skeeter 7MM

If any taint be it, dirt, guts, bowel or bladder it should be rinsed and in some cases trimmed for hanging IMO. If a clean kill and no taint it isn't nessecary in most cases, though doesn't hurt provided the hanging area is cool enough.

iSnipe

You guys crack me up!

All the replies led to an interesting read. I learned a few things as well, so that's good. It's also interesting to see the varying opinions on this matter. Looks like both sides, rinse and no rinse, have had success with what they do. Me, I'm going to not wash unless I somehow have a gut rupture of some kind. I might even rinse if the weather is hot, as I read it helps to cool the meat down. Usually though I process the meat fairly quick, so hopefully that won't become an issue.

Thanks for replies. It's fun reading you guys reply to each other when you vary in your opinions.

iSnipe

djdkman

Hmm...wheres me hose

Stoningtonwhitetail

absolutely!!! always and every time.

UncleNorby

I hose them all out. Hang them head high to drain/dry. Water can get trapped in the chest/neck area if you hang by the hocks.

Every now and then I may get an angled shot that takes a little paunch. I clean them out as quickly as possible, and even cut affected areas out, such as ribs, skin, etc.

bowfly

bacteria being spread about is a myth, bacteria take time to produce and by hitting with water, you are minimizing the time they have to re-produce and "spread" as one person put it...think of stagnant water that is undisturbed

the best thing to do is clean it out after gutting, especially if you drag it after gutting, get rid of any dirt, leaves, debris from the forest floor

i always rinse my deer out before butchering, allow it to drip dry (pending outdoor temperature), then begin the skinning, quartering and portioning

leadoperator

maybe you should read this again

Originally Posted by 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.

isatarak

Another reason to wash them out is to get rid of the blood around the area where the bullet hit. I cut out all the blood shot area and wash to get the blood out of there. It also helps getting the meat started cooling quicker. Drip for half an hour or so and into the cooler for a few days. When I was young and the butcher came around he always washed the carcass down with water if it was available.

Having clean water under pressure available when butchering is a luxury indeed.

minnesotadeer

Moisture and warmth spreading bacteria is true, BUT rinsing with water as long as you don't let pools of water sit in the body cavity and keep the deer cool somehow are the real keys per other posts. I always wash all my deer out and then either get it to the processor immediately or dry thoroughly with paper towels and then pack the deer in frozen milk jugs inside the cavity and all over the back legs where the majority of the meat is.

zrexpilot

Indeed !....