Firehawk7309

I wash it out as soon as possible if stomach contents are present. Normally, however, my deer is quartered and in a cooler / refrigerator within 2-4 hours of being gutted. Never had any problems with any meat, even after a gut shot deer

Buck Hunter 1

yes right as soon as i can get water

JW

Once the animal is back to camp and is hung by the head - and after I take out the loins - You betcha it is rinsed with clear clean cold water in a 5 gallon bucket.

The body cavity is propped open for me to do this - and it drains through the pelvic area as I have that reemed out. I do not split the rib cage just the body cavity up to the rib cage. I have been taught to keep as much hide in place to protect the meat.

And it is rinsed - excess fat and talow is trimmed/taken out - diaphram or anything that looks nasty is removed and then rinsed again. Propped open like described it drains quickly.

Right or wrong I was taught this by my Grandfather some 50 yrs ago! I have yet to have a bad piece of High Speed Beef!!

JW

Arjuna

I usually quarter my deer and never take it a processor. In doing so, I always wet the whole deer, which keeps the hair from flying when I go to skinning. Then I rinse everything off. as I cut it off and put it in the cooler. Then I keep the meat in the cooler for a few days letting the ice melt over it and running through. Then, I use one of those vacuum sealer Food Saver things to seal the individual cuts of meat.

davidmil

Well you all are doing exactly the WRONG thing. Moisture speeds up and helps the growth of bacteria and spread of germs. The ony time you should think about rinsing is with a gut shot deer. Look at it.... what do you eat from inside the cavitiy other than the inside loins. You are NOTsuppose to wash the deer out unless you have a cooler to put it in immediately... and then it's best NOT to. Wipe it out of excessive blood if you must... but never wash. As far as the hair, if you use a knife correctly, ie. cutting the skin from the meat side up rather than slicing throught the hide you won't have hair. Heat, dirt and moisture aid in the growth of bacteria and germs.

srwshooter

i never rinsed any of the deer i've killed and never will.

Mojotex

The two main places I hunt we have a "camp" with a nice processing area and acccess to "city" water. I hang and gut the deer as soon as possible. After opening the deer, I wash the entire inside ... including washing debris and blod, bone chips, etc. out of the entrance/exit wound and forcing water into the esophagus, blowing water out the throat and nasal cavities until the water runs clear. If it is cold enough for me to feel comfortable (35F or less) I will usually hang it until evening or over night. Unlike many folks I know, I never so call "age" the deer 3-4 days or more in a cooler. I skin and bone out as soon as possible. If I am on an extended trip, and can get to ice, I will pack the meat thoroughly and get to the butcher shop when I return, being certain to keep melt water off the meat as best I can. If I cannot get to ice, I will find a processor ASAP and have the meat butchered and frozen for transport home. I do not like to keep the meat on ice longer than 4-5 days. I have never had a problem with spoilage, "digestive tract distress" , food poisioning or poor taste "processing" venison in this manner. And this goes back 40+ years.

fastetti

Only if gut shot, if you shoot a deer clean in the lungs or the heart, you can use all the excess blood in the cavity to wash around a little bit. If its cleanly shot though, there really should be no reason to.

isatarak

All my deer are hung from a hoist upside down where they are skinned and then gutted. Then washed thoroughly with a spray nozzle on a hose. Let drip for half an hour or so and put in the cooler or if it is cool enough outside hang outside over night and then put in the cooler where it will hang 2-5 days. Especially pay attention to the front legs and neck as stomach contents are sometimes hard to see at night stuck to the legs. It is silly to think it is bad to wash the carcass with water.

mackesr

After I have hung my deer on the meatpole from the hind legs, I always hose out the cavity and it helps take the blood and bits of fat and and all and drain out the wind pipe. I have never gotten sick that way, but I can understand the concept of it maybe spreading bacteria, though it does not really touch the meat as there is a film that coats the inside of the body cavity and it all heads down through the windpipe. I am also a big fan of eating the "inner loins", which are right in the body cavity and have never gotten sick from that, so I am not really sure.