After field dressing a deer. How long should you let the deer cool out.

I USUALLY SKIN MY DEER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THEN LET MY DEER HANG FOR THREE TO FOUR DAYS, IN A COOL DRY PLACE. OUR WELL HOUSE WORKED WELL FOR HANGING DEER.

Edited by - robb92 on 02/21/2002 20:05:33

It is of my opinion that you should skin the deer as soon as possible to let the meat cool quickly. As for how long. I'd say that depends on the temp.

When possible I hang and skin my deer ASAP. Depending on the temps will let it hang for 1 or 2 nights before taking to the locker.


TB

MS87, it really depends on where you live. Here in North Carolina it's too warm to let them hang outside like a lot of hunters do. I usually gut and skin as soon as I'm back to the house and then drive straight to the butcher when I am done. He usually lets them hang around a week or two in a cooler and then its ready. I have a friend who took time to teach me to hunt who butchers his own and does not let it hang at all. As soon as it's cleaned he butchers it.

I skin'em, gut'em, then quarter'em, all within a hour or so of the deer hitting the ground.
It's not cold enough here to hang deer outside, there are lockers I could take the deer to but I don't feel like the hassle. I put the quarters on ice in a cooler for a few days, taking care to drain the water and replenish the ice. I debone and wrap it myself then put it in the freezer.
I've been feeding deer processed this way to many hunters that have grown up hanging deer and have had no complaints. Some of our cookouts might have 6-8 lbs of deer grilled along with chicken and steak. There is never any deer left over, must be doing something right.

Mark in SC

In ark it is usually to warm to let them hang. but i will quarter them and ice them for two or three days . i change the ice once or twice a day. sometimes in late season its cool enough to let them hang over night . i let one hang about 36 hours two years ago boy it really lets the meat bleed out. i am in the process of getting a big cooler to hang them in its refrigerated. and it going to be free , even better.

Greets,
I used to think you had to hang em for a few days, but then three years ago it was way too warm to hang em more than a day, and I had a nice doe that I couldnt afford to take to the butcher. So after consulting a freind and a butcher, I boned her out, and soaked themeat overnite in cold water. I add salt to my water to take the gamy taste out, but you dont need it. As for my deer, best venison I have ever had, including ones taken strait from the feild to the butcher.
We do always gut them in the feild where they fall, or neerly there, and skin them as soon as we get em home.

Just my uneducated opinion!
Terry

Shoot it at seven eat it for lunch,thats my motto.I dont want that stinky hide on the meat any longer then it has to be.

As others have said you need to gut them right away, skin them ASAP, this helps in the cooling. Living where you live you need to get it to a meat locker ASAP or butcher it right away. I got real lucky this year, it stayed cool enough for me to leave mine hanging for over a week. The longer they hang in a cool place the better. Not over 10 days though.

The Tazman