chef#1 said it all!!! I hang mine as long as the weather will allow(within reason).

dick over cooking is the biggest reason for tough venison, maybe you can get chef#1 to talk to her or maybe a few books on cooking wild game.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

We allow our deer to hang when the weather is under 40 but if above that it gets skinned and cut up the same evening it goes down. I have never been able to tell any difference between hung deer and deer skinned out the same night.

I THINK THAT THERE MAY BE A MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE AGING PROCESS. I WILL TRY TO CLAIRIFY:

YOU CAN DRY AGE MEAT OR YOU CAN WET AGE MEAT.

THE PREFERABLE TECHNIQUE IS DRY AGING. THIS MEANS THAT THE ANIMAL IS HUNG IN A CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENT FOR A PARTICULAR NUMBER OF DAYS. FOR DRY AGING YOU SHOULD GET THE ANIMAL OUT OF ITS SKIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL ALLOW AIR TO ENCOMPASS THE ENTIRE ANIMAL. FRESH COOL AIR DEVELOPES THE BACTERIA NEEDED TO BREAK DOWN THE TISSUES SO YOUR MEAT WILL BE TENDER.

WET AGING- GUT AND SKIN YOUR MEAT. DE-BONE AND FABRICATE INTO DESIRED CUTS. PLACE IN VACUM SEALED BAGS AND PLACE INTO A COOLED ENVIRONMENT FOR A PRESCRIBED PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS OK TO SEE THE MEAT SITTING IN THE BLOOD AS LONG AS THE ROOM TEMPERATURE IS NOT OVER 40. AFTER 21 DAYS IT IS OK TO FREEZE.

NOW HERE IS WHERE MANY OF THE MISTAKES ARE MADE. THE BEST TEMPERATURE FOR THE BACTERIA TO GROW IS BETWEEN 38 DEGREES AND 40 DEGREES. AND THE FASTER YOUR MEAT REACHES THAT TEMPERATURE THE BETTER FINAL PRODUCT YOU WILL HAVE.

I CANNOT OR WILL NOT RECOMMEND LEAVING ANY ANIMAL IN HIGHER TEMPERATURES THAN THAT. THE BACTERIA CREATED IS NOT GOOD ANY CAN CAUSE YOU MUCH DISCOMFORT IF NOT COOKED CORRECTLY.

AS FAR AS WELL DONE VENISON GOES. I WOULD RATHER EAT MY HUNTING BOOTS. A CORRECTLY HANDLED VENISON STEAK, PREPARED CORRECTLY SHOULD CUT WITH A FORK. I EAT MINE MEDIUM. IF YOU FIND THAT YOUR MEAT IS TOUGH GO TO YOUR BUTCHER OR TO A SPECIALTY KITCHEN STORE AND ASK THEM FOR A JACCARDING MACHINE. IT IS A HAND HELD MACHINE THAT NEEDLES THE MEAT AND MAKES IT TENDER AS CAN BE. THEY ARE ABOUT 75.00. THE BEST HUNTING INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THE HANDLING OF YOUR KILL FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME @ [email protected] AND I WILL HELP YOU ANY WAY I CAN.

HUNT ON HUNT HARD AND EAT WELL

I completely concur with Chef #1. 38 degrees F. is the magic number. If you can't maintain that temp. constantly, you'd better process and freeze ASAP.