Field Dressing/meat Tending Tips??

[Gunner Staal]

I shot a mule deer on Saturday evening and brought him into the butcher on Monday morning. The butcher gave me crap because there was a small amount of hair and dried blood on the meat. I have always been told...NEVER to add water to meat in the field...be it to clean it, wipe it down...whatever. The butcher then promptly used a garden hose spewing hot water and sprayed the crap out of the deer to blast off the hair and chunky bits. Im a novice hunter but I have never seen or heard of this. Is that normal??? Further, what are some tips or opinions with regards to wiping down meat in the bush??? Thanks guys

[BearStump]

I'm no pro either, but what I normally do is, first skin it, then wipe it down with just enough water to allow the sticky dried crap to come off, then clean it up for the butcher. ie carve off most of the fat and that last layer of membrane around the meat. I'll leave that last layer of membrane on as long as I can before it dries up to protect the meat till the blood and hide are gone and no longer around.

[tomla1]

I know a lot of guys who just use vinegar to wipe down the meat, im sure you have heard of that. I cant really give you any tips, jus be carfull i guess is the biggest thing, if you can we like to hang our deer, skin first and then gut. just seems to be cleaner thats how i was shown by my hunting partner who cleans his beef that way on the farm.

[tomla1]

oh yea if you do use water make sure you dry it the best you can it congiles(cant spell that word) with the blood and can make a mess if it sits.

[Ltbullken]

ALWAYS clean the carcass with water and some vinegar or even bleach. Use some rags to clean all the dirt, hair and blood off the surface after you skinned it. Just a splash of either in a bucket with water will kill bacteria on the meat. You might need to use a couple buckets of water & bleach/vinegar mix to finish the job. Get the hide off ASAP and allow the carcass to cool quickly too. The sooner the better. It also helps to cut out blood damaged parts too.

This same advice came to me from a meat cutter several years ago. I called him up and he told me to do this first before he cut it. Bleach will not absorb into the meat, it will evaporate. Use a half to 3/4 cup in a bucket of water to clean the carcass. Ever since I've done this and meantioned it to meat cutters coming to cut my game they have been very positive and have said they wish more customers would do the same. All my game has been non-gamey, shall we say.

Game also does not have and should not 'hang' for very long either. Domestic beef has a substantial covering fat layer that protects the meat from drying out that wild game typically does not have. Let game hang and it dries, looses volume, and that outer dried layer if not removed leaves gamey taste. That layer should always be removed by the meat cutter. On my deer last year, that trim came to about 10 lbs. That's not much in my opinion when you want good, clean tasting wild game.

Good luck and, after a few hard personal lessons, I pass this advice on so that more may enjoy good clean wild game meat!! ;)

[swamper]

I would be looking for another butcher. I cut all my own meat. We try to keep it as clean as possible. Wipe any excess blood with rags or paper towel. If you get any hair on it, let it dry and use a wire brush to remove the hair. Don't, under any circumstances, use hot water. All that does is give the bacteria a place to grow.

[Toad Hunter]

[quote=Ltbullken;525704]ALWAYS clean the carcass with water and some vinegar or even bleach. Use some rags to clean all the dirt, hair and blood off the surface after you skinned it. Just a splash of either in a bucket with water will kill bacteria on the meat. You might need to use a couple buckets of water & bleach/vinegar mix to finish the job.

Now using bleach is something I have never heard of before.

So, I checked out the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for bleach out . Here you go.

Danger! Corrosive. Causes eye and skin burns. Causes digestive tract burns. Harmful if inhaled. Causes respiratory tract irritation. May cause methemoglobinemia.
Target Organs: Blood.


Potential Health Effects
Eye: May cause irreversible eye injury. Contact with liquid is corrosive to the eyes and causes severe burns.
Skin: Causes skin burns.
Ingestion: May cause methemoglobinemia, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), convulsions, and death. Causes severe digestive tract burns with abdominal pain, vomiting, and possible death. Methemoglobinemia is characterized by dizziness, drowsiness, headache, shortness of breath, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), rapid heart rate and chocolate-brown colored blood.

So, in summary, I would think twice about using bleach. Cold water and vinegar is OK. Only if the carcass is still wet. I have cut lots of meat by people whom have hosed animals down; we had to turf a good portion of those animals.

[Ltbullken]

[quote=Ltbullken;525704]ALWAYS clean the carcass with water and some vinegar or even bleach. Use some rags to clean all the dirt, hair and blood off the surface after you skinned it. Just a splash of either in a bucket with water will kill bacteria on the meat. You might need to use a couple buckets of water & bleach/vinegar mix to finish the job.
Now using bleach is something I have never heard of before.

So, I checked out the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for bleach out . Here you go.

Danger! Corrosive. Causes eye and skin burns. Causes digestive tract burns. Harmful if inhaled. Causes respiratory tract irritation. May cause methemoglobinemia.
Target Organs: Blood.


Potential Health Effects
Eye: May cause irreversible eye injury. Contact with liquid is corrosive to the eyes and causes severe burns.
Skin: Causes skin burns.
Ingestion: May cause methemoglobinemia, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), convulsions, and death. Causes severe digestive tract burns with abdominal pain, vomiting, and possible death. Methemoglobinemia is characterized by dizziness, drowsiness, headache, shortness of breath, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), rapid heart rate and chocolate-brown colored blood.

So, in summary, I would think twice about using bleach. Cold water and vinegar is OK. Only if the carcass is still wet. I have cut lots of meat by people whom have hosed animals down; we had to turf a good portion of those animals.




Of course, bleach has those characteristics, which is why I said a 'splash in a bucket of water'. I stand by it, have done it many times before ON THE ADVICE of a butcher who works for a major food chain. I have had no ill effects to the meat because of it. No other butcher has ever told me not to do that and has said it is ok. If you use pure bleach, that will be a problem but heavily diluted in a bucket of water is another matter. I do believe it is commonly used in our drinking water to ... 'kill germs'?

Good on ya for looking up the MSDS though! :-D

[Charlie]

I am not sure what % of bleach you did a MSDS query on as you did not state, so its tough to make an accurate observation without said info.

Your average household bleach is 5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite. If you go by the recommendations of the poster he stated a 1/2 to 3/4 cup per bucket full of water.

Now assuming a bucket is 20l and you add 125ml of bleach to it, you now have diluted that bleach concentration by a factor of 160. If you start with 5.25% w/v you are now at a .03% w/v concentration.

