Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
Articles
Latest reviews
Author list
Classifieds
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Chatting and General Stuff
Cooks' Corner
ageing your venison for table fare?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="kcebcj" data-source="post: 189776" data-attributes="member: 10391"><p>I'm gonna stick my neck out here and probably get some people thinking that I don't have a clue but for the last 50 years (as I'm 64 now) I have been taking care of deer and elk in all kinds of temperature's and here is what I have learned and done.</p><p></p><p></p><p> Grew up hunting blacktails and hogs in the coast range of California where during deer season the average temperature is 90 degrees mid day with a low of 65 or so. If I killed a hog then it was all about getting him out of the mountains and cooled off. Dang old pig will spoil right in the back of the jeep if left to long. Now deer were totally different. Have shot deer early morning removed the paunch opened him up so he would cool stuffed some Bayleaf (grows wild in the coast range) in the chest cavity to keep the flys out get him in the shade and left them that way all day and have never lost an ounce of meat. The trick is getting the body heat out of them. The animal has to have a steady cool down. As long as he is cooling down the meat won't spoil.</p><p></p><p></p><p> Now you get that same buck back to camp that night. Hang him using a single tree by his hind legs. Skin him and cut the head off. Cut his brisket removing whatever was missed that morning along with the wind pipe. Split the pelvis and remove all the cruddy stuff. Trim all of the blood shoot meat away. Now hopefully you have a nice clean deer with no hair or filth on the skin. If he was gut shot you need your butt kicked for terrible shooting and need to go practice!</p><p></p><p> </p><p> I was taught from my grandparents who grew up before refrigeration was around to not use water on the meat. The meat has to crust over in order to keep. I abide by that rule today with one exception. If the animal was gut shot (by one of the kids) I will take a damp towel and wipe all the bad stuff out. I remember as a kid my grandmother jumping all over me for using water and more so for nicking the meat while skinning a deer. All has to do with it crusting over.</p><p> Let the deer hang all night then before the flys are moving the next morning put a meat sack on him so the flys can't get at him wrap him in a heavy tarp and just repeat that until your hunt is done. If you unwrap at night and re-wrap at daylight that meat will stay good. Just use your nose to check for any souring right where you split the pelvis. You can smell any change long before it spoils. In warm weather meat can hang 5-10 days depending.</p><p></p><p></p><p> Now the above is what I was taught to do when it's warm. If you pay attention to the meat you will learn when it needs to be packaged and put into the freezer. If it is humid watch it close as you can't age it as long in warm weather. I now live in west central Idaho and have for the last 18 years. I still use the same technique the only difference being that I never worry about the meat spoiling. In October the nights are usually around freezing as my ranch is at 3700 feet and the days are cool. I usually hang both deer and elk in a big shady White Fir for about 15 days give or take a few of course checking them daily.</p><p></p><p></p><p> I cut and wrap all my own meat. All the fat and tainted meat that was missed at the time of skinning is removed and discarded. Takes me 2 days to cut and wrap an elk but once done it is fine eating.</p><p></p><p></p><p> If the meat had to be boned out and brought out with a backpack then I put it in a refrigerator laying it on towels for about a week only. Have to watch it close as it will sour pretty fast. Boned out meat has never been as good as well aged meat so shoot them where a horse can go and bring them out whole or if an elk properly quartered. It's certainly not rocket science to end up with good meat. Kill him where he stands, keep the meat clean, and let it age.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kcebcj, post: 189776, member: 10391"] I’m gonna stick my neck out here and probably get some people thinking that I don’t have a clue but for the last 50 years (as I’m 64 now) I have been taking care of deer and elk in all kinds of temperature’s and here is what I have learned and done. Grew up hunting blacktails and hogs in the coast range of California where during deer season the average temperature is 90 degrees mid day with a low of 65 or so. If I killed a hog then it was all about getting him out of the mountains and cooled off. Dang old pig will spoil right in the back of the jeep if left to long. Now deer were totally different. Have shot deer early morning removed the paunch opened him up so he would cool stuffed some Bayleaf (grows wild in the coast range) in the chest cavity to keep the flys out get him in the shade and left them that way all day and have never lost an ounce of meat. The trick is getting the body heat out of them. The animal has to have a steady cool down. As long as he is cooling down the meat won’t spoil. Now you get that same buck back to camp that night. Hang him using a single tree by his hind legs. Skin him and cut the head off. Cut his brisket removing whatever was missed that morning along with the wind pipe. Split the pelvis and remove all the cruddy stuff. Trim all of the blood shoot meat away. Now hopefully you have a nice clean deer with no hair or filth on the skin. If he was gut shot you need your butt kicked for terrible shooting and need to go practice! I was taught from my grandparents who grew up before refrigeration was around to not use water on the meat. The meat has to crust over in order to keep. I abide by that rule today with one exception. If the animal was gut shot (by one of the kids) I will take a damp towel and wipe all the bad stuff out. I remember as a kid my grandmother jumping all over me for using water and more so for nicking the meat while skinning a deer. All has to do with it crusting over. Let the deer hang all night then before the flys are moving the next morning put a meat sack on him so the flys can’t get at him wrap him in a heavy tarp and just repeat that until your hunt is done. If you unwrap at night and re-wrap at daylight that meat will stay good. Just use your nose to check for any souring right where you split the pelvis. You can smell any change long before it spoils. In warm weather meat can hang 5-10 days depending. Now the above is what I was taught to do when it’s warm. If you pay attention to the meat you will learn when it needs to be packaged and put into the freezer. If it is humid watch it close as you can’t age it as long in warm weather. I now live in west central Idaho and have for the last 18 years. I still use the same technique the only difference being that I never worry about the meat spoiling. In October the nights are usually around freezing as my ranch is at 3700 feet and the days are cool. I usually hang both deer and elk in a big shady White Fir for about 15 days give or take a few of course checking them daily. I cut and wrap all my own meat. All the fat and tainted meat that was missed at the time of skinning is removed and discarded. Takes me 2 days to cut and wrap an elk but once done it is fine eating. If the meat had to be boned out and brought out with a backpack then I put it in a refrigerator laying it on towels for about a week only. Have to watch it close as it will sour pretty fast. Boned out meat has never been as good as well aged meat so shoot them where a horse can go and bring them out whole or if an elk properly quartered. It’s certainly not rocket science to end up with good meat. Kill him where he stands, keep the meat clean, and let it age. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Chatting and General Stuff
Cooks' Corner
ageing your venison for table fare?
Top