Meat handling after the kill

[Buckwheat]

I spray mine off when I finish skinning it to get rid of any hair or dirt that might be on the meat. Then I put it in the cooler and put ice on top of it. I pull the drain and keep ice on it for 3-7 days.

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This what we do! Never had a problem. Make sure our ice chest are always cleaned good and dried before next use.


“There's more fun in hunting with the handicap of the bow than there is in hunting with the sureness of the gun.” -Fred Bear-

[Double-O-Dave]

We've done the quartered deer or pig on ice in coolers for about 5 days, then deboned sealed them in Food Saver bags and put them in the freezer for the past 5 years without any problems. Earlier this year, our fridge died and we had to get a back-up (Habitat Restore special) fridge to use for a few days until the new fridge was delivered. I then took the back-up fridge and removed all of the drawers and shelves and mounted a pair of 3/8 inch horizontal rods that we plan to use to hang deer quarters from (using large S hooks). We'll keep the temperature low (34 to 36 degrees) and hang the meat for about 5 days before deboning and processing it.

Fingers crossed.

Regards,

Dave

[Burnadell]

I spray mine off when I finish skinning it to get rid of any hair or dirt that might be on the meat. Then I put it in the cooler and put ice on top of it. I pull the drain and keep ice on it for 3-7 days.

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This is what I do, except where I hunt we have a walk-in cooler so after gutting and quartering, I put them in the cooler until I leave for home. Then I put the quarters in the cooler(s) and fill with ice, then add ice as needed with the drain open until I process it 4-8 days later.

[AntlerCollector]

Wet aging is basically vacuum sealing the meat and refrigerating it. Grocery store sell briskets that way.

[jnd1959]

Much of your grocery meat is wet aged because it takes less time and has less loss. Both have there place. Some of our game is dry aged and some is wet aged. it just depends on the circumstances and how much room we have. True dry aging is a long process of at least a couple weeks and likely a month with temperature control and air circulation. If there's time I'll do that but usually I'll either let some rest in the fridge and turn it every day for a week or leave it on Ice for a week. Our deer here aren't that big. If you do a true dry age you'll have a significant loss of meat.

Now ducks and pheasant, hang for 2 to 4 days depending on the birds age, pluck, gut and then process.

[Throwin Darts]

Freeze a bunch of water bottles and line the bottom of your cooler with them.

Won’t get your meat wet like melted ice will and will allow the blood to drain without your meat sitting in it.




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[N.DaWoods]

I try to keep everything dry. Seems to have less hair actually. And what hair is on the meat, once it cools in the fridge, is very easy to trim off. I usually let it sit in the cooler or fridge for a few days. I have found it easier for me to process. In my opinion deer killed with a bow are a lot less messy to deal with than ones shot with a gun. The last gun killed deer we cleaned we did have to rinse because of fragments and bloodshot throughout.

[Graysonhogs]

I let mine sit in an ice chest with the plug out for 5-7 days. It’s always yummy when we eat it!



Bisch


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That looks fantastic.

[coker737]

Quarter, rinse and in cooler on ice with drain plug opened. Has worked for 25 years

Works for me too. Daddy taught me well.

[deerwatcher51]

Rinse any blood, dirt and hair off and into the cooler it goes.

[BradBryant1000]

Quarter, rinse and in cooler on ice with drain plug opened. Has worked for 25 years

Same here. I'm 42 years old and I've been deer hunting for most of those years. Always done it like that.

I don't have a walk in cooler at the lease (or any lease I've ever been on).

[Patton]

Quarter, rinse off any hair and dirt, then either into the walk in or on top of ice in an ice chest for 7-10 days. Keep nesting wet in water isn’t ideal; wet aging is sealed up w/o air.

[Raypo]

Keep it dry ! And get it cold ASAP ! We don’t process beef, pork, chicken soaking in water or ( wet) why would you. Unless of course your making bacon, or ham. Venison tofu if that’s what you like.

Agreed. Most people will say dry is key. There are some that like to cooler wash, which I don’t disagree with if the cooler is high quality and it is mostly ice (super cold). My local meat market was helping unpack elk from my coolers for processing and he told me this. Buy blocked ice and lace the bottom of the cooler, lay the meat on top, shut the lid and don’t open it again. After 40 years of cutting meat seemed like good advice.

[AntlerCollector]

I always love the guys who say they've been soaking their venison in a cooler for such and such years as if doing it 40 years that way makes it the best method. Times change y'all. There is bacteria in the water. Other than rinsing the meat off when you first kill it, you should try to keep it as dry as possible. I too use to keep many deer in a cooler of ice and drained it, but keeping it out of the water is always a better way. It can still be done in an ice chest using bags if you don't have a walk in cooler.

[Smart]

I always love the guys who say they've been soaking their venison in a cooler for such and such years as if doing it 40 years that way makes it the best method. Times change y'all. There is bacteria in the water. Other than rinsing the meat off when you first kill it, you should try to keep it as dry as possible. I too use to keep many deer in a cooler of ice and drained it, but keeping it out of the water is always a better way. It can still be done in an ice chest using bags if you don't have a walk in cooler.

So you are placing your deer in sterilized bags you get from? Or just regular ol trash bags? That's not very sanitary...

No thanks......too much effort and bones poke though bags too easy anyway.......90% of it will be burger, sausage, or jerky so I'll just keep doing it until it kills me I guess..

Shoot, no gut, quarter, rinse and place in cooler with plug loose to drain......maybe I''ll put the backstraps in a 2 gallon zip bag for you..