Meat Bags

[hozz1235]

I don't typically have enough meat on hand to store significant amounts outside, but recently, while trekking from the Maintenance Shed in BR to the Hunter's Lodge, I managed to bag (haha!) both a bear and a moose.  I decided to store all the quartered meat right outside the front door (up the steps) of the Lodge.  I was busy inside for about 3 days (had Cabin fever off), and when I went to check on all my bagged meat, it was ALL gone.  I didn't think wolves could get stuff where I stored it?

[Doc Feral]

Bugs ate your meat. No, seriously, those steps are a well known safe haven from wolves so there's no way they could have stolen it. That's bad. Have you tried searching with the mouse? Sometimes dropped stuff sinks into fallen trees and snow mounds, but the steps' surface is so straight that item collision shouldn't have issues. Flesh eating bugs are nasty, you should join Mobile Infantry and do your part.

[tsrs]

it may be that they just degraded to 0.  IIRC the quartered animals degrade like an unbutchered animal.  Wolves don't steal meat regardless of where it is left, unless you leave it as a decoy

[selfless]

They decay really fast and despawn when they hit zero.  Analogous to carcasses still so they are not yet "meat".

[hozz1235]

21 minutes ago, selfless said:

They decay really fast and despawn when they hit zero.  Analogous to carcasses still so they are not yet "meat".

That's probably what happened then since I was playing with loper settings (which I don't normally).

[Doc Feral]

On 1/11/2018 at 7:12 PM, selfless said:

They decay really fast and despawn when they hit zero.

I didn't know that, I usually pick up everything when I quarter, good to learn that.

[peteloud]

Even after 1,500 games days of TLD I had not noticed the option to bag meat.  After seeing there references to bagging here I gave it a try when I shot a bear. 

I found bagging meat more trouble than before.  Normally, when I have a carcase with more meat than I could carry I harvest all the meat then just drop it next to the carcase. The meat stays there, edible for a long time and can be carried away at my convenience.

[Doc Feral]

4 hours ago, peteloud said:

 I found bagging meat more trouble than before.  Normally, when I have a carcase with more meat than I could carry I harvest all the meat then just drop it next to the carcase. The meat stays there, edible for a long time and can be carried away at my convenience.

Quartering saves a bit of time in the open, and that's it. Bags are twice as heavy as the meat they contain and decay as quickly as a whole carcass, but the shorter working time can save you troubles such as freezing and predators.

By the way, the green floating companion bag is not an option anymore, but you can still move a bag within reach, which in my mind represents kicking it around.

[Guest jeffpeng]

Gotta agree with @peteloud. I practically never use the quartering option. If I am too exposed, I pop a fire. If it's too windy to pop a fire I try to make camp nearby where I can, and make trips until I got the meat, then leave the meat at the camp. Meat stays for a long time out in the cold (and even 50% condition raw meat is practically perfect since you regain 50% just by cooking it), and predators don't eat it unless you are in the immediate vicinity (in which case they treat it as bait/decoy). I guess the only real argument for quartering would be if you have a lot of free inventory space (when do you ever?) and want to pack as much as possible in as little as possible time and don't plan on returning.

[Guest jeffpeng]

Although, that being said: bags should only lose 10% per day (maybe more if inside?)  Ofc.... on loper they lose much more much faster.

[BareSkin]

Just now, jeffpeng said:

and make trips until I got the meat

Got wolfed on my 100-day Loper run doing this.

Now, I just always quarter unless I know I want the calories right there (never happens on a Loper, right?) : you got guts and skins in 2h (or1), and the meat becomes transportable. No brainer. Yes, I quarter deers and wolves if they're not far from an indoor. Mobility has no price.

[Guest jeffpeng]

2 hours ago, BareSkin said:

you got guts and skins in 2h (or1), and the meat becomes transportable. No brainer. 

Alright, I see your point now. I actually never factored in the time you "save" for guts and hides. If you indeed are planning to take any of those, it really is a no-brainer. 

[BareSkin]

If it's only for the meat, I make my decision based on weather/temperatures. I prefer quartering a wolf/deer in 1h and needing only 1h worth of sticks burnt if I feel the weather can turn bad quickly, and we all know it does, quite often The proximity of an indoor place is also a great factor, if the place is usually patrolled and shelter is far, I'll prefer having my smellies in my belly.