Early Bow Season - How long do you let your deer hang?

[jrussell]

Newbie hunter here, 

 

I was wondering how long you guys prefer to hang your deer during early bow season, where the temperature is typically ranges from low 60's to low 70 degrees.  If I'm lucky enough to get a deer this year I want to be sure I do things the right way and not spoil the meat. 

Thanks for the help in advance,

 

-Justin

 

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Newbie hunter here, 

 

I was wondering how long you guys prefer to hang your deer during early bow season, where the temperature is typically ranges from low 60's to low 70 degrees.  If I'm lucky enough to get a deer this year I want to be sure I do things the right way and not spoil the meat. 

Thanks for the help in advance,

 

-Justin

Bout long enough to get it cut up...lol

 

Are you cutting it up yourself?

[phade]

I do not let it hang. Shot the buck in my avatar on Oct. 1 and finally got to bed well after midnight to be up at work at 7 a.m.

 

No ability to wait on processing unless you have a cool room/freezer.

[dbHunterNY]

yea if it's not under 40 degrees I cut it up right away.  even then it's always hanging hind quarters up.  heat from within the carass doesn't get trapped in body cavity, easier to process, and everything is draining alway from the best cuts of meat.  when cutting up deer that quick I still put the boned out meat in a meat pan and in the fridge for up to a week or so at most to let it "rest" and age before vac packing and freezing it.

[dbHunterNY]

good you're asking before.

[phade]

Get a few empty 2 liter soda bottles and fill w/water and freeze. Toss them in a cooler and if you connect, once you field dress, toss them in the cavity to help cool the meat.

[virgil]

Agree with the above.  If you don't have access to a walk-in cooler and aren't going to be cutting it up yourself, you need to get it to a processor immediately.  You need to plan in advance- know where you'll be bringing it for processing beforehand.

[growalot]

I will quarter it after skinning immediately...and pack it in either large coolers with lots of ice or the frozen water I put in used milk jugs(keeps the deer out of standing water) or an old refrigerator we use for deer..only prime cuts are used then ...loins rump shoulders....everything else that would have been burger or sausage in colder temps...is fed to the boys, Angel and the cat. One rib side to a dog. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

If you don't cut it up yourself the points above are spot on. Find the processor, get his hours and phone number ahead of time. The tough part of not cutting yourself is illustrated perfectly by Grow's story. Even with a processor all lined up, you could end up with a midnight recovery. What then? I am sure he isn't getting out of bed to get your deer in. I also like frozen jugs for putting in the coolers with the deer. no water logged meat.

 

I know there are really two camps of thought on hanging. (if the temps are right). I have done it out of necessity but not by design. I have never had bad meat from not hanging and "aging".

 

Two thoughts.

 

ALWAYS take out the inside tenderloins immediately when it is hung. Those tender little morsels should not be allowed to dry out.

 

Understand that if you hang without the hide there will be a crust of dried meat that forms that will need to be trimmed off. this can happen when you do things like hanging quarters in an fridge. I have had good luck really minimizing this by simply wrapping the quarters in saran wrap before putting them in the fridge.

 

You are doing the right thing in getting a game plan thought out prior to going afield. bravo!!

[grampy]

I too have had very little sleep before a work day, after recovering and cutting up a deer during early season or warm temperatures. You need to have a plan in place before you shoot! It also has made me VERY selective with my shots to insure a quick recovery. Good that the OP is thinking about this before the shot. Way to go!

[jrussell]

@Culvercreek - I'll be taking it to a butcher, I haven't gotten to where I can do the processing....someday though. 

[genesee_mohican]

If it's warm weather I empty out a fridge and put down some freezer paper. I hang the deer up to skin it out, quarter it up and put it all in the fridge. I'll let it cool and cut the meat up at my leisure.  It's worked really well for me.

 

[dbHunterNY]

If you don't cut it up yourself the points above are spot on. Find the processor, get his hours and phone number ahead of time. The tough part of not cutting yourself is illustrated perfectly by Grow's story. Even with a processor all lined up, you could end up with a midnight recovery. What then? I am sure he isn't getting out of bed to get your deer in. I also like frozen jugs for putting in the coolers with the deer. no water logged meat.

 

I know there are really two camps of thought on hanging. (if the temps are right). I have done it out of necessity but not by design. I have never had bad meat from not hanging and "aging".

 

Two thoughts.

 

ALWAYS take out the inside tenderloins immediately when it is hung. Those tender little morsels should not be allowed to dry out.

 

Understand that if you hang without the hide there will be a crust of dried meat that forms that will need to be trimmed off. this can happen when you do things like hanging quarters in an fridge. I have had good luck really minimizing this by simply wrapping the quarters in saran wrap before putting them in the fridge.

 

You are doing the right thing in getting a game plan thought out prior to going afield. bravo!!

 

good additions.  I always take out the tenderloins carefully as to not rip them and right away to not let them dry out.  also I always leave the hide on when hanging so the meat doesn't dry.  when in meat pans at home in a fridge or at the farm in an upright cooler there's saran wrap over them.

 

letting it age is more out of habit being raised for me.  I think it helps a little but venison doesn't age like beef does.  a week just under 40 degrees is more than enough and any longer won't do much.  getting all the connective tissue, fat, and silver skin off it will do much more.

 

[Hock3y24]

Get them home and hang them, skin them, ice in the cavity if need be. I have 2 ac units ready to go in my garage to cool it down if I have to leave it for a few hours.

[Hock3y24]

Sorry for the sideways picture but those pulleys cost me about $30 to get and hang up with the rope.

[growalot]

Oh and flies...I'm crazed by flies..I just bought two of those large cheese clothe game bags...Skinning is a tiresome thing so I skin and cut off the legs to meat I'll use and slip a bag over the deer and tie it up...this is easier if hung by the neck...something I never normally do...then you can get everything set to quarter it up with out bugs on it...the most important thing is to get that hide off as soon as possible and a stick propping open the cavity....

[fasteddie]

Gut the deer , put in trailer and head for home . Hang the deer in the garage . Skin it , cut it up and put in totes in a Fridge . Then come the rest of the work to clean ( get rid of the silver skin ) , grind and package the meat . Too warm to leave it hanging . No more processors for me !

[Fletch]

I have a 6 foot beer cooler out in the garage from a bar that was upgrading. I can put 2 big or 3 medium deer in that baby if I cut the legs off at the knees. It has saved me more than once when warm out.

[jrussell]

Thanks for all of the tips guys, appreciate it!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Thanks for all of the tips guys, appreciate it!

Where are you located?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

A little article on warm weather eat care.

 

https://www.qdma.com/articles/how-long-is-venison-safe-in-warm-weather

 

 

[jrussell]

Where are you located?

I'm in Rochester, but hunt near Otselic. Thanks for the article!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I'm in Rochester, but hunt near Otselic. Thanks for the article!

if you would like, PM me your contact info. I would be more that happy to have you over when I process one our ours so you can see how easy it really is. I am in Rochester area also

[G-Man]

Cut it up asap. Yourself or a processor,

[Larry]

I don't let it hang