One of the important things about letting meat chill or hang, even if all you can do is put whole quarters on the shelves in your refridgerator, is that that time allows the meat to go through rigor mortis, which makes the meat shrink up. I've heard if you cut up meat before it has a chance to go through rigor mortis, it's won't be as good. I've never really done it any other way, so I don't know what a deer tastes like that hasn't gone through rigor mortis at least while in whole quarters, sometimes all still one body.
I also have a family recipe that will make even the toughest rutting buck tender and tasty and unique from any other deer meat you've ever had, but my dad might ring my neck if I let his cooking secret out.

I agree withELK on this care given to the animal once harvested is the single most important thing to good qaulity meat. This mean clean harvest, FD quickly/thoroughly, removal of body temperature and on the butcher table(trimming of fat, silver skin, blood shot, removale of hairs and deboning vs sawing of the bones). I have butchered my own game for as long as I have hunted which will 25 seasons in a week and the only difference I have noticed is more blood when thawing with hot boned animals vs aged all things being equal. I also do a bit of butchering myself and am amazed at what some guys will bring..simply put you get what you put into it.

Now their is nothing wrong with aging a deer or game, as long as it can be controlled. The optimal aging temperature is 32-37 degrees if this can be achieved then by all means do so. However if not you are running a risk of lost meat if leaving it for any great length of time in higher temps.

Cows have an insim that beaks down the meat to make it tender. outher animals do not have the ensim. Hanging a deer will not hurt the meat as long as it is cold enough. There is some things people should know. Do not let the sun hit the deer.It will heat up the meat to spoiling temp even if it is way cold.If your deer is getting temderer than it is roting.Most every year I though A lot of meat away becouse people try to hang it in the tree out frount.An elk is every every hard to let hang.Here in Montana they call it bone sower. If your meat gets slimy or smushy it is no longer fit to eat.

I am totaly with Skeeter 7MM on the hanging temp.This is in a coler,if it is in the tree out in the yard it needs to be colder.

Most of the time having bone sower meat will not hurt you just make you poop more :} But if you have little kids it can be way worse on them.

Hope all the freezers get filled this year. Looks real good here in Montana for lots kills.

It has been a few years since we had a hunter get a deer and I helped gut it and bring it up. I am just wondering how hard it is to butcher out a deer? The best place that I can find it $80 a deer if it under 160lbs and I think $120 if over that weight. I do have abarn that I could take the deer into the butcher it out. I just have to setup my table for it.

I have been taking my deer to the same guy for about 5 years now. When I shoot one, I drag it to the edge of the woods, walk to the house and get the truck, (its only a few minute walk) haul the deer to my back door step, maybe snap a pic or two, gut it and put the guts in a five gallon bucket,rinse out the carcass really well with the garden hose, throw the guts out back by the fence to feed the buzzards, haul the deer to the processor and hang in the cooler, in a few days go pick it up all nicely packaged and ready to freeze, kindly pay him $45, and I'm done.

I cannot believe the people who insist on slicing open the crotch area of a deer. There is no reason to expose this area and surrounding meat when field dressing. You need to cut out the anal area, following the bone with a knife and cut a hole. Then when you gut it, there is no pulling on the innards that attach back there, it just comes right out.

veener88, butchering a deer isn't all thathard of atask. Just remember you always have a grind pile so if you miss a bit it is still useful, after a few you'll get better at getting all the cuts you want. The only tools reguired are a clean cutting surface and sharp boning knife or knives if you prefer. The supplies required are freezer wrap, butcher tape(or even packing tape) & a sharpie!!

Their are a number of books and videos that cover this process, my suggestion would take a look at one or a couple before season. It is pretty basic just follow the bones, muscle groups, etc but doesn't hurt to have some aids on hand either.

From my point of view cuuting up deer is half the hunt. Get your buds togeather after the hunt give each one of them a job. You need to cut CROSS grain. I get a lot of extra cuting time. Elk take 4 to 5 times as long to cut up :}

I would say the best way to figger it out is go help some one that knows.If you do not know any one vido tape or just start cutting.At worst cass you will have little stake and lots of grind.I feeze all my grind till I am done hunting.This way I will only grind one time a year. Cleen up sucks with the grinding.

I would say the best is a vacume packer. Takes about 1/4 of the time and it last for years. It will allso make room for WAY more meat in your freezer. I normal have4 to5 elk and12 deer after seasion.We do most all the buchering at my house. Than at the end of the year they come and get there meat :}I have a 29 cf freezer and there is no way it would all fit if it was not vacumed.

GaHunter19,

For probably the last 20 years, I take the shoulders, hams, and back straps off a whitetail and walk off and leave it. In the past I have saved the liver and heart and don't care for it. I have hung deer in coolers for days, also soaked them in ice water for a few days. I believe it all comes down to cooling it before you do anything with it. I've tried it everyway possible, but just like beef, if you can hang it in a cooler for several days it will get more tender, which is nothing more than the meat starting to decay. Some will disagree with this, but that's all that's taking place, we call it ageing the meat.

dog1

The source of "gamey" flavors in wild deer are very simple to isolate. They are fat, bone, and bacterial contamination.

Reduce these three factors as much as possible and the flavor of your meat will improve dramatically.

You are correct Dog! and if you leave it in the walk in cooler for 3-4days
after you gut and skinned it, makes it easier tobutcher.