# Aging Big Game Meat - Rigor Mortis



## wyogoob

You do what ya gotta do to get a big game animal in the freezer. And how the animal is cared before getting cut and wrapped is a balance between how far it is from the road, up or downhill, the temperature, work and family commitments, or even scheduling at the butcher shop.

Sometime after the kill an animal's muscles go into rigor mortis, a muscle contraction that lasts 24 hours or so. If you butcher your deer or elk during that period it's gonna be tough. If the animal gets frozen hanging on the meat pole at camp during rigor mortis chances are it's goiung to take longer to age it than if it wasn't frozen up front.

For one reason or another I have cut and wrapped elk, including a calf, as fast as I could and they ended up being tough. Now I'm thinking I cut them up during rigor mortis.

Here's a quote from a 2006 _Field and Steam_ magazine article:

"First, the muscles go into rigor mortis, a stiffening lasting at most 24 hours. Butchering a deer during rigor mortis is one of the worst things you can do."

see: http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/ ... -hang-time


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## Nambaster

This is one of the major reasons why meat from the processor does not produce the same results as meat cut at home. On many occaisions when you take an animal into the processor it is straight to the freezer... When the processor has enough time to cut the animal up and seperate bone from meat the animal is frozen on or around the rigor mortis stage. 

After keeping my meat refrigerated last year for a couple of days I will never send another animal to the processor. It is way better if home butchered the right way.


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## svmoose

Good info! I try to hang my animals, but if it's hot and I can't hang my animal I typically bone it out, put the meat in bags and place it in the bottom of the refrigerator (much to my wife's surprise and dismay) for 3 days to a week. I've had to cut a few up where that wasn't an option and they seemed tough as well. That's why Utah should move their rifle elk hunts into late october - so we can hang the trophy bulls, and have nice tender meat. :lol:


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## wyogoob

Yeah, good points fellas.

Wild game butcher shops cater to out-of-staters, and that's good. They usually work their butts off to make sure you get your meat packaged so you can make your trip back home. But many an animal is cut up when they are in rigor mortis, when the muscles are contracted, resulting in some pretty tough meat.


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## DallanC

I used to "age" my meat a short time... I no longer do due to bacteria growth which affects taste. I cut up my meat as fast as I can and ever since I've done so its been a very noticable improvement in taste and texture. To age meat properly you need to keep it at around 37 degrees for any length of time to keep bacteria growth at a minimum. If you have access to a cold locker then great, have at it... but Joe Hunter hanging his deer in the garage for a few days? He is doing more harm than good.

Cut your steaks against the grain too, it will help with toughness.


-DallanC


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## wyogoob

DallanC said:


> I used to "age" my meat a short time... I no longer do due to bacteria growth which affects taste. I cut up my meat as fast as I can and ever since I've done so its been a very noticable improvement in taste and texture. To age meat properly you need to keep it at around 37 degrees for any length of time to keep bacteria growth at a minimum. If you have access to a cold locker then great, have at it... but Joe Hunter hanging his deer in the garage for a few days? He is doing more harm than good.
> 
> Cut your steaks against the grain too, it will help with toughness.
> 
> -DallanC


Not exactly. There's good bacteria and bad bacteria. And there's nothing wrong with hanging meat in a garage for a few days, or longer even, following a few precautions of course. Some of the most expensive meat on the planet is aged at room temperature.

Geeze, I have to buy bacteria for my wild game:


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## High Desert Elk

Should I, or shouldn't I...ok I will

Not true (except for the rigor mortis part). Aging meat isn't a process of getting past the rigor mortis stage, it is in fact a contolled rot or decay. The enzymes in the meat tissue begin to break down the muscle fiber making it softer (more tender). Not all meat processors throw it into the freezer either, that is merely a speculation and generalization. Aging meat is a personal choice, some do it, some don't. A lot of how the animal turns out is how hard the animal dies. Quick deaths usually result in better tasting table fair. The other factor is how well the hunters take care of their animal in the field and transport. Many, many hunters expect the processor to wave a magic wand and turn nastiness into something wonderful. Don't blame them for your lack of paying attention, and yes, some dirt and leaves will get on it but there is no excuse to making it look like it was drug through a mud hole.

And bacteria - well, sorry. It comes from you. The animal does not have bacteria inside it within it's muscle tissue. The hunter always puts it there, sorry, that's how it is.

These are the facts and they are undisputable. Condemn if you wish, or you can call any reputable meat processor and ask them (custom or grocery store it doesn't matter), better yet, ask someone in micro biology...


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## Dunkem

Hmmmmm, -Ov-


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## sagebrush

I agree with high desert elk if you take care of your deer/elk the better it will be. Number one for me is cooling it down and keeping it clean. I cut it up as soon as i can.


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## wyogoob

High Desert Elk said:


> Should I, or shouldn't I...ok I will
> 
> Not true (except for the rigor mortis part). Aging meat isn't a process of getting past the rigor mortis stage, it is in fact a contolled rot or decay. The enzymes in the meat tissue begin to break down the muscle fiber making it softer (more tender). Not all meat processors throw it into the freezer either, that is merely a speculation and generalization. Aging meat is a personal choice, some do it, some don't. A lot of how the animal turns out is how hard the animal dies. Quick deaths usually result in better tasting table fair. The other factor is how well the hunters take care of their animal in the field and transport. Many, many hunters expect the processor to wave a magic wand and turn nastiness into something wonderful. Don't blame them for your lack of paying attention, and yes, some dirt and leaves will get on it but there is no excuse to making it look like it was drug through a mud hole.
> 
> And bacteria - well, sorry. It comes from you. The animal does not have bacteria inside it within it's muscle tissue. The hunter always puts it there, sorry, that's how it is.
> 
> These are the facts and they are undisputable. Condemn if you wish, or you can call any reputable meat processor and ask them (custom or grocery store it doesn't matter), better yet, ask someone in micro biology...


yeah, yeah, yeah, good points. I read the magazine article. Geeze, all you guys went to school. That's not fair.


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## wyogoob

I was raised on a farm. We butchered our own hogs and cattle, and I do all the meat curing stuff, hams, dry-cured meat, so really I do know about the bacteria stuff.

The bacteria I showed in the picture is sprayed on the surface of cured meats and sausages to induce a protective layer of "good" mold. 


My next post will be on the advantage or disadvantage of "bleeding out" wild game.


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## utahgolf

I let my deer hang for a few days up on the muzzleoader hunt, and then sit in the fridge for another 3 days. and the outside cure layer was black, but when I cut it off, that meat looked amazing and tastes great. I'll age every animal at least for 5 days to a week if I have the option to.


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## Nambaster

wyogoob said:


> I was raised on a farm. We butchered our own hogs and cattle, and I do all the meat curing stuff, hams, dry-cured meat, so really I do know about the bacteria stuff.
> 
> The bacteria I use is sprayed on the surface of cured meats and sausages to induce a protective layer of "good" mold.
> 
> My next post will be on the advantage or disadvantage of "bleeding out" wild game.


"Bleeding out"? Isn't that what the 30 cal perferation in lungs does?


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## wyogoob

Wait a minute, I was just looking at my crock of sauerkraut and thinking about good bacteria. There is good bacteria and bad bacteria. 

I also have some summer sausage that I just took out of the smoker that has Fermento™ in it. According to the manufacturer Fermento™ is "...lactic acid producing bacteria culture."

More later, I'm gonna have some yogurt.


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## wyogoob

Nambaster said:


> wyogoob said:
> 
> 
> 
> I was raised on a farm. We butchered our own hogs and cattle, and I do all the meat curing stuff, hams, dry-cured meat, so really I do know about the bacteria stuff.
> 
> The bacteria I use is sprayed on the surface of cured meats and sausages to induce a protective layer of "good" mold.
> 
> My next post will be on the advantage or disadvantage of "bleeding out" wild game.
> 
> 
> 
> "Bleeding out"? Isn't that what the 30 cal perferation in lungs does?
Click to expand...

yeah, yeah


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## wyogoob

An article on good bacteria:

http://bacteriamuseum.org/cms/Food-And- ... -food.html

Probiotics is all about beneficial bacteria.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic

Be careful though, bacteria can hurt you.

I didn't go to college, sorry. But I did go to high school for 6 years.


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## Mojo1

How you care for the meat from the shot to the plate matters!

I get them gutted as fast as possible, then I skin them and quater them up. I put them in a cooler on ice and keep them there for a week or so. you will need to drain the water off daily as well as add more ice. it ages the meat quite nicely. This year I tried putting a cup of non-seasoned meat trenderizer on top of the meat before dumping the ice on the meat, so far I can't tell it makes a difference. 

When I cut up the meat I trim off as much fat and tough conective material as I can, then I either run it thru my tenderizer or cut steaks and then put them in ziplock bags or vac seal it up. If you use ziplock bags push out all the air before you sill them. 

Tonight I cooked up the first batch of that big buck I killed and it was awesome tasting. I have 2 more deer aging in the cooler now. I'm gonna eat good this year.


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## M Gayler

DallanC said:


> I used to "age" my meat a short time... I no longer do due to bacteria growth which affects taste. I cut up my meat as fast as I can and ever since I've done so its been a very noticable improvement in taste and texture. To age meat properly you need to keep it at around 37 degrees for any length of time to keep bacteria growth at a minimum. If you have access to a cold locker then great, have at it... but Joe Hunter hanging his deer in the garage for a few days? He is doing more harm than good.
> 
> Cut your steaks against the grain too, it will help with toughness.
> 
> -DallanC


Bull****!!!


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## M Gayler

I meant not true!


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## Dunkem

Elk are grazers they will age like beef, deer are browsers and do not age like beef.Elk should be hung in a cooler 35-37 degrees for the tissues to break down.They should be clean,dry, and have at least 1 to 2 feet of space around them.In my opinion you are hurting your deer to hang it for more than 2 days.


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## Catherder

I've had variable results with aging my deer. I usually age my deer a couple days, but the last couple I've cut up had to be done earlier. Generally, the results have been good. I'm not an expert, but it has seemed to me that cooling right after the kill and shortly afterwards is more important for good tasting meat.

One year, many years ago, I needed to leave the hunting camp early to get back to college. I tagged out a nice buck and hung it in the garage once I got home. Dad came home 4 days later and neither of us were able to get to cutting the deer for about a week. The temps were warm. We hoped that it aged nicely, but alas, that deer was the only one of all the deer either Dad or I ever harvested that tasted gamey. The meat wasn't rotten, and we ate it all, but it was not good at all.



Mojo1 said:


> When I cut up the meat I trim off as much fat and tough connective material as I can,


IMO, that is the most important factor for good tasting deer. I've seen professionally cut meat rendered virtually inedible by the butcher leaving too much fat on the venison. I don't care for bone-in cuts either with deer.


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## Packout

One phrase-- Dry Age. If you have never dry aged an elk or deer back-strap you don't know what you are missing...... 

-Clean the backstrap.
-Lay the untrimmed backstrap, silver side down, on a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet.
-Tent the meat with a piece of foil (not tightly wrapped as air needs to circulate).
-Place in the fridge and forget about it for 7-14 days.
-Ignore the wife (or husband) when she asks what are you going to do with that meat?
-Lightly trim the dry crust.
-Cut into steak thickness, then fillet the steaks off the silver.

I have a pair of elk backstraps which are going on 3 weeks. It will be superb! Those expensive steaks a guy buys at Ruth's Chris are all dry aged. Wildgame doesn't have the fat layer to dry age as long as beef, but 2 weeks or so....


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## wyoming2utah

Catherder said:


> I've had variable results with aging my deer. I usually age my deer a couple days, but the last couple I've cut up had to be done earlier. Generally, the results have been good. I'm not an expert, but it has seemed to me that cooling right after the kill and shortly afterwards is more important for good tasting meat.
> 
> 
> Mojo1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> When I cut up the meat I trim off as much fat and tough connective material as I can,
> 
> 
> 
> IMO, that is the most important factor for good tasting deer. I've seen professionally cut meat rendered virtually inedible by the butcher leaving too much fat on the venison. I don't care for bone-in cuts either with deer.
Click to expand...

+1

I also am no expert at taking care of deer or elk meat, but to me, cooling and removing all the bones and excess fat/tissue from the red meat will result in the best tasting meat.


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## wyogoob

Good bacteria, Lactobacillius Sakei, can be found naturally in meat and fish:
http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... llus_sakei
If you meat and fish doesn't have enough Lactobacillius bacteria you can buy it from the sausage supply houses under the BactoFerm F-RM-52.

I also use good bacterias, Pediococcus Acidilactici, Lactobacillius Curvatus, Staphylococcus Xylosis all mixed together to make an additive called SafePro™ F-LC. I think that SafePro™ F-LC bacteria trumps the bacteria that jumps off of hunting shoes and wading shoes hung next to meat that you have hanging. (just a guess, I have neither a microscope or a formal education)









Then for that Europen flare in swinging meat who can do without everyone's favorite, another bacteria found in red meat, Pediococcus pentosaceus, trade name BactoFerm T-SPX. Those little buggers need a lot of water and help dry out meat that's too wet. I use it for dry sausage, sausage that is not cooked, even meat that is cured at room temperature over a long period of time.

Those are a few good bacteria. There are many bad ones too, some that will kill you. Know what you're doing or ask someone that does. Learn from your successes and failures. Always keep meat clean and cool.


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## duneman101

wyogoob said:


>


Goob, i love how you hang your meat right next to your boots, thats some extra good bacteria for you! 8)


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## wyogoob

This is a good thread, worth revisiting.

I hung my elk in a garage for 8 days, 30° to 50°. It was fine. But I've had elk and a moose go bad in less than 12 hours.


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## Mtn. Runner

I've always done mine in a cooler full of ice. Put the meat in big black hefty bags to keep the meat dry. Cover in ice and leave the drain open. Drain the blood from the bags daily and fill up with ice daily( I have access to free ice which helps to keep plenty of ice on) My wild game meat has always been extremely tender with great taste. I will usually do this for a week or more. Have gone for 3 weeks with great results. Not sure if its right but its always worked for me.


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## swbuckmaster

I've also done what Mt runner has done and it works great.


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## 2full

I got a roll around cooler several years ago that I plug in during the fall.
When I get a deer or elk I get it skinned, quartered, cleaned as good as I can, and in plastic bags asap.
Then I let it "age" in the cooler for 7-10 days, depending on when my day off falls.
I then cut and wrap it at home. My kids used to help when they were little, now the grandkids "help". I cut and trim it so it is ready to go into the pan right out of the package. It is much better meat than when I used to take them to processors.
My wife got to where she would not eat the game meat. 
Since I went to doing it this way.........She goes out to the freezer and gets out game meat to cook. It has worked out very well for good eating game meat. 
Now she wants me to get cow tags, instead of the her dreading the meat.


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## quartz

I also do Mtn. Runner's technique. It's a great alternative to having a dedicated aging fridge. (The last couple days my garage has been ranging 36-40 degrees, but it's not in September...)

However, I don't just use any old trash bags. I think it's important to use only "food-grade" plastic. See thread: http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2110705

I buy these large Ziplock bags (http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-Large-5-Count/dp/B003U6A3C6), but there are probably lots of alternatives, including brining bags for turkeys, etc.


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## ARCHER11

Great thread! This has me thinking about what options there might be out there for a DIY walk in cooler. I'm sure you could buy some big industrial grade cooler for a pretty penny but is there something more budget friendly that doesn't require the constant attention that a cooler does? Anyone have any ideas?


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## GaryFish

We did kind of a "do it yourself" walk in for a hand cart trek a few years ago that was in the middle of July, but it worked. We got a small utility trailer, and bought a bunch of dry ice and that did the trick. For a place to hang some deer/elk quarters, it wouldn't take much to build a 4x4x8 plywood box with a door on one end. And in fall, you wouldn't have to take temperatures down that much. Insulate it with a few inches of foam board insulation, and you could have a pretty decent cold box.


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## derekp1999

I've had good success with using a similar method as Mtn. Runner. 

I save the empty 2 liter pop & 64oz juice bottles, fill them with water, and freeze them. I line the cooler bottom with those bottles then place the meat in the game bags right on top of those bottles. If there's room I put a couple more bottles on top. If the bottles are closed tightly & don't leak there's no water to drain and the meat doesn't end up sitting in pools of blood because it's up on the bottles. The blood does pool in the bottom of the cooler & there wasn't really enough to drain so the cooler did require a good scrubbing when the processing was complete.

The elk I shot this year stayed in the cooler for 4 or 5 days and the meat was cool and dry when I began to process it at home. The end result is fantastic.


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## MWScott72

I've got to try that dry age thing Packout mentioned - sounds great. I've known about it, but usually I'm too impatient and end up eating it before long. Hard to resist backstrap in the fridge for two weeks.

I'm a big believer that your game meat will only be as good as your preparation of it. It takes a clean, quick kill, good field processing, taking off the fat and sinew, and correct cooking techniques to make wild game all that it can be. If there is a breakdown anywhere along the line, who knows how it will taste. I also agree that cross cutting your steaks and roasts is important as well.

I've only had two tough animals in 25 years. One was a cow moose that a butcher processed, the other, my bull elk from last fall. The bull elk isn't even that bad....i've just been shooting cows for so long, I've gotten spoiled by the tenderness.


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## longbow

How about making something like this with a pop-up porta potty and an window air conditioner? http://www.koolabuck.com/Koola-Buck-Portable-Meat-Cooler-p/vcpw-1.htm You could run it off a camping generator.


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## Critter

longbow said:


> How about making something like this with a pop-up porta potty and an window air conditioner? http://www.koolabuck.com/Koola-Buck-Portable-Meat-Cooler-p/vcpw-1.htm You could run it off a camping generator.


I actually thought about building something like that years ago using plywood backed with 4" insulation and a room ac unit. I figured a 4'x4' box could take care of a lot of meat.


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## GaryFish

Interesting contraption there longbow. My question would be, I know that air circulating around the meat is a good thing, in that you want to maintain as consistent temperature as possible. But something like that, or something with a room AC unit, would that blow too much air and dry things out too much? Almost like a cold dehydrator? Just thinking out loud here. ???????


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## Gumbo

I can tell you about dry aging beef from a home enthusiast perspective. Most recommend maintaining a relative humidity of 75 - 85 percent humidity. And temp is the same in a fridge, between 36* and 40*. A fan is good to circulate the air and to promote drying. You can place a pan or tray of water in the bottom to increase the humidity. And don't open/shut the door frequently to prevent swings in temp/RH.


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## elkmule123

I came across this product awhile ago.

http://www.drybagsteak.com/


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## DallanC

Last night while fipping channels I came across Master Chef Jr. They gave the kids some 12 year old dry aged beef... twelve years... omg.


-DallanC


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## quartz

Another item I bought that is very helpful for aging in a garage or shed or possibly even a cooler is a electronic thermometer with a remote sensor that tells current temp and also records the high and low for the last 24-hr period. I bought mine at Lowe's for about $15. Helps out enormously in resisting the urge to "check how its doing" causing swings in humidity/temp. There is probably even a version that senses humidity.


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## APD

seems like an old fridge would be easy to just hang some quarters or boned out meat on the racks. all you'd need is a drip pan in the bottom. at least you'd have consistent temps and a dust free environment.

good thread, btw


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## wyogoob

I killed last year's elk on Oct 15. The four quarters hung in a cool garage with the hide still on them, 35° to 65°, until Oct 23. It's some of the finest elk we've ever eaten.

.


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## elkmule123

APD said:


> seems like an old fridge would be easy to just hang some quarters or boned out meat on the racks. all you'd need is a drip pan in the bottom. at least you'd have consistent temps and a dust free environment.
> 
> good thread, btw


This is what I actually do. I bought a couple wire rack rubbermaid shelving supports that fit into the fridges shelving attachments at the back of the shelf, plus a small section of wire shelving cut to fit into the fridge. I then hang the bone in quarters upside down for two weeks. Try and keep some room between the quarters. The fridge that I use is a french door style with the skinner freezer on the side, You need to place a game bag or something that breaths between the quarter the sits close to the freezer side of the fridge. The quarter can freeze if let touching the wall.

Each fridge will be different in their "colder" spots that might freeze the meat. You can get some condensation when you first place the quarters into the fridge, my fridge removes it so I haven't had an issue with to much humidity. I haven't worried about a drip pan, there's a small indentation on the bottom of my fridge that catches most of the blood. I have found to just let it dry and wipe out with a dry rag at fridge when cleaning the fridge. The blood flakes and can easily be swept up before the rest of the cleaning is done.


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## ChefHans

I found a few facts about aging game here; http://www.chefdepot.com/agingwildgame.htm


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## colorcountrygunner

Interesting thread. Lots of differing opinions about the proper way to care for game and a lot of information that challenges everything I was taught to believe growing up. Whenever I shot a deer growing up my dad would have me get the carcass hanging in a tree and the hide peeled off as soon as possible and then the carcass would have to hang for at least a week to let the enzymes break down or whatever the thinking is there. It seems like quite a few people in this thread don't believe in aging deer or at least aging them for that long.

When I married my wife and started going on the family deer hunts with her, her grandpa, and her sister I saw a completely different way of meat preparation. Her grandpa would get the deer hanging as quickly as possible just like my dad always taught me to, but he would leave the hide on them overnight. :shock: The day after the kill we would skin them and go to work on butchering them. When I told my dad about this he was completely dismayed and couldn't imagine the meat turning out good without letting it hang for a week or so. I ate some of this meat and I couldn't tell that it was any tougher than any of my deer that I let hang for a week or so. 

Last weekend after we got my brothers yearling bull quartered out and brought back to camp we cooked up a few steaks on the camp chef on the same day that it was killed. It was definitely tougher and chewier than elk that I had eaten in the past that were aged for awhile. I let a young bull hang for a 1 1/2 to 2 weeks once because I had some things going on that didn't allow me to butcher it faster than that. The meat was very tasty and tender, and I can definitely recommend letting your elk hang for that long as long as it is cool enough.

My dad said that when he was young he remembers my grandpa shooting deer that they never even sat down and butchered. They would go out and carve meat right off the carcass for dinner that night. The meat on the carcass would develop a thin rind that they would cut off the next night or a couple nights later and then they would carve off some more fresh meat and this process was continued to until there was nothing left but the bones. Some people might question whether that method is safe or sanitary, but none of my grandpa's kids ever died or got deathly ill so I guess it worked.


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## colorcountrygunner

wyogoob said:


> I killed last year's elk on Oct 15. * The four quarters hung in a cool garage with the hide still on them,* 35° to 65°, until Oct 23. It's some of the finest elk we've ever eaten.
> 
> .


Interesting. I've always heard it said that elk hide is such a good insulator and keeps things so warm that you need to get the hide off as soon as possible. When I shot my bull Saturday night we were already tired and worn out from taking care of the bull my brother had shot that morning. My exhausted brother and wife suggested that we should just cut the quarters off without worrying about removing the hide, but thinking about the instructions I have always heard to remove the hide as soon as possible I insisted that we should just get it off even though we were tired and wanting to get out of there and it would take us a little longer. Apparently I was worried about nothing?


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## DallanC

I skinned and hung a elk we shot Sunday night, next morning we started processing it... even with the hide off all night it was still uncomfortably warm the next morning near the larger bones.

Do people get quarters cooled down quicker somehow that I dont understand? Seems meat would "bone sour" on a large quarter like an elk before it cooled off.


-DallanC


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## colorcountrygunner

After reading this thread I have been looking around at different articles on the internet on the subject and it seems like there are lots of guys that either don't have their wild game or only do it for a short period of time. Looks like I am in the minority being a week long hanger! Maybe I will have to experiment and try some different things.


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## Jedidiah

I read something about stuffing the body cavity with snow or ice once....and in another place, read about the idea of dragging the gutted carcass to a stream and propping it open with the head pointing up stream and letting the water run through.


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## Packout

I quarter elk, place the quarters in cotton game bags, and then hang it a cool area. Just getting the quarters off the carcass removes a lot of the heat. In the current heat, I wouldn't hang an elk for more than a day. I will cut the bone out of each leg and place the meat in rubbermaid tubs and put the tub inside of another filled with ice which cools the meat. I also make sure to turn the meat over in the tub after an hour or two to allow the whole quarter to cool. 

I love dry aging the back straps in the fridge, but this heat we are experiencing won't dry age the meat, just spoil it.


