How long should i let my deer hang before butchering it?

[Swolf]

Looking for some advice based on personal experience.

A beef steak aged for 28 days is good, even longer can be amazing. I am curious how long should a guy hang a deer for optimal taste.

Assuming ambient temp, is constant at 3-4 degC.

Thanks in advance

SWolf

[rottie]

Some good info here for you to cruise through. Deer don't need too long, I only let them hang for a few days.

http://www.uwyo.edu/foods/educationa...wild-game.html

[Nyksta]

You dont have to "hang" it. You can put deboned quarters in the fridge, or you can butcher it into your cuts and age them afterwards in fridge for a bit. Just dont let freezing temps and hot temps of the day go back and forth while you are trying to age your meat.

[Swolf]

This thanks for the help Boys!!

[skidderman]

I typically never go beyond five days. If you have good cooler you can certainly go longer but I've never seen a need to. Moose or elk maybe a bit longer but again the type of cooler you have makes a difference.

[Swamp hunter]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

You dont have to "hang" it. You can put deboned quarters in the fridge, or you can butcher it into your cuts and age them afterwards in fridge for a bit. Just dont let freezing temps and hot temps of the day go back and forth while you are trying to age your meat.

Really dont recommend this at all. There is a certain amount of bacteria on the out layer of hung or aged meat.by cutting you are creating more surface area for bacteria to form. If you want to age meat leave it whole. Also by cutting (deboning) you will also lose moisture.

[mindoutside]

Some guy once told me that when hanging it needs to be wrapped in some kind of wrapping

[curtz]

I like to hang deer a week.

[Hogie135]

I've never aged my meat. Once home I clean the meat with some warm water and vinegar. Then I quarter it up and throw all the quarters in the freezer. the next few weekends the wife and I will take a quarter or two out, thaw, cut into steaks or grind, vacuum seal and back into the freezer.

[Nyksta]

Originally Posted by Swamp hunter

Really dont recommend this at all. There is a certain amount of bacteria on the out layer of hung or aged meat.by cutting you are creating more surface area for bacteria to form. If you want to age meat leave it whole. Also by cutting (deboning) you will also lose moisture.

The location requirements for hanging meat whole at the proper temperature for multiple days isnt an option for some people.

[pikeman06]

My meats been hanging for 47 years and actually seems to be getting tougher...ha-yuck ha-yuck.😉

[JimW55]

I’ve always just butchered and put in the freezer and my meat tastes good.

[ESOXangler]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

My meats been hanging for 47 years and actually seems to be getting tougher...ha-yuck ha-yuck.😉

Longer too probably. Good ol gravity...

[Tigrr]

My wild game needs no hanging to be tender. It has nothing like beef that needs to breakdown to be tender. Next day butchering of Deer, moose and bear. Ask any meat expert.
Beef: Why dry-aged beef tastes better. All fresh beef is aged for at least few days and up to several weeks to allow enzymes naturally present in the meat to break down the muscle tissue, resulting in improved texture and flavor. These days, most beef is aged in plastic shrink-wrap—a process known as wet-aging.
Not an issue with wild game........

[trigger7mm]

I usually cut up my deer the next day, and it has always been excellent.

[Dick284]

Unless you’ve got a proper cooler, the longer you hang the deer the thicker the second skin on the deer will become.

As a rule I do hang my deer, only long enough to cool the meat to the bone(24-36 hrs.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Tigrr

My wild game needs no hanging to be tender. It has nothing like beef that needs to breakdown to be tender. Next day butchering of Deer, moose and bear. Ask any meat expert.
Beef: Why dry-aged beef tastes better. All fresh beef is aged for at least few days and up to several weeks to allow enzymes naturally present in the meat to break down the muscle tissue, resulting in improved texture and flavor. These days, most beef is aged in plastic shrink-wrap—a process known as wet-aging.
Not an issue with wild game........

This is simply not correct.

As with beef, wild game also experiences rigor mortis, and goes through the same enzymatic process.

Ungulates and beef need at least 48-72 hours before the muscle relax out of rigor mortis.

After that, the aging process is more about controlled rotting.


For sure deer butchered before 72 hours may taste great. However it is an absolute that the meat Will be Much more tender if it has a chance to release from rigor mortis first.

[220 Swift]

I have my thoughts on this but what about the blood in the meat ? Hanging allows dripping out more ,of coure.

Is it flavored?

"Gamey" perhaps ? Not looking to argue just want to hear peoples thoughts on this.

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by JimW55

I’ve always just butchered and put in the freezer and my meat tastes good.

I don't bother hanging deer at all anymore. Hanging may tenderize it a bit more but the way you clean, prepare and cook your deer will effect the taste much more than a bit of hanging time.

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by 220 Swift

I have my thoughts on this but what about the blood in the meat ? Hanging allows dripping out more ,of coure.

Is it flavored?

"Gamey" perhaps ? Not looking to argue just want to hear peoples thoughts on this.

Soaking it in cold water and rinsing a few times cleans the blood very well to.

[Red Bullets]

Walking Buffalo is right. The old rigor mortis will effect the tenderness. Between fresh frozen or aged venison I prefer aged. The best whitetail I ever tasted was hung for a month at +3C.

[kropsbone]

I usually hang for a week and a bit at garage temp . Kind of sounds gross but when it starts smelling sweet , I find it perfect.

[HunterDave]

Rigor mortis lasts no longer than 24 hours. As soon as it comes out you might as well butcher it, unless you’re busy with something else, because you are not gaining anything by waiting longer.

[Battle Rat]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

My meats been hanging for 47 years and actually seems to be getting tougher...ha-yuck ha-yuck.😉

Would that buck have a non typical horn, LOL?

[Bushleague]

Honestly, with deer I haven't found any huge difference. If the weather is right, and it works with my schedule I might let it hang 4-5 days. Other times I butcher the day after it is killed, no real difference in taste or tenderness that I can make out.

Couple things, you do need to let it hang at least one night. I tried butchering one the same day I shot it, before the muscles stiffen up a little its hard to cut nice steaks, its like carving jello. If I let a deer hang more than a day or so I wrap in in shrink wrap to minimise the amount of dryed out meat I must trim ( I always skin a deer the same day I shoot it), however, you need to give the deer at least one night to cool before wrapping it or it will start turning green fast. Even if you shoot it first thing in the morning do not wrap it until the next morning.

Make sure you get the tenderloins out right away though, eat them immediately... cut into little steaks, fried in bacon grease with onions on the side. The line between meat and candy becomes a little blurry when enjoying these things, don't you dare let them dry out.


With moose I like to hang them at least 4 days or so.

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

Would that buck have a non typical horn, LOL?

No, just low saggy horns.

[Lefty-Canuck]

We have a proper cooler and deer get 10-14 days, the environment in the cooler prevents the outside from drying out. Most times it doesn’t need trimming. Elk and moose we hang a bit longer 17-20 days, same thing the outside doesn’t dry too much. Even one night in a garage the meat will dry significantly more than the cooler for a week. We have tested it. One bonus to the cooler and hanging is you don’t HAVE to cut it based on the outside temperature and it buys you time to schedule a cutting day.

LC

[gtr]

Have hung deer for at least three weeks, ever since I tried a steak that had been hung that long. Keep the temp at plus three, for three. If grinding, not really as important.

[Bassett]

For my early season elk they will hang anywhere from 11-14 days. If we get one super early and one late in the trip the second elk won’t get as much hang time.

My deer this year hung for a total of 6 hours.


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[marlin1]

we had to debone half a cow moose and the half we deboned was noticeably tougher from not hanging . Any suggestions as to what to do in this case ? leave the loins on bone ?