RE: field dressing
 

i skin mine out and put them in a cooler with ice and keep adding ice in the cooler for about 3 or 4 days, it gets all the blood out of the meat, and the meat is awesom. then take it to get processed or whatever you choose to do.

RE: field dressing
 

I would agree for the most part. One additional reason that skinning asap I don't believe that has been mentioned is: It makes skinning easier. Skin and animal when the body is still warm and that hide just peals off, wait a couple days and try it and you'll see it becomes much more difficult.
I've had it freeze before and talk about a finger numbing hard job.

I like to let the body hang in a dry, cool, place long enough for it to cool off. Never try to butcher a warm deer and place it in the freezer still warm. The meat will not freeze correct and you'll definatly run into problems.
A side note for a good reason WHY TO leave the hide on. If your a ways from gettting the deer into a dry, clean, cool, environment. The hide will help protect them meat.
Good Luck!

RE: field dressing
 

When its warm I gut and pack the cavity with snow or ice. Take it home and if its still worm I skin and quarter it and put it in an old refrigirater I have in my office. If its cold outside I skin it and let it hang in my office garage for about 5 days.

RE: field dressing
 

Depending on the outside temperature, I usually like to hang my deer for about 4-5 days and I do this without skinning. The temp can vary considerably in New England during the fall and leaving the hide on the deer acts as an insulator. There have been deer that I have shot when the temp was in the 20's and butchered it after the temp rose to over 40F and when I finally skin it, the meat is always ice cold. If the temp stays warm then naturally I butcher it right away.

RE: field dressing
 

i live and hunt in wisconsin so it is usually cool enough to let my deer hang for 2-3 days before i skin and butcher it..but if i get a deer early in the season it might have to be cut up asap...it seems that every deer i've cut up asap the meat was usually tougher then a deer i let hang..even a yearling was tougher than a 3 1/2 10 pointer i got and let hang...hanging them makes them more tender..all the blood i able to run out of the meat.

RE: field dressing
 

I hung mine for 8 days this year in a walk-in cooler. It's good! I left the skin on a little to long though, I think. All the same, the aged meat is delicious.

By the way, what is a "military solider?"

...just givin' you grief. Welcome to the board!

RE: field dressing
 

I see that you are in Georgia, so in the South it is usually too warm to allow deer to hang. I quarter my deer as soon as possible and put 'em on ice. Once you have it iced down, you can leave it in ice for 5 to 7 days. Just keep the water drained and add more ice as needed. This really does help age the meat and drains the blood out good.

RE: field dressing
 

I had to hurry this year but I always gut them in the woods wife dont like gut piles in the front yard <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> I skinned mine quartered them and put them in the freezer then took out quarter at a time to cut up works for me <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: field dressing
 

I have never heard of anyone purposely leaving the hide on.I want all the meat to get air circulation. But to each his own.:)I field dress him, skin him and get it to the cooler asap.35-40 degrees Hang it for 2-3 wks ,waiting for mold. Aged perfect. No need for a knife here. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> I was driving down I-84 once and seen on a small flat bed trailer two 3 or 4 pts. (western count) mule deer.NOT cleaned or skinned <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle> and about 80 degrees. Now that is sad.......fishon

RE: field dressing
 

Here in maine i usually let the deer hang 1-2 days before skinning it. then let it hang a couple more days. definately depends on the temp though.