Hanging deer

[ozarksnick]

Is it really necessary to hang a deer before preserving?

If so, what purpose does it serve?

Thanks.

[Bearfootfarm]

Is it really necessary to hang a deer before preserving?

If so, what purpose does it serve?

Thanks.

It's not really "necessary" but it WILL make it much more tender to age it for about a week at 40 degrees

[ozarksnick]

It's not really "necessary" but it WILL make it much more tender to age it for about a week at 40 degrees


That's exactly my problem!

Right now it's 70 degrees outside. During the early muzzleloading season in the last half of Sept it was still getting 90+ purty reg'lar!

And I sure ain't gonna rent cooler space to hang my kill.

So I reckon I'll just have to deal with a bit tougher meat.

Thanks for the reply.

[MeLonghunter]

yup,heat is a problem...........i would skin mine,qyarter it and put it in an extra fridge i had for a few,sure makes the cutting easier with the meat a bit stiffer as well..........

[Bearfootfarm]

I have the same problem here. *I usually quarter it and put it in plastic bags on top of ice in a big cooler. *Keep the temp at 40 or below and it will be fine. *Also keep the drain open so there is no water collecting

[RangerRick]

Had the same problem here in OK as archery starts 1 Oct and usualy short sleeve weather. I've got an old refrigerator in the garage I usually plug in first of season and just dress and quarter the deer and put it in there on some of Sweeties baking sheets to catch excess blood. *After 3-4 days of a good chill alls well and ready to butcher.

Rick

[AlchemyAcres]

I do it exactly the same way as Rick.

I've also used a chest freezer with an external thermostat set an 35 degrees.

~Martin :)

[RangerRick]

Truly GREAT minds think alike. *

By the way, I love my Rolls Razor! *Thanks, even went to a shaving brush, mug and soap (Chinamart). *Bought a backup for me and one for my brother as well and looking to get a couple more to leave for my grandsons 4 & 6 years old. Fail to plan plan to fail.

;D

Rick

[matt]

All good advice! There are two types of aging meat: wet and dry aging. As mentioned, aging breaks down the muscle and provides a better cut of meat. But aging will not take a tough cut of meat and turn it into a tender one. There are certain muscle groups on all animals that are just tough cuts. Aging will help these cuts be less tough but never tender. If you can not dry age in the right temp. then wet age which is what people have been suggesting: putting the meat in a cooler or freeze it. The meat that is allowed to come out of a frozen state will also go through a bit of "aging" I just happened to producea DVD on the correct method of preparing and cooking venison. Hope I helped some. huntdeercookvenison.com

[RangerRick]

Went down to Texas to my sister's place on Toleda Bend for a few days of beating the bush after Bambi and as luck would have it I harvested a nice 6 point. After quartering I put him in a large ice chest as it wasn't cold enough to hang and I didn't have my refer. After a couple days I broke out the BIL's LEM grinder and started making burger. Now LEM sells a neat little 1 and 2 pound baggie for burger and a cool tape machine that seals the bags fast and easy and allow you to use a sauage attachment on the grinder and shoot the product directly into the bag, then seal quick and easy.

http://www.lemproducts.com/category/bags_tape

Of course, I forgot mine at the house so I ran over to the "GreatWallOfChinaMart" and bought several boxes of 1 quart freezer baggies. Now the whole point of this post is that my sister told me of little trick of removing the air from the baggies and thought I'd share it. Once I put about 1 1/2 lbs of burger in the baggie I incerted a straw in the baggie and closed the zip lock to the straw and sucked out all the remaining air and sealing the bag. I then was able to flatten the burger and baggie neatly which really allow them to stack well in the freezer. Of course the same thing applies as well for backstrap breakfast steaks and about anything else you can fit in a freezer baggie. For those of ya'll that didn't know this little trick, give it a try.

Rick

[flatwater]

Here in Washington state the late blackpowder deer season is perfect for hanging deer. It start around thanksgiving and you can usually count on 30 degree weather. This year was perfect and I hung mine for two weeks.
Flatwater

[DM]

Mine does all it's ageing in the freezer after it's cut and wrapped!

We quit "hanging" our deer, years and years ago...

DM

[jjspirko]

In the winter seasons in PA we just hung our deer in the cellar and skinned em and let the whole thing hang say close to a week.

Now in the fall season when it was too warm we bought an old crappy fridge, quartered the deer and aged the quarters in the fridge. Quartered the right way with the ribs tossed, back straps deboned (whole), etc you can get two deers easy into a fridge and still have room for a few beers. Everyone knows cutting meat is more fun with a beer or three!