Hardly an amount that would be dangerous to humans, but still sounds toxic to pathogens.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

That's the problem using a paid butcher. It's not cost effective for them to completely skin off the dried outer "skin" like I do when I butcher my game myself. Anything that touches "air" comes off and into the garbage and not the grinder pile. Perfect meat and burger every time.

I don't normally use water but I have never had a problem when I did use it.

SSS

[M.Dean]

We skin our deer and moose at home, then with them hanging or on a tarp we use a hose or a pressure washer to clean them. Towel dry and let them hang until there ready to cut. Never had a problem and will continue to use this method. We've taken deer and moose cleaned this way to the butcher and there happier than hell with our cleaning job!

[Toad Hunter]

[quote=Toad Hunter;525758]

Of course, bleach has those characteristics, which is why I said a 'splash in a bucket of water'. I stand by it, have done it many times before ON THE ADVICE of a butcher who works for a major food chain. :-D

Does this butcher work for Maple Leaf meats:smile:

All I am saying is that bleach is generally bad for eating. Even if it does evaporate - it could be bad. Bacteria is not bad; it is what breaks down the meat.

[Toad Hunter]

That's the problem using a paid butcher. It's not cost effective for them to completely skin off the dried outer "skin" like I do when I butcher my game myself. Anything that touches "air" comes off and into the garbage and not the grinder pile. Perfect meat and burger every time.

I don't normally use water but I have never had a problem when I did use it.

SSS


SSS - your opinion is so rare but so valuable. I helped a butcher out whom trimmed everything away that you would not otherwise eat. If it is garbage then do not make burger out of it; send it to the wolf bin. He trimmed everything away! And, no bones except for ribs! Buffalo too.

[Chuck]

Hunting after the snows come cover many a hunters errors and assists greatly in cleaning, cooling and transporting imho.

[BiG Boar]

Use a blow torch to waft over the dried hung meat before processing, doing this removes the hair.

[eastkoot]

A bucket of water, pure clean water, and a dish cloth dampened to wipe off hair and blood.. Nothing else goes on to my meat. If it turns your clothes white or is used to make pickles, I don't use it on my meat.

[Dannybuoy]

A bucket of water, pure clean water, and a dish cloth dampened to wipe off hair and blood.. Nothing else goes on to my meat. If it turns your clothes white or is used to make pickles, I don't use it on my meat.
Exactly !
SSS if you are getting a " skin " on your game I would think you are either hanging it way too long or ? I have heard of getting a crust or dark layer of meat if it gets frozen as well ...

[wolverine]

Nothing but cold,clean water and as much as you need. We used to clean out our bear carcasses in a creek after gutting and skinning them and the cold mountain stream helped to cool that meat way quicker than just hanging it would have and that is probably the worst ememy when it comes to meat, Heat will foul things up quicker than anything else. Just make sure you hang it and dry it off really well both inside and out and there are no problems. I don't think I'd be crazy about some dink using hot water on my meat. Find a new butcher. Oh yeah, I use a propane torch the next day to clean off any hair that wouldn't come off with the washing.

[bigj]

We have used a splash of bleach or vineger when wiping our game down exactly the same way as Ltbullken and we have never had a bad animal. The skinned up meat is tough but I don't think I have ever had a piece make anything "gamey" Fat or bone on the other hand... Any bloodshot we cut out, if it is a big solid chunk like part of a deers hind quarter we will typically just have some nice fresh steaks in the hot pan while we clean the rest or in the house over beers after cleaning up. I hate to throw away anything I don't have to, if you leave it bloodshot, it will be garbage...

[35 Whelen]

A very slick trick I was shown once is to use a new, unused ( for obivious reasons) toilet brush to remove hair on meat. The long bristles literally flick the hair, dirt, and debris off the meat.

[killman]

When I phone my butcher to bring in my moose, I told them I would bring it out as soon as I cleaned it up a bit. The promptly said "NO water or vinegar". Usually I try to get the hide off as soon as it is going to stay clean(Back to camp and hanging). Wipe with dry rags and let set up. I don't usually hunt until the weather is cool enough to hang in camp or a shed. Once it is set up well I will use a blow torch and go over it and burn and wipe off the small bits of hair. This method give you nice clean meat. When I dropped mine off it was spotless, then a truck rolls in with theirs still in bags and covered in hair and mud and leaves. I hope the butcher appreciates when you care for your meat.

[RiverBoatFantasy]

It sounds like I am doing something wrong.

The last few elk I shot I left the hide on until I got home. (This years was on for 5 days in the cold).

Meat is always clean and perfect - temperature must be appropriate.

I simply scrape the hair off with a knife. I have had lots of hair on outer surface of meat and it has never caused a problem. I also remove dirt or vegetation with a knife.

Never used bleach, vinegar, or water.

During warm weather I will submerge the whole carcass with skin on into the river. Always works very, very well. Remember to tie it to a tree!

[sawmill]

You always get a hardened layer on a carcass if if hangs a few days,big deal.I butcher my own meat and the meat gets trimmed and nothing goes in the freezer but the best.Last year I tried the the no skinning till butcher day method and it worked great,but you have to have quite cool weather to hang with the hide on.Shot a buck on Monday,gutted it and hung it with the hide on till Sat. skinned and butchered it and had a lot less waste.I also take out the tenderloins when I gut the critter cause they are exposed and will crust over.
If you skin and hang for a few days the best time to get hair off is after it has set up some then the hair can be rubbed right off with a stiff bristle brush easily.Only time I wash `em out is if there is contamination from the guts,vinager and water is fine,dry them as best you can after.

[chola]

I shoot and then dress in the field. Once I get home, we knock the hide off, wipe down with water,dry off really well and then remove all blood shot areas. I try to remove as much fat as possible also. Then I take some duct tape wrapped on my hand, sticky side out, and remove all the hair as best I can. It takes a fair bit off leaving only minor traces to pick off.
I usually butcher within three days depending on what's going on and temperature, as I normally make sausage and jerky out of deer anyway...just my 2 cents

[Squirrelnuts]

Best thing to get hair off is the deer's tongue. Keep it wet, and when the tongue gets plugged with hair it rolls off just like a lint brush. Learned that from here and it works really well. (A bit morbid but what the hell... The deer's not using it anymore).

[Big7]

Game also does not have and should not 'hang' for very long either. Domestic beef has a substantial covering fat layer that protects the meat from drying out that wild game typically does not have.

