Group: Members
Posts: 338
Member No.: 9278
Joined: March 26, 2015
Hello everyone Anyone mind sharing how they age there venison at home? I’d like todo the butchering myself but have been told if I do it right after the kill it’s a bit frustrating.
1. Build your own mini walk in cooler 2. Hang in a Fridge 3. Wait to hunt till it’s colder so you can hang in garage? (I could not do this lol) 4. Wet age -Process right after kill, vacuum seal and let sit in fridge. 5. Take it right to a meat processor and let them do what they do ( iv talked to a place near home and deer would hang for about 48hours) 6. Don’t bother aging no difference. 7. Ice and a cooler
How do you do it? I’d love to read about different experiences and outcomes you’ve all had.
Group: Members
Posts: 2375
Member No.: 15901
Joined: April 12, 2018
I don't do my own deer but have helped butchers do it on occasion. I'm not a believer in deer has to be aged as there is no marbling in the meat. I have been involved with a big buck being cut up all deboned the same day it was shot as we were heading home from Dryden the next morning, it was a pain to cut just because the meat hadn't had time to firm up. Tasted very good, no difference from the others that were left to hang a few days. At same time you don't want the meat frozen to cut either. I have helped a guy that let his hang for almost 2 weeks in a barn as we didn't have time to cut it. The temperature was to be below 45 and above 32 though. I think the key is to keep it chilled below 45 and cut when you have time. A butcher told me once that the key to keeping meat from spoiling was to get the blood and any other innards out of it, even if you have to wash it out with a hose, or with lake water, just get the blood out of the cavity. JMO
Group: Members
Posts: 436
Member No.: 17
Joined: February 10, 2011
I hang the deer head up & make sure to get ALL the throat out. If you are going to do a mount you will have to crawl right in there to get it all. If the temp. goes above 5 or 6 in the shade I hang 3 bags of ice around the deer & wrap it with a light tarp. If it cools down at night we take the tarp off. We used to have no problem hanging the deer for a week but the weather seems to be getting warmer the last 10 years. A light bulb hung inside the bottom of the tarp will help to keep the meat from freezing. Cheers
Aging venison at home, Which way do you do it? 
