Can't hang my deer..what to do?

Ed Smurf

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While it is recommended to hang your deer for a few days what if it is not practical. For me it is either outside @-10degC or in my garage @+15c. So either it freezes up good and hard or may spoil in my heated garage. Nor can I hang my deer whole indoors as ceiling height just isn't there. Any suggestions? Do I quarter it now or later?
 
While it is recommended to hang your deer for a few days what if it is not practical. For me it is either outside @-10degC or in my garage @+15c. So either it freezes up good and hard or may spoil in my heated garage. Nor can I hang my deer whole indoors as ceiling height just isn't there. Any suggestions? Do I quarter it now or later?

Do it right away, I got my first deer this week with a buddy who has been hunting forever (he may have been fed wild game as his first solid meal lol).. Shot the deer at 0730 monday, hung it up at 0930 when we got back tot he house, skinned it, butchered it and ground a bunch of it up. Tuesday ate some.
 
Cut it and freeze it, it does not need to hang like beef. Pork is also killed, cut and frozen the same day, it does not need tenderizing. Deboning a deer takes less than an hour.
 
Most will tell you just to process it. Hanging may or may not be beneficial, Venison isn't the same as beef. We hang ours for a week, but i were in your shoes I would just take it to the butcher now.
 
I like to hang my deer for a few days, but doesn't sound like an option for you. If I was in your shoes,I'd get a big rubbermaid tub like you find at canadiantire to fill with bags or blocks of ice. That way you can keep the quarters cold while you butcher in your garage, or buy you a little time if something comes up and you can't butcher promptly.
 
Turn the heat off in the garage for a few hours, set up a table and start cutting.
Early season deer taken in Saskatchewan get cut right away at my house. We whip the hide off as soon as possible in the field too.
Two of us do the cutting and the wrapping in best quality butcher paper taped up with masking tape, the kind of cut labelled and weighed.
The venison is always tender and tasty.
 
it makes no difference whether or not the deer hangs other than perhaps bleeding out some. Nothing wrong with butchering it right o way if you have no previsions to keep it for later. Git-r-dun and into the freezer.
 
Cut it and freeze it, it does not need to hang like beef. Pork is also killed, cut and frozen the same day, it does not need tenderizing. Deboning a deer takes less than an hour.

Even beef doesn't need to hang like beef. Hanging done right can improve any meat (according to taste) and done wrong will make all meat worse. But any meat can be processed immediately and if cooked properly will be good, even though it may not be as good as it could have been.
 
While it is recommended to hang your deer for a few days what if it is not practical. For me it is either outside @-10degC or in my garage @+15c. So either it freezes up good and hard or may spoil in my heated garage. Nor can I hang my deer whole indoors as ceiling height just isn't there. Any suggestions? Do I quarter it now or later?
long thread on the topic here

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1151297-Hanging-Deer

If you can hang it (temp and humidity stable) I would, If not butcher it and cool as soon as possible. If you don't have time right away to butcher, hang it whole with hide on outside in the -10 and bring it inside when you do. The meat will not age hanging in -10 so the whole idea of hanging it for 14-21 days to get a better product is moot.
 
Unless you shot it hot; butcher it in the morning. Overnight it likely won't freeze stiff
No harm at all.
Or let it freeze and get it in a week or two
Skin it though IMO. Skinning cold deer is just not fun at all
 
the internet is a wonderful place sometimes LOL
everyone here has already given a bunch of great answers, I'll be the #### in the crowd and say..... next season, plan ahead so you know what to do with an animal, "before you shoot it" so you won't have to ask the internet while you stare at a dead corpse wondering what to do next. situations like these are what creates that crappy or strong tasting game meat some people hold their noses at
 
If possible I would cut the heat to the garage or leave a window or door cracked and let it hang for a few days. What is the weather forecast supposed to be there? I know it is cold in Ontario right now but starting to warm up tomorrow so it would quickly thaw out even if it did freeze.
 
lower mainland is not noted for cold weather so we keep a chest freezer with a controler set to 35 degrees. dump the carcass in freezer raised off the floor. butcher when you get time. most of our meat ages for a few days just cause its convient to do so. deer or bear all the same. pre planning works well. even if you use a butcher you need to know in advance if he has a free hook for your or if he is full up.
 
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