How long to let a deer hang?

[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