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How long should you hang a deer before butchering it?
You should let your deer hang for 2 to 4 days at minimum before processing to avoid this. For the best tasting deer meat Mississippi State University recommends 14 to 18 days of hanging time. A general rule of thumb is, the older the deer, the longer the hang time.
How long after killing a deer should you process it?
The animal does not “bleed out” quickly, and hence the quality of the venison suffers. If you wait too long to recover the deer, the blood will spoil and ruin the meat. The old bowhunters’ rule is to wait eight to 12 hours before following a gut-shot deer.
What to do with a deer before processing?
Get the carcass hung somewhere cool the day you kill the deer (40°F or less.) We don’t recommend you freeze before processing, as freezing the carcass before rigor may toughen the meat. If you’re aging your deer, let it hang at 40°F or less for 2-3 days.
Is it worth processing your own deer?
The reasons to process your own venison are many. I certainly could have used one of the many processors around Auburn, but there are a couple of major reasons I decided to do it myself. The first is simple – saving money! Venison processing also allows you much more flexibility when the time to cook arrives.
Do you have to field dress a deer before taking it to a processor?
Sportsmanship includes the responsible care and use of meat obtained while hunting. That’s great, but most hunters field-dress their deer on the ground prior to bringing them home or taking them to the meat processor.
How long can you let a deer hang in 40 degree weather?
It was as solid as a rock and had no way to thaw it out. I know some beef is hanging for 40 days in a properly chilled coolers. If you are below 40 degrees you are fine IMHO for as long as you might want. Had a buddy hang one for several weeks at about 32 degrees and it was just fine.
Is 50 degrees too warm to hang a deer?
Not long. The enzymatic action that occurs when “aging” meat happens in a tightly controlled temperature range, typically about 33-42 degrees. Any colder and the meat freezes which halts the enzymes from working. Any warmer and the meat will spoil.
Should I skin my deer before I let it hang?
Make sure to skin the hock before you hang the deer if you are going to do so yourself. If it is cooler than your refrigerator, your deer may hang for a bit longer. Hanging the deer in a walk-in cooler is ideal, but you may quarter the deer and put it into a chest freezer.
How do you tell if a deer is spoiled?
Feel the outside of the venison before you begin cooking. Spoiled venison will feel wet and slimy to the touch. Good venison will be damp but not slippery to the touch.
What do you do with a deer gut pile?
Most hunters field dress their deer where it fell, and leave the scraps and entrails at the kill site. If the animal died in or near water, drag it to dry land before field dressing to reduce the possibility of spoilage or contamination.
Can you take a deer to a butcher?
If it’s cold enough, you can leave the deer to hang for a couple of days (some hunters and meat processors recommend longer). If it’s above 40 degrees, you can either take it to a meat processor or quarter your kill and put it in the refrigerator.
Do I need to age a deer?
Typically for the best balance of flavors, venison should age for between 18 to 21 days. Provided you have the space, aging can be a very simple process. The key to dry aging is absolute temperature control. The ideal temperature in a space used for dry aging is between 34 and 37 degrees.
How soon do you need to field-dress a deer?
You want to field dress a deer as soon as possible, particularly if you punctured the stomach. Field dressing cools the meat down quickly and helps prevent bacterial growth. You can tell when an animal was not dressed quickly because it will have a very strong, gamey flavor.
How much does it cost to process a deer near me?
The cost to process a deer is between $75 and $200 depending on the process you are looking for, where you are located, and what types of cuts of meat you are looking for. Like anything else, processing a deer takes time.
How much does it cost to have a deer process?
Processing: Basic deer processing typically costs $75 to $120, but it varies with each processor. If you order jerky and sausage, the cost will increase, generally at per-pound rates. Don’t be afraid to ask your processor for an estimate before making your final decision.
How much meat do you typically get from a deer?
The deer’s realistic meat yield is about 58.15 pounds. Because waste can vary between deer, we suggest using the “realistic” figure as a gauge. In the above example, the buck’s realistic meat yield would range form 58 to 68 pounds.
How much meat do you get from processing a deer?
After processing, the 115 white-tailed deer yielded a total of 6,001.8 pounds of venison. The average deer weighed 107.56 pounds field dressed and yielded 52.19 pounds of venison, or a 48.52% meat yield.
