Hand your deer to age it or not.

[timbrhuntr]

Well I just got all my tags for deer season in the mail so the hunt is just around the corner.

So for a lively discussion when you kill your deer do you hang it to age the meat or not?

I usually hunt in the early bow season and the temps are so high that I basically have to process it the day I get it. If its latter in the season and I still have a tag and kill one I will hang it unless it is freezing out.

I honestly can't say I have noticed any difference in the taste of the meat. How about you?

[guesswho]

Our processor hangs the meat for four or five days. It tastes better to me than meat from other processors around that don't do this.

[ICDEDTURKES]

Timbr, we do the same as you.. We do not gut a deer anymore its a waste of time.. We Hang, skin, quarter and than put in large refrigerators to age as quarters. Some days we cut them up the next day, sometimes 4-5 days cannot say I have ever noticed a difference in taste or texture. Some folks still claim up our way they notice a difference.. But heck we are shooting corn fed and alfalfa fed whitetails with most if not all being 2.5 years or younger..

[Turkey Talker]

Let em hang in the sun for 2 days. Once you see maggots you know your doing it right.

[barry]

Since we have a cooler we let them hang for a minimum of 10 days.
Aged meat is so much better tasting.

[gblack15]

I usually Quarter mine and put them on ice for 4-5 days. Keep the out of the water and packed good almost as good as hanging.

[GOLD HUNTER]

I have all my meat cut by a butcher, he hangs the meat for about five days.

[guesswho]

I forgot to add my processor hangs it with the hair on.

[Grumpy]

Let em hang in the sun for 2 days. Once you see maggots you know your doing it right.

What are you trying to do, get the job half done, hang them by the head in a sunny location, it will take about a week when the carcass will naturally seperate from the head and fall to the ground, it takes more than 2 days for the maggots to hatch and not a good idea to eat the fly eggs, after they hatch at least you can wipe them off. Scrub down the carcass with a 75% purex to water mix this will remove the slimey juicey stuff and kill any maggots that went in deep. Good Luck

[devastator]

this is interesting to hear of everyones different ways.i work at a processing plant and i will tell you the best way i like to do it,will let ya know how after i hear of some more ways.ya probably wont believe it!

[timbrhuntr]

I also like to hear the different ways that people deal with processing their wild game meat and maybe learn something. It will be interesting to hear how a pro does it.

I agree with Grumpy. You let it hang until the head naturally separates from the body. I thought everybody knew that one.

[Turkey Talker]

Let em hang in the sun for 2 days. Once you see maggots you know your doing it right.

What are you trying to do, get the job half done, hang them by the head in a sunny location, it will take about a week when the carcass will naturally seperate from the head and fall to the ground, it takes more than 2 days for the maggots to hatch and not a good idea to eat the fly eggs, after they hatch at least you can wipe them off. Scrub down the carcass with a 75% purex to water mix this will remove the slimey juicey stuff and kill any maggots that went in deep. Good Luck

sounds like that would be nice and tender...no seasoning needed

[HuntnMa]

YEP UP TO 5 DAYS on ice

[Spuriosity]

I hang mine in a cool room (refrigerated to 37 degrees) for 10 days, head down, hide on. I remove the inner loin when I field dress the animal to prevent them from drying out and eat them after spending a few days in the fridge. I think the hanging process tenderizes the meat by stretching the muscle fibers apart (in addition to being tenderized by the aging process). Venison (particularly backstrap) that has been hung, seems more tender to me than venison that has only been aged. My backstraps are always more tender than the inner loin that has not been hung.

[el diablo]

I hang mine in a cool room (refrigerated to 37 degrees) for 10 days, head down, hide on. I remove the inner loin when I field dress the animal to prevent them from drying out and eat them after spending a few days in the fridge. I think the hanging process tenderizes the meat by stretching the muscle fibers apart (in addition to being tenderized by the aging process). Venison (particularly backstrap) that has been hung, seems more tender to me than venison that has only been aged. My backstraps are always more tender than the inner loin that has not been hung.

X2 Exactly how we do it.

[ICDEDTURKES]

I cut my backstraps and hindquarter steaks with a fork whether they have been hung 1 or 7 days.. Than again our deer have food available to them other deer do not..