Meat Quality & meat Spoilage

Proper care of game meat requires preparation. Game meat quality is greatly influenced by how an animal or bird is hunted and how the meat is cared for, while in the hunting field. Remember to always bring a sharp hunting knife.

You have a responsibility to properly care for your game. Respect the animal you have taken. Everything you do or don't do at this stage will show up at the dinner table later. Remember that the hunter, not the cook, is responsible for the flavor of game meat.

Hunters use harvested game to provide meat for the table, it should never be wasted.

The three major causes of meat spoilage are dirt, heat, and moisture.

A big game animal should be relaxed and still before it is killed. A stressed or wounded animal will yield meat with a strong flavor due to an accumulation of waste products in the meat.

Several factors are responsible for meat spoilage and microbial contamination, such as:

1. Bacterial flora of animal
2. Knives, utensils, hands, and clothing 
3. They way you handle the game before and after the field dressing
4. Temperature controls during field dressing
5. Taking too long to cool the meat