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

[njg0621]

Unless you have a controlled refrigerated area to hang then skin and butcher ASAP!

[NFA-ADK]

Great post!

[wooly]

Mine don't hand for long.

Right after the pictures, they get cut into single serving size chunks,wrapped , and frozen, ASAP!

The tenderloins I dig right into before the ey're even cold.

 

On the other hand, I know a guy(processor) I also deal with who is a butcher at "Tops friendly markets" who swears by aging them at least 10 days for best quality.

I've never had the patience for that, but I suspect he knows what he's talking about.

 

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Mine don't hand for long.

Right after the pictures, they get cut into single serving size chunks,wrapped , and frozen, ASAP!

The tenderloins I dig right into before the ey're even cold.

On the other hand, I know a guy(processor) I also deal with who is a butcher at "Tops friendly markets" who swears by aging them at least 10 days for best quality.

I've never had the patience for that, but I suspect he knows what he's talking about.

here is a thought and I can't seem to get past it. Aging makes it more tender because it is the early stages of the decaying process. Bon appetite. Lol

[wooly]

here is a thought and I can't seem to get past it. Aging makes it more tender because it is the early stages of the decaying process. Bon appetite. Lol

 

Last season I dropped off a deer to him on 11/3 and another on 11/15.

 

He still had his sons deer hanging (skinned) in his shop from the first one I dropped off 12 gays earlier.

To my eye, it didn't look like something I would even think about eating at that point..., but I've never tried it, so maybe I'm missing out.

[Carbonelement]

if you shoot it in the evening skin it, gut it and pack in in a cooler with ice to drop the temps asap! I had a refrigerator and I would just quarter and leave them in there for a few weeks but if you can not do that just butcher right away. 

[Merlot]

I deliver deer to the butcher as soon as possible. Would like to cut it up myself at home but my wife would kill me. 

[ATbuckhunter]

I don't let it hang at all, I cut it up right away. I normally don't have the privilege to let any deer hang since I live far from my hunting area though so everything gets cut up right away. 

[blackradio]

I quarter up and put in big cooler with ice the same day.

 

I'll cut up all the neck meat/backstraps/tenderloins and package those.

 

Then I'll usually butcher a leg or two a day until finished.

[fasteddie]

Mine don't hand for long.

Right after the pictures, they get cut into single serving size chunks,wrapped , and frozen, ASAP!

The tenderloins I dig right into before the ey're even cold.

On the other hand, I know a guy(processor) I also deal with who is a butcher at "Tops friendly markets" who swears by aging them at least 10 days for best quality.

I've never had the patience for that, but I suspect he knows what he's talking about.

That's fine if you have a walk in cooler. I wonder if cutting it up in large chunks and refrigerating does the same thing

???

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[wolc123]

I have a big, old refrigerator out in the garage.   All the shelves are removed.  When it is too warm for the standard "in garage hanging", I skin the deer right away and hang the rear quarters and front from hooks on the top in that old fridge.  Any red meat should be aged prior to processing as that allows the rigermortise to break down leading to more tender meat on the table.  Improper aging is probably the biggest reason some folks develop no fondness for venison.  

 

The older the deer, the longer the ageing, and ideally it should be aged between 33 and 45 degrees F.  For a six month old deer you can get away without aging.  A 1.5 year should be about a week.   I aged a 4.5 year buck last year for 2 weeks and it's steaks and chops are nearly as tender as a 6 month I cut up after a couple days.   We are eating that old one right now in fact (we always consume them in the order they were killed and he was second from last this past season.)   

 

The tenderloins should definitely be removed right away, and do not require aging.  We ate (4) sets fresh ones last season after 4 days in the fridge, just to compare the texture of 6 month, 1-1/2 year, 2-1/2 year, and 4-1/2 year bucks, all fried in an iron pan with a little olive oil, on the stove top.   The 6 month set melted in your mouth and were definitely better than those from the older bucks.   There was very little difference in taste or texture in those from the different age class older bucks when cooked and handled identically however.

 

Last season, the hanging temps in the garage were almost ideal from the middle of archery season until the end of ML.   I cover all the windows out there with foam insulation to keep some of the heat out, and I leave the hide on the deer until the day prior to processing.  That provides a little extra insulation and prevents the meat from drying out too much.   

 

If you got to cut one up right away when it is warm, I would at least cut out the tenderloins and backstraps and get them into the fridge for a few days anyhow.  Run the rest thru a grinder, which will break up the rigermortise.  The grind will not be as tender as it would be if you had aged the carcass properly, but if you use a fine enough screen on your grinder, it shouldn't be too bad.

 

I know that there are many hunters who don't age venison and seem happy with it.  The real test is when their wives, girlfriends, kids, or guests like it.  I actually prefer it over beef and so does the rest of my family. 

