Davoh

I'm wondering, in regard to meat quality, how long should you let a deer hang before quartering and putting on ice. When I was a kid, we would let the deer hang for days in the "meathouse", as long as the weather was cold.

How long is too long to let the deer hang(field dressed and rinsed out, but not skinned)?

How warm is too warm to let the deer hang? I know the "official" guidelines for meat safety say 40 degF, but seems like it wasn't always that warm when we would let it hang. My mom was a stickler for preserving every little bit of meat, so it wasn't like we just didn't care like some folks do(which is an entirely separate soap box entirely).

cardeer

Shot at 7 am skun ,quartered by 7 pm.why leave that stinky hide on it to draw in the meat ???????? cut up and In freezer next day.

VT Ridges

I'm with cardeer when he says to skin it as soon as you can. But if the temperature is OK, I like to let it hang about a week. I find it easier to de-bone and cut up that way. If it's going to be warm, it will cure in the freezer just fine.

Serioushunter1

Again it depends on the temperature. As long as the temp stays below 45 I would say up to 7 days max.I have let mycure for up to 5days but the temp never got above 45. I also skin it immediately after hanging it , wash it out real good with water and hose, cover it in cheese cloth. Like mentioned before why keep that nasty hide around???

wyotimberghost

VT Ridges and Cardeer are both right. I skin my animals before I even get home. I field dress them, drag them out, then skin that at the truck and wrap them in clean white sheets. Depending on the temperature, I then let them hang in the garage between over night (if its warm outside) and a week (if I can keep the garage nice and cool). If mold starts growing on the outside of the animal, then its time to hurry and butcher.

retrieverman

In easternTexas, the weather isusually still prettywarm, soI will have a deer deboned and on ice within an hour of being shot. The same goes for Oklahoma muzzleloader season, but during OK rifle season,there is a chance we might let one hang over night if and only if the temperature will be below freezing.

Champlain Islander

I leave the skin on and wash down the inside with cold spring water while it is hanging. I usually try to leave it hanging in the shade for 3-5 days. The temperature is usually between 20 and 45 during deer season around where I hunt.

KickerPoint79

I agree with retrieverman. No need to wait.

lethalconnection

Well first off i agree with everybody skin the animal asap because all its going to do is keep the meat warm and stink. I will usually let the fronts of an animal hang from anywhere from 2 days to a week and the hinds from anywhere from a week to 2 weeks because i find it reduces the wild taste and allows the meat to tenderize. If the weather is warm though and i cant keep the meat cold i will cut it up as soon as i fell it has a danger of going bad.

James B

I usually skin them within an hour of shooting them. usually by the next day they are cut up and either on ice or in the freezer. In the later part of the season, we have to worry more about them freezing like a rock before we get a chance to get them cut up.