild temperatures predicted for opening weekend of the gun deer season in Wisconsin, food safety officials are cautioning hunters to handle venison carefully to keep it safe to eat.
When the temperature is over 40 degrees, bacteria capable of causing food-borne illness can grow quickly. Keep it clean and cold, the experts say:
--Field dress the carcass immediately.
--Wash the body cavity with cold, clean water if possible. Carry a clean towel to wipe your hands and prevent cross contamination.
--Place the heart and liver in a food-grade plastic bag if you wish to keep them.
--Spread the rib cage to cool the carcass more quickly. If the air temperature is over 40 degrees, it’s a good idea to pack the carcass with clean ice. Refrigerate the carcass, if possible.
--Use food quality plastics bags or bucket to store cut meats. Do not use dark colored garbage bags, because they may contain toxic resins and are not intended for food use.
--Do not leave venison or other wild game in a car trunk where warmer temperatures promote bacterial growth.
--Use a cooler filled with ice or dry ice to store cut meat.
--Register and process venison as soon as it is harvested. Venison will spoil if it hangs without refrigeration in warm weather.
Nov 22, 2009 at 9:37 a.m.
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mmmmmmm....venison! Hey Ann Marie, good luck to you! Hope your next blog is about how the weekend went!
Nov 21, 2009 at 6:16 p.m.
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Hey "Ann Marie" - How can you enjoy going out in to nature to shoot a beautiful, defenseless animal? How exactly is killing a living being something that gets you so excited you're on "pins and needles." What happened to your innate need to nurture? Even the women are on this barbarian bandwagon. What a pity.
Nov 20, 2009 at 11:56 a.m.
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Good Luck Ann Marie! I'm taking the year off and seeing what the hub bub is about Widow's Weekend. With how nice the weather is, though, I've been wishing this morning that I had left with my husband!
Only saw one deer last year after two days. I'm still very skeptical about the DNR numbers.
Nov 20, 2009 at 11:49 a.m.
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Go get 'em, Ann Marie!
Nov 20, 2009 at 8:56 a.m.
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And the DNR is considering the deer season one WEEK BEFORE the regular season. Dah - it usually is warmer before Nov. 21st than AFTER the deer season. So, extend the deer season 1 week AFTER the regular season if you are all concerned with high temps spoiling meat and usually by then the temps are in the 30's, low 40's for highs and not much of a chance of meat spoilage. Also, more chance of snow 1 week AFTER regular 9 day season and more time to hunt the DNR estimated overpopulation of deer. There are still a good number of deer otu there judging by the number of deer collisions on the road the past few weeks. Good luck all shooting those rodents causing collisions and raising my insurance premiums.
Nov 19, 2009 at 9:26 p.m.
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Is "Please the heart and liver in a food-grade plastic bag" a technical term that I am unfamiliar with? I must say that it sounds a little, well, perverted. ;-)
Nov 19, 2009 at 7:27 p.m.
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No bobb...the DNR said this:
"Statewide, the herd remains at more than 1 million animals, according to the DNR estimates. The agency's deer experts say the population should be closer to 737,000."
That means that they want a smaller herd, thus the "should be".
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