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Thread: mold on deer

  1. #11
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    Dec 2005
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    Where You Find Me Is Where I Am At
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    Re: mold on deer

    One thing you will learn to pick up on if you do your own meat is the distinct smell of an animal starting to turn bad. As you walk into the room take a big sniff. You will detect a seemingly sweet smell, not that musty smell you had the day after you hung it, especially around the neck area. It always seems to go first. Even at this stage you can cut the affected area away until you notice the smell goes as well. I don't recall having this with a deer but I have with a moose. I've eaten it and I'm still here.

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  2. #12
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    Jan 2004
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    Re: mold on deer

    Like it was mentioned earlier sounds like a lack of ventalation issue, too much moisture most likely. Cut the top layer off with a sharp filet knife and cut and wrap it, I had this happen to a moose and a deer as well, they turned out to be the most tender animals I can remember. Smell the meat close to the bone most animals go bad inside out. If it looks good close to the bone ie: not green then you are good to go for some tender cuts.

  3. #13
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    Re: mold on deer

    "13 days is a pretty long time to hang a deer."
    Not according to the Englishmen.
    ".....It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of a Trudeau government than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their prime minister......​"

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    52

    Re: mold on deer

    The deer smells great , aside form the mold which seams to be mostly on the hind legs it seams to be great shape .

  5. #15
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    Re: mold on deer

    Here is an interesting article I found you might find useful

    And for all the debate around "Hide On, Hide Off" debates check out the highlighted text Link: http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic3516.htm

    Safe Handling of Wild Game Meats
    HGIC 3516

    Printer Friendly Version

    Abide by game regulations for hunting, transporting and storing game.

    Care in the Field
    Be Prepared for the Hunt: Remember to bring a sharp hunting knife, a small hatchet, a whetstone or steel, about 12 feet of light rope or nylon cord, plastic bags, and clean cloths or paper towels. Other essentials include proper clothing, binoculars, a canteen of fresh water, a compass, a mapand matches. In warm weather you may want to bring a can of ground pepper and some cheesecloth. The carcass may be sprinkled with pepper and covered with cheesecloth to repel flies.

    Video: To see video instructions, request White-Tail Deer: Field Care and Handling, Tape 7780 from PSA Publications, Clemson University at http://dprod4.clemson.edu/olos/asp/showCart.asp

    Note: As of September 2006 there has been no evidence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in South Carolina white-tailed deer. For information on continued surveillance by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources see http://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/Yr2006/se...t11_waste.html.

    Bleeding the Animal: Usually it is not necessary to bleed the animal, because the bullet or arrow has caused enough damage to the animal to bleed it sufficiently. However, if the animal is shot in the head it will need to be bled. If you think the deer needs additional bleeding, field dress the deer, then cut the main artery next to the backbone.

    If the animal is a trophy buck that you plan to mount, do not sever its throat, because this will cause problems during mounting."

    Field Dressing: There are three major rules to follow as soon as the animal is dead.

    Remove the intestines, lungs, liver and heart as soon after the kill as possible.
    Keep the carcass clean by getting it off the ground as quickly as possible and by using clean utensils during dressing.
    Cool the carcass quickly and keep it cool during processing and transport.
    When field dressing an animal, plastic surgical gloves are recommended. Clean your hunting knife often with clean water and a cloth to prevent contamination of the meat.

    Place the animal on its back with the front-end elevated and spread the hind legs. Support the carcass in position by placing rocks or sticks on each side.
    Cut along the midline of the belly from the breastbone to the anus. Avoid cutting into the paunch and intestines by using the handle of the knife and the heel of your hand to crowd the guts away. Cut around the anus, loosening the bung so it will come out with the guts.
    Cut the diaphragm (the thin sheet of muscle and connective tissue between the chest and the abdomen) free from the rib cage by cutting through the white tissue near the rib cage.
    Reach forward to cut the windpipe, gullet and blood vessels at the base of the throat.
    Pull the lungs, heart and guts out of the animal. If you like variety meats, save
    the heart and liver in a plastic bag and put on ice.
    Hanging to Drain and Clean: Put the carcass on logs or rocks if it cannot be hung.

    Remove all foreign particles and loose hair.
    Wipe out excess blood in gutted cavity with a paper towel or clean cloth and clean water.
    Use as little water as possible, because damp meat spoils faster than dry meat.
    Dry with paper towels or clean rags. Prop the cavity open with sharpened sticks and hang the carcass in the shade until the cavity surface is thoroughly dry. Be sure there is good air circulation.
    Do not use grass or snow to wipe out the carcass, because this may contaminate the carcass.
    Chilling: Improper temperature is meat’s worst enemy. The surface of the carcass may be contaminated with bacteria that can spoil the meat unless chilling stops the growth. During warm hunting seasons special care should be taken to keep the carcass cool. It should be kept in the shade and allowed as much air circulation as possible.

