How long to hang

[andrew_in_idaho]

One of the best bucks I've ever eaten hung a full 2 weeks in a cooler while we were out elk hunting. Last February I took a cow elk on a depredation hunt and I was able to hang in my garage for 2 weeks without freezing or getting too warm. Those have been 2 of the best tasting game animals I've ever eaten. My buck from Sunday is hanging in my garage as we speak. I'll probably cut and wrap Saturday as the overnight temps are low enough to really cool the garage and I'll close it up during the day to trap the cool air in


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[7mmfan]

I normally cut mine up within a few days. This year I killed my mule deer in Idaho on the 2nd full day we were there, so I quartered it, let it hang in camp that night to get good and cold, and then would store it in my RTIC cooler during the day, bringing it back out to hang at night. I did that for a full week, cutting/wrapping it the following Sunday/Monday. That animal aged beautifully, and my wife told me she thinks it's one of the better eating deer we've had.

[Dan-o]

I vote for no aging of wild game.

[PolarBear]

 
Worst buck I ever ate (of my own) was a muley buck that I shot and let hang in camp for almost 2 weeks.  It was cooled out immediately and hung in a bag in the shade where the air around it never got above freezing.  In my experience the longer they hang the more gamey they taste.  This is probably why my wife can't stand the smell of wild game.  She was around folks who would not cool them out properly and would hang for almost a month. 

[7mmfan]

Small edit to my above post. This buck was quartered and packed out on a well below freezing night, so he cooled asap. Also, the next day I pulled everything out of the bags, trimmed all the fat off and boned the quarters pulling the internal fat/glands out of the quarters. The meat at this point was essentially ready to process, but I had to wait until I got home to do so.

[pianoman9701]

We always asked our butcher in NH to hang deer for 7-10 days. He would make the burger right away and trim all the fat off. It was always fantastic and tender with no gaminess. I can't get anyone to age venison or elk out here. They're moving lots of animals through during the season and don't have the space, is what I've been told.

As far as hanging in your garage or shed, if it's not below 40F, cut it up and freeze it.