hanging meat?

[Robert]

How important is it to hang a deer or elk in a cold place? Does it really effect the taste and tenderness? How cold should the meat be hanged at and for how long?
Thanks and safe hunting to everyone.

[Tacklebuster]

Good question and I bet you get some varied opinions. Let's look at the topic this way. The reason behind hanging your meat is to "age" it. All that means is to get it to a "safe" level of decomposition so the meat is more tender. The temperature is only a guide for how long you should hang it. The warmer it is, the faster the decomposing process takes. I have hung deer for 6 days in colder weather and maybe only 24 hours in warmer weather. The deer I shot last year was boned out and in the freezer within 3 hours of being shot. Did I taste the difference, not really. The last thing you want to do is spoil your game. In weather like this, I would get it home and hung as soon as possible. I would wipe it down real good with a vinager and water solution and cut it up as soon as the muscles relax. Hang it over night a bone it in the morning. Just my two cents worth...

[Trick]

I thought I read meat has to hang for at least 36 hours for the the muscles to relax from rigamortis (sp). In hot weather pay to have it hung in a commercial cooler. Money well spent. I usually like to hang it cooled for about 3 days. I also don't think you can taste much differance in the meat. I've eaten backstrap off of deer the next morning after being shot the night before and I've never noticed it being extremly tough.

I had a neighbor that used to hang his meat until it was covered in mold. He would wipe it down in vinegar and cut it up. I never ate any of his meat. I don't care how tender he says it was. Just nasty.

[ 10-13-2001: Message edited by: Trick ]

[crabbait]

Just remember "life begins at 40" (degrees that is). You need get the carcass cooled to below 40 degrees as soon as possible and to keep it that cold. Otherwise it will spoil, not age.

How long you hang it is a matter of personal preference. A week at near freezing is not too long. Meat that is aged does get more tender but you would have to age and not age the same cut of meat from the same animal to prove it.

Meat that is starting to smell "tainted" can be wiped down with vineger and water or you can peel the outer layer. The meat inside will still be nice and red and untainted.

[Snapset]

During warm weather you can always just quarter your animal and age it in the fridge. I almost always shoot my deer in November so this is rarely an issue. This also allows me to hang the deer with the hide on, and that way I los a lot less dried meat to trim.

I have even heard of aging meat after it is already frozen. Just thaw it out and let it sit in the fridge for a week or longer. Don't freeze the quarters, though. In fact, I make it a hard and fast rule that I do not put meat in the freezer until it is completely trimmed and cut. It will be the easiest meat in the freezer to cook and eat. That ensures an empty freezer by summer and strong familial support to go out and shoot another next fall.

[MoJet Driver]

Interesting.

I notice that hanging and aging seems to all bounce back to big game. Would this concept apply to game birds too?

[WaterDog]

Like snapset we usually get our deer in November as well. We hang it for three days or so but with the hide off.

One of the most important things is to clean the meat thoroughly. Remove all hair, leaves, dirt, blood, and blood shot meat. It’s surprising how many folks don’t do this or do it well enough. I have never had a deer taste “gamey”. I don’t even know what that is. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Lured In]

Mojet, I have heard a few people who "age" thier waterfowl. One gentlemen I spoke with saide he would gut and hang his ducks (feathers on) for two days and then pluck them. He said the feathers "just fall off". I have never tried this.

More often than not with birds, it is more important to cool them, then to let them age. I personally will gut most of my ducks/geese if I will not have them home within 6 hours. Occasionally, I have not done that and could not tell the difference. As was said earlier, cleaning it right can go along way to making it taste better.