BS...when it comes to wild game, they can be treated no differently than domestic beef...you can hang a moose 21 days if the temp. was controlled etc. Obviously you get more trim but the meat is that much better. If you think there is no need to hang wildgame for very long, you've obviously never tried a steak off one that has! Wild game should hang a minimum of 12 to 14 days IMO

[Angel]

How much does it cost to have a butcher cut a mule deer for you??? I have always been taught from day 1 to cut my own meat and wrap and package it. Does the butcher package it for you aswell. I can butcher,wrap and package 2 deers in 6-8 hours. I am just curious what the cost is because it might be worth it for bigger game like Elk or Moose.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Exactly !
SSS if you are getting a " skin " on your game I would think you are either hanging it way too long or ? I have heard of getting a crust or dark layer of meat if it gets frozen as well ...


Sounds like there is as much myth and misconception among butchers as there is among hunters:-?.

A skin usually forms with one or two days. It depends on temperature, humidity and airflow(I usually use a fan). Allowing a skin to form ensures that the surface is dry and prevents bacteria from growing since bacteria need a moist environment to reproduce.
Now I don't have a temperature controlled meat locker but that doesn't mean game will spoil. Obviously, temps are lower and humidity is higher in a meat locker which would make the formation of a skin much slower.

The theory behind using vinegar wipe or spray is that human pathogens don't like a low pH. Acetic acid is volatile so there should be know residual taste. Is it necessary?? Probably not but there is certainly no harm in using it. I did get mould forming on one deer that I had hanging when the condtitions were very humid(3-4deg C and rain for few days). Using a vinegar would have most certainly prevented this although the meat was perfectly fine after removing the outer skin.

I also would not hesitate to use water(was told to do so by one butcher) as long as long as I could get the meat fairly cold right after and was able to get the air flowing to help to dry the meat.

My co-worker has a Masters in microbiology so he's a good source of info for dispelling a lot of myths.

SSS

[Frango]

BS...when it comes to wild game, they can be treated no differently than domestic beef...you can hang a moose 21 days if the temp. was controlled etc. Obviously you get more trim but the meat is that much better. If you think there is no need to hang wildgame for very long, you've obviously never tried a steak off one that has! Wild game should hang a minimum of 12 to 14 days IMO
Ditto... All our game hangs for at least two weeks,not counting bush hang.I have often wondered why the hurry ?let it mellow.Letting it hang for only two or 3 days is doing yourself an injustice.

[Ltbullken]

How much does it cost to have a butcher cut a mule deer for you??? I have always been taught from day 1 to cut my own meat and wrap and package it. Does the butcher package it for you aswell. I can butcher,wrap and package 2 deers in 6-8 hours. I am just curious what the cost is because it might be worth it for bigger game like Elk or Moose.

Cost me a $120 for a 200 lb mulie on the hook. Took the cutter 2 hours to do it and I wrapped while he cut it. Done in 3 hrs.

[Ltbullken]

[quote=Ltbullken;525772]

Does this butcher work for Maple Leaf meats:smile:

All I am saying is that bleach is generally bad for eating. Even if it does evaporate - it could be bad. Bacteria is not bad; it is what breaks down the meat.

Bacteria is bad because it taints meat. You drink chlorine everyday...

[Angel]

Cost me a $120 for a 200 lb mulie on the hook. Took the cutter 2 hours to do it and I wrapped while he cut it. Done in 3 hrs.

hmmm.. interesting thats pretty good. I think i will look into that for an elk or moose for sure. any butcher recommendations for around the langley area????

[RBH]

I only use water (or water & bit o' vinegar) if there is rumen in the abdominal cavity. Otherwise if the cavity is clean it will be fine or you can wipe it out with a bit of moss or a paper towel or cloth if available. Maybe the butcher can hose the carcass because he is going to cut it up right after, but i would not hose the thing down and personally would not use bleach. However, generally I feel game is best 'hung' (duration depends on temperature) and once skinned the film that forms on the outside is reportedly antibacterial in nature, as indicated on MOE doc discussing care of game meat.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/docs/care_of_game_meat_diagram.pdf

Yes the meat dries out somewhat and reduces in volume but that is not a bad thing. Hanging should increase the tenderness of the meat (in all probability due to partial decomposition.) Again, not a bad thing. FYI I prefer to hunt later in the season when weather is 0 - 5C and hanging meat for up to 7 days in that temp range is no problem.

[xtremearchery]

ALWAYS clean the carcass with water and some vinegar or even bleach. Use some rags to clean all the dirt, hair and blood off the surface after you skinned it. Just a splash of either in a bucket with water will kill bacteria on the meat. You might need to use a couple buckets of water & bleach/vinegar mix to finish the job. Get the hide off ASAP and allow the carcass to cool quickly too. The sooner the better. It also helps to cut out blood damaged parts too.

This same advice came to me from a meat cutter several years ago. I called him up and he told me to do this first before he cut it. Bleach will not absorb into the meat, it will evaporate. Use a half to 3/4 cup in a bucket of water to clean the carcass. Ever since I've done this and meantioned it to meat cutters coming to cut my game they have been very positive and have said they wish more customers would do the same. All my game has been non-gamey, shall we say.

Game also does not have and should not 'hang' for very long either. Domestic beef has a substantial covering fat layer that protects the meat from drying out that wild game typically does not have. Let game hang and it dries, looses volume, and that outer dried layer if not removed leaves gamey taste. That layer should always be removed by the meat cutter. On my deer last year, that trim came to about 10 lbs. That's not much in my opinion when you want good, clean tasting wild game.

Good luck and, after a few hard personal lessons, I pass this advice on so that more may enjoy good clean wild game meat!! ;)
I agree. I do the same.

[xtremearchery]

hmmm.. interesting thats pretty good. I think i will look into that for an elk or moose for sure. any butcher recommendations for around the langley area????
Beltrami Meats. Peter is his name. Does an awesome job.

[ElliotMoose]

I skin immediately, and hang as long as the temperature allows, ideally around 10 days. If it's below or at zero, the meat can only get more tender. Also every afternoon or when youre not out hunting, just take turns tending to the meat picking off hairs for 15 or 20 minutes at a time, and cut away the blood shot meat. Pick the hairs off as soon as possible as they will be tougher to get at when the animal "tacks up," meaning a layer of anitibacterial skin forms on it. If in warmer weather, throw some pepper on the meat as this keeps the flies away, who also cause bacteria on your meat leading to some spoiled meat.

