how long should a deer hang for?

[trailhunter]

The old man just got a walkin cooler and i was wondering what the perfect temp is and how long wild game should be hung before being cut up?

[mntman]

1 degree, you cut the meat as soon as it starts to sweat

[brotherjack]

As cold as you can get it without freezing it, and 36 to 48 hours is plenty of time.

[trailhunter]

1 degree, you cut the meat as soon as it starts to sweat

how long does that normaly take? Ive hung deer in the pasted up to a week in cool weather but never in a cooler. I like aged beef .........so im sure aged deer would be deadly aswell.

[mntman]

pm sent..............

[betteroffishing]

lacking for a walk in cooler, we age our deer for 1 week in very large styro coolers w/ ice blocks rotated daily. seems to do the trick but has anyone ever aged their game "off" the bone? as well i read on another thread reference to packing deer out in 1 trip in a backpack? would that be deboned in the bush and is that legal?

[3kills]

ur cooler should be between 0 and 2 degerees and a day or two hangin should be good all u need is for the rigor to go through all three steps and then its good to go...

[newhunterette]

Meat Safety Guidelines

Aging game meat considered “red,” such as venison, duck, elk and dove, has its benefits. However, it is usually recommended to avoid aging any “white” meat, such as quail and turkey.
Safe game aging depends upon storing carcasses or cuts at a temperature range between 34 and 37 degrees. Higher temperatures will encourage spoilage and lower temperatures will simply freeze the meat and halt the aging process. For example, keeping meat at a temperature above 40 degrees is a recipe for gastronomical disaster, but freezing the game quickly will cause “cold shortening,” and the meat will become tough. Ideally, meat should be chilled to just above freezing and then held at that consistent temperature for a duration determined by the meat’s species. At 34 degrees, deer, elk cows and moose cows should age for a minimum of seven days. Bull elk and bull moose may require twice as long. Antelope should be aged for only three days, as the structure of antelope meat tends to collapse quickly.
Once aging is complete, be sure to remove any surface fat. Also, look for and trim off any slime due to bacteria and mold growth, especially on lean meat.
Aging meat that has no surface fat at all is not recommended. The lack of fat allows the meat to lose moisture and is likely to encourage deterioration.
It is often advised not to butcher or process game while it is in rigor mortis.
Pork should not be aged. Unsaturated fats in pork meat tend to oxidize, adding a rancid flavor to your chops.
If ground meat or sausage is the final destination of the season’s kill, then aging is not really necessary. The term “freshly ground” applies to the process as well as the flavor.
It is often suggested that removing the crop of a game bird immediately after downing the bird will prevent the meat from souring. The crop, filled with grain, has a tendency to ferment.
Fish-eating ducks may need additional soaking or marinating in acidic mixtures once aged.
A final rule of thumb when aging: If the meat is emitting an unpleasant odor, then throw it away regardless of the amount of time and care spent on processing and aging your game. Recognizing a bad smell is an important tool in the culinary skill set used for preparing wild game.

[Browningmirage]

i got a book on using deer. Theres a chart in there that shows the tenderness of deer as a function of days it is hung.

Pretty interesting i thought, on the first day at 36F, it is as tender as it will be on its 4th day (it actually gets tougher for a few days before becoming tender again). I have heard of lots of butchers cutting it the day they get it (further supported by everytime i visited this butcher, the hanging room was empty, even in the middle of the season)

Just out there for some controversy...

[kishman]

The Buck I shot this year only hung for about 24 hours but the meat isn't bad at all. Tender and juicy weather it's steaks or roast. He was a young buck and he died pretty much on the spot, that probably contirbuted to the good table fare.