Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

I am new to Maryland and bow season just started and I'm not use to being able to hunt with it as warm as it still is. I don't butcher my own deer. If I shoot a deer in the evening and have to hang a deer up overnight, what is the minimum temp that it needs to get down to in order to keep the meat from spoiling before taking to a processor the next morning?

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

I've done deer overnight when it was about 50 with no problem. I would think that one could go a bit warmer as long as you can keep flies off it.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

The concern should be what is the daytime/evening temp. If the temp drops to 50 at night, it was probably in the 70's during the day.
If I shot a deer in the evening and the temp was 60, going down to 50 overnight, I would get him to a locker asap.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

Pack it with ice! I shot a nice 8 point a few years ago, temps were usually warm. I hung the deer for one night, temps werearound 40 to 50 degrees, first thing in the morning I got about 7 bags of ice. I laid the deer on those cheap plastic painters tarps, packed ice in the chest cavity, and then put bags on all the major meat areas; shoulders, thighs, neck. I wrapped up the tarp as tight as I could. Didnt cut it up for three days, the meat was fine. I am forunate to be a member of our local Eagles club, so I get ice for $.75 a bag. :D

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

when you say you dont butcher your deer what do you mean. You dont know how to gut and skin it ? or you dont know how to quarter it up ?
I would quarter it up and put it in an ice chest. Its very easy to quarter a deer.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

I wouldn't let it hang unless its gonna be down in the low 40's or less.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

When it is 50 or above i usually gut my deer and head for the nearest store and buy 2 bags of ice i put one in the chest cavity and one between the hams and wrap in a plastic tarp. The next morning while it is cool i skin and quarter it and put in a cooler.

Martin

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

I have to agree that 50 degrees is the minimum for hanging a deer. BUT, here's an old poachers trick. If you have a window mount AC unit, you can set that up near the deer, or better yet, enclose the deer in a shed or something like that, and set it at coldest setting, and it will do a great job at cooling down a deer in warmer temps. Taz

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

tazimna, ild poachers trick? the best poachers trick is shoot it and get it processed ASAP. Your in MD. you can get 120 qt cooler at any marina, quayter that deer and ice it.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

A real outlaw only worries about thebackstraps and hind quarters and is outta there5 minutes after it hits the ground.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

Here in Ga. it can reach 95% plus, in the afternoons. I wouldn't want to hang a deer in anything less than 40%. So I skin mine out, quarter and put it in a large cooler of ice and water. I have kept them this way for 3 or 4 days. This also helps draw out some of the blood. I normally change the water every day or so and add ice.

dog1

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

you could hang it in 60 degree weather if you quarter it and cover it with pepper then put it in a alaskan game bag

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

IMHO, you need to skin it out as soon as possible. I've seen steam come off the flesh of a deer, after skinning it nearly 24 hours after a kill.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

most of the meat lockers are around 40 degrees, i have hung them in the 50's at night with no problems, but i wouldnt want to hang one in the 70's during the daytime

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

if the tem drops to about 50 at night you should be fine as long as you have the hide off and its shaded or in a shed where the temp should be about 8-10 degrees cooler. then as soon as you can get to a processor and have them stick it in their cooler, or learn how to process your own meat, it saves a TON of money and time, not to mention you will always get your own deer meat back. ;)

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

I would gut it and only hang it overnight until I can get to the processor the next day. I figure if it's gutted it would be better than shooting one and having to back out and find it in the morning.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

if gutted, skined, and washed then put in a mesh bag and a deer bag (like a giant pillow) i would say lows in the 60's. i am speaking only of blacktail experience. we have killed them sat morning..proceeded with the above, hung all day in 90 degree heat (under tree in off and on shade), let it sit over night in the 60's. then leave sunday morning and drive 3 hours home and process myself. We have NEVER had one spoil because of it.... but, if you are going to hang you need to make sure it is in a pillow type bag and not a mesh bag.

if you just want to hang it without skinning it, i would not know, but i would say it would have to be much cooler then the 60's i mentioned.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

Just found out that the processor I am going to use is open until 9pm, so it wont be a problem anymore as long as I can get it gutted, drug out, and make the 45min drive. That might be a littlework if I don't shoot one until 7pm before the time change but I think I can manage.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

keep it cool,,, use ice,,temp will effect the meat in some way.....jpw

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

OK fellas here is the scoop on hanging your deer and keeping it safe for later consumption.

I am a Servsafe instructor for the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. Yeah it's a mouthful.

Bacteria need 6 things in order to grow.

Remember the moniker FAT TOM.
1) FOOD
2) ACIDITIY LEVEL
3) TIME
4) TEMPERATURE
5) OXYGEN
6) MOISTURE

The temperature danger zone for potentially hazardous foods (DEER MEAT) is between 40 and 140 degrees. Any temp between these ranges are conducive to high bacterial growth.

Having said this, bacteria also need time. It is imperative that if the temperature of a potentially hazardous food (DEER) remains in the temperature danger zone more than 4 hours then you are seriously contributing to the growth of bacteria and causing a potential food-borne illness.

I would strongly suggest that you ice down your deer with bags of ice until you can get it to a processor. Just because some of these "old timer ways" seemed to have worked in the past for some hunters does not mean that their deer was safe to eat. One thing that very well could have protected them is if the meat was cooked properly after the fact therefore killing bacteria that may have been present, BUT, this will not kill all forms of bacteria that can infect food.

It is best to be safe than sorry and handle your kills properly from the beginning.

There are countless varieties of bacteria that can infect your food in which several can make you sick and several that can kill you. I won't go into along dissertation about each of them but trust me on this. Scary crap out there.

Sorry for the long post but I would rather see you and your family and friends safe.

Good luck.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

I know everybody has their own experience and opinion, but all the advice I've always recevied about ANY meat is to keep it below 40 degrees if you want to be sure that bacteria will not grow. Bacteria growth not only is potentially dangerous but will also affect the flavor and integrity of the meat/flesh.
If I can't keep the carcass below 40 I process it right away, at least into quarters or smaller, and right into the ice cooler.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

Great tip. I know when its warm afterI find it, I gut it, drag it out, get it registered, get to the shed, skin and at least quarter it out and into the freezer. if its cooler than 40 im in no rush. Thank god the temps are dropping to the mid 40s at night now. ;)

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

id say the 40s if your lucky 50

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

The most important thing is to skin it as soon as possible. You would be amazed at how long they can hold heat if the skin is left on. SKin it and then if the temps are below mid 40's you can let it hang. If not, at least quarter it and get it on some ice.
-JAke

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

there aint no need in waistin meat

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: wis_bow_huntr

Great tip. I know when its warm afterI find it, I gut it, drag it out, get it registered, get to the shed, skin and at least quarter it out and into the freezer. if its cooler than 40 im in no rush. Thank god the temps are dropping to the mid 40s at night now. ;)

Here in the south we have to gut,skin & quarter & put it in a cooler full on ice ASAP. And then we can only leave it there no more than 2 days before we must take care of it.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

I like to see it below 50 degrees overnight. Maybe even lower. I'm sure I'm over cautious in this regard, but rather than take a chance I would skin, quarter, and put on ice to butcher another day.

RE: Warmest Temp to Hang a Deer Overnight
 

I believe when aging meat in a cooler etc...tis kept between 32-40 degrees F, so personally I'd want it to be under 40 degrees I think, but pretty sure other guys in camp etc...have left out deer in warmer weather without much concern.

If its warmer, I'd consider skinning the animal, and prying open the body cavity to keep as much cool air through there as possible.