here in mississippi the weather is almost always warm EXCEPT IN JAN.,so i kill skin and put on ice for up to 9 days,that is if i don't eat it up before then .tHE TRICK IS TO KEEP THE WATER DRAINED OFF AND KEEP FRESH ICE ON IT DAILY.bE PERPARED AND FREEZE GALLON JUGS OF WATER SO YOU DON'T SPEND A LOT OF CASH ON ICE. i had a nice buck hanging in my shop that i killed one sat morning the temp was right about freezing so i was going to let it hang a few days,word got around about my buck and a bunch of folks came around to see it,in the next couple of days i was back hunting when i got back home on tuesday i had another deer to hang so i went to my shop to find that someone had left the door open a little and a dog or coyot had gotten in there and filled his belly,i had it hung high enough that he only eat the front shoulders and the neck but it runied my cape.So take my advice and keep it hung very high or behind look and key.

Over the past 40+ years of hunting and processing deer I have settled on the following steps: I skin and seperate the loins, front legs, rear legs and neck as soon as possible in NW FL. In upper lower Michigan I hang the deer up and let it bleed and age outside if it's cold before cutting out the loin, legs, rump and neck. In NW FL I put the parts on butcher paper in the bottom of a refrigerator for two to three days, then take them out one at a time and seperate the major muscle from the bone, remove the membrane muscle casings, cut up, store in vacuum freezer bags, label and into the deep freeze it goes. When I used to dog hunt deer it was necessary to age for longer periods of time because of the adrenalyn that made the meat taste "gamy." Also, if you age the whole deer, less internal organs, the size and age matter and I suggest you don't skin the deer until after the aging is completed. The skin keeps it from dehydrating.

I usually butcher my deer within a day of the kill but this year because of these forums I decided to try controlled aging. I shot a pretty good buck so he was a good candidate. I wrapped the roasts and steaks in muslin cloth and refrigerated at 37 degrees. After 3 days I changed the muslin and aged for a total of 7 days. I have to say the meat does taste quite a bit different with a rich but very pleasing flavor. I'll definately do this again with mature buck meat.

I don't believe in aging game persay. I do let it hang for 24 hours to allow the process of rigor to be gone(sugar turns to lactic acid and then back to sugar). If the weather will not allow me to hang it for the 24 hours and I must hot bone I will fridge age it for 2-3 days, then cut and wrap for the freezer.