# Hide on or off when hanging deer



## hookedonbow (Jul 24, 2010)

wow all votes to remove it asap. No one experiences wind/freezer burn?


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## 25ft-up (Mar 14, 2010)

Mine comes off asap and gets butchered when still warm, then goes into the freezer to be frozen. No chance of spoiling the meat that way. It's going to freeze anyway if you leave it hang in below freezing temps. Meat should be kept just above freezing with over 80% humidity to keep it moist when hung. Blood will coagulate quickly, changing the taste of the meat(gamy taste). Leaving the skin on will keep the body warm longer and the blood will have more time to coagulate.


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## 3D Pinwheeler (Jan 29, 2007)

Always leave on. It will help keep the meat cool once the temp gets out of it and keep moisture in.
If possible you should leave the deer hang at least 8 hours to let the body go through rigor mortis or it will be tougher.
If the weather is warm you have no choice. But 50 and below add ice in cavity. 30 and below the hide will prevent freezing for quite awhile.
Biggest thing is gutting it out asap after death this gets a lot of heat out fast.
I've worked in many meat rooms and slaughter houses in my younger years. They will skin out beef asap..but they have a coolers at the right temp and humidity and let the meat hang for a few days to age and go through the rigor mortis process.


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## adr1601 (Oct 15, 2012)

Its temp dependent. If it's really cold I'd leave it on to minimize freezing and drying. 
My perfect senerio would be skin while carcass is still warm and hang for a half day before quartering.


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## enkriss (Apr 10, 2009)

I typically leave it on. I also believe it is crucial to let the deer hang for a minimum of 24 hours. 48+ hours preferred for the rigor mortis process to complete otherwise the meat will be tough. 

If the temps are to high and I really have to cut the deer up sooner I will quarter it and put in a cooler for a couple days.


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## Boxerboxer (Feb 19, 2016)

Leave it on. If it's cold enough to hang you'll lose less meat on the exterior because the skin will keep it from dehydrating. It will also help buffer temp change if you briefly get below freezing or above 40. 


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## dtrkyman (Jul 27, 2004)

on and age for five to 7 days if possible.


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## 3D Pinwheeler (Jan 29, 2007)

I'd like to add if you want to age you can do this after its cut. Pull your meat out of freezer to thaw in the fridge leave in there for 3-5 days and its aged. Perfect temp for aging is fridge temp.


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## tOSU (Oct 12, 2012)

Here is a pretty informative article on hanging deer meat

https://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time


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## hoyt fo life555 (Jan 31, 2005)

Hide off, quartered up, and packed out. Get to camp and hang quarters( if cold enough) or placed in freezer.


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## rkillar (Jun 14, 2008)

You cant really age it after a hard freeze, all the enzymes are dead, also I have seen some scenarios where people think they are aging meat but really because of the temps they are freezing it at night, letting it thaw out during the day, refreezing at night etc.-this ruins it faster than anything.


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## Boxerboxer (Feb 19, 2016)

3D Pinwheeler said:


> I'd like to add if you want to age you can do this after its cut. Pull your meat out of freezer to thaw in the fridge leave in there for 3-5 days and its aged. Perfect temp for aging is fridge temp.


You can, but if you cut much beyond quartering before rigor passes you can get muscle shortening and induce toughness that the aging process will only partly help with. IMO quartered in coolers for a day or two is a good idea first if you're going to age in fridge. 


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## ppkaprince98 (Mar 13, 2008)

I leave it on while it hangs for at least a day. Then it comes right off, so not sure what to vote.


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## hookedonbow (Jul 24, 2010)

ppkaprince98 said:


> I leave it on while it hangs for at least a day. Then it comes right off, so not sure what to vote.


Its just a PITA to remove it after it has hanged for a few days and frozen.


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## ppkaprince98 (Mar 13, 2008)

hookedonbow said:


> Its just a PITA to remove it after it has hanged for a few days and frozen.


If its below freezing out then yes pull it. 


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## PY Bucks (Feb 14, 2006)

If i leave it hang for more then a day i leave it on. If im going to cut it up that day or next i skin right away.


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## TauntoHawk (Aug 25, 2010)

don't leave the deer hang outside ever.. Deer get skinned and quartered right away or same day and sit in a refrigerator to age or hung once skinned inside a walk in cooler depends where Im hunting. too many temp swings for outside either it gets to cold and freezes or it gets too warm


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## H20fwler (Apr 1, 2014)

I peel them while still warm, cut them up within 24 hours or less.


