Always field dress it as soon as possible. The main reason is to get the carcass to cool quickly. Hang the deer to let the rest of the blood run out of the carcass. If temps stay below 50 degrees, most guys will let the deer hang for a few days (or even a week or 2) to allow the muscles to loosen up and make the meat more tender. Just like aging beef. Do not remove the hide until you're ready to cut the deer up.

If it's warm and you cant take it to the processor right away, you can put a few bags of ice in the body cavity where the guts were. Cold storage is another option if there's one in your area. Usually costs around $10/day.

 

Never any reason to wait on field dressing. Shoot him Saturday PM, field dress him, hang him from one of your "acorn" trees, and he'll still be in great condition come Sunday morning.

Good luck on the youth hunt.

 

What they already said..and good luck!

 

...first shoot the deer, then let's talk!

 

Call me crazy but I think a dead deer can lay...forever..it's dead..:lol: Sorry couldnt resist...As stated above field dress immediatley..

 

This is a completely different property but thanks for the "acorn" tree comment you snuck in there.


=TP

 

@treehopper why wouldnt you ask in advance....as my question stated "should i field dress immediatly or wait?" you told me to wait to kill a deer then ask. If i would have taken the time to post and wait for a response the guts would have been left in for hours......so ill ask now thank you...


=TP

 

Don't know where your hunting, but there are some places that butcher deer, and even some that don't that will let you hang one in their cooler till next day if its hot out for a fee. Just a thought. But definately gut it out as soon as possible, and be careful with the bladder, urine isn't good on the meat. None of the intestine/stomache juices are either, be careful to not taint your meat. Good luck. Wash out cavity also if you can, even if its with a water bottle and some stream or lake water from nearby.

 

I gut them where they lay. and skin them as soon as possible.
Hide comes of easier when there warm.

 

as everyone has stated field dress ASAP, 1 to help in the cooling of the meat 2. it makes the deer a lot lighter to move. believe it or not Bacteria growth is actually good for meat, the bacteria is what tenderizes the meat. If your terribly worried about bacteria growth you can rub the cavity down with vineger, which will create a less than perfect enviroment for bacteria growth. Basically a filet mignon is a cut of meat where they have let the bacteria tenderize it than the trim the exterior "rotted" portion off and serve the inner tender deliciousness., Hang the deer(keep it out of direct sun), what i do is poke a hole in the front of the neck, stick a rope through it and hang a couple bags of ice on the inside of the chest cavity.

 

as everyone has stated field dress ASAP, 1 to help in the cooling of the meat 2. it makes the deer a lot lighter to move. believe it or not Bacteria growth is actually good for meat, the bacteria is what tenderizes the meat. If your terribly worried about bacteria growth you can rub the cavity down with vineger, which will create a less than perfect enviroment for bacteria growth. Basically a filet mignon is a cut of meat where they have let the bacteria tenderize it than the trim the exterior "rotted" portion off and serve the inner tender deliciousness., Hang the deer(keep it out of direct sun), what i do is poke a hole in the front of the neck, stick a rope through it and hang a couple bags of ice on the inside of the chest cavity.

Actually, I've never heard of such a thing, where did you get that from:yikes: Fillet mignon is beef tenderloin, thats why its so tender. The tender loins are the inner ones along back bone, you take them out when you gut them, and they'll remove with your hands

 

Got to go out and find some road kill filet mignon.

 

The low temp Saturday night should be about 50. It might rain Saturday and Sunday.

 

Firts of all, gut it immediatly. No need to drag it off for fear of spooking other deer when they come across the gut pile, they won't give it a second look.

Hang it in the coolest place you have. If it's really hot, like was already said, pack it with ice and wrap it in an old blanket, or better yet, an old sleeping bag.

DO NOT skin it till your ready to cut it up. The hide protects the meat from bugs as well as keeping it from drying out.

I killed one last Friday evening and let it hang till Monday morning in the garage without doing anything but spreading the ribcage. It was perfectly fine.

