How long do you wait before taking your deer for processing?

[arfmel]

Been a long time since I've killed one when the conditions were cold enough to hang one more than overnight.

 

[jspick]

I process them as fast as I can. Usually the next day. Meat processors here want the meat same day or next day. If it is 7 days old they won't take it. A local meat processor told me if the meat is pink it will be tender. If the meat is dark red it will be tough. I found out that is true. One buck my son shot was a old and the meat was pink and very good and tender. Another buck my other son shot was almost a dark purple color and you couldn't hardly chew it.

 

[mirglip]

I talked t a butcher many years ago and he told me beef will get more tender after hanging for 7 to 10 day because the fat between the layers of meat contain enzymes the act to breakdow the maet. Deer don't have the fat so hanging them does not make venison any more tender by hanging it. WheN I was hunting and got a deer it was sjinned while still warm ( it is easier) and hung quartered and processed the same day. Never had tough venison.

I heard the same thing about venison vs. beef. I never noticed any difference between "hung" deer and freshly butchered.
I gut my deer/elk and take it to the processor immediately and let them do the skinning. If they are closed for the evening, I make sure the windpipe is removed and the chest cavity is held wide open, I hose down the internals and I hang it overnight. If the processor is closed for Sunday I skin it out unless it's near freezing.

 

[volshooter]

I reckon I'm just different. I only field dress with a 12 inch cut, Never split the hind quarters, I cool mine asap and age mine with hide on, I prefer 5-10 days. When it's warm I pack the entire chest with ice and watch the progress. Fresh meat has a smell, then it losses it and then has another neutral smell. That's when I process.
All wild game is improved with ageing. As well as beef. I take pride/aging/ cutting my own harvested game.
Processors snatch the skin off and process quickly, drying the meat out. It's my opinion that is where gamey meat comes from. Treat it like prime beef and process it right, if you want the best. Good luck.

 

[Mobuck]

I'm a proponent of getting deer gutted and cooled ASAP. These steps are often easier if one waits till the kicking stops before gutting begins. I have on occasion had a deer kick loose when I made the initial gutting cuts. Not so much these days as I'm not all that fast at getting to the animal.

 

[NewRuger41]

Here in Mid to N GA we process in the field when the deer is dead. This past Sunday it was an exercise in aggravation due to the sheer number of yellow jackets coming to the buffet. Good gawd! We got it done bit it wasn't pretty. We will be bringing a battery powered fan next time in an attempt to keep flies and wasps.

I do prefer colder air temperatures say below 38 degrees Fahrenheit though for field processing. The colder the better. Once we make the cuts the cuts go in backs then in a pack with ice blocks and then trek to camp at which point we transfer to cooler with ice. 4-5 days of draining the blood water and refilling ice before we debone and make cuts for the freezer.

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

'Hanging' a skinned deer carcass costs you a lot of meat-just my thoughts. No processor that I know of allows unskinned carcasses in their coolers.

NO PROCESSOR here will allow an unskinned deer in their CLEAN walk-in coolers.........You'd get laughed outta town.

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

I process my own. I made a cooler out of an old Coke upright vending machine. I have my own electric cuber and grinder. I usually hang the hams/shoulders/backstraps for several days to drain. The ribs go in the gut bucket. The tenderloins get eaten right away. I don't use processors for 2 reasons........One you not guarantteed to get YOUR deer back..........Two I'm NOT gonna kill a deer and have buy it back to eat it.
I NEVER field dress. Load "em" in truck and head home. Never over 30 mi. from home . Usually much closer

 

[Mobuck]

"I NEVER field dress."
I won't argue with your method since it seems to work for you. On the other hand, look at my scenario in which we NEVER shoot just one deer. If the deer are going to 'Share the Harvest', that's a 35 mile round trip. No way are we going to drive 35 miles 10-12 times when we can haul 4-5 per trip. If it's below 40* a gutted carcass won't spoil. We often use the machine shed as 'cold storage' since the 100K# of cold iron keeps the inside temperature well below warmer afternoon air temps.