[Toad Hunter]

It still puzzles me about the bleach thing - asked 2 butchers at Save on Foods today about bleach. They looked stunned. Told them the story about HuntingBC.com etc.

They both said forget it - isn't that why we go hunting (they are both hunters); as hunting provides us with better meat. Let's say, just for discussion, that if something will kill you if you eat 10 of them does that mean it is OK to eat 9 of them. Dillution is the solution to pollution; that is what we are saying here with adding bleach.

Cheers
TH

[Big Lew]

I agree with "Ltbullken and Stone Sheep Steve". I have field dressed at least 80-90 deer, many moose and bear. If the carcass is dirty, or has stomach fluild, or urine on it, all cuts or wounds etc. are completely trimmed immediately. I then wash it off right away. I then sponge off the water. As soon as the carcass is hung in camp or at home, I further clean it using water and vinager. I do not use water to try to remove the excess blood that builds up between meat layers, especially from an arrow killed animal. This blood clots or solidifies and can be scraped away later, and as long as it's completely scraped off, doesn't taint the meat. When skinning, I leave the extra outer skin on the carcass until I'm ready to butcher, to protect the meat, and to keep the meat tender. I have used the flame from a wood or propane torch to remove the loose hair after skinning if there was quite a lot, and then wiped the carcass off with a water/vinager wetted cloth. I have never had tainted meat from even the older bucks that could be attributed to dirt, urine, stomach fluids, hair, or blood, only from some of the food they were eating. (butchered a steer for a friend that had no feed other than fir and pine needles and nobody, even the dogs, would eat it.) It's important to make sure your knife blade's clean before cutting into any meat, especially if you have been cutting away contaminated areas, or have cut into scent glands etc.

[OOBuck]

I don't claim to be an expert but I have cut a shitload of meat. Up until last year the only thing I had a butcher do was my ground. After the kill
I skin my deer or game asap that night or the next day but its much easier to get the hide off while its warm. I will wash the cavity out with cool water prior to cutting and I will rince roasts in cold water to remove hair if necessary. The biggest thing is take your time and do a nice job.

BLEACH, not on your life! whoever suggested that might want to recheck with the meat cutter!!!! I wash my cut area down with 1cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water and that will kill anything known to man...

Cheers...

[mainland hunter]

lots of foods are cleaned with bleach

[wolverine]

lots of foods are cleaned with bleach


Maybe, but not mine. I agree that one of the main reasons for hunting is to get organic meat without the pesticides, growth hormones or other unwanted chemicals. Putting bleach on meat to me is kinda like watching all the guys in hospital gowns outside the hospital sucking on a smoke... why don't they just go home?

[huntwriter]

I have always been told...NEVER to add water to meat in the field...be it to clean it, wipe it down...whatever.

You're not alone. There are many victims of this old wives tale. Water has no negative affect on meat. Dirt, blood and feces on the other hand can and often will ruin the meat quality.

Go right ahead next time and hose the deer down. Heck you can use the pressure washer on them and it will do no harm.

[hunter1993ap]

my dad used to be a meat cutter and it depends on where the animal is shot. if it is gut shot as soon as we get home we get the garden hose and hose the whole deer to get all the guts off the meat. also if the animal is shot perfectly we still use the hose to clean the hair and blood off the meat. but it really works well if the animal is or isnt shot perfectly.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

[quote=Ltbullken;525772]

Does this butcher work for Maple Leaf meats:smile:

All I am saying is that bleach is generally bad for eating. Even if it does evaporate - it could be bad. Bacteria is not bad; it is what breaks down the meat.

No I bet he doesnt ... if he did maple leaf would not have had to recall

Just a tid bit of info re: bleach ....

Most hotel swimming pools are chlorinated with bleach .... my pool starts out with 12.5% bleach ..and gets injected into the water stream ...we look for 3-5 parts per million of residule.... chlorine

I used to work for a major food processing company in alberta .... If you have ever bough frozen vegis(pea, carrots, corn turnips ) in western canada then chances are this shop processed them, but chlorine is used to wipe out bugs and other non-desirable organics of the product and once again we are looking for 3-5 ppm residule in the water.

chlorine attacks living tissue ...once the tissue is dead it wont further attack it ...the bleach is just a way to get the chlorine ...if you deer, moose, elk tissues are still alive while you are hanging it and cleaning it ... you are one sick *******

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Maybe, but not mine. I agree that one of the main reasons for hunting is to get organic meat without the pesticides, growth hormones or other unwanted chemicals. Putting bleach on meat to me is kinda like watching all the guys in hospital gowns outside the hospital sucking on a smoke... why don't they just go home?

I bet you dont have a clue what actually comes into contact with your food that you dont harvest and process yourself

[budismyhorse]

AHHHHHH, what could be a better sight than all quarters in a creek on a 20 degree day? After a quick dip, they were all ice cold...drained in meat bags and brought out of the bush.

We've done this time and time again and nary a bad cut of meat.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/IMGP0230_resize.JPG

[MEATMAN30_06]

I'm not an expert, but I am a butcher.and I do know that only hose down your animal if the carcass is still hot with (cold water) witch is about 1/2 an hour after the kill so not many of us have that option.
water & viniger yes. bleach? not shure? dought it will hurt you.
tips for keeping the hair off. take time skinning,hind legs off start skinning down while hoisting the carcass up.
as far as hanging game for two weeks? it's not going to make it more tender, game does'nt have the fat (marbling) in the muscles to break down (rigor mortois) like a beef that make it tender you are just going to end up with more trim in the bone can.

[MEATMAN30_06]

[quote=budismyhorse;526520]AHHHHHH, what could be a better sight than all quarters in a creek on a 20 degree day? After a quick dip, they were all ice cold...drained in meat bags and brought out of the bush.

We've done this time and time again and nary a bad cut of meat.



Goood job!! cold and cleen A butchers DREAM:grin::grin::grin:

[3kills]

i m a butcher too and water cant hurt ur meat..keep it clean..water and viniger is good yes..i took the butchers course and we always used bleach on game that came in dirty still..we had one deer that came in covered in maggots it was gross...a capful of bleach in a 5 gallon pail of cold water aint going to hurt ya...and i agree bout hangin game for 2 weeks it doesnt have to be hung that long ..i prefer to hang my for only bout 3 days 5 at the most...most times my deer are cut in 2 to 3 days though..

[huntwriter]

There is a lot of myth surrounding wild game meat. I have cleared up the water on venison in an earlier post.

Now I will try to clear up the venison aging myth.