 

If the temps are in 40's, I have no problem laying it on cement floor of garage and hanging the next day. If temps get into 50's or higher you need to cut it up and put somewhere cool. We just did one yesterday that was shot Mon. night. It was getting warm, so cut it up(always boneless) and put in plastic tubs in garage fridge, then pull out some a little at a time next day while its real cold and trim up. Food born illness forms between 40 and 140 degrees. Anything in those temps should be processed. I bet if you checked a slaughter house cooler, their temps are probobly around 38.


Hope this helps. This is taken from the USDA regulations.

Chilling
• Measures to control the holding temperature of the carcass after the final wash or after any CCP designed to reduce pathogenic organisms on carcasses should be in place. Control of the temperature will ensure that the reduction in microbial load effected by the CCP will be maintained. In addition, to retain the log reduction in microbial load as a result of the CCP and to prevent re-contamination, other sanitation control methods should be used.
• All carcasses need to begin chilling within 1 hour from bleed-out. All variety meats need to begin chilling within 1 hour after removal from carcass. Refrigeration parameters should be defined, established and recorded so that carcasses reach a temperature of 40 °F or less within 24 hours and maintained on all products.
• Refrigeration parameters should be defined, established and recorded so that carcass reach a temperature of 40 °F or less within 24 hours, and that this temperature is maintained on all products. Carcass temperature should be taken and recorded daily from 5 randomly spaced locations, usually 1 mm under fascia on the inside round.
• To prevent cross contamination and to allow efficient air circulation, cooler storage rails must be placed at least two feet from refrigeration equipment, walls, columns, and other fixed parts; traffic or header rails during transport, at least 3 feet from the walls. Sides of beef should be placed in the chiller so that there is no contact between them to allow efficient air circulation. Condensation should be prevented or minimized.
• Finished product storage areas should not exceed 40 °F.
• Aged beef should be held no longer than 7 days at a temperature not exceeding 40 °F.
• Carcasses for hot boning (deboned before chilling) should be transported to the boning areas directly from the slaughter department. The boning room environmental temperature should remain at 50 °F (10 °C) or lower, and boning should not be delayed.
1) Raw materials should be placed under refrigeration until the product can enter the flow of operations.
2) Within one hour after the first cut is made, product should be placed under refrigeration or cooked.
3) Temperature at the center of the product placed under refrigeration should reach 40 °F (4.5 °C) or lower.
Food Safety and Inspection Service September 2002 Available for Public Comment
14

 

Great post Ralph, I believe that some folks think that just because outside temps are the same as a butchers cooler that all conditions are the same. Meat coolers and processors watch both temp and humidity very closely to avoid un-necessary bacterial growth. Thanks again .

 

Always field dress it as soon as possible. The main reason is to get the carcass to cool quickly. Hang the deer to let the rest of the blood run out of the carcass. If temps stay below 50 degrees, most guys will let the deer hang for a few days (or even a week or 2) to allow the muscles to loosen up and make the meat more tender. Just like aging beef. Do not remove the hide until you're ready to cut the deer up.
...........

I would disagree with the above paragraph. If you are going to age the meat, venison or beef, remove the hide and allow to hang in temps between 35-38 degrees. This is what deer and beef processors. It makes no sense to let meat hang above 38 degrees. A quick Google search will provide several sites that discuss proper care for hanging meat.

L & O

 

If you don't process it yourself, I would make a few calls and see if any places are open- it's youth season and some might be ready for a bunch of deer to come in.

For me, I do it myself. If it is cool at night, I hang the deer then skin and quarter it in the morning. I have an extra refrigerator at my camp for the quarters. Once in the fridge, I might wait a few days to finish.

If it is warm at night I skin and quarter it right away.

In 40 degreeish weather, I don't hurry.

 

In addition to the consensus stating that you should field dress it ASAP, I've always believed that it's important to avoid introducing water.

