# aging deer



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

ever hear of this. ive left mine in the garage before up to a week in cold weather before i cut it up, i just am wondering if anyone else does this and can you tell a difference in the flavor of the meat?


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## Ohio Hunter (Oct 31, 2008)

I usually, weather permitting will leave mine hang 5 days but I can honestly say I have never been able to tell the diffrence.


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## sporty (Apr 6, 2004)

Personally I like to get them out of the woods, checked, skinned and put up as quickly as possible. I'm not sure if you're referring to hanging with hide on or off. This is totally subjective observation, but it seems the gamier tasting meat comes from deer that have hung for some time with the hide on.

If only I could kill enough deer to make this a little more objective!


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## Bonemann (Jan 28, 2008)

I've been told that it makes a difference with beef because
of the marbleizing of the fat. Deer have fat but it's not marbled
through out the meat (only on the outside of it).

In my humble opinion, the age,sex and diet of the deer has more
to do with the taste and tenderness than anything else. Some 
people say that if you hit one and it runs a good distance and
has to have another shot to be killed that the adrenalin released
can make them gamy tasting and not as tender.

I have noticed that deer taste different that are from different
places and weather it's young or old.


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## hunt-n-fish (Jun 19, 2007)

sporty said:


> Personally I like to get them out of the woods, checked, skinned and put up as quickly as possible. I'm not sure if you're referring to hanging with hide on or off. This is totally subjective observation, but it seems the gamier tasting meat comes from deer that have hung for some time with the hide on.
> 
> If only I could kill enough deer to make this a little more objective!


By all means get the hide off if you're planning on hanging the deer. By taking the hide off, it allows the meat more uniformly and faster, which is the key to quality meat.

There's alot controversy about using fat from the deer or removing it and adding beef/pork product. With the hide left on, the fat on the deer stays softer, color changes to a dirty white and has begin to break down/spoil faster then fat that remained on the deer and which cooled quickly with hide off and ultimately stayed hard/firm and white. Like an organ, i.e. bung hole, intestine, fat that has been left in the deer with hide ON will go rancid faster and be visually less appealing and affect the taste greatly.

At the processor where I work, we will use only very limited amounts of good clean, firm deer fat (taken from deer that had the hide removed while the carcass was warm and clean). By the time most deer get to us after the opener, it's been a couple days or longer with hide on and/or wasn't cleaned out properly after field dressing. We take excellent care of the carcass once we get it, but you'd be surprised to see a deer that arrives to us and the owner expects to get everything back that he/she would expect (sometimes alot thrown away due to poor handling) and clean. Sometimes you want to slap the hunter for not taking care of such a awesome animal. First thing I think of is simply "desecration of a corpse"!

The only time you want to leave the hide on would in an environment that is obviously dirty and even the though the meat cools slower, it will help keep it clean, which is equally as important when caring for the meat.


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## hunt-n-fish (Jun 19, 2007)

Bonemann said:


> I've been told that it makes a difference with beef because
> of the marbleizing of the fat. Deer have fat but it's not marbled
> through out the meat (only on the outside of it).
> 
> ...


You are right. Deer are like hogs in that there is NO fat between the muscle fibers like beef and it's the fat breaking-down [in the marbleling] on beef that actually tenderizes it the muscle. Deer and hogs can be cut up as soon as the carcass cools, but beef let it hang. Our beef is allowed to hang from anywhere from 10 to 25 days. 

Alot of hunters, not all of them thank goodness, ruin there own meat w/o even a clue what they are doing.


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## HUNTorFISH (Dec 1, 2008)

i always take the hide off and let it hang at least one night in the garage. older the deer longer i hang them. i have a spare fridge in the garage that is just for meat so often i will quarter them and throw them in the fridge and leave a small crack in the door to let air in and out. when i was out in wyoming, the locals out there that shot an elk would let them hang for up to 3 weeks. they also told me that they rub honey all over the meat, it sweetens it and takes any gaminess out of the meat as well as make it tender i guess. but im not sure if aging a deer is important, the most important thing is to cut the fat, tendons, and remove hair so your deer doesn't have a gamey flavor.


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## wildman (Sep 3, 2008)

I was told to leave the hide on when its a little warmer 50's or so that that is why the Indians liked whitetail. That it doesn't spoil as fast. I was also told that the longer the meat is hung hide on or off the muscle fibers break and the the meat becomes more tender. 

I don't know if any of this as truth behind it. I let my grandfathers hang for 8 days before we cut it up. I would like some info on the science of the whole thing. Any help would help.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> Deer are like hogs in that there is NO fat between the muscle fibers like beef and it's the fat breaking-down [in the marbleling] on beef that actually tenderizes it the muscle.


i'm no expert,but according to everything i've heard or read,fat is not a factor in aging.it's the enzymes in the muscle breaking down,that do the job.this is caused by the moisture being removed from the meat during the process.fat does add flavor,but i'd be interested in how it attributes to aging.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I once hung a deer for 8 days with the temps in the 30-45 range to see if it made any difference in flavor. Didn't notice any difference in flavor but one thing is that the hide had to literally be "cut off" inch by inch-no amount of hard pulling would release it! It was like the skin had glued itself to the meat!
Another thing, the gamey flavor(that lots of folks don't like) is from the fat. If you take the pains to trim all the fat that you can(and for heavens sake, don't grind any into the burger!), you will have the best tasting venison you ever had. Some people don't like deer "that doesn't taste like deer"! They should leave the fat on it, and and grind any excess into their burger-ugh!
(I don't like lamb because of the strong, gaminess of the meat. Any meat that I have to cover up with marmilades, or strong sauces, I don't eat.)