    Refrigerate the deer carcass as soon as possible for best quality. If the weather is over 40 °F, it is strongly recommended that the carcass be taken to a cooler the day of the kill. If the air temperature is above 50 °F as it often is in South Carolina, the deer carcass should be refrigerated within three to four hours after killing.
    Cool the animal quickly. Cool the carcass by propping the chest open with a clean stick and allowing air to circulate. Filling the cavity with bags of ice will also enhance cooling.
    To aid cooling in warm weather, the animal may be skinned if you have provisions to keep the carcass clean. Use ground pepper and cheesecloth or light cotton bags to protect the skinned carcass from contamination by flies. Do not use airtight game-bags or tarps that hold in heat and will cause meat to spoil rapidly.
    In cool weather (28 to 35 °F), wrap the carcass or quarters in a sheet and hang to chill in a ventilated shed.
    Do not allow the carcass to freeze. Freezing may toughen the meat.
    Transporting:

    Keep the carcass cool during transport.
    Do not tie a deer carcass on the hood of the car or in the trunk when it is still warm.
    Be sure to keep the carcass cool until it reaches the locker plant. Keep the carcass out of direct sunlight and allow for adequate air circulation.
    Aging Meat: Aging meat is the practice of holding carcasses or cuts of meat at temperatures of 34 to 37 °F for 7 to 14 days to allow the enzymes in the meat to break down some of the complex proteins in the carcass. Aged meat is often more tender and flavorful. Do not age any game carcass if it was shot during warm weather and not chilled rapidly, if the animal was severely stressed prior to the kill, if gunshot areas are extensive, or if the animal was under 1 year of age. Aging is not recommended for carcasses with little or no fat covering because they may dry out during aging, and are more susceptible to deterioration through microbial growth. If the meat will be ground into sausage, aging is unnecessary.

    Leave the hide on and maintain the proper temperature when aging a carcass. Aging game that has been skinned often results in drying and high weight loss. For this reason, properly chilled game should be aged with the hide on unless it is to be aged in a cooler where humidity is high. If you do not have the proper cooler space, spoilage or dehydration may result.
    Do not trim fat from game meat before it is aged because the fat protects the meat. However, fat should be trimmed after aging to avoid undesirable flavors associated with the fat.
    Limit aging to a maximum of two weeks at 34 to 37 °F. At this point tenderization slows down, and bacterial slime develops which then must be trimmed.
    Cold shortening, which causes meat to be tough, occurs if the internal muscle temperature drops to 32 °F within 12 hours after the kill, such as if carcasses under 100 pounds are slaughtered when the temperature is below freezing. Frozen carcasses should be thawed and aged at 34 °F for 14 days.
    Cutting: Many freezer locker stores have power saws and capable meat cutters who cut and wrap meat. Some hunters cut their own roasts and have steaks or chops cut by an expert meat cutter. Cutting is not a haphazard operation. For easy cutting, hang the carcass by the hocks or hock tendons. Split lengthwise along the backbone from tail to neck, saw with a meat or carpenter ’s saw, or chop with a cleaver or hand ax. Keep halves well spread while splitting. Cut between the last two ribs and through the backbone to divide halves into quarters.

    The simplest way to cut meat is to remove all flesh from bones following along natural seams of muscles. Loins are removed from the back as they lie between the upright vertebra and down-turned ribs. The long, sausage-shaped piece can then be trimmed of loose tissue and cut into steak-sized pieces (similar to cutting a loaf of bread). On smaller animals, a cut twice the desired size is made, then cut almost in two again, leaving connective tissue enough to fold out the cuts to resemble a butterfly.

    Pull your head out of your Ass
    long enough to see how stupid you look!!!!!

  6. #16
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    Mar 2004
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    Re: mold on deer

    Ive had deer hang for 20 days at the butchers with no problems at all, some guys/gals cut theres up when they get home from hunting. Like someone said it sounds like maybe a moisture problem?
    Not All Who Wander Are Lost

  7. #17
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    Mar 2004
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    Re: mold on deer

    Another good post
    Cold shortening, which causes meat to be tough, occurs if the internal muscle temperature drops to 32 °F within 12 hours after the kill, such as if carcasses under 100 pounds are slaughtered when the temperature is below freezing. Frozen carcasses should be thawed and aged at 34 °F for 14 days.
    This is the answer to a problem, for sure. Have seen this but didn't know why.
    Thanks
    Never say whoa in the middle of a mud hole

  8. #18
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    Dec 2004
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    Kimberley,B.C
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    Re: mold on deer

    I wonder how hard it is to skin a deer that has aged for a week with the hide on?Any one done it ?I might give it a try on the next one,it would avoid the dark,dried out skin on the meat that I always have to trim off.It`s getting pretty cold here(-3 at night to +3/4 in the day) so I can hang in my unheated shop.
    Scars Are like Tattoos but With Better Stories

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Yucatan Mexico
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    14,832

    Re: mold on deer

    Some friends have switched to hanging their deer with the hides on for a longer period of time.
    They seem pretty happy with the change.

    Hmmmmmm.......I guess our Sask whities from last year never stood a chance. Frozen "cork-stiff" in a couple of hours. Turned out pretty damn good. No tougher than any of the other deer that hit the dirt last year.

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  10. #20
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    Mar 2004
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    N. Okanagan
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    Re: mold on deer

    sawmill, it is more difficult for sure, but I like the idea of having less air-dried trim.
    Never say whoa in the middle of a mud hole

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