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## fxdwgkd (Oct 6, 2009)

I leave it on for a couple days. If temps are too warm I will skin and wrap in a meat cloth and put in in the walk in cooler.


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## LONG RANGE (Sep 3, 2014)

I skin as soon as I can and place the meat in ice and water and let soak for at least 2 days, draining the water a couple times a day.


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## BigDeer (Aug 9, 2005)

Skinned while warm, with quarters hanging for a week if possible. I see some say to leave the hide on, I've always been taught that you skin to cool the meat as fast as possible, just like most butchers do. To each their own though.


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## eclark53520 (Sep 11, 2012)

I skin and butcher immediately.

I see no difference between this and letting them hang. Taste/texture/toughness all the same regardless of how long they hang. I've said it before, we've tested it, it's just a waste of time and garage space to let them hang there IMO. My family was a hardcore 'You have to let them hang or it will be tough' before I was like...well, what if it doesn't?


And in the end we all decided it's completely unnecessary. They're FAR easier to skin warm and doesn't freeze your fingers butchering. 


If through some crazy set of events I have to let them hang, I leave the skin on so it doesn't dry out, but it will be cut within 24 hours so it doesn't really matter.


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## hookedonbow (Jul 24, 2010)

eclark53520 said:


> I skin and butcher immediately.
> 
> I see no difference between this and letting them hang. Taste/texture/toughness all the same regardless of how long they hang. I've said it before, we've tested it, it's just a waste of time and garage space to let them hang there IMO. My family was a hardcore 'You have to let them hang or it will be tough' before I was like...well, what if it doesn't?
> 
> ...


That is what I am leaning towards now. That is to skin asap. The frozen fingers and how tough it gets to skin is a major pain.


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## Boxerboxer (Feb 19, 2016)

hookedonbow said:


> That is what I am leaning towards now. That is to skin asap. The frozen fingers and how tough it gets to skin is a major pain.


If it's going to freeze get the skin off by all means but if you have enough coolers to let the quarters sit on ice at least 24 hours before butchering that will prevent muscle shortening and subsequent toughness. 

Note that none of this matters if you're grinding. 


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## eclark53520 (Sep 11, 2012)

Boxerboxer said:


> If it's going to freeze get the skin off by all means but if you have enough coolers to let the quarters sit on ice at least 24 hours before butchering that will prevent muscle shortening and subsequent toughness.
> 
> Note that none of this matters if you're grinding.
> 
> ...


In my experience, it doesn't matter regardless.

We always used to let the deer hang, and I've eaten a TON of deer that were hung for a minimum of 48hrs sometimes a week depending on when it was shot.

We don't bother doing that anymore and non of my family notices a difference. We eat the tenderloins themselves, usually within 3 days of the kill. Back straps are cut into 8" sections seared and roasted till medium rare then sliced. Both are always super tender and juicy just like when we used to hang them. Roasts are the same, and we can the rest so I wouldn't expect to see any real difference in canned venison since it's pressure cooked so long.


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## Boxerboxer (Feb 19, 2016)

eclark53520 said:


> In my experience, it doesn't matter regardless.
> 
> We always used to let the deer hang, and I've eaten a TON of deer that were hung for a minimum of 48hrs sometimes a week depending on when it was shot.
> 
> We don't bother doing that anymore and non of my family notices a difference. We eat the tenderloins themselves, usually within 3 days of the kill. Back straps are cut into 8" sections seared and roasted till medium rare then sliced. Both are always super tender and juicy just like when we used to hang them. Roasts are the same, and we can the rest so I wouldn't expect to see any real difference in canned venison since it's pressure cooked so long.


Agree to disagree I guess. It has made a noticeable difference in my experience but if it doesn’t do anything for you it’s all good. You’re not wrong if you’re happy with the results. 


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## 25ft-up (Mar 14, 2010)

eclark53520 said:


> In my experience, it doesn't matter regardless.
> 
> We always used to let the deer hang, and I've eaten a TON of deer that were hung for a minimum of 48hrs sometimes a week depending on when it was shot.
> 
> We don't bother doing that anymore and non of my family notices a difference. We eat the tenderloins themselves, usually within 3 days of the kill. Back straps are cut into 8" sections seared and roasted till medium rare then sliced. Both are always super tender and juicy just like when we used to hang them. Roasts are the same, and we can the rest so I wouldn't expect to see any real difference in canned venison since it's pressure cooked so long.