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

...Years ago when I was a young man,,or boy I used to help my Grandpa when he butchered his Pigs and Beef cows...We would hang them in the garage for a week or two to as he said age them...Of course they were skinned...So later when I got deer I would skin them and hang them for a week or two...Ageing seemed like it made it tender...As for the gamey taste this is not the first time I have heard that the fat in a deer makes it gamey......GOOD EATING GUYS....C.L....


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## rattletraprex (Sep 1, 2005)

I try to get mine processed as soon as possible. The hide comes off right away makes it easier. I grind my own burger and try to remove most of the fat but a little doesn't seem to affect the taste at all. The deer I got Sunday was almost frozen when I started on it Monday the hide was off but they're easier to cut up when cold but not frozen. Have to cut up my steaks and roasts today and that's it till the next one.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

hunt-n-fish,

Feel like doing a class, presentation, how to, on field dressing and caring for your deer in the field.

I could set it early next fall up at a Gander store or maybe at my place. If we could get a deer for you to demonstrate on even better.


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

Bonemann said:


> I've been told that it makes a difference with beef because
> of the marbleizing of the fat. Deer have fat but it's not marbled
> through out the meat (only on the outside of it).
> 
> ...



This post hits it RIGHT ON ! Now I personally used to hang deer for 3/4 days, weather permitting. But was told many years ago by a butcher (35 years in the business) that the above post holds true. 

By shooting a buck in the heat of the rut can & does effect the taste of the meat. or a hard driven deer.

I had a choice a few years back in taking 1 of 2 deer walking together, a doe (? as to age) & a young spiker (4 point) took the spiker cause no-telling the age of the doe. All in all a doe is better eating than a rut crazed buck, & THE BIGGEST FACTOR IS HOW ONE PREPARES THE DEER.


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## beatsworkin (Apr 12, 2004)

If I have an older deer, I like to let it hang for several days if not a week or 2 if the temps are right. Someday I will have a walk in cooler and all the gear to do it that way no matter the time of season. 

I do not think it improves flavor, but it does help with tenderness. The flavor of the meat you are aging will intensify with aging since the meat is shrinking some from moisture loss. Like hunt-n-fish said, the fat, silver skin, tendons, etc....greatly affect flavor and the more time you spend trimming that off, the better. When I do my deer, I do not steak the straps, or the sirloin tip, top and bottom round, etc.... I might cut a large roast in half. I think the meat keeps better in the freezer as a larger piece, I will thaw and cook whole as a roast or cut into steaks when still partially frozen. I cut the straps into 6 to 8" sections.

The very best deer that I have eaten was at a goose hunting trip to Marion, Illinois a few years ago. One of the partners did the deer hunting side of things and he supplies steaks for the groups that hunted out of the lodge. He would hang the deer, hide on, until he would see evidence of mold on the ribs. He would then skin the deer, trim off all fat, dried meat and saw off the ribs. He cuts the entire deer into steaks, even the shoulder. Wrapped a piece of bacon on the outside edge, seasoned salt and then freeze. Nearly every one we ate was fork tender. The only knife we ever used was a table knife. This is around 20 to 30 days of aging and he could only do it late season.


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## truck (Apr 12, 2004)

http://www.fieldandstream.com/article/Outdoor Skills/Deer-Hang-Time


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## wildman (Sep 3, 2008)

Thank you for the info. That's what I was looking for a little chemistry.


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

truck said:


> http://www.fieldandstream.com/article/Outdoor Skills/Deer-Hang-Time




What A GREAT ARTICLE. Especially the explanation of rigor mortis.
GOOD STUFF TO KNOW.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Interesting read. I didn't know that rigor mortise was temporary! The bit about old buck flavor being rememinisent to best restaurant beef-not too sure I can buy into that one. Once had an "aged" steak at Anthe's in Akron(Nick aged his own meats), and it stunk and tasted rotten. Sent it back for another which was great, think he musta forgot the first one after several weeks.........!! I have read that the Romans(or some ancient civilization) used to hang their pheasants by a string around their neck. When the bird fell, separated from the head, they were ready to cook!??


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## Nikster (Mar 14, 2007)

c. j. stone said:


> Interesting read. I didn't know that rigor mortise was temporary! The bit about old buck flavor being rememinisent to best restaurant beef-not too sure I can buy into that one. Once had an "aged" steak at Anthe's in Akron(Nick aged his own meats), and it stunk and tasted rotten. Sent it back for another which was great, think he musta forgot the first one after several weeks.........!! I have read that the Romans(or some ancient civilization) used to hang their pheasants by a string around their neck. When the bird fell, separated from the head, they were ready to cook!??



Now there is proof in itself as to what caused " FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE."

They poisoned themselves. lol.


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## bulafisherman (Apr 11, 2004)

over the years,having eaten deer that where harvested, and processed under alot of different circumstances, its no secret the youngest deer are the best for eating,I`am very guilty of picking the younger smaller antherless ones over the older mature ones,quality over qantity in my opinion. I do believe proper care in the field dressing process is right up there, it kills me to still see some guys cutting off the tarsal glands thinking that it will make for better table fare


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## River Anglin (Feb 18, 2008)

bulafisherman said:


> it kills me to still see some guys cutting off the tarsal glands thinking that it will make for better table fare


I was taught to cut the glands off. Are you saying that I should not do that?


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## bulafisherman (Apr 11, 2004)

I`am by no means saying that you shouldnt do it, some hunters cut them off for future use, hanging them up as an attractant when hunting from a stand, lure companys have been known to use them in their scents,as for cutting them off so the meat has better flavor is a myth, I have seen hunters do it and insist it improves the taste, they are an external gland and deer urinate on them to give them the strong odor.


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## River Anglin (Feb 18, 2008)

Okay, I understand. Thanks.


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