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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.
How long should you wait to process a deer?
The deer stiffens during rigor mortis in the 24 hours after being killed. If it is processed during this time, the muscles shorten and contract causing the meat to become tough. You should let your deer hang for 2 to 4 days at minimum before processing to avoid this.
Should I process my 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.
Can you butcher a deer right away?
you can let them hang if the temp. is just above freezing 35-40 if you have a cool dry place . young deer 2-3 days old bucks 4-5 days BUT THE TEMP HAS TO BE RIGHT! or YOU CAN TAKE IT TO SOMEONE WHO HAS A COOLER. some will skin it out and hang them for you or do the butchering job also.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
Do you hang deer with skin on or off?
Skinning Techniques Just be sure to hang it high and keep the chest cavity protected from the elements (and critters). During warmer weather, you’ll want to get the skin off as quickly as possible to assist with the meat-cooling process. Deer can be skinned while hanging head up or head down.
Will a deer spoil at 50 degrees?
If the air temperature is 50 degrees, we have three to six hours to recover a deer after it dies. If the temperature is higher, or the animal has elevated its temperature by running hard, then the safe time available for recovery is shorter.
Is processing a deer hard?
Butchering and deer processing seems like a daunting task. But it isn’t as difficult as you think. You already field dress your harvest, butchering it just the next natural step. You can save a lot of money from hiring a professional butcher when you butcher a deer at home.
Do you have to age venison?
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. This is the perfect environment for venison’s natural enzymes to begin to break down the tough tissue.
Can you quarter a deer in the field?
If you have to both skin and quarter in the field, make a cut from the tail bone to the back of the head, running a straight line down the spine (basically, splitting the animal in half). Be careful to only cut through the hide and avoid cutting into the meat. Put all of this meat in high-quality game bags.
How many pounds of meat do you get from a deer?
The average deer weighed 107.56 pounds field dressed and yielded 52.19 pounds of venison, or a 48.52% meat yield.
