It is very common practice to hang your game in our area. From this board I notice 'common' practice changes by your geography, usually tradition overrides suggestion. I always clean my deer thourougly from hair, guts, and fat to prevent gamey taste, but hanging makes a diference in my boo on tenderness and taste. Plus if you got a 800 sq. ft. locker sitting there empty you might as well hang it.

I will try wrapping our next buck in cheesecloth though, and I knew I should have yanked the tederloin and ribs, even flank, when I put it in the locker. Tenderloin dried out so bad it was useless. Of course backstrap is protected by spine and ribs so it fared well, but did have to skin all other exposed meats.

I wonder if I should keep the cloth wet as it hangs in there to keep the meat moist, or am I intoducing bacteria instead?