[fasteddie]

I have never aged venison on purpose . Always processed it asap and no problems . I have a 10 cu ft fridge in the garage now and that should help things . 

[Doc]

I have never aged venison on purpose . Always processed it asap and no problems . I have a 10 cu ft fridge in the garage now and that should help things . 

I can accept the fact that most people with tons of experience and very refined tastes, can probably tell the added quality when meat is aged. But I do have to wonder if the average person can really tell the difference. In fact the only venison that I have complained about was a venison dinner of incorrectly "aged" meat. Man was that stuff rank. Apparently the process was incorrectly applied, or over-applied.

 

I think that most hunters do not have the proper facilities that the pros have that have the closely regulated temperatures and whatever else the process demands. As I understand it, it is a pretty precise process among professional slaughter houses. Most of us do not own a walk-in cooler, and rapid processing during warmer seasons is probably going to produce venison that is absolutely acceptable.

[fasteddie]

Some of the seasonal processors don't have fridges and don't properly take care of the meat .

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[wolc123]

Over-aged (ie spoiled) is definitely worse than under-aged. It is a lot easier when you control the process yourself. If you have an old fridge to use when it gets too warm, it is hard to mess it up. I value my venison way to much to trust a "seasonal" processer with it, especially some of them that get a pile of carcasses 3 feet high on opening weekend of gun season.

There is much to be gained by processing your own besides just the money you save. Seeing first-hand, where to put a bullet to damage the least amount of valuable meat is a big plus (It is hard to beat center-lung, broad-side). Seeing the actual location of the shoulder blade helps the archer avoid that piece of "armor plate". Full control over the ageing process is the biggest advantage. Sizing the packs just like you want them is nice also.

[jjb4900]

to put it simply, you don't hang your deer when it's that warm out unless you have a colder environment to hang it in.....and as stated before, be leery of some pop up deer butchers who don't have any better means then yourself to care for it.

[Doc]

Some of the seasonal processors don't have fridges and don't properly take care of the meat .

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I am curious, do deer processors have to have any qualifications or licenses? Or do they simply hang out their shingle and call themselves deer butchers? I went through a bunch of them before I finally settled in on one that I trust and that has reliable quality. I had one guy where I loaded my deer back in the truck when I got a whiff of his butchering table. My gosh actually the whole place stunk like rotten meat and the brown greasy gunk that was pasted into the corners of his meat table just about turned my stomach.

 

I'm thinking that in early bow season, I would have to break out the butcher knives and once again do the job myself ..... immediately. Even those processors with walk-in coolers sometimes get over-loaded and have to leave the carcasses laying out in the sun for a while until they catch up. There are temperatures in early October that you just can't let the deer absorb anymore of that heat beyond what it may already have encountered in the field.

 

And when it comes to aging your venison, at that time of year, you better have a dedicated walk-in cooler or refrigerator for that. And I really don't know any processors that can devote that space to simply aging meat. The ones that I have encountered operate on a quick in and quick out philosophy. That's how they make their money.

[thphm]

By me most deer processors are small seasonal to full time slauter houses, most workers there are butchers working part time for them who certified by the state.The full time businesses , take in the deer , skin it . then hang it in a refrigated room , then quartered and then cut into the cuts of your choice, freezer paper wrapped and stored in a cardboard box in a freezer.Only $10.00 more then the ones working out of a garage.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I can accept the fact that most people with tons of experience and very refined tastes, can probably tell the added quality when meat is aged. But I do have to wonder if the average person can really tell the difference. In fact the only venison that I have complained about was a venison dinner of incorrectly "aged" meat. Man was that stuff rank. Apparently the process was incorrectly applied, or over-applied.

I think that most hunters do not have the proper facilities that the pros have that have the closely regulated temperatures and whatever else the process demands. As I understand it, it is a pretty precise process among professional slaughter houses. Most of us do not own a walk-in cooler, and rapid processing during warmer seasons is probably going to produce venison that is absolutely acceptable.

Almost without exception when I hear people say they don't like venison (not the ones that can't get by the eating Bambi thought but the taste or texture). I ask them how they eat their beef. It is almost always a "well done" response. Aged. Unaged. Well done venison sucks. Lol. I like mine medium rare and have not had a bad one that I have cut up. I really think the proper care from shot to stomach will give you a result that can really be enjoyed.

[wolc123]

I like my venison or beef medium rare, and of those, I definitely prefer venison if it is properly aged.  The worse thing you can do with any red meat, especially venison is to overcook it.  That should be a crime.  I would rather eat it raw than overcooked.  Those folks who like their meat well done would be better off sticking to pork, chicken, or turkey.  Even fish is much better when it is not over cooked.   I am getting hungry now for some lightly seared tenderloins.  It has been almost 9 months since I sunk my teeth into some of those.    Hopefully I will get some more of that in about a month.