EG...don't hose out the carcass or wipe away hair and dirt with a wet towel. Water accellerates bacteria growth.

The meat can and should be rinsed just before cooking, though.

 

In addition to the consensus stating that you should field dress it ASAP, I've always believed that it's important to avoid introducing water.

EG...don't hose out the carcass or wipe away hair and dirt with a wet towel. Water accellerates bacteria growth.

The meat can and should be rinsed just before cooking, though.

We wash out the cavity and then dry it with old towels to remove said water. Get rid of the blood or anything else that may have been introduced to the cavity.

Skinner

 

Actually, I've never heard of such a thing, where did you get that from:yikes: Fillet mignon is beef tenderloin, thats why its so tender. The tender loins are the inner ones along back bone, you take them out when you gut them, and they'll remove with your hands

He may have been thinking roast beef...certainly not fillet mignon.

 

Actually, I've never heard of such a thing, where did you get that from:yikes: Fillet mignon is beef tenderloin, thats why its so tender. The tender loins are the inner ones along back bone, you take them out when you gut them, and they'll remove with your hands

Ever been to a high end restaraunt??? generally you would age meat to let it tenderize naturally, than trim off what looks undesireable right before you store or cook it! i.e the fat and any pieces of the meat that have turned bad during the aging process

The old method of aging meat is known as dry aging. Dry aging is done by hanging meat in a controlled, closely watched, refrigerated environment. The temperature needs to stay between 36 degrees F and freezing. Too warm and the meat will spoil, too cold and it will freeze, stopping the aging process. You also need a humidity of about 85 to reduce water loss. To control bacteria you need a constant flow of air all around the meat, which means it needs to be hanging in a well ventilated space.

It is aged so the natural enzymes and bacteria can break the meat down, to be more tender and flavorful.

I know what filet mignon is!! it is tender because of the cut, it is aged to reach a higher state of tenderness!!!! Sorry i didn't define the specific cut!! it is the small end of the tenderloin generally cut between 1 1/2 and 2 inches thick! I was speaking more towards the aging of good meat than the specific cut, and most people are familiar the Filet being a finer cut of meat

 

I understand what your saying, just the removal of rotted stuff isn't a good choice of wording I guess:lol: I know they will dry out, but never saw them get rotted. If you leave them hanging in deer, they'll turn to tuff pieces of dried out leather. I take them out in the field with the heart, and sautee them and the heart(both slivered up) with onions,mushrooms, and garlic. Makes a great gravy to pour over homemade mashed taters also

 

I've killed deer in close to 80 degree weather, I wouldn't let that thing lay, or hang more than a day or two just my opinion. I like to use bags of ice packed into the void, dry ice is preferable but more expensive. A big plus for yourself would be to learn how to process it yourself, I've never used a commercial processor my Pops taught me when I was ten. It was my job until I became old enough to hunt, then did my own from then on. It IS very rewarding! Tender loins on the barbie w/ garlic and onion, game on the radio, friends and family enjoying a few Ginger Ales, it's an event!!!!!

 

I grew up hunting in CA, where the early bow season starts in the middle of summer. I've literally harvested deer when it was 90+ degrees outside. The only difference between the way I processed those deer and the ones I shoot in much colder climates is how quickly I get them dressed, skinned, quartered and cooled.

Two years ago, I shot a doe in central Indiana on a day when the high temperature was 67 degrees. I field dressed it within an hour of the shot. We were at a camp where they didn't have a walk-in cooler, so my wife and I skinned and quartered the deer later that evening. We placed the five "sections" in a 100-quart cooler with bags of ice. We kept it in the shade and drained excess water, adding more ice, once per day. Four or five days later, we processed a well-aged deer into the cuts we like and placed them in vacuum sealed packages, just like every other deer we harvest.

How long can a dead deer lay? No longer than it absolutely has to before you can take the steps to ensure it will not spoil. Yeah, there's a little work involved, but isn't it worth it?