Well, here in Nevada, during the early season it is just too hot to let a deer hang unless it is in a cooler. We usually are away from town by more than a couple of hours and camping. We won' t skin deer in the field. When we get home, we then skin them and butcher right away- directly into the freezer. If it is cold enough outside during the late season, we will let the deer hang for up to a week. I got an old, rutting buck one year, we let him hang for 4 days I think, and then butchered him. He tasted just as good as younger deer that we have killed. I really think that letting the meat hang for a while helps break down the meat and tenderizes it a bit more.