Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: coonman220]
#6724249
01/11/20 02:08 AM
01/11/20 02:08 AM
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NonPCfed
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Good job coonmman!! I don't know how anything whole could get freezer burned in 3 months but maybe its possible...
"And God said, Let us make man in our image �and let them have dominion �and all the creatures that move along the ground". Genesis 1:26
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Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: coonman220]
#6724278
01/11/20 06:16 AM
01/11/20 06:16 AM
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Posts: 3,870 Mn
nightlife
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Should be good to go, as a precaution I always snip the claws off before they go in the freezer, nothing sharper the frozen rat claws in the early morning
�Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.� ― Robert A. Heinlein
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Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: lumberjack391]
#6724348
01/11/20 08:48 AM
01/11/20 08:48 AM
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Posts: 5,947 n.e, iowa
coonman220
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I still have the scars, know what you mean. I know what u mean, frozen razor sharp claws
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Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: coonman220]
#6724438
01/11/20 10:29 AM
01/11/20 10:29 AM
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Posts: 23,797 Wisconsin
The Beav
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If It happens It's going to be the nose and face that will freezer burn. And It could happen. I just hate skinning thawed rats. And as to those frozen claws I would just cut off all the feet before I started.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: coonman220]
#6725158
01/11/20 08:34 PM
01/11/20 08:34 PM
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Posts: 937 Anchor Point, AK
trapperjoeAK
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Have stored whole freezers before, I just dry them a bit and blow out with air compressor then cut tail and maybe front feet off. I find it annoying to do the initial cuts without the hind feet. I use a piece of cardboard to put under the currently freezing layer to keep them from freezing together then slide it out and do the next layer, this costs you some freezer space as they dont pack as well but you end up with all individual rats... Finished product won't be hurt by 5-6 months. They are much less nice to put up then fresh rats as stated. The important thing is loading the freezer at a pace that they freeze quickly, and dealing with promptly when you thaw. The freeze/thaw much more likely to damage then 'freezer burn' which pretty much just makes face harder to skin. In general they are much harder to peel because the carcass does not hold together as well. Now days I think it's quite a bit better to keep up with skinning and just freeze pelts to stretch later in my opinion but Id do this again if I just wanted to go as hard as I could for a few days and I had the freezer space, realistically you need multiple freezers to do the freezing even if you put all the frozen ones in one. This is 300 or something
Last edited by trapperjoeAK; 01/11/20 08:45 PM.
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Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: trapperjoeAK]
#6726934
01/13/20 02:01 AM
01/13/20 02:01 AM
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52Carl
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only reliable carcass market up here is beaver, although it is quite good. Ive sold a few rats for eating (like 20....) and some to a guy who used them for food for his hawks. heh. Not every place is the same. Good point. I did not see the Alaska part. Definitely a shortage of clientele up there.
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Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: coonman220]
#6731834
01/17/20 12:34 AM
01/17/20 12:34 AM
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coonman220
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How long can keep un wrapped. Beaver an coon, otter, if just lay flat an freeze, with tail an head tuck in? Without trouble ? Skinned. Not carcass's.
Last edited by coonman220; 01/17/20 12:34 AM.
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Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: coonman220]
#6732204
01/17/20 11:06 AM
01/17/20 11:06 AM
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Posts: 5,459 Montana
Taximan
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I would wrap them all.It varies but it will freezer burn much quicker,not wrapped.at the least,it can make animals sloer to skin.Some tails can be impossible to skin or may rip.Throwing them in a bag loosely can be as bad.The best thing I have used for rat sized animals is shrink wrap with a handle,as used in packaging.It really pushes a lot of air out and that is the name of the game.Cutting the claws or feet off is a good thing.
Larger animals can be wrapped in a bag and the shrink wrap can be used to wrap around the bag to get some air out.
I have the best luck,putting them up and when dry,bag a bundle and wrap that.They will definitely last much longer this way.Wrapped on the carcass,I might let them go 6 months.Unwrapped,I wouldn't wait too long.You can test every couple months by pulling one that has been in there longest and putting that one up.You can store it in the freezer.A monthe later,try aother one.This should tell you how your particular freezer affects them.Nice batch of rats,Coonman.
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Re: Storing carcass rat freezer question.
[Re: coonman220]
#6732683
01/17/20 05:41 PM
01/17/20 05:41 PM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,093 Hathaway Montana
Cathouse Jim
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I use to freeze them all the time as a teenager. I would dry them off pretty good with some crumpled up newspaper and then roll them up in a dry newspaper. Worked very well until my mom opened up the freezer and saw then in there. Whiskers and teeth were all she saw!
edit - Some of those rats were taken in November and not skinned till March, I never noticed anything wrong with them.
Last edited by Cathouse Jim; 01/17/20 05:43 PM.
"I've reached nearly fifty four years of age with my system."
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