The work begins the moment your animal is down. How you handle it in the first hour has more influence on the quality of the meat than anything that happens afterward.
Cooling is everything. Get the animal field dressed quickly, open the body cavity and get air moving around the meat. In warm weather, consider quartering and hanging it in shade right away.
Quartering and packing out is honest work, but doing it carefully protects the meat and gets you off the mountain safely. Take your time, keep it clean, and your efforts will show up on the table.
Horseshoe Hill Journal
