Much of the info in that post is true and very useful, but ..................Big Guy said:Ten Venison Myths
If a deer can be hung at a lower temperature than 40deg, it WILL benefit from hanging as the connective tissue breaks down and it will be more tender. A commercial meat cooler runs at 28deg during the night when the door is closed all night. Meat will stay for 2 weeks this way with no problems. It is ALOT easier to properly cut the muscle when it has firmed up from hanging. Very fresh killed meat is hard to cut as it tends to roll under the knife causing more trimming sand less choice cuts as a result. Before the advent of vacuum packed meat, beef was hung for as long as 2-3 weeks, and there never was a problem with this method.Big Guy said:1, Hang venison for 5 days
Deer shouldn’t be hung at all, because life begins at 40. At 40 degrees bacteria come alive and usually, if a deer is hung in a garage all day long. It will be above 40degrees. The fat turns rancid and the meat begins to rot. To tenderize deer, leave it in the freezer for a few months. Butcher right away, freeze fresh. That’s the best way.
Shanks and scraps are used for two things... Stew and ground portions. I'd like to see the fellow try to remove the sinew from the deer shanks. Its no easy task, so grind them. Yes, remove the fat, but don't worry too much about other stuff..Big Guy said:3 Make burger from shanks and scraps
Shanks and scraps are fine if all the fat and connective tissue are trimmed away. Most hunters and butchers don’t take the time to do it. Commercial grinders can slice the sinews and connective tissues into small pieces, but that’s where the off taste is concentrated. Trim your meat scraps then make burger, all the difference in the world.
If you read this again, you will see that moisture is one of the problems that will ruin meat, and he is right, BUT a deer needs to hang in a cold, DRY environment. Long term humidity and washing with cold/clean water are two different things. Wash the deer, inside and out, wipe it down, open the cavity, put a fan on it and make sure that it's not hung in a humid place and you will not have problems, besides it's really a good idea to hang your meat in a place where these are no flys anyways.Big Guy said:4 Hose out the deer with water after field dressing
Three things work to ruin deer meat, dirt, heat and moisture. One minute after the inside of a deer is wiped down with a cloth, a thin dry film forms that prevents flies from laying eggs. Water it down and it’s vulnerable. The meat is warmed, moistened, and bacteria grows at a fantastic rate. Don’t soak your deer down; let it dry naturally the good meat is on the other side of the ribs anyway. Excluding the tender loins.