how long do you hang your game?

[mywifeishotterthentiffany]

I usally hang my game for about a week before butchering. I was taught that it make the meat more tender. What do you think and how long do you wait? Do you hang it with the skin on or off and why?




"Let's keep things in perspective.I mean for Peet's sake there are kids in Africa that don't even hunt....hello" Jimmy Big Time

 

[completesportsman]

For deer that I get around home and get out of the woods whole, and if its cold enough, I like to let mine hang for several days, up to a week, with the hide on. Its a good idea to let it age some before butchering and I think by leaving the hide on the meat don't dry out as bad. They do skin soooo much easier while they are still warm though.

 

[mmwb]

The time between the shot and butchering is more a variable of my schedule than anything. I don't hang deer with the intention of aging. It is a matter of getting to it. It is the same with elk. I make it a point to get antelope in the freezer as quickly as I can. I've never had tough meat, nor any lacking in the great flavor I expect from a particular species.

The past few years, my deer and elk have all been boned out in the field. I make it a point to get that meat in the freezer within 24 hours. What I can't get to right away "ages" in the fridge until I can get it done.

 

[GotBowAz]

With all big game I get the hide off, the meat cooled down and deboned as soon as possible. Like mmwb mentioned I don't age meat for the sake of ageing, it is more for the convenience of when I can get to it and then it is in a cooler or refrigerator deboned cleaned of fat and silver. Im sure some will disagree but I don't believe ageing helps and I have found any big game left on the bone is gamey tasting. My family is from Michigan, they all hang and age their deer with the hide on 3 days or more before butchering. My mom cant stand deer meat. Then I killed a 3 ? year old buck and butchered it right away and she had some of it that same week. She loved it. My thought on it is hide, bone and silver left on the meat makes it gamey if it sits on it more than a day.

GBA

 

[chipc]

I agree Eric. Skin it, bone it, butcher it, freeze it. Hanging is over rated and often does more harm than good. It may be beneficial for beef in a tightly controlled environment but not for wild game. Chip

 

[rutnbuck]

I have done both! Hang vs. get it in the locker. What I find that is the most critical. Get it cooled down and the blood out of it soon as possible. If there is a creek or hose around wash it out. Pack snow in it anything to get blood out and cool it. The next thing is be careful not to cut into any of the glands, stomach, bladder or intestines. If you skin it or not try and cut off any excess fat! Fat and blood are the main reasons for foul taste. One other thing if an animal has been putting on weight (summer/Fall) he will usually be good table fare. However if an animal has begin to loose weight or has been run or had his adrenalin levels high it takes on the foul taste. Late winter animals are using up their fat and take on a foul fatty taste. Let an animal settle down if you can. A Rutnbuck or Bull will take on a foul taste due to the hormones and the fact he wallows and pisses on his neck. Then when you cook it. Wash it and soak it to get rid off all blood. Soak it in milk for 1/2 hr and you will have a excellent table fare. Guaranteed
Venison liver is the best and I hate liver! I won't pass up venison liver. Now if you want to fix the kidney's Soak them in water with a cup of Salt. Boil the Piss out of them cook for a couple hours then feed them to the dog. He won't eat them either.
Rutnbuck

 

[nickman]

..........sounds like a bunch of bartenders telling each other how to make a Martini!

It is all simply a matter of opinion.......and there are as many of those as there are tags.

Lots of people have some pretty far out ideas about game meat, in MY opinion. I grew up on a working ranch and we hung everything 10 days; still do.

It's your meat, "butcher" it however you want.

I actually had a hunter give me his entire elk because he gut shot it and it was "ruined".

 

[gb22]

Bacterial growth is caused by the presence of dirt, heat and moisture. Eliminate those things and the meat will taste MUCH better.

I believe the best way to eliminate those things is to remove the hide, thereby cooling the meat, immediately. I bone the animal on the spot, doing my best to avoid dirt and hair, and place it in game bags.

When I get it home, I wash and cut each piece. It takes a while but the meat is very good.


Within the shadows, go quietly.

 

[GotBowAz]

Nickman, will that be Gray Goose or Smirnoff? , shaken or stirred not to bruise it?? LMAO!

Yes there are differences of opinions as there is difference in taste buds too, just like martini?s. I like rum and diet soda but the diet soda must be cold or to me a warm diet even when poured over ice tastes like crap. Here?s where I'm going with this. My buddy in California loves gamey tasting meat. He prefers that over beef any day. I was blown away by that. Turns out he didn't even know his big game meat tasted gamey until I had some of his stew. Don?t get me wrong, it taste really good but the meat was gamey tasting and I told him so. He didn't believe me (told me I was full of crap) so I had him over to eat some of mine and he thought I put beef in the stew. If you were raised on gamey tasting meat most likely you are really going to prefer it. Bone, blood, hide fat, and silver makes in my opinion gamey tasting meat. It's a lot more up front work but for me it's worth the taste of the meat to get it all off ASAP as I don't care for gamey tasting meat as much but I will eat it.

Ruined gut shot elk huh? Wow I sure hope that guy doesn't do that too often.

GBA

 

[mntman]

We used to hang our whitetails for a 3-5 days but now a days I whatever species it is I get it in the freezer as fast as possible. with in a day or two usually, deboning in the field helps with this time tremoudously.
I don't think it is the aging that effects the taste, it is how fast you get it cool, keep it cool, finally getting the fat and tendons out of the meat.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

 

[Elkhunter96]

Like beef, if you are going to hang it, it needs to be in a controlled area. Game locker, etc. Hanging it while warm, in the garage/barn will just dry out the meat and have a reverse effect on the meat. If it is hot, get it in the freezer as fast as possible...

 

[brymoore]

>I don't think it is the
>aging that effects the taste,
>it is how fast you
>get it cool, keep it
>cool, finally getting the fat
>and tendons out of the
>meat.
>

Aging has nothing to do with taste. Meat is aged for tenderness.

 

[sageadvice]

I hung a buck in the wood room, it was cold, on my back porch once until i had ate it all up! Seems it was getting better eating toward the end!

Most of the time, i cut and wrap a buck as soon as i can get to the chore. Good eating buck is good eating buck. Through the years, i haven't really noticed that deer that were hung longer were any more tender that those good ones that were cut and wrapped right away. IMO, cooking the bugger up, how one goes about it, is way more important than letting one hang for a week or two.

my $.02

Joey

 

[RACKMASTER]

dudes.......read up!
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time

rackmaster

 

[cabinfever]

I'm not sure what to think about hanging vs not hanging but I have learned one thing over the years. Get rid of the fat, silver, ligaments, and anything else that is not pure red cutlets and you will have some excellent table fair. I hate the gamey taste and have learned over the years where the source of that taste comes from.

 

[eelgrass]

RACKMASTER, that's an interesting article. The little forked horn you're going to get in 102 only needs to age two or three days. Just kidding.

I wonder what HunterHarry has to say? He's a butcher.

I've done it all. From hanging for 2-10 days. I like it all. Cut out all bone and fat before freezing, is my preference.

Eel

 

[mywifeishotterthentiffany]

rackmaster thanks for the great article.



"Let's keep things in perspective.I mean for Peet's sake there are kids in Africa that don't even hunt....hello" Jimmy Big Time

 

[KNOPHISH]

To help keep hanging game from drying out my butcher said to leave the fat on, you can cut it off later when cutting it up.

 

[Gator]

skin off,clean(wash) out all blood and cut off all blood shot meat hang in a cool dry place(cooler) for a few days is good and will make the animal taste better..


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".