Venison, as all game meats, does not need to be aged. It will do absolutely nothing to enhance the quality of the meat.

MEATMAN30_06 is right in that only beef, NOT game, cow, heifer, lamb, pork, poultry or veal, can be successfully aged. Although the meat does not need to be marbled. To age meat successfully it has to be exposed to an exact controlled temperature and humidity. Not many butchers, let alone private individuals, have the facility to guarantee that.

Why only beef? Because beef has a thick layer of fat that will prevent the meat from drying out. After the aging process only the fat needs to be trimmed not the meat. Why veal, heifer, cow and pork should not be aged are a different story that I will not go into here

Deer meat has very little to no fat cover. If a hunter were to age a deer for two weeks, even just one week, he would end up with up to 60% meat loss. Rib meat, tenderloin and loin would be completely dried out. Aging meat is something that always should be left to a professional, not the hobby and home butchers. It just takes 2 Celsius and 5% humidity above the recommendation and the dangerous bacteria will grow like a tomato in a greenhouse. Conversely, 2 Celsius and 5% humidity below the recommendation will prevent the aging enzymes from growing and doing their job.

Some hunters hang a deer for 3 days to “age”. This is a complete waste of time. The enzyme responsible for aging meat does not begin to grow until about the 4th day. By day seven the enzymes are fully developed and start to do their job, provided the conditions are perfect. If the conditions are to warm or to humid the bad bacteria will grow faster and kill the enzyme. Resulting in rotten meat. Meat is properly aged between day 20 to 25 when the enzymes start to die off and a little sooner when wet aging.

In case someone wonders what my qualifications for the statements above are. Some people always ask for qualifications.:mrgreen: I have a degree in meat science as part of my master butcher training/schooling I received in Switzerland.

[peterrum3]

Interesting comments by everyone here and alot of us have developed our own methods some of which were handed down to us by our parents, some of it through trial and error. When i first started hunting I read that deer don't have to hang to be aged. So I have stuck to that and butcher my own deer the day after I get them. I have never had a problem with the quality of my meat. Always tender and little or no gamey taste. I only use water to clean the carcass before I butcher.

One year I got a whitetail in about a foot of snow, had to drag it 3km to get it out but before I did that I filled the cavity with snow to help cool it down faster. That deer is probably the finest tasting deer I have ever had. I am attributing that to the quick cool down. That deer was butchered up the day after I brought him home.

For the larger game, I find a difference in the quality, for the better if it is hung for 10 days. Last year I didnt have time to hang my inmature moose for that long, it only hung for two days before it was butchered. I think that the quality is a little less than my previous moose which did hang for 10 days.

I don't think that the bleach mix will hurt but for myself I won't use it. I have used it in the past when I was working overseas to wash the vegetables I was eating. You had to do it or you would get sick. I never had any ill effects from it.

Bleach and water is used in a 50/50 solution by dentists and they are doing root canals and such. Ask your dentist next time. They are spaying it right into your mouth and then suctioning it out.

[huntwriter]

One year I got a whitetail in about a foot of snow, had to drag it 3km to get it out but before I did that I filled the cavity with snow to help cool it down faster. That deer is probably the finest tasting deer I have ever had. I am attributing that to the quick cool down. That deer was butchered up the day after I brought him home.

you made a very important point. The main aspect of obtaining good quality tasting meat is to cool the carcass down as fast as possible by whatever means, even if that means to submerge the deer in a cold creek, lake or fill the cavity with snow. I always fill the deer cavity with snow if I kill one in the winter right after I gutted it. Snow is abrasive and lends itself very well to clean a deer by rubbing snow all over the inside and when skinned outside too.

Second most important is to keep the game as clean as possible, every bit of blood dirt and feces will imminently affect the quality and taste.

I too butcher all my deer the same day or at the very latest the next day after I shot them.

[30.06 Hunter]

Excellent thread, some very good information. Should make this sticky.

[MikeH]

I've never heard of using bleach been hunting along time.I'm cutting meat not cleaning the floor, but being watered down guess it would be a good cleaner to each his own.I cut all my own meat never to a butcher its expensive for what i can do with a sharp knife and a box of beer;-) .Only time I take meat to a butcher is to get pepperoni or sausage made the meat goes to him cut and cleaned don't trust that he'll take all the fat off, get complacent and grind it all together yum! using water is all I've used to clean and I don't hang meat don't see the point and the taste is not any better.The main thing is the cooling of the meat that makes a big difference.If you have time quarter and debone pack in cheese cloth or game bags.


peterrum3 (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/member.php?u=4551)
One year I got a whitetail in about a foot of snow, had to drag it 3km to get it out but before I did that I filled the cavity with snow to help cool it down faster. That deer is probably the finest tasting deer I have ever had. I am attributing that to the quick cool down. That deer was butchered up the day after I brought him home.

I've had many like that being from Alberta all my deer have been taken in the snow.The taste of the deer is more from what they eat and age.

[dukester]

i'm a butcher please for the love of god DO NOT clean your game with bleach.. do you like eating bleach??? do you like eating vinager??? hosing down with water for a short period will NOT hurt your dead animal. if your animal is still alive it may get alittlle excited. vinager is an acid and will sour your meat .. cool ,dry and clean .. thats all we ask.

[dukester]

ALWAYS clean the carcass with water and some vinegar or even bleach. Use some rags to clean all the dirt, hair and blood off the surface after you skinned it. Just a splash of either in a bucket with water will kill bacteria on the meat. You might need to use a couple buckets of water & bleach/vinegar mix to finish the job. Get the hide off ASAP and allow the carcass to cool quickly too. The sooner the better. It also helps to cut out blood damaged parts too.

This same advice came to me from a meat cutter several years ago. I called him up and he told me to do this first before he cut it. Bleach will not absorb into the meat, it will evaporate. Use a half to 3/4 cup in a bucket of water to clean the carcass. Ever since I've done this and meantioned it to meat cutters coming to cut my game they have been very positive and have said they wish more customers would do the same. All my game has been non-gamey, shall we say.

Game also does not have and should not 'hang' for very long either. Domestic beef has a substantial covering fat layer that protects the meat from drying out that wild game typically does not have. Let game hang and it dries, looses volume, and that outer dried layer if not removed leaves gamey taste. That layer should always be removed by the meat cutter. On my deer last year, that trim came to about 10 lbs. That's not much in my opinion when you want good, clean tasting wild game.

