Down side to an ice cooler?

[Black Bird]

Hi there,

I am wondering if anyone can point out to a serious downside for using an ice cooler as a way to age deer. For the past while I have hunted in November and been able to hang the deer in reasonably cool temperatures for a week or so. This year, I am likely to get out in October and I am not confident that it will get cool enough in the evenings. I don't have access to a butcher to hang my meat and as a result I have been butchering my own deer for the past couple of years. My plan is to use a couple of coolers with the deer quartered in game bags stacked on ice with layers of ice in between. I will swap out the ice as it goes over the space of a week or so.

Work, or no work?

Cheers,
BB

[jeff]

try to keep the meat dry . that would be my only concern

[open-sights]

I did a Mulie already this season, deboned 1/2 the animal and kept in the fridge for 6 days, the animal was hung on a pole first night, then when i got home -1/2 in fridge and 1/2 in freezer 1 night and hung for 1 night, then repeated - moved to and from freezer for 4 days, then left in a cooler for 2 days, turned out great so far.

[jeff]

the meat will not crust up in a cooler it needs air

[Steeleco]

If you've the space. get your hands on a freebie freezer from Craigslist. Put some milk crates in the bottom, lay the meat on them. You could always plug the freezer into a timer, have it cycle on and off every couple of hours, it won't freeze hard but will chill nicely. Cut it just as soon as time permits.

[Caveman]

the meat will not crust up in a cooler it needs air

I'm not a big fan of it crusting up. Get the heat out, leave the hide on until you're ready to cut it up. Much nicer table fair with out a crust on it and who wants the extra work of trimming it off. JMHO!

……...another option is a window AC unit, propped up, pointing at the hanging deer. Works like a charm in the hottest of times. I've done it when it's 24 degrees out. Cut it the next day, cold to the touch.

[Allen50]

in a cooler it will just start to rot, and will be tearble, you need to hang it in a cooler, where there is a fan to move the air around, in a cooler it will rot from the bone out, because of heat and not cooling proper, also if it drips blood this will help it rot, has to hang and be dry and cool, to the bone, then cut it, if you dont like the crust on it then cut it the next day after cooling , that wont hirt it at all, but if you like to age it , it needs to hang, and leaving the hide on is ok as well as long as it can cool proper, as young veal killed has its hide left on, this keeps the meat with till cutting time,, and how do i know this, well my info is from working in a slaughter house cutting room for 10 years,, just so you know where i got my info from,, good luck...

[jeff]

i couldnt agree with you more allen 50 it needs the cool air

[Barracuda]

crusting up equals waste of meat and secondly why would you age deer??

[jeff]

why would you age deer u ask . well the same reason u age beef . i had two blacktail deer hang in a cooler for 26 days . i was a bit concerned but it was the tenderest meat deer meat ive had .if u dont age it . it can be tough

[Steeleco]

The only reason my meat hangs over a period of time is because I've not got the time to deal with it. I've shot bears and had them half done the same day. IMHO, you don't need to age game longer than the time it takes for working stiffs to cut it.

[Barracuda]

Theres no need to age deer as long as rigor has passed you are good to go, that deer would have been fine table fair without the ageing. unless its specialized beef that is specifically aged most market beef is only a day or two old. better chance of makeing it tough by poor cooking then anything.
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