I don't see where letting it hang makes it more tender, either. I never shot one that was tough, even older bucks. They are in the freezer before I go to bed. Only tough meat I had was when a ranger asked me if I wanted the deer that he had just shot after it was hit by a car and laid by the road for god knows how long. I only took the loins off it. They were as tough as leather. Probably from the adrenaline laying there for so long. They never would have tenderized. Literally could not bite a piece off. 
I never liked venison when everybody hung them for three days. It wasn't until I shot my first with the bow, and had to cut it up right away because of the temps, that I found out how good it really tasted.


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

Hunting season starts here in the beginning of September and temperatures still are in the 90's. For me, the best thing is to skin the deer asap. If you get it before rigamortis sets in, the skin will peal off easily. Then I quarter and debone. Put into plastic butchering pans and put in the refrigerator with a wet towell covering the pans. Leave in the refrigerator for a week and then process the meat. This takes care of the heat issues while hanging, allows the enzimes to work and makes the meat more tender. wfm:secret:


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## B4L Okie (Dec 6, 2011)

I started working in a meat plant in 1976. Worked on the kill floors a couple years, then made it to the processing room. Worked in stores for 10 or so years and part time in custom country type meat plants. Never saw an unskinned animal in a cooler. I always skin mine asap, but this is Oklahoma, so unless it's December or later you have to get it skinned and in a cooler or on ice. I have meat lugs that I put quartered meat in and an extra refrigerator to let it cool and age. Sometimes due to work and such I may cut it up in a couple days and have gone a full 2 weeks. Did that with a doe this year. Generally the tenderness of deer depends on how you cook it. It is not marbled with fat like beef. Pork is usually processed a day or so after it hung. Ageing is not needed with pork. As a few have said, deer really does not have to be aged. For roasts, steaks and such, let it age if you think it helps. You still have to cook it right!


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## copterdoc (Oct 9, 2005)

If you don't remove the hide, there is no reason to hang a deer.

Removing the hide, is what allows the meat to rapidly cool all the way through, simply by being hung in air temps between 32 and 40 degrees.

If you don't remove the hide, there is no reason to hang the carcass.
You might as well leave it in the bed of your truck, or on the floor of your garage, until you get around to cutting it up.


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## Boxerboxer (Feb 19, 2016)

copterdoc said:


> If you don't remove the hide, there is no reason to hang a deer.
> 
> Removing the hide, is what allows the meat to rapidly cool all the way through, simply by being hung in air temps between 32 and 40 degrees.
> 
> ...


Not true. If it’s so hot you can’t get it cool otherwise I don’t disagree but if temp is appropriate to hang outdoors there is a great reason to leave it on, which is to keep meat from drying out and having to be cut off later and to insulate the meat against short periods where temp is lower or higher than the ideal hanging range between freezing and 40°F or so. 


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## copterdoc (Oct 9, 2005)

Boxerboxer said:


> Not true. If it’s so hot you can’t get it cool otherwise I don’t disagree but if temp is appropriate to hang outdoors there is a great reason to leave it on, which is to keep meat from drying out and having to be cut off later and to insulate the meat against short periods where temp is lower or higher than the ideal hanging range between freezing and 40°F or so.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 There could be several reasons to leave the hide on.
But there aren't any reasons to hang a carcass, with the hide on it.

The whole reason for hanging, is that if the conditions are right, it's the quickest and easiest way to cool the meat all the way through.

If the conditions aren't right, the answer isn't to leave the hide on. You need to cool the meat some other way.


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## roosiebull (Oct 3, 2010)

hookedonbow said:


> wow all votes to remove it asap. No one experiences wind/freezer burn?


I live and hunt on the Oregon coast, so I do not have that problem.


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## roosiebull (Oct 3, 2010)

eclark53520 said:


> I skin and butcher immediately.
> 
> I see no difference between this and letting them hang. Taste/texture/toughness all the same regardless of how long they hang. I've said it before, we've tested it, it's just a waste of time and garage space to let them hang there IMO. My family was a hardcore 'You have to let them hang or it will be tough' before I was like...well, what if it doesn't?
> 
> ...


through trial and error, I have found the same. I cannot tell the difference at all. 

elk season it's always a rush to cool the meat. I skin, quarter, and pack, get it home where I have an insulated tote, I add about 400lbs of ice with the drain plug open.

once all that is done, there is no urgency, so if it was a rough solo pack, I may chill out for a couple of days before processing, if it's an easy pack that doesn't wear me out too bad, I generally get it done the following day. the only reason I age meat at all is to let my muscles relax for a day or 2.

deer is pretty much the same, and depending on temps, I may just hang in the shop over night if cool enough, packing a buck out is just one trip, so i'm in good shape to process the next day.