Good luck and, after a few hard personal lessons, I pass this advice on so that more may enjoy good clean wild game meat!! ;)
HOLY CRAP do you like eating bleach??? if you answer yes do what you have been told by your mentors. i'm a meat cutter, do NOt ever clean your animal with any sort of chemical. PLEASE.

[Toad Hunter]

HOLY CRAP do you like eating bleach??? if you answer yes do what you have been told by your mentors. i'm a meat cutter, do NOt ever clean your animal with any sort of chemical. PLEASE.

Now that is what I am talking about.

Sure the crap is in the pools and used by dentists and on the tomatoes that we ship in from China. But, we are not at the local pool with the dirty neigbour, we are not getting our teeth cleaned and we are not getting crap from China.

Bleach is bad.

[tomahawk]

i'm a butcher please for the love of god DO NOT clean your game with bleach.. do you like eating bleach??? do you like eating vinager??? hosing down with water for a short period will NOT hurt your dead animal. if your animal is still alive it may get alittlle excited. vinager is an acid and will sour your meat .. cool ,dry and clean .. thats all we ask.

Good solid advice Duke, when doing your field dressing take your time, make sure its done without any introduction of contaminates to the meat and use water and a clean cloth or paper towel only to finish it off. It should look like this when done.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj230/tomahawktom/Moose09008-1.jpg

[Allen50]

wow some very intresting notes on how to clean your game,, intresting is all i have to say, I worked on a kill floor in a butcher shop for 10 years, killing beef, pigs, sheep, goats, and also did some game when it came in,, you kill it in the field, and your there for a fewdays hunting, the first thing is to care for the meat, hanging and skining is a good start, then Wash it off, yes wash it off, clean the meat with water, water not Bleach(sorry) not bleach,,water does not hirt meat, we washed the meat off in the butcher shop with a garden hose, course it's not a shot up as some game becomes, but yes wash it off, water does not hirt the meat, you want to wash off the blood and hair, dirt, you want it clean, because in the end you are going to eat this game, right, well do you want to eat the uncleened meat, and let it drip dry, you do not have to whipe dry the meat, water will not soake into it, it wwill dry with a nice glase on it, then put meat sacks on it and keep it cleen, thats the whole purpose of going hunting, for the meat, it this not right,, if i can get my pic, on i'll ad them, there pic of my bow kill this year,, wash the blood dirt, hair, etc off, and enjoy your kill even more,,

[Allen50]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0745.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15617&cat=500&ppuser=2816)this is just before wrapping for the frezzer, nice and clean, ready to cook and eat,,

[sawmill]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0745.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15617&cat=500&ppuser=2816)this is just before wrapping for the frezzer, nice and clean, ready to cook and eat,,


Is that Cliff Claven(Cheers) in the red apron?:biggrin:

[Robin J Kelley]

Hello I was wondering if anyone coule help me understand the percent weight of a moose that is meat.

I have heard that about 40% is what you get rid of before going to the butcher, and then when the meat + bones is at the butcher about 60% of that is recoverable meat. Can you please confirm?

Thanks.

[huntwriter]

Hello I was wondering if anyone coule help me understand the percent weight of a moose that is meat.

I have heard that about 40% is what you get rid of before going to the butcher, and then when the meat + bones is at the butcher about 60% of that is recoverable meat. Can you please confirm?

Thanks.

That's about right.

[budismyhorse]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0745.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15617&cat=500&ppuser=2816)this is just before wrapping for the frezzer, nice and clean, ready to cook and eat,,

Hey Allen50,

Looks great!

I have to ask a question though, maybe others could answer as well.

Is it customary to leave all that hard silverskin and fat on the quarters before you cut them up with the bandsaw?

I assume that either way it will be trimmed off before cooking.....however maybe not? I was always shown to cut that off prior to wrapping of the meat as over time, the poor flavour (wild taste) from the dried fat (Tallow) will get into the meat you will be eating later.

Any thoughts on this?

again, great photos, I like how you placed the rack amoungst the meat.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Hey Allen50,

Looks great!

I have to ask a question though, maybe others could answer as well.

Is it customary to leave all that hard silverskin and fat on the quarters before you cut them up with the bandsaw?

I assume that either way it will be trimmed off before cooking.....however maybe not? I was always shown to cut that off prior to wrapping of the meat as over time, the poor flavour (wild taste) from the dried fat (Tallow) will get into the meat you will be eating later.

Any thoughts on this?

again, great photos, I like how you placed the rack amoungst the meat.


I was going to ask the same questions......

SSS

[Gun Dog]

hmmm.. interesting thats pretty good. I think i will look into that for an elk or moose for sure. any butcher recommendations for around the langley area???? I've used Ennis Meats on 40th Avenue for years. I think it was around $75 a deer. They're busy during hunting season and it may take a day or two to get in.

[Allen50]

Hey Allen50,

Looks great!

I have to ask a question though, maybe others could answer as well.

Is it customary to leave all that hard silverskin and fat on the quarters before you cut them up with the bandsaw?

I assume that either way it will be trimmed off before cooking.....however maybe not? I was always shown to cut that off prior to wrapping of the meat as over time, the poor flavour (wild taste) from the dried fat (Tallow) will get into the meat you will be eating later.

Any thoughts on this?

again, great photos, I like how you placed the rack amoungst the meat.
thanks for the coment, i never take the fat of sliverskin, as you say, off, it's because i clean it good with just water, and make sure the hair is off, takes time to clean game nice, befor hanging , before cutting, i just cut wrap, and freeze, and cook it just like it looks, and never had a game tast, i'll trin some fat, if there is lots, and the dry looking meat is all good meat,, if you trin you lose so much meat, making sure it's clean first thing, when cutting and wrapping, then thats all you have to do, don't put your meat in a creek or lake to cool it, you never know what was in the water befor you,, boil water, and then wash game down, and let dry befor putting game bags on to KEEP IT CLEAN, and everone will enjoy it once you cook it,, no game tast,, happy hunting..

[3kills]

well trimmin silver skin off is usually standard practise with some and most people..some silver skin does cook away though. some of it is pretty thin stuff..as for far i never leave fat on as it does give ur deer a different taste and deer fat goes rancid pretty fast.and if u are good with a knife trimmin the fat and silver skin off u dont loose any meat at all..as far as only cleanin with water thats horse shit..vinger and bleach doesnt not change the taste of the meat as long as u use small amounts mixed with lots of water...each to there own right..i was trained by a guy that has 30 plus years experience cuttin meat and this is how he taught me and this is what i will continue to do..

