jesterdjo

Can any one give me som advice on haning and butchering a bear i have don dear and small game but how long should it hang befor you butcher how long till you should skin and any tips on best cuts of meat?

CamoCop

i've never killed a bear but as far as deer and hawgs go....i've never hung them (except to gut and skin right after the harvest). i've never understood why people do this.

DANTHEHUNTER

I dont understand it either.Wild game for the most part should be processed and frozen as soon as possible.We dont need to age Deer,bear,elk like we do beef.And I would guess most hunters dont have the facilities to do it proper.

bsurplus2003

You should hang it for 3 to 4 days, but it should be in a cooler. the reason for this is because blood cwagulates and depending upon how you shot the animal. If the animal was just standing there then its good, cause if he's running or very active the testostrone is in the blood which give's you a more gamier taste.
Brett

game4lunch

"Don't need to . . ." No, but two years ago I used a different processor (wife can't stand bloody kills on her kitchen table) that took forever to get the meat back to me. Two weeks go by and by now I'm pissed. Didn't know why they should take so long unless they lost them or just incompitant.
Found out they aged the deer for "10 - 14 days". Absolute best meat we've ever had and have and will age all game meat (in an old frig I bought) in the future.
Specifically with bear, it is important to cut off ALL fat from meat. Gives it that nasty/gamey/dogs won't eat it flavor.

akchuck

Most of my bears are taken in the spring when it is starting to get warm and the bugs are starting to come out. I like to get my bears peeled out and quartered and hung in game bags as soon as possible. Since I live in a remote area in Alaska our only power is a smalll12 volt system we can most of our bear meat with in a day or two. In cooler weather we have left bear meat hanging as long as 7 days.

rem250

maybe this will help
Aging Wild Game[/b]

The importance of Aging Meat[/i][/b] has often been disputed, here are the facts[/i],
Courtesy of [/i][/b]www.chefdepot.net (630) 434-7768 [/i][/b]
Aging Meat[/b] -
Shortly after the slaughter of an animal the muscles stiffen and the animal goes through a chemical process called Rigor Mortis.[/b] [/i]This process gradually disappears and the natural tenderizing begins. There are natural Enzymes[/i] in the flesh of all animals.
These Enzymes break down the muscle tissue over time depending on the size of the animal.
A side of beef takes 3 to 4 days at 40 degrees F. for this process to begin.
Quality beef is usually aged for 2-4 weeks before it reaches the consumer.
Aging meat does not mean simply hanging it. It is important to control the following conditions, sanitation, temperature, humidity and air circulation.
Aging meat increases tenderness and flavor. Any off taste or bad smell is not[/i]
a characteristic of properly aged and butchered meat.
The following are recommended guidelines for aging your game.[/i][/b]

Deer[/b] - Quickly after killing a deer, carefully open the animal and remove all entrails inside the chest cavity (any sharp high quality knife will work if you are careful, we prefer a German boning knife). Take your time to avoid puncturing vital organs. Carefully split the hide open back to the rear, use a Bone Saw to cut open the tailbone (the bone that joins the two read legs together) and remove all entrails.
The bone saw also works well to split open the upper chest cavity.
As soon as possible flush the deer cavity with several gallons of cold water. It is important to cool the animal as fast as possible. This can be done several ways. If it is cold outside, simply use a clean piece of wood to prop open the chest cavity. If it is warm outside place several bags of ice inside the chest cavity. We also recommend keeping the chest cavity as dry as possible, use several towels to wipe it often. Remove any visible hair, sticks and leaves. Now you have a properly cleaned deer that is ready for hanging. We recommend hanging the deer from the rear legs as high as necessary to avoid touching the ground. It is the easiest position for skinning a deer properly. We remove the hide with a Skinning Knife and cut off the head and front legs with a bone saw. (Many hunters need to begin the aging of their deer outdoors with the hide on, [/i]
this is acceptable but be careful of insects, animals, dirt, sticks, leaves, temperature and handling).[/i]
It is time to begin the aging of your venison carcass. At 40 degrees F. we find that the meat tastes the best after 5-7 days of aging. This aging time will vary on the size of the deer, temperature and individual preferences. We hang our deer in a walk in cooler with a concrete floor. After several days the enzymes break down the venison muscle tissues and you end up with tender meat. After proper aging the venison is ready for butchering.
We like to break ours down to the Rounds, Tenderloins, Loins, Ribs, Stew Meat and Ground Meat for Sausage and Burger. We use a German Flexible Boning Knife, Skinning Knife, Butchering Knife, Sharpening Steel, Stainless Steel Bone Saw and Meat Grinder. With practice and the right tools, you can achieve these cuts and butcher easily and consistently.(see the Sportsmans Corner section)

gandilamont

I have a bear hunting book that says you should NOT hang bear like you do deer and elk. It says that you should get it packaged and frozen as soon as you can without hanging. It says it can cause bacteria in bear meat for some reason. I dont hang my bear meat and it is just fine. On the other hand I always hang deer and elk.

StillHunter90

Bear season here is in September so its pretty warm so we skin them and cut them up asap. Ive heard that the fat on a bear will make the bear not taste as good if its allowed to warm up. If you can find a butcher with the walk incooler like mentioned above, hanging them might be a good idea but Ive never done it.

martinc64

Where do I hang a deer if I don't have a walk-in cooler and live where it is probably too warm for outdoor hanging?