so i was taught you had to hang your deer for 5-7 days after harvestng it. i've always done this along with most other hunters that i know but i hear that alot of people butcher them the next day. i want to hear what you do and why.
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who hangs there deer, and for how long?
- Thread starter jayhunter
- Start date
I see a lot of people answered the 1st half of you question let me address the why.
By haning the deer it gives time for the meat to break rigor and tenderize. But like everyone said, if you don't have a cooler, or it's too warm, either butcher it yourself, or send it to someone right away, otherwise you run the risk of rancid meat.
By haning the deer it gives time for the meat to break rigor and tenderize. But like everyone said, if you don't have a cooler, or it's too warm, either butcher it yourself, or send it to someone right away, otherwise you run the risk of rancid meat.
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
I quarter the deer and stick it in the big old fridge in the cellar for a few days. We do our own butchering. Jack.
Does the deer really need to be in tact to age the meat?
Can't you butcher it immediately and leave the pieces in a cooler or something to age it? Thats what we've been doing for the last few years at least, bring it to a butcher immediately and leave the meat in a cooler on the porch for a few days before freezing it.
I don't know of any reason you can't do that; I would just be concerned since part of the aging process is relax the connective tissue, if it's butchered you maynot get as tender meat...but you should still get the benefit of better taste. I just have having to move it around a lot. Once it's butchered, it goes in my freezer.
Also Here's an old article from F&S on the issue... http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time
cockpitbob
NES Member
Hunting newb here. Do you hang it with the hide on, or skinned in a game bag?
For proper meat aging it should be in a specific temperature range, dry, and exposed to the air. I haven't aged any venison yet, but I know that's how beef is aged.
Beef and venison are to very diffrent animals in todays world... There are two ways to age beef Dry age and wet age. Dry aged beef is the higly prized method. This allows the meat to basically dehydrate and start to decompose. Todays beef is much milder in flavor so the dry age method is used to inrich the flavor. The decompostion that takes place also helps to tenderize. When beef is dry aged it actually loses alot of weight do to dehydration and it also devolpes like a green mold on it you simpley cut off.. However this is done after you initially age the whole carcass.. The beef is butcher into smaller cuts and then aged..
I wouldent use this method on deer as it already has good flavor because it has a natural diet.. In the process you may bring out some objectional flavors...
Wet ageing is done under refgeration in cryovact bags and may be a good idea as you wont really increase flavor as much as you will tenderness... But again after the first ageing
Basically meat needs to rest after its first killed you need time for rigor to set in and then fully leave the carcass.. All of the wacky chemical and hormones from being shot that were pumping through the body need to disapate. This is why the initial rest is important. No amount of ageing after the fact can make up for the fact the deer was not initially aged.
A perfectly aged a slaughtered deer is awsome when the tempritures are right or I have had access to a walk in cooler it is wonderfull. However when I get a deer in the early season and drop it off at the butcher the same day and its ready a day or 2 later it is still darn good! I am not sure what he is doing with it but I am still quite happy.
Freezing process tenderizes the meat. I have never aged any of my deer and they have all tasted fine. Packaging to freezer usually 3 days max - remove hide, quarter it up so it fits in refrigerator & butcher up sections when they are COLD (easier to slice or it is too floppy) Does are better eating than buck IMHO. Smaller the better, LOL. Worse meat was the one I got off Bluff Pt in CT on a controlled hunt in Jan - poor diet, stressed & crowded .... reminded me of juniper berries! 
YMMV
YMMV
Up here in Maine deer were hung because folks did not have freezers,its a thing people think they have to do. I hang deer one day and I get fine meat. I butcher my own in the kitchen. I used to hang em 4-5 days and the meat was never as good as fresh butchered meat. It ain't beef its deer!
Woodsman
Woodsman
So far as I could gather from looking in to this: it should not matter so long as you cook the meat adequately and do not eat it really bloody.... , but you should be very careful not to cut yourself while field dressing it (of course, not cutting yourself is always good advice no matter what
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
).My sources for this are mostly just some other random forum postings on the internet though.... so don't take my word for it.
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