RE: Butcher fast or hang???
I have from day 1 thouroughly cleaned and processed my venison ASAP. Probably that habit was because I started deer hunting in south Louisiana back in the 1960's. Most years our winters are not what one might refer to as cold. And it was not unusual to be hunting in 85F+ weather week afet week. So hanging was not an opition.
As another mentioned,weather conditions and hunting location do matter when it comes to what I do. About 95% of my deer huting is on property whereI have ready access to fresh clean water, a skinning rack, and in one camp, a walk in cooler.I will return tocamp ASAP, where I will in short order gut and wash off the the deer. If the air temperatureis not going to exceed about 35F, and I am tired, I might leave the carcass hanging outside half a day or so ... or overnight while I rest up. However, most of the time I skin and quarter out the deer, and get it on ice ASAP ... or at the camp where iIhave access to a walk-in cooler, I'llthen hang it until I head to the butcher shop.I'll have the carcass at the butcher shop no later than3-5 days after I killed the deer. I used to do my own butchering, but now I am old and lazy!
Many times my buddies and I will strip out the tenderloin and back strap, and cook that for a dinner meal. Not much better eatingafter a tiring day of hunting that marinated back strap steaks wrapped in bacon and cooked on a grill !!