Where do you hang your deer/moose?

[Master Baiter 1]

So last archery season I got my buck on about my 3rd time out with my crossbow🏹.  Was September 10th I believe, but it was 20C outside so I couldn’t hang him in my garage as it was way to warm, and had to butcher him right away.  Just curious as to what everyone else does to age it?   Do any butcher shops in town do it? ( have heard a lot don’t due to health codes etc). Or does someone have a walk-in freezer? Need some ideas 💡?  Also what is the perfect temperature to hang a deer? 🦌 

 

Thanks 

Mike

[hank 11]

If you hunt this time of the year you know the weather can be unpredictable so call around to see if anyone can take your deer right away after bagging it. There  is no advantage in trying to age it. Deer and moose don't have enough fat to age like beef. So if you don't have a place to get it processed   you need to learn how to part it out. What I mean is take off the legs, back straps, Tenderloins and have a extra fridge ready to store it till you can get it in to the butcher. If you still cant get it into the butcher; then take  the meat off the bones and freeze it.There are a lot of video's you can watch if you don't know how to dissect the animal. Good Luck 

[Hurketthunter 65]

I have heard of some people using franks locker service in the back of superior foods on lithium drive. I did find a phone number for it using google so look into that. I have never used this service personally so I can’t speak to if it’s run well/ clean or the prices. Hope this helps. 

 

Hurketthunter 

[Kaptain Kirk 34]

Louie has a great freezer /cooler and cutting services at superior foods, behind dominion motors on lithium street.

[scandiman 114]

20 hours ago, hank said:

If you hunt this time of the year you know the weather can be unpredictable so call around to see if anyone can take your deer right away after bagging it. There  is no advantage in trying to age it. Deer and moose don't have enough fat to age like beef. So if you don't have a place to get it processed   you need to learn how to part it out. What I mean is take off the legs, back straps, Tenderloins and have a extra fridge ready to store it till you can get it in to the butcher. If you still cant get it into the butcher; then take  the meat off the bones and freeze it.There are a lot of video's you can watch if you don't know how to dissect the animal. Good Luck 

Gonna have to strongly disagree on the aging part. I hung my testosterone jacked buck last year in optimal temps for nearly 3 weeks and the difference it made vs all the deer I’ve killed and butchered within a day or two, was incredible. 

Even your toughest cuts become tender and any/all gaminess is completely gone. 

[naden 136]

I agree that aging helps. We have access to a home made meat cooler. Temps are kept above freezing but cold enough that bacteria doesn’t spoil the meat. We have hung moose for a month and it is much better. The owner of the cooler has experimented and told me the longer the better, I’m talking a month or more. The hide is left on so the outer layer of meat doesn’t dry out. Also if you use a meat cooler you don’t have to worry as much about cutting out the areas that are damaged from bullets as they don’t spoil, although I guess lead might be a concern! The meat cooler is like s large insulated shed on top of a slab, a refrigeration unit is mounted on the wall. I’ve also heard if people using a coolbot

[MacGuyver 4]

On 9/12/2019 at 3:54 PM, hank said:

If you hunt this time of the year you know the weather can be unpredictable so call around to see if anyone can take your deer right away after bagging it. There  is no advantage in trying to age it. Deer and moose don't have enough fat to age like beef. So if you don't have a place to get it processed   you need to learn how to part it out. What I mean is take off the legs, back straps, Tenderloins and have a extra fridge ready to store it till you can get it in to the butcher. If you still cant get it into the butcher; then take  the meat off the bones and freeze it.There are a lot of video's you can watch if you don't know how to dissect the animal. Good Luck 

I agree that it is not necessary to hang wild meat. I was told by a butcher friend that wild game does not have the same enzymes as beef and therefore hanging is generally a waste of time and meat. If the hide is off, it just drys out the outer layer of meat (because lack of fat) and it has to be trimmed off. He also said if he shoots a critter in the morning, it's in the freezer later that night. I've since started doing the same and have not noticed any difference in hanging or not.

I agree with hank in that you should learn to part it out. However, take it a couple steps further and you could de-bone the meat. But at that point, I'd say just finish it and cut up the meat according to what you want. Lots of helpful butchering videos on YouTube.

I keep it simple by cutting only good thick steaks, good quality stew meat and the rest is for grinding, which you can take in, have ground up, and turned into whatever you like. I'd only hang if I couldn't get it to a butcher right away. I now butcher myself, so that's not an excuse anymore.

Fyi, it takes him about 35 minutes to cut up a deer with me wrapping. It takes me about 2.5 - 3 hours to cut, wrap and clean up. Guess I just need more practice! Haha! 

Good luck to everyone this season! 

[Kaptain Kirk 34]

I agree with macguyver,  but Hey i also say do ever what best suits you. I prefer not to hang it, more then a night in cool garage. With hide on it unless need to cut damage areas. Other wise next day at butcher shop usually. 

[Kory 8]

I shot one on the 3rd pulled the trigger around 8pm was in the freezer by mid night. Meat is tender and delicious I have hung them for 10 days and also for 10 hours and I also don’t find a difference. The only thing with hanging it I find is it bleeds out a bit more. Butchering it is all part of the fun brings people together, have a few drinks, smoke one, whatever your into it’s a good time. I cut and my girlfriend cleans and wraps she also does the skinning next is to teach her to gut. It’s a lot of work but extremely rewarding  

[Thefishleclair 175]

The hanging does not affect the taste in my mind but I do like the idea of not having all the blood in the meat when butchered. Ive had deer from field to freezer and also 10 days of hanging.Only difference would be how it breaks apart after cooking. I can ask my bro who is a butcher about the breaking down of enzymes.

[Mr. Canoehead 69]

I never noticed a gamy taste to deer meat, and I always cut them after about 24 hours. Then again I don't really do deer steaks, I just grind the whole animal other than a couple roasts and tenderloins.

 

Unless you have a temperature controlled garage I don't think aging is the way to go, it dries the meat out hanging at low temps.

[RN54 3]

have a cooler I built in my garage and regulate temp at 38 degrees( same as butcher shops),have hung moose for 2 weeks just put a pail of water in cooler and prevents thick skin forming on meat, own preference

[Bigbrookies 0]

Been hunting for 45 years, I've hung almost all types of big game and I've butchered game immediately and I have never noticed any difference, whether it tasted wild or more tender.

[RN54 3]

HAVE a cooler i built in my garage app. size 6' wide x 8' long x 10' high ,have an air conditioner installed in wall with a COOL BOT unit which bypasses air conditioner  can get temp. down to 33 degrees but maintains a constant 38 degree temp .Have hung moose in there for 13 days ,great to have when weather is warm ,life saver

[Snag??? 173]

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