Aging your Deer?

[kc]

I hunt Cedar Swamps and have done well. I have gotten the habit of hanging
my Deer for a week or so if its freezing out. I am sure some of you guys don't
but thats ok with me.
Do any of you guys ever hang your Deer or aging, letting nature break down
the muscles making it tender?
I skin my Deer and wrap it in a wet sheet keeping it in my garage (no car exhaust).

 

[luke]

I have a cooler that I put my animals in. I hang em whole and unwrapped. And I leave em for 6-9days hanging. They do seem more tender than if they only hang 2-3 days.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

for aging my deer I simply flip them over and check the date stamp..

Actually, I attempt to get 'em cooled down and in the freezer as quickly as possible if the temp is up at all. Being in the food business I've given up on tainting my meat by aging it. It's just too dangerous.

 

[barnesuser28]

We usually age our deer and elk for a couple days but we make sure to keep it around 40* or even a little less.

 

[bigngreen]

Aging wild game is an excellent way to destroy an awesome piece of meat, I came from a long line that used to age game until I started cutting wild game professionally and now the longest I've hung an animal may be a couple days but most are cut the same day for the best quality meat.
How you cook or prepare wild game does a lot more for tenderness than letting it hang and dehydrate.

 

[Broz]

most are cut the same day for the best quality meat.
How you cook or prepare wild game does a lot more for tenderness than letting it hang and dehydrate.

I agree and this is what we do as well. Keep the moisture in for the best tasting meat, especially those inner loins.

Jeff

 

[kcebcj]

I hunt Cedar Swamps and have done well. I have gotten the habit of hanging
my Deer for a week or so if its freezing out. I am sure some of you guys don't
but thats ok with me.
Do any of you guys ever hang your Deer or aging, letting nature break down
the muscles making it tender?
I skin my Deer and wrap it in a wet sheet keeping it in my garage (no car exhaust).

I learned from my grandparents who grew up living off the land with no refrigeration how to take care of deer and elk and how to let them hang and age without spoilage. There is a lot to it and too much to explain here.

I hang most all my deer and elk for up to 20 days depending on the weather but never less than a week even if it's warm. If the meat is not taken care of properly it can spoil quite quickly. Aged meat is simply more palatable and tender!

 

[JackinSD]

The older/larger the animal the more aging is required. A young/small animal, I process the next day. Older/larger animals may be aged 2 weeks. My determining factor is whether or not I can keep the meat below 40 degrees or not. Having only one spare refridgerator, and often more than one tag, makes my decision for me.

 

[BearDog]

To me the single most important thing with meat is getting the cape off right away. Since I have to pack everything out on my back, everything is broken down right on the spot. Sometimes you will get some dirt and pine needles on the meat. When I get home, I will wash the meat make sure it is dry, lay it out on a tray, and I flip it twice a day for an average of 5 days. At that point you are going to start seeing the blackened film on the outside of the meat. With that outer film, everything you would want to remove from the outer layer of the meat comes off super easy. The silver seam, the really thin membrane, the fat, all the dirt and needles that may have gotten on there easily trims off.

Beyond that, cooking is hugely important. If it is something you are going be stewing, id count on letting it simmer for twice as long as you would the same cut from a cow. On the other hand. Something the your are grilling could take half the time as the same cut from a cow.