It's that time of year, when more than 2.5 million hunters in Pennsylvania head out to the woods. As a hunter, you not only need to be thinking about hunting safety but also about food safety. The outside temperature will determine the steps you need to take to assure the safety of you, your family and your friends.

Most contamination of game is related to how the animal was wounded, dressed, handled and/or processed. In addition, improper temperature control, preservation practices (canning and dehydrating) and cooking can also lead to a foodborne illness.

The key to safe game meat is to keep it out of the temperature danger zone -- 40 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit -- as much as possible. While many people believe that cooking meat to the proper temperature can kill anything that can make you sick, this is not always the case.

If the game you have killed is allowed to sit in the temperature danger zone for more than four hours, the bacteria that might have contaminated the carcass can produce a dangerous toxin. The heat of proper cooking temperatures does not destroy this toxin.

To help get the deer out of the temperature danger zone quickly, field dress it as soon as possible after shooting. This will allow for the rapid loss of body heat from the deer.

The first step in avoiding contamination of the carcass is to avoid cutting the intestine and the entrails, because this is where the bacteria, E. coli 0157:H7 and salmonella, are found. In addition, use clean water, premoistened wipes or alcohol swabs to frequently clean your knife between cuts to avoid dragging bacteria into the meat. If you notice an offensive smell, black blood, or blood clots in the muscle, do not consume the meat.

The last step to cleaning out the cavity is to wipe the inside with a dry cloth or paper towels. If you want to rinse the cavity with water, use clean, drinkable water. Avoid the use of stream water, since it might be contaminated.

If the outside temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, you may hang the carcass outdoors, but keep it out of direct sunlight. Quite frequently, the temperature outside is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and, therefore, somewhere in the middle of the danger zone.

If this is the case, rapidly chill the carcass by placing resealable plastic bags of ice or snow in the cavity and tying it shut with string. Do not place snow that may be contaminated directly into the cavity.

If you do not have snow or ice available, allow for adequate air circulation in the cavity and keep the carcass out of direct sunlight. Travel back to your home, camp or processor to get the carcass under refrigeration below 40 degrees Fahrenheit within four hours from the time you field dressed the animal.

For more detailed information, call your local Penn State Cooperative Extension office and request the booklet "Proper Field Dressing and Handling of Wild Game and Fish and Proper Processing of Wild Game and Fish."