How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has any advice on hanging time if you hang at all, or how cool of temperature would be ideal for venison?
Any input would be great!

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

I for the first time last year cut up my own deer and learned alot. My mistake was I hung my deer, but had heard alot of guys say you need to skin it right away. Well I can say from experience that you cant skin a deer and let it hang for three days in a cold garage. Maybe works in a butchers freezer because of more humidity I do not know but The outside of my deer was like jerky. Had to trim off about a quarter of an inch of good meat and toss. Alot of guys said to let it hang with the hide, and I wished I would have took there advice cause my friend shot a deer after mine and we let it hang with the hide and his deer skinned OK and the meat looked great. As for the temp goes I have heard that 42 to 45 is the to high number and anything colder is fine except for freezing, and then if it froze well that would just plain suck! So if my temps permit, I plan on hanging three to four days with hide on and then cutting up. Good luck!

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

As soon as I get to my barn, the deer is cut up and in a cooler. Our weather is not favorable for hanging meat. My rule of thumb is to have it iced down 30 min after being shot.

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

Hang the deer up and skin it as soon as possible. Take out the tenderloins and the backstraps. Next quarter the deer. Debone the quarters. Place all meat in a refriderator to age the meat. After a few days process the meat to your likeing. Thats how I do it. I think I might try deboneing the meat without quarteing the deer and see how that goes?

If your leaveing a deer hang outside, then the temperature makes a big difference if you should remove the hide or not. If its cold out side then the hide can stay on. The deer will be cooled quickly. If its warm, its better to take the hide off so the deer can be cooled. Better to have a little meat go to waste than the whole deer.

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

In terms of game/hanging - Aging - NO. Relaxing the muscles post mortise - Yes, this process is completed within 24hours not days. I also believe skinning asap is important to cooling the meat,to mefar more important than aging or loosing a little of the outer edge. If it is to warm I will do like cheifks suggests then tackle it a day or two later, main reason hot boning(cutting warm meat) is tougher. I like it firm a cool so you aren't sawing with your knife.

Idealtemp is 34 - 38F. However skin over will happen even at this temperature if left for long periods.

Remove the tenderloin right away they skin over very quickly and do not needor benefit from hanging.

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

The first thing you should do once you get your animal back to where you are gonna hang it is to skin it. The hide traps the heat in the meat and body cavity therefore making the meat go rotten cause its a moist dark warm area which is ideal for mold to grow. So you have to cool you animal down asap or it will start to go bad. I do let the animals hang though to help the lactic acid dissolve away(thats what makes the meat tough) also i find that the longer you let it hang the more tender it gets.IMO

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

Within 10 minutes from hanging the deer I skin and butcher it. Usually the next day I debone and package the meat. The most I ever let a deer hang was maybe 2 days. I nver noticed a difference between 10 minutes and 2 days.

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

The one I shot monday hung long enough to skin and quarter. From there I cut the meat into managable pieces, wrapped it and stuck it in the freezer.

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

If weather is permitting (freezing cold) I'll let them hang for up to two days... You'd be surprised how tender it makes even the toughest buck... All the difference in the world. If it's warm I clean and refrigerate immediately.

RE: How long do you guys hang your deer before butchering?
 

I remove the hide and quarter the deeras soon as I get homethen hang it for 3 to 5 daysbefore butchering.