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## wyogoob

Packout said:


> I quarter elk, place the quarters in cotton game bags, and then hang it a cool area. Just getting the quarters off the carcass removes a lot of the heat. In the current heat, I wouldn't hang an elk for more than a day. I will cut the bone out of each leg and place the meat in rubbermaid tubs and put the tub inside of another filled with ice which cools the meat. I also make sure to turn the meat over in the tub after an hour or two to allow the whole quarter to cool.
> 
> I love dry aging the back straps in the fridge, but this heat we are experiencing won't dry age the meat, just spoil it.


Yeah, I hear ya. I prefer to hang my elk and deer for a week or so. But I have no set rules. I've had animals sour in less than 12 hours and others hang for 14 days or more. Each animal is different; the type and sex of the animal, what it was doing when it was shot, shot placement, how it died, the weapon, how and if it bled out, and many other things effect the way I would take care of it before processing.

Some comments though: 
I don't cut meat during the "rigor mortis" stage.
I don't care for the taste of a big game animal that had its head shot off, an animal that died without bleeding out some.

.


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## colorcountrygunner

wyogoob said:


> Yeah, I hear ya. I prefer to hang my elk and deer for a week or so. But I have no set rules. I've had animals sour in less than 12 hours and others hang for 14 days or more. Each animal is different; the type and sex of the animal, what it was doing when it was shot, shot placement, how it died, the weapon, how and if it bled out, and many other things effect the way I would take care of it before processing.
> 
> Some comments though:
> I don't cut meat during the "rigor mortis" stage.
> I don't care for the taste of a big game animal that had its head shot off, an animal that died without bleeding out some.
> 
> .


Why would a big game animal having been shot in the head have an effect on the taste, Goob?


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## wyogoob

colorcountrygunner said:


> Why would a big game animal having been shot in the head have an effect on the taste, Goob?


Generally they don't bleed out when shot in the head.

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## Springville Shooter

But the liver.....shoot them in the liver and they bleed plenty. The pulmonary artery works pretty good too. Aorta is better than a direct heart hit but still causes death before the heart has a chance to pump very much. Unfortunately, most of the the other big arteries are surrounded by really good meat. If you like to eat liver, then I guess that leaves the pulmonary artery. Is that where you aim Goob?-------SS


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## wyogoob

Springville Shooter said:


> But the liver.....shoot them in the liver and they bleed plenty. The pulmonary artery works pretty good too. Aorta is better than a direct heart hit but still causes death before the heart has a chance to pump very much. Unfortunately, most of the the other big arteries are surrounded by really good meat. If you like to eat liver, then I guess that leaves the pulmonary artery. Is that where you aim Goob?-------SS


I've always been a "base of the neck" guy with a firearm. If there's time, and I'm not too far away, I aim for the base of the neck. My dad and hunting partners have given me a hard time about it through the years. There's been plenty of misses especially on whitetails using shotgun slugs. :sad: Last year I shot a bull bison, a 6x6 bull elk and a doe antelope in the neck...geeze...all with a handgun by the way. I didn't plan it that way but that's what happened.

Liver hits bleed profusely but there's some adrenaline things going on while the animal is dying.

Ideally you stun the brain and then cut the throat while the heart is still pumping like at a slaughterhouse. But that's rarely, if ever, going to happen in a hunting situation.


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## Critter

Springville Shooter said:


> But the liver.....shoot them in the liver and they bleed plenty. If you like to eat liver, then I guess that leaves the pulmonary artery. Is that where you aim Goob?-------SS


It should be sacrilege to shoot a deer in the liver, that is one of the best parts of it to eat.


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## colorcountrygunner

Critter said:


> It should be sacrilege to shoot a deer in the liver, that is one of the best parts of it to eat.


I vehemently disagree. I have to eat heart and liver on my grandfather-in-law's deer hunt every year and while I like the heart just fine, the liver is absolutely disgusting.


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## wyogoob

bump


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## wyogoob

*put that in yer pipe n smoke it*



wyogoob said:


> I killed last year's elk on Oct 15. The four quarters hung in a cool garage with the hide still on them, 35° to 65°, until Oct 23. It's some of the finest elk we've ever eaten.
> 
> .


8 days, 35° to 65° F, and I'm still alive.

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