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## mxkop (Aug 4, 2004)

Skin, quarter, de-bone, and into the freezer ASAP. No hanging here.


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## hookedonbow (Jul 24, 2010)

Interesting results so far, seems we are almost evenly split.


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## Bob H in NH (Aug 20, 2002)

I HATE butchering warm meat, gets all sticky and hard to slice. I like it cold, but not frozen, yes your fingers get cold, but the meat is easier to deal with. 

We've always left the skin on, mostly just because by the time I get it out of the woods and hung in the garage it's late, dark and I'm tired.


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## PMantle (Feb 15, 2004)

Why would drying be an issue? I mean, water has no taste.


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## QSA01 (Apr 28, 2016)

LONG RANGE said:


> I skin as soon as I can and place the meat in ice and water and let soak for at least 2 days, draining the water a couple times a day.


^^^This for me. I was wondering if someone else used this method. I guess it's more of a southern thing since we have warmer weather. 3 - 4 days in the cooler works the best for me.


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## vonfoust (Jan 9, 2012)

PMantle said:


> Why would drying be an issue? I mean, water has no taste.


The meat gets a hard crust on it and you have to cut that crust off.


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## hookedonbow (Jul 24, 2010)

vonfoust said:


> The meat gets a hard crust on it and you have to cut that crust off.


Correct, I want to say may end loosing 1/4 inch layer of the top due to it drying out.


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## I like Meat (Feb 14, 2009)

as long as it is 38 degrees or colder I leave the hide on and will let it hang for a week-10 days .... if its warm out, it goes to the processor ... when skinning I'll wear the rubber palmed disposable gloves and the the blue Nitrile gloves for butchering ....


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## B4L Okie (Dec 6, 2011)

As far as drying out....this 'outer crust' is so thin it doesn't hurt anything. The moisture content in the rest of the meat overcomes that. Not that it makes it juicier or whatever. Of all the beef, deer elk, buffalo, even ostrich that I have processed we never cut away the outer skin. It goes into the grinder. On steaks, roasts or whatever, the outer edge might be a bit dryer but doesn't hurt a thing. If you have any fat cover at all, the meat won't dry at all.


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## hookedonbow (Jul 24, 2010)

B4L Okie said:


> As far as drying out....this 'outer crust' is so thin it doesn't hurt anything. The moisture content in the rest of the meat overcomes that. Not that it makes it juicier or whatever. Of all the beef, deer elk, buffalo, even ostrich that I have processed we never cut away the outer skin. It goes into the grinder. On steaks, roasts or whatever, the outer edge might be a bit dryer but doesn't hurt a thing. If you have any fat cover at all, the meat won't dry at all.


Good to know. I always trimmed it off and felt i was wasting precious meat by let it dry out.


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## IA Monsterbuck (Jul 18, 2006)

I'm so glad I built a walk in cooler after seeing them in the DIY forum. I hang my deer in the cooler (hide on) and skin and process them at a time that is convenient for me. A day or two, a week, it doesn't matter.


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## hoyt fo life555 (Jan 31, 2005)

hookedonbow said:


> wow all votes to remove it asap. No one experiences wind/freezer burn?


No, we have hung deer and elk at camp for a day to ten days, in very very cold windy temps. It would take a very very long time for it to freezer burn.


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## hoyt fo life555 (Jan 31, 2005)

QSA01 said:


> ^^^This for me. I was wondering if someone else used this method. I guess it's more of a southern thing since we have warmer weather. 3 - 4 days in the cooler works the best for me.


Yes I believe it is a southern thing I see it in Texas also. Worst thing I think you can do to it ( well almost) I call it Tofu, bleached out bland tasting meat is what your getting. You are washing out all the nutrients and flavor out of the meat, and water actually breeds bacteria, even though it's cold water. You will never see a beef, pork, lamb any other meat treated this way, why in world do it to venison. I have seen chicken and turkey soaked in a " brine" before cooking or smoking but that's about it.


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## hoyt fo life555 (Jan 31, 2005)

eclark53520 said:


> In my experience, it doesn't matter regardless.
> 
> We always used to let the deer hang, and I've eaten a TON of deer that were hung for a minimum of 48hrs sometimes a week depending on when it was shot.
> 
> We don't bother doing that anymore and non of my family notices a difference. We eat the tenderloins themselves, usually within 3 