Often during the Maine moose hunting seasons we experience unseasonably warm weather, and this can make dealing with your moose meat a challenge once you are fortunate enough to harvest your bull. Moose meat is delicious table fare, and it all begins the moment your moose is harvested. More times than not, most Maine moose guides harvest moose and take them out of the woods whole. They will transport them on a trailer or winch them into the back of a truck and drive them back to town in the warm weather with the hide still on. It is a tradition in Maine to weigh your dressed moose and common among most Maine moose guides. Unfortunately, this can lead to meat spoilage and overall, it is about the poorest way you can care for your delicious Maine moose meat. Luckily, all the guides at Epic Adventures are very experienced with meat care in the field, quartering moose, and know what to do when the temperatures are warm. Presoaking and air drying your game bags in a citric acid/water solution is a valuable guide tip I learned while guiding caribou hunts in remote Alaska. It is the first step to making sure your game meat does not spoil and prevents flies from laying eggs on the meat or game bags. The citric acid solution also prevents bacteria growth. Soaking the bags is a simple process and citric acid can be found next to the canning equipment section in your local grocery store. Mix about a tablespoon or two of the citric acid to a quart of water. Soak the bags in the solution until they are good and saturated, then air dry the bags outside. During your hunt store the bags in a gallon zip-lock. Aside from just soaking the game bags in citric acid and air drying them before your hunt, the moose quarters can also be sprayed with the citric acid solution from a spray bottle once the quarters are peeled off the moose. Give them a quick spray down with the solution before sliding the quarter into the game bag.

As for which brand of game bags we have found to be the best over our Maine moose hunting career, they are T.A.G. Bags made by Pristine Adventures in Alaska. They are basically like a gore-tex type material that allows the meat to breath but keeps it dry. They do not allow flies on the meat like cheesecloth bags do. A guide tip that goes along with game bags is once you draw the draw cord tight on the game bag, fold the end over and zip tie it shut. This will prevent flies from getting in the small opening next to the draw cord. The bags are expensive, about $100 a set, but they can be washed and reused each hunt for multiple uses if you take care of the bags. Do not use any saws while quartering your moose. Instead cut everything at the sockets and joints with a knife.  The sharp bone pieces from sawing joints will rip your bags, making them unusable again and any holes in your bags will allow flies in.

For more information about our trophy Maine moose hunts, please visit our website at www.eaguides.com

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