Hanging a deer I think is related to the temperature where you hang... For instance, if it is very warm, I never hang a deer. Say I get a bow deer in early September when day time temps can be high. The the deer is brought out of the woods, hosed down real good to clean and cool it, andskinned, washed again to remove any loose hair from skinning, and wrapped in a big cotton game bag. Next day it is butchered.

In November & Decemberduring modern & muzzleloaderseason, I have been know to hang them for a day or two, but the trouble then is, they freeze solid many times and are hard to butcher without saws, etc.. One deer season I remember, it was -28º below zero. It hurt your hands just to handle the deer and skin it, the thing was so cold.

What I do is again, wash them free of blood, skin them right away, wash then a final time, and if it is cold, hang them in the garage until they get (how do I describe this..) firm but not frozen solid. Then they are easy to de-bone and butcher. I de-bone all the meat I cut up. Any scraps worth saving goes into the grinder for sausage or hamburger, and the ribs are quartered and cooked on the outdoor grill. The back straps are always butter fly cut, and the steaks are cut 3/4 inch thick, and theroasts according to muscle groups are cut...

I envy you people that know how to really butcher an animal. I have friends that "think" they know how to butcher, but there is a big difference in the way I do my deer and a professional.