[B.S.A.30/06]

As a butcher and former meat inspector I believe the use of water in the field is a no no.
It only spreads the contamination all over rather than keeping it in one place.
Cut contaminated areas off and use the tongue of the deer to remove hair.

[Allen50]

well trimmin silver skin off is usually standard practise with some and most people..some silver skin does cook away though. some of it is pretty thin stuff..as for far i never leave fat on as it does give ur deer a different taste and deer fat goes rancid pretty fast.and if u are good with a knife trimmin the fat and silver skin off u dont loose any meat at all..as far as only cleanin with water thats horse shit..vinger and bleach doesnt not change the taste of the meat as long as u use small amounts mixed with lots of water...each to there own right..i was trained by a guy that has 30 plus years experience cuttin meat and this is how he taught me and this is what i will continue to do..
Hummmmm, intresting, i am not here to say your right or wrong on what you do when you clean your meat, or how you clean your meat, yes you can do as you wish, and so can anyone on this site, just answerd someone's question, on cleaning game, and stated how i did it, and what i learned from working in a butcher shop, between the owner and his dad, that ran the shop, they had over 70 years in the busness, but hay we all do as we like,, was only my answer to this person and i was not here to bash anyone on how they clean or how someone tough them,, thats not what i was doing,,and none of it is horse s%^t, thats just how i do things,, :roll:, so i though i would do some checking, and got out the bleach jug to read it, now don't get me wrong, not here to say anything on what you do, as you can do as you wish, i do use a lot of bleach to clean my small butcher shop i have here at home, clean the floors, saws, stuffing equipment, etc, like to keep it all nice as i can, so as i was saying though i would read the lable, now anyone on this site can go read it for them self's, but this is what i read,,(( First Aid Treatment, contans sodium hypoclorite, if swallowed, call a poison control center or doctor immediately, do not induce vomiting, if in contact with eyes, rinse with water for for 20 minutes and consult a physician, if in contact with skin rinse well with water.)) so just though some of you may like to read this, and you all know you can do as you like, i was only saying my opinaion on cleaning game,, well wish you all good luck on hunting,, nice chating to you all, it's fun to be on here,, nice to see hunters getting game, and doing there owne thing,, keep asking the questions, because we will all answer you and then you can deside on what you do with the answers,, good luck,, Happy hunting...:biggrin::mrgreen:

[3kills]

allen i m sorry i didnt mean come off as an asshole i reread my post and i can see that i did..once again i m sorry..but however i do beleive the when it says on the jug of bleach First Aid Treatment, contans sodium hypoclorite, if swallowed, call a poison control center or doctor immediately, do not induce vomiting, they mean when its pure straight out of the jug...i m not sayin dump the bleach straight onto the deer..i know in merritt here we have bleach in our tap water u can taste it..dont know why they did it cuz they ruined some of the best water in the province..

[Allen50]

cool and thanks, i did know what you mean, and was not going there eather,, and i know about bleach in water, and lots about water, as i work for the bigest water well drilling company on vancouver island, and i go through merritt from time to time , to go to logan lake as we have rigs in the mine there as well, so if i'm going that way one day. i'll pm you and get a number and we could meet for a coffee some day,, and thanks, i was not calling you down eather,, just having fun chating, neet to see everones way of doing things, cool, have a good long weekend, a good turky dinner, and thanks again,,,

[Moose72]

We have used a splash of bleach or vineger when wiping our game down exactly the same way as Ltbullken and we have never had a bad animal. The skinned up meat is tough but I don't think I have ever had a piece make anything "gamey" Fat or bone on the other hand... Any bloodshot we cut out, if it is a big solid chunk like part of a deers hind quarter we will typically just have some nice fresh steaks in the hot pan while we clean the rest or in the house over beers after cleaning up. I hate to throw away anything I don't have to, if you leave it bloodshot, it will be garbage...We usually have fresh steaks after you've bin shootin.:smile:

[willyqbc]

Ok.....8 pages later and we have a multitude of opinions, all claiming that the meat is fantastic...so what does that tell us???

water...no water?, bleach?, vinegar? those who use each obviously like it so I am lead to believe that your method of washing is not that critical. My own opinion on the use of water is this. Bacteria needs a few things to grow....food, moisture, warmth. So if hanging in cold temperatures you remove one element and you should be fine, if hanging in warm temperatures i add a bit of vinegar to the water to kill bacteria. I do believe that if you wash with straight water and don't thoroughly dry in warm temperatures you are creating bacteria breeding grounds. We are not talking about the bacteria and enzymes naturally in the meat to start with, but rather from an external source such as your hands.

Huntwriter, on the topic of hanging wild game, if, as you claim deer does not gain anything by hanging, perhaps you could explain an experiment I did last year. I shot a deer first thing in the morning on a cold morning. By the time I got it home it was very cold, I can only assume it was very close to being cooled through. I can control the temp in my shop and hung it at 1 degree. That night (about 12 hours after death), rigor had relaxed and I pulled one of the tederloins out to eat. It was tough as hell!! The other tenderloin after hanging 10 days at 1 degrees was fork tender. Just curious if you could explain why that was?

I am certainly not anywhere near as educated on the subject as Huntwriter but everything i have ever read on the subject states that as meat ages enzyimes/bacteria etc begin to break down the meat...this is what tenderizes the meat. The development of these is completely dependant on temperature so if you have a relatively warm hang you can accomplish the same thing in 4 days that a cold hang would take 10 days or more to do.

Anyways I think folks who are inexperienced in dealing with game would do well to read this thread and pick out the things that most of the posts have in common...this will be a good starting point.

Just my opinion
Chris

[Toad Hunter]

allen i m sorry i didnt mean come off as an asshole i reread my post and i can see that i did..once again i m sorry..but however i do beleive the when it says on the jug of bleach First Aid Treatment, contans sodium hypoclorite, if swallowed, call a poison control center or doctor immediately, do not induce vomiting, they mean when its pure straight out of the jug...i m not sayin dump the bleach straight onto the deer..i know in merritt here we have bleach in our tap water u can taste it..dont know why they did it cuz they ruined some of the best water in the province..


So, then if you think the best water was ruined in the province with bleach then why would you use it on a deer? Is it straight bleach in the taps? Probably not. The amount of bleach is controlled by the Drinking Water Act - I think (I do not have Quickscribe here).

[huntwriter]

Huntwriter, on the topic of hanging wild game, if, as you claim deer does not gain anything by hanging, perhaps you could explain an experiment I did last year. I shot a deer first thing in the morning on a cold morning. By the time I got it home it was very cold, I can only assume it was very close to being cooled through. I can control the temp in my shop and hung it at 1 degree. That night (about 12 hours after death), rigor had relaxed and I pulled one of the tederloins out to eat. It was tough as hell!! The other tenderloin after hanging 10 days at 1 degrees was fork tender. Just curious if you could explain why that was?

Chris

The muscles (meat) of a killed animal need to relax for at least 48 hours. Although the animal is dead the nerves and muscles are still "alive" for a day or two depending on temperature.

If you would have eaten that first tenderloin after three days it would have been as tender as the one you ate ten days later.

Muscles, even they "died", also react to stark temperature differences. That is the reason why meat always should be brought up to room temperature before cooking it, never straight from the fridge into the frying pan. That is a recipe for though meat. After the meat is cooked it should be rested again (covered with foil) from five to twenty minutes depending on the size of the cut. Straight out of the pan or oven and onto the plate makes for though eating.

You mentioned something very important and is another reason why I do not endorse aging. Temperature and humidity is very important. As hunters we have often very little control over that aspect. Although most bad bacteria will be killed in the cooking process. It is just plain to dangerous to take chances, and most hunters do not have the knowledge or facility to store a carcass for any amount of time exceeding 24 hours. It just takes a few degree Celsius and percent of humidity above the recommended 2 to 3 Celsius and the meat will become a incubator for bad bacteria that will spoil the meat within a few hours.

Here is the scary bit. Meat that is awash with bad bacteria does not necessarily show the telling signs (smell and looks) of spoiled meat until a few days later. Some of these bacteria will be killed in the freezer and others by the heat from cooking but the chances for a health hazard are just to big and that is why I do not encourage any delay in getting wild game meat processed as fast as possible, especially in the early season.

Here is another tidbit many hunters do not know. Vinegar and bleach will only go so far to protect the meat. It has no influence on the inside of the meat. To do that one would have to inject the meat with vinegar and bleach. As willyqbc pointed out quite rightly. Most bacteria is already inside the meat and will become active when the body dies, shutting off the immune system.

And by the away. Bleach is not poisonous or has any negative affects in any way on meat. Unless one would pour it onto the meat or drink it undiluted, but who in their right mind would do that.

[willyqbc]

The muscles (meat) of a killed animal need to relax for at least 48 hours. Although the animal is dead the nerves and muscles are still "alive" for a day or two depending on temperature.

If you would have eaten that first tenderloin after three days it would have been as tender as the one you ate ten days later.

Muscles, even they "died", also react to stark temperature differences. That is the reason why meat always should be brought up to room temperature before cooking it, never straight from the fridge into the frying pan. That is a recipe for though meat. After the meat is cooked it should be rested again (covered with foil) from five to twenty minutes depending on the size of the cut. Straight out of the pan or oven and onto the plate makes for though eating.



Thanks for the explanation Othmar, very interesting. I didn't realize that rigor took so long to fully relax. I was particularly interested in the bit about bringing meat to room temp before cooking, thats some handy information there! I always rest my steaks after cooking but often they will go on the bbq only 1/2 thawed out. Anything to increase the quality of a steak is worth the time in my books!! I think on the next deer I shoot i will butcher off some sirloin steaks after 3 days and compare them to sirloin steaks from the same deer cut after hanging 10 days or so, then do a blind taste test....see if i notice any difference in flavor or tenderness!

Chris

[Maxx]

BS...when it comes to wild game, they can be treated no differently than domestic beef...you can hang a moose 21 days if the temp. was controlled etc. Obviously you get more trim but the meat is that much better. If you think there is no need to hang wildgame for very long, you've obviously never tried a steak off one that has! Wild game should hang a minimum of 12 to 14 days IMO




I completely agree with Big 7, we always hang our meet in the cooler for at least 2 weeks before butchering..

[Maxx]

That's the problem using a paid butcher. It's not cost effective for them to completely skin off the dried outer "skin" like I do when I butcher my game myself. Anything that touches "air" comes off and into the garbage and not the grinder pile. Perfect meat and burger every time.

I don't normally use water but I have never had a problem when I did use it.

SSS


I agree with SSS's points..... We usually use water to cool and clean the meat, and we never had an issue....

[huntwriter]

Of course you can age game meat but it is not required to improve quality. All aging game meat does is to concentrate flavor as the meat dries out and the muscle fiber is eroded by the enzymes. Unlike, beef that is doped up to the eyeballs with hormones and medication game meat is already prime quality meat.

With that game meat benefits very little from aging, as in getting rid of undesirable ingredients. Aged game meat is only getting richer in flavor, which some people like and others don't. Game meat also will become more tender but again that is not as big an issue as it is by doped up beef since game animals are by nature more relaxed (dry) than the stressed to the max. domestic animals that still drip gallons of liquid four days after they've been killed.

The biggest part that will influence game meat quality/tenderness - besides age, health condition and diet - is how long it took the animal to die after the shot and how long it takes to retrieve the killed animal.

If it takes the animal a considerable time to die after the shot it will yield a less desirable quality than the animal that drops dead on the first shot. If an animal "suffers" it releases huge amounts of adrenalin into the body, which has a horrible taste, a bit like urine, and makes the meat though too.

No amount of aging will get rid of the adrenalin taste and the meat never will be as tender as that of an animal that died instantly. Adrenalin is one of the few non sexual hormones that will not dissolved and can't be destroyed by cooking or freezing. In other words. It's in the meat for keeps.

What a delayed retrieve does do meat as the gases start to build up in the body is obvious. For those that do not know. As gases build up, warming the dead body up, bacteria grows at a rapid pace.

So if you feel you have to age game meat go ahead. Just make sure you keep a very close eye on the temperature and humidity or risk creating a health hazard. However, if you're an advocate of aging game meat I would highly recommend wet aging. It's a lot safer, easier, cheaper - don't need a walk in cooler and associated hydro costs - and no wasted meat.

If you feel like butchering the game a day or two after you killed it go ahead and you too will enjoy prime quality meat.

[huntwriter]

I always rest my steaks after cooking but often they will go on the bbq only 1/2 thawed out.

And don't salt the steaks and roasts before cooking. Always salt after cooking. Salt dries the meat out as it cooks and that makes it though too.;-) The only exception to that "rule" is when meat is marinated because the moisture is given back to the meat via the marinade.