Aging/Hanging a Deer

[PAhunter86]

How long do you usually let your deer hang? Do you need to protect it with any kind of a cloth? Is a garage a good place to let it hang? Any tips that you can give me will be appreciated

[jerseyhunter]

I prefer to hang it in the garage. I put in in one of those cheese cloth bags, Keeps the dirt off and the ticks from escaping all over. I leave the door open till around 3-5 am to cool things off and close it in the daytime to keep in the cold. Great way to regulate temperature. Also keeps the meat from freezing in Jan, and Feb. Good Luck hope this helps. Oh by the way I usually let it hang for 6-8 days at 40 - 35 degrees respectively, at 50 degrees 2 1/2 days and at 65 degrees no more than 24 hrs.

[wvvet]

Usually 3-4 days at 40 degrees or less. I' ve heard that 5-7 days is best, but have never had the time to do it that long. Its also not usually very good to age at higher temperatures than 40 degrees since the bacteria that cause decomposition become active at temperatures greater than that.

[remingtonman]

Hang with the skin on so the meat doesn' t dry out. If you have a way to regulate temperature, which it sounds like you don' t, one to two days is plenty of time. The only way I would hang a carcass any longer is if I could regulate the temp to 40 degrees. You don' t want the meat to get above 45 or any length of time and certainly not over a day. If you hang for over a couple of days watch the temp so it doesn' t get so cold the the carcass freezes and then thaws and freezes and thaws. To much of that will degrade you meat too.
Getting the carcass cooled down quickly is the first key to having good venson, then hang for a day or two if the weather permits. I have taken deer even when the weather was hot and had to process it farly quickly and have had just as good a quality of meat as the ones I have hung for a few days.

[tabby]

I have a few questions for you guys also.

1. What is the main purpose behind hanging a deer?

2. I got a deer yesterday, and was unable to hang it. We skinned it, let it sit for a few hours, and cut it up and threw it in the freezer. Is this going to affect anything?

3. Back home I usually skin and hang a deer for a week or so. The temp is below freezing. Is it better to hang it with the skin attached? How hard is it to skin the deer after this?
thanks

[Nicholal]

The purpose of hanging game is to age the meat. aging the meat breaks down the meat fibre hence tender meat. the longer it hangs the better it will be. up here in alberta cooling is not a problem.........but.keeping it from frezing is!!.......I hang my deer for about 7-10 day if possible....then debone it

I also take this time to remove all the hair and fat off the deer..makes for better tasting meat.

[Striper Phil]

Sorry guys to me hanging deer is letting it rot. For good tender meat the most important thing is a fast kill no running around to build up toxins. I hang them over a night two for convience. If you want tender try a young deer.

[Big Guy01]

I hang them only long enough to get the skin off . I then reduce it to the front shoulders, the boned out loins and the rear hams. That goes in the fridge for a day or two to get good and chilled . Then I finish butchering. The big thing is care in the field and when butchering remove all fat, sinue and blue membrane. They give the off gamey taste.

[Tree climber]

in Fla. you have no choise except skin and cut up , unless you have a cooler,or take to the cold storage.then you pay through the nose,big $$$$$$.I will skin,quater,and ice mine down for 3 or 4 days,changing the water and adding fresh ice each day.I found this works almost as well as hanging in a cooler.then I bone it out and cut what I want and grind the rest into burger.

[KIDD642]

I usually peel the hide off when there is NO risk of freezing and let it hang for tow days if possible. I have already let a deer hang with the hide on for 4-5 days. They are definetly more tender the longer I let it hang. JM $.02