Hanging a Deer over night - How cold does it need to be?

hawk-i said:
How long are you hanging your meat....I've never lost meat due to drying out. I know not of which you speak!

Not many...only average 2 or 3 per year for the last 40 years or so.
Click to expand...

Meat starts drying out in two days here...perhaps it's the dry air. It leads to a lot of extra trimming. I hung my elk this year for two weeks...skinned it the morning we butchered...meat was as pink as the day it died other than around the the incision.
 
I can't even imagine what elk meat would taste like being hung for 2 weeks with the hide on. The neck would spoil pretty fast due to the hair on the neck. I once had to leave the skin on for a day and we couldn't eat the meat due to how strong it was. Never did that again.
 
sheephunter said:
Meat starts drying out in two days here...perhaps it's the dry air. It leads to a lot of extra trimming. I hung my elk this year for two weeks...skinned it the morning we butchered...meat was as pink as the day it died other than around the the incision.
Click to expand...

Well, if it works for you and you are happy with the results no use in changing. I live closer to the coast now but I grew up on the north eastern boreal forest/farmland area of alberta. Didn't have a problem with wasting meat by drying out there either. If the temp. allows, Deer I hang for 5-7 days....moose or elk I hang to 10 days max. Bear meat I hang for a day or two. So might be you are hanging longer than I am.
Anyways I believe getting it to cool a fast as possible is the way to get the tastiest meat....I've never been unhappy because I've removed the hide but I have in my earlier days of hunting had meat that had an off flavour because it didn't cool fast enough. So for me and my family it's off with the hide and into game bags normally within two hours of the animal being shot.
When we have company over for a game supper the comment we usually get is, why doesn't this taste gamey like so and so's wild meat...or boy is this ever tasty....or how did you cook this....so its not just me that thinks it tastes better.
 
Raton57 said:
I can't even imagine what elk meat would taste like being hung for 2 weeks with the hide on. The neck would spoil pretty fast due to the hair on the neck. I once had to leave the skin on for a day and we couldn't eat the meat due to how strong it was. Never did that again.
Click to expand...

Tastes really good...we did pull the windpipe out so the neck didn't rot. Not my first rodeo....lol
 
hawk-i said:
When we have company over for a game supper the comment we usually get is, why doesn't this taste gamey like so and so's wild meat...or boy is this ever tasty....or how did you cook this....so its not just me that thinks it tastes better.
Click to expand...

Ditto....
 
I've done it a few ways but higher temps means fly's and blowflies are bad news, temps can vary a bit but if its 10 at night what is it during the day?, 15? +?
+1 on the fan if possible...
+1 on cleaning/washing it out.
+1 on propping it open.
+1 on 2 to 4 degrees; above 6 I keep an eye on it and look for options- not panic but concern.
Normally I've skinned/quartered on moose for the reasons stated above but on a smaller critter leave the jacket on until your ready to move (assuming the temp is nice) - it still tastes great and it stays cleaner.
YMMV
 
mossyhorns said:
I agree with the suggestion of getting the hide off right away. It is amazing how much " heat" can be held in from the hide. I always skin my animals right away to ensure they cool down as quickly as possible. That and clean them up. A carcass destined for the table is no place for blood clots, dirt, guts and hair.

Do this and enjoy quality venison
Click to expand...

Me too, and I find the hide pulls off a lot easier the sooner you do it.
 
After 50+ hunting seasons, and a triple digit game count, including over 50 moose and 30+ elk,
I agree with sheephunter as far as hanging/skinning game.

Much less loss to drying [trim] and shrinkage if you can hang it with the hide on.

If it is very warm, the hide will have to come off, but usually not necessary.

No "strong, gamey" meat in our household, either.

As far as the little extra work in removing the hide just before butchering...not much of an issue.

I was actually taught to hang game with the hide on by a very accomplished older butcher,
who explained the advantages.

The advice to cut the windpipe area out is sound, though....lots of bacteria in that area.

Regards, Dave.
 
Lots of bad advice in this thread.....

Leave the hide on. Make sure that the deer is hung in the shade, head down, with the body cavity propped open. This allows heat to rise out of the body cavity. Assuming you game wasn't gut shot, do not wash the cavity with water. Blood has it's own preservative qualities and will form a thin skin over the meat and aid in preventing deterioration. Adding water can cause bacteria to breed. Make sure the windpipe is cut flush at the front of the cavity, and cut the throat below the jawline to allow blood to drain. 10 degrees is a bit warm, but it will likely be ok for the time being until you can get to a butcher.
 
we used to hang our wild meat for some time after the kill, now we do not and have found ZERO change in the quality of the meat.

but we butcher our own meat and can take care of it as soon as we have time.
 
Last edited:
Fact is, the meat always cools faster with the hide off, regardless of where you live. If you're the least bit concerned about temperatures, get it gutted and skinned as quickly as possible, then hang it in the shade. It's easier to process when cooled and it cools quicker when it's not deboned. When freezing, don't stack it or leave it in huge chunks. Spread out and small packages freeze faster. I've also found that wild game requires no aging.
 
I also live in southwestern Ontario and shot a decent buck last evening. I was worried about the temps as the weather network showed 10-11 degrees over night and the 11 degrees throughout the day today cooling back down to zero for Friday.

I had the deer home within a few hours of shooting it, my garage was fairly cool still so I hung the deer, skinned it, spread the ribs and cut out the windpipe and.... Off with his head..

I was considering quartering it and throwing it in the freezer, but glad that I didn't... It's 8 degrees right now and says that it will be down to 5 degrees by 4ish, so I'm not too worried about it..

Unless it's under 5 degree's I'm a big believer in taking the hide off asap... It traps heat in like nothing else..
 
hawk-i said:
get the hide off it ASAP and into a game bag.
Click to expand...

Yep. There is no need to hang an average size doe and I'd only risk it if it were a rutting buck or and old deer. It's 13 degree t-shirt weather right now 20 minutes south of Cambridge with bugs flying around! :eek:

It'll probably be fine, but personally I'd never risk it in warm temps as the potential benefits of hanging the animal really don't outweigh the risk of spoiled meat...
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the input guys. Please don't rip each others heads off :p

Took it to the butcher first thing this morning. All was well
 
Power Pill said:
My dad and I dropped a nice doe today and we've got it hanging up like normal.
However, it's suppose to be 10'c over night and im worried that it might be to warm to keep the meat from spoiling..

Do I have reason to be concerned?
Click to expand...

Damn man, start cutting it up right away. Nice tender doe most definitely does not need to hang.

I just don't get this hanging deer business. It'd have to be a pretty old rutted-up buck (or a damn late arrival home) for me to truss him overnight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom