rchunter

I have taken alot of big game (Elk, Blacktail deer, Mule deer, and Whitetail deer ect.) I process them all the same. Soon as I harvest an animal I gut it which takes less than five minutes, rinse it out with water I carry, then i take it home and hang it, Then I take off the hide along with the lower sections of the legs, comes off in one peice.After doing this I split the Deer, Elk ect. all the way up to the throat and remove everything down to the anal cavity, then I rinse the inside really good and let drip while I'm trimming the excess fat off it, inside and out, also take care of any, if any blood shot. Then i cover my animal with a cloth like cheese cloth, reason for this if you don't your animal will get dark on the outer layer and it will need to be cut off, so I use the cloth. Works very well! Then last but not least I let it hang for 4 to 7 days depending on the weather, if it's under 35 degrees 7 days, over 35 but under 45 degrees 4 days. Then i quater it up and debone, rinse any hair off, partially freeze the meat and then vacum seal, turns out great!!!! Now a couple of key things nver and I mean never not wash your animal out if it has been shot to where any part of the gut has been punctured, it will give the meat a funny taste..Also the old mith thatan old deer will be to tough and won't be any good or if it was indeed killed in the rut it would be no good, Wrong! It all depends on how you process your meat. I have people compliment me on the way I do my deer meat. I evenprocessmeat for some of my hunting buddies and family members, only bad thing about this is by the end of season I'm wore out..LoL I also worked in a Meat processing plant about 15 years ago, soI learned some of what I know there and the rest over years of trying to perfect the processing process. Everyone Have ahappy holidays and enjoy all the game you've harvested this hunting season, (cause the best meat is the one you harvested yourself).