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Hanging Deer
waltermoe
Member Posts: 1,976 ✭✭✭✭
I always like to hang my deer 3 days, weather permitting. Then I will butcher them my self. Had some people tell me they butcher it the same day they shoot it, no need to hang it. What do you think?
Comments
Understand that if you live in cooler climates it's still not recommended that you hang a carcass (deer) or otherwise unless the temperature is 40 degrees or lower.
Also, aging meat is actually a form of decompensation. Fancy restaurants don't even attempt this unless they have spent thousands of dollars on high-tech temperature controlled aging coolers.
I have been in many situation where I "had" to hang a deer for a few days, and even had to pack the chest area with ice, but it got cut as soon as I could get to it.
Proper aging requires the hyde to be removed also. A carcass bag should be used. If flies start buzzing it's too warm to hang.
Trinity +++
I butcher myself, and, weather permitting, I wait till after my season is over, and do 4-8 deer,two at a time till done.
It's usually well below zero, so they are frozen solid.
Tenderloin for breakfast along with potatoes and eggs fried in bacon grease, then sharpen the knives and get at the rest of him. [:)]
There is no need, but depending on the geographical area where you live you can't hang a carcass unless it's in a cooler.
Understand that if you live in cooler climates it's still not recommended that you hang a carcass (deer) or otherwise unless the temperature is 40 degrees or lower.
Also, aging meat is actually a form of decompensation. Fancy restaurants don't even attempt this unless they have spent thousands of dollars on high-tech temperature controlled aging coolers.
I have been in many situation where I "had" to hang a deer for a few days, and even had to pack the chest area with ice, but it got cut as soon as I could get to it.
Proper aging requires the hyde to be removed also. A carcass bag should be used. If flies start buzzing it's too warm to hang.
Trinity +++
About the flies; I read that flies won't take flight below 52?F, but they can withstand hours at 43?. Lower than that will kill them.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
My processor guy has a walk in cooler and I think he hangs three days.
If it?s too warm, I?ll bone it out and chill it before grinding.
Same as too cold.
Boning near frozen loins are no fun and make ugly loins.
Seven to eight days in a real cold shop,,,,,,,
Yep, and 10 is even better.
Then all fat sinue is removed an made in to the cuts,adding beef tallow to the burger.
Bag an freeze, why all this work, taste, an no blood on the thaw out plate.
Seven to eight days in a real cold shop,,,,,,,just ask ol' sure shot with his bucks ,,,,,,,[;)]
These will be in game bags shortly,,,,,
[8D][^][:)]
I've always done it the other way. I field dress it as soon as it hits the ground. I skin, butcher and freeze it as soon as I get home with it no matter how dark and cold it is or how far behind me I'm dragging *. That's the part of deer hunting I don't miss. [:D]
I used to "hang" deer outside but temperature trends have made that impossible lately. It's either far too warm or the carcass freezes and you don't gain anything by hanging frozen meat.
If we intend to butcher at home, I look at the predicted temperatures and pick a 3 day period of 20-30* overnight and under mid-40's day temps-then I go hunting. Our "hanging tree" is on the shady side of a brushy fencerow so the warmer afternoon sun doesn't warm the carcass too much.
I used to process the deer on the day I shot it. This worked well.
But I noticed that when I pulled out a 2 pound package of frozen backstraps, there would be a lot of blood in the package.
So, a while back, I learned of a good technique. You get a big cooler, like a 44 quart cooler. Quarter the deer, and put a gallon of water in the cooler along with 20 pounds of ice. Mix in a pound of table salt.
Put that deer meat in there and leave it for 3 or 4 days. If it suits your schedule you could leave it longer, not gonna rot at 33 degrees.
Of course add ice as needed.
This salt water bath will draw the blood out of the meat.
You are aging the meat at a super cold temp so it won't rot, also flies can't get to it, also you are skinning it while warm when it is still easy to do so.
I have butchered scores of deer, at least 60. I have a meat grinder and have made many many pounds of deer sausage and burger.
I used to process the deer on the day I shot it. This worked well.
But I noticed that when I pulled out a 2 pound package of frozen backstraps, there would be a lot of blood in the package.
So, a while back, I learned of a good technique. You get a big cooler, like a 44 quart cooler. Quarter the deer, and put a gallon of water in the cooler along with 20 pounds of ice. Mix in a pound of table salt.
Put that deer meat in there and leave it for 3 or 4 days. If it suits your schedule you could leave it longer, not gonna rot at 33 degrees.
Of course add ice as needed.
This salt water bath will draw the blood out of the meat.
You are aging the meat at a super cold temp so it won't rot, also flies can't get to it, also you are skinning it while warm when it is still easy to do so.
South Arkansas we have to put them in coolers soon I think the water (melted ice) in the cooler helps with blood as well
reckon I will have to add some salt and see how much that helps thanks