How long to let a deer hang?

[New England Native]

I was having a discussion with some guys at work about letting your deer hang.  There was several thoughts on how long to wait to butcher it although some could not give me an answer why. For example one guy says he always lets a deer/elk hang for at least a week but couldn't answer why other than that was what his dad tought him. So instantly I knew where to ask the question next.

[Schmalzfam]

We let ours hang over night. Or we get it to a butcher who can't cut/wrap it by the next day or 2. We have let deer hang before and I think it is WAY better cut within 72 hours. Just our opinion. We have had the luxury before to a butcher right behind our cabin, in our favorite hunting town. My son & hubby have got deer there. My son got one in the evening hung it that night and by 5AM in the morning, the butcher had already grabbed it and started cutting it. My hubby got one in the morning, hung it over night and same thing. I have heard that deer don't have that same enzyme that beef have and hanging them doesn't do anything. I believe that the blood gets tainted when hung too long. Just our opinion. I've heard of some guys who put their deer in creeks and let stay there for their trip. Everyone has their own ideas.
The most important thing is hanging it where it is cold and it's best to have air circulation.
You obviously got one..pics? Congrads!!

[bearpaw]

What I have been told is that the extra time allows the meat to begin breaking down and you get more tender meat as a result. We usually try to let meat age. I have had meat that was butchered the same evening it was killed and it was good too though.

[turkeydancer]

I also heard the same thing about the lack of the enzymes to break the meat down. So in 44 years of hunting, I have always taken it right in as soon as possible after it was dressed out, skinned, and cleaned up.  Never had any bad deer meat as a result.
 

[carpsniperg2]

i have always cut mine at 2-3 days it needs at least 24 hours or rigomortis" how ever you spell it" can still be set in and you get very tough meat i have never seen any advantages to hanging them longer it is supposed to make them more tender due to the meat breaking down but with our beef we have never seen much difference between 5-6 days hanging or 7-10 days so it might make a bit of difference but not a whole buch to me

[Dadbear]

Don't over think it... hang it 5 days and cut it up for the freezer. It'll taste great. 

[Curly]

Hang it as long as it takes to get the hide off.

[bear]

It depends on the temperature that you can keep it.  If you can keep it below 40 degrees, I'd let it hang for a week or so.  If it's gonna be kept at 60 degrees, then I don't think that I would wait more then a day or so.     Bear

[remington300mag]

My family and I all hang our deer 6 to 7 days.....makes for a more flavorful meat due to the water leaving (just like aged beef) We also hang our elk no less then 21 days for the same reason! Never had a problem with them spoiling as long as they are hanging in a cooler.

[Houndhunter]

we hang ours a few days, usually wait till the outside of the meat is tacky. but when we have to bone out a somethin we butcher it when we get back

[HunterJim]

In 27 years of hunting I've always butchered the animal myself as soon as possible, or taken it to a butcher to get it done in a day or two.  We've been lucky in that we have a great deer hunting area in Pend Oreille County, running water at our meat pole to wash all of the hair and blood (and occassionally some gut ) off the carcass and then we have a great relationship with a butcher there near Diamond Lake.  We take them in and they are cut, wrapped and frozen ready to go home the next day.  Never had any bad tasting deer meat doing it this way.

I have had some bad deer meat shot by other folks who have let them hang for up to two weeks.  Worst tasting stuff I've ever had.

Long story short: clean butcher as soon as possible and don't let it hang.

[byrdman]

Here is an article I just happened across. It is a couple years old, but the author sure sounds like they know what they are talking about.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time

[workstohunt]

No need to hang more than a day or two., anything after a day is convenience.
This is not to say I have not let it go longer.

[bow4elk]

Personally, I don't age or hang my big game and have only enjoyed great tasting, tender meat.  I cut and wrap immediately upon getting home.  It may be on ice for a day or two but I don't purposely hang it to age.

Years ago I heard hunter and master chef, Milos Cihelka, talk about game processing and aging.  In an article he wrote for Bowhunter Magazine, he says you should age a deer up to 2 weeks.

"To cool a deer in warm weather, you may place bags of ice in the body cavity, but do not let the ice or run-off water contact the meat".

"In warm weather, the carcass will attract a lot of flies. An application of "hot oil" will help. To make hot oil, put two cups of vegetable oil into a saucepan on the stove. Add a handful of crushed red pepper. When it begins to sizzle, remove it from the stove to cool, and then store it in a jar".

"To use the hot oil, make sure the deer cavity is dry; otherwise, wipe it dry with paper towels. Spill a little oil on the palm of your hand and smear it over all exposed flesh, including the nose, mouth, vent, and shot holes. Do NOT coat the pelt. The oil will not affect the taste of the venison".

He further states that "Deer and other game, if frozen fresh, will be tough and strong-tasting. The rigor mortis needs to relax. During aging, the enzymes naturally present in all meat gradually breaks down fibers. As in wine, which is not fit to drink when first made, aging also mellows the flavor of game".

"The optimum temperature for aging is 38-40o F. Higher temperature speeds up aging; lower temperature slows it down. Without refrigeration, deer harvested in early bow season are often difficult to keep safely much longer than 3 weeks. On the other hand, we may have a problem keeping a deer shot in December from freezing".

"I age my deer in the garage. It is important to have some ventilation. Hang the deer head down, placing a stack of newspapers under it to collect drainage. Put a stick in the body cavity to keep it open. Note: Check the cavity every day or two to make sure it remains dry. If any slime develops, wipe it off with a towel soaked in vinegar. It should dry again in one day".

"If the daytime temperature rises to 50o F, or drops at night to 28o F, there is nothing to be concerned about. However, if it gets over 50 or below 28, then we have to make some changes. If you see fly eggs on the carcass (in moist places such as the neck opening), you will have to skin and butcher the deer soon. In freezing weather, I have placed a small electric heater close to the deer and wrapped a tarp around it to make a kind of tent".

"During the firearms season, when there is no more problem with flies, I hang a young deer for 3 to 4 weeks. During the second week, small white specks of mold will appear on the exposed surfaces. This is a natural occurence and nothing to be concerned with, as long as the surface stays dry to the touch".

[whacker1]

great article byrdman - this was a more eloquent way of stating what I intended.  If you can age it, the muscles set up better and steaks are more tender.  Walk In Coolers are worth it if you intend on aging game.  I was spoiled when younger as I have always had access to one.  Now that I don't live in those parts, and have to keep a much more watchful eye on the animal and butchering if the weather changes vs. when I would like to.

Pondering the idea of setting up my one car garage with a window style air conditioner for the earlier seasons to help control the environment

[DeKuma]

I was just digging in my magazine pile for that very same article  Bow4elk.
I let my wifes deer hang for about a week and a half this year and it seems to be fine.  The best deer I have ever had was one I boned out in the snow and packed in ice immediately.  Not sure which is best, but I do whatever I can at the moment.

[Buckmark]

I hang mine till they stop kicking..

[whacker1]

The best deer I ever had, was a young mule deer I shot in Montana when it was 0 degrees out.  We had it to the truck whole in about 2 hours, gutted it in the headlights, and then got it back to the cabin.  The animal was already starting to freeze when we were skinning it 4 -5 hours after I shot it.  I let it hang for 1 week in freezing conditions and another week in thawing conditions.  When I finally butchered it - we were pushing 3 weeks, and it was the best deer I ever have eaten to date.  

I thinking getting the body cooling quickly helps get the rigormortis going quickly.  

The elk we have quartered in the woods always seem to be good, but we get them open and the hide off quickly and then let them hang.  

This is all making me hungry.  Why can't wednesday be here already

[DeKuma]

"The best elk I ever had, was a young mule deer I shot in Montana....."

The best elk I ever had was umm..... an elk

[Axle]

My response to the question - if you have to ask, then don't let it age. Work it up immediately. If you are new to processing game animals you are better off not risking the aging process. I have processed deer and elk since 1975. On my buck this year, the steaks and roasts were in the freezer within 4 hours of the kill. Burger took a bit longer.

Too often a hunter will get one, let it age in an environment that is not friendly to the meat. Then they take it to a butcher and the butcher will often refuse it due to the meat being spoiled. I've seen this happen over and over. Then the hunter cuts it up himself, tries to eat it, and you know what happens with the rest of the meat.

Often a hunter gets busy afterwards and puts it off too long. All the more reason to tell them to cut it up asap.

Here on the wet side it is different than the dry east side, or Colorado, or Montana. Bacteria sets up very fast here and the meat can stink within a couple days in rainy weather. Don't risk it. I have lived in wet and dry climates and it really varies.

And for those of you who are experienced, you should advise newbies to get it in the freezer quickly. They can learn aging when they get more experience. Responsibility for proper care of the meat is the most important issue here.

Again, if you have to ask, then you shouldn't be aging meat. Good rule to go by.

[Axle]

The best elk I ever had, was a young mule deer I shot in Montana

oh boy, here comes trouble!

[weathergirl]

I think this year was the quickest my husband ever butchered our deer and so far they seem to be the best tasting...not sure if that is why, but it makes you wonder.  Our (his) problem with waiting longer is that "things" always come up and it ends up taking longer than planned--just getting it done ASAP (like the next day or two) seems like the best way to go. 

[New England Native]

Thanks for all the input. I myself don't "age" the meat, the deer I shot friday is all ready been butchered on Saturday. The only time I let it sit is when I am hunting out of town and don't have the means to get it done till I get home. I never noticed a difference between the two. Mainly I just wanted to know the reasons why someone would let it age.

[Axle]

There is an old saying:

'God made man - Smith and Wesson made them equal!'.

I would like to add one more to the ages:

God made deer and elk steaks - Jaacard makes them tender!

Quick processing protects them from the bacteria which can give them a bad taste.

[Dipsnort]

There are times when, no matter how carefully I handle the animal, portions of meat that have come in contact with my knife begin to spoil soon after the kill and some amount of trimming becomes necessary.

What is the prevailing wisdom of using a water/vinegar (or some such) mixture to wipe down the meat of a hanging animal in order to slow bacterial growth?

[Axle]

There are times when, no matter how carefully I handle the animal, portions of meat that have come in contact with my knife begin to spoil soon after the kill and some amount of trimming becomes necessary.

What is the prevailing wisdom of using a water/vinegar (or some such) mixture to wipe down the meat of a hanging animal in order to slow bacterial growth?

I've been told one to two cups of vinegar per gallon of water. I use two to three cups per gallon of water when I use this method. It really helps and the vinegar kills most of the bacteria. You can even use a garden hose first if you want. Then go back with the vinegar water. The stuff off the knife is bad if it contacts any of the urine or bile or partially digested food. That is one reason I started boning them out quit gutting them out.

For those who take the meat to a butcher, just remember - it normally gets put to the back of the line. Often they will promise to get to it quicker if you ask but don't trust in that. One good thing about taking it to them quickly (if you do that), is that they have better storeage facilities than most of us. Wiping it down with vinegar water will help them a lot.

[whacker1]

yes vinegar and water is good to help kill bacteria and helps to clean

[Al Bundy]

yes vinegar and water is good to help kill bacteria and helps to clean

Has anyone tried Liquid Game Bag? I saw it at Sportsman's Warehouse once and wondered if it really worked or if it was a waste of money.

[bowelkaholic]

well i don't no how you can cut a deer being warm its like trying to cut jello and your steaks dome up in the pan.now if its cold to the bone that's a different story.young deer 3 days old buck 4 to 5 days been just great hanging that way for 39 years haven't had bad one yet.

[alanger]

Hang it as long as it takes to get the hide off.

ewww

[mad-bomber]

my buddies and i have researched this topic quit a bit. my family has always hung their deer for 4-5 days in 40d weather.last year my buddie and i left the hide on! and let hang for a week! i know i know.it was by far the best meat iv had on both of the deer.the meat didnt have the tough outer layer on it it came off with the hide. we had thermometers in them and the meat was 39d. im doing the same thing come thursday when muzzleloader season opens.

[Curly]

Hang it as long as it takes to get the hide off.

ewww

Maybe I should reword that.......

What I mean is only hang it for the amount of time it takes you to skin it........So in other words......if you drop your deer at 8:00 am and have it back to camp or home by 9:00, you should have it hung up and skinned by 10:00.  As soon as you're done skinning  you're done hanging and ready to cut all the meat off the bone.