How long to hang your elk?

[WSU]

I don’t make a point to hang them but don’t mind if they do. I just put the last of the elk I shot last Saturday in the freezer. My wife shot a buck Wednesday and we had it frozen then next day. I’ve never noticed the difference.

[Jpmiller]

I was a big proponent of hanging until I shot a whitetail Sept 1st and it was in the nineties by the time I got it cleaned and back to the house. Took it right inside and butchered and then straight into the freezer. Tasted as good and as tender as any whitetail I had ever had before.

I think I'd still hang them if I had the opportunity to but not certain if it does as much as I originally thought. I did have some real tough elk once that after six months or so in the freezer seemed to tenderize a bit. Not sure what that was about

[ctwiggs1]

Let it drip dry... Then start cutting!

[Karl Blanchard]

We live on wild game 100%. Besides restaurants I haven't bought a package of beef in 15+ years.  I've butchered them same day and I've strung em up for 16 days and everything i between.  Not a fan of the loss associated with hanging.  Everything gets processed asap now.  Keep the freezer properly rotated and they freezer age just fine.

[Stein]

Aging continues in the freezer, just real slow.  At a year I could tell the difference on a tough antelope.


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[onmygame]

Long enough to debone cut and wrap. Everyone loves any game we've processed ourself. Sometimes stuff from certain butchers have a stronger taste and I know it's because of aging or handling practices they use and not on us. Cause I've never had a gamie piece of meat we've butchered and tenderness isn't noticed much of a difference.

If the meat you're getting from certain butchers tends to have an off taste, it is likely because they process several animals at a time, and you are getting other folks game meat mixed in with yours.

Who knows how well the other animals were treated from the moment they were down until they got to the butcher.

[The Weazle]

I think I'd still hang them if I had the opportunity to but not certain if it does as much as I originally thought. I did have some real tough elk once that after six months or so in the freezer seemed to tenderize a bit. Not sure what that was about

When you freeze meat, the moisture in it expands and breaks the cells.  That’s what makes it more tender.