I have a friend back in TN that fills a couple of freezers with venison each year. He does his own processing due to the cost of paying someone to butcher 12 to 15 deer being so expensive. He has a refridgerator that he dedicates to deer during the season. He skinsand quarters them and then places them in the fridge for a few days to a week to age before cutting them up and packaging for the freezer.

I have been doing the same thing for the last few years with both venison and elk and I really like the way the meat tastes, very mild and tender. I have even let some age as long as 2 weeks but prefer to not go over a week if possible. Just make sure the temp stays around 34 to 36 degrees.