The Alaska Field Care Manual is a two-part series covering all aspects of the field care of Alaska big-game meat and trophies. It represents the combined knowledge of 25 years in the Alaska big-game guiding business, and 25 years of conducting seminars on the field care of Alaska big-game meat and trophies. This series addresses some of the hardest issues Alaska hunters face in field conditions when it comes to preventing spoilage and getting their meat and trophies to the processor in excellent condition. Volume 1 begins with a detailed discussion of the science behind proper field care of game meat, together with the common causes of spoilage. It outlines the three primary rules for meat care on remote hunts. There’s an entire chapter on legal considerations, including the tags and documentation that must be completed, the evidence of sex requirements, bone-in requirements that exist across much of Alaska, and even the sequence for packing your game meat from the kill site. This chapter deal with post-kill documentation, what to do with spoiled meat in the field, transferring game meat to another person, and transport requirements. Chapter three focuses on the planning you must do prior to your Alaska hunt; speaking with a meat processor, a taxidermist, a cargo company, and anyone else involved in transporting your game meat and trophies from the field to your home. From there we go into a detailed discussion of all the tools needed for proper meat and trophy care on remote Alaska expedition hunts where running out to the store for supplies isn’t an option. We go through the field butchering tools, packing tools, and the tools, supplies, and gear used to care for meat and trophies in camp, including salt quantities needed for each species. An entire section focuses in on each of Alaska’s big game species, looking in detail at the unique aspects of each one regarding meat and trophy considerations, and how to address those differences in field conditions. The book continues on with a discussion of rifle calibers, bullets, and other considerations related to making good shots on Alaska game. It includes a chart of recommended calibers for each species. The final chapter in Volume 1 focuses on wildlife diseases and parasites of concern to Alaska hunters, and the impact those diseases and parasites can have on meat quality. Pages:181 Photos: 62 Illustrations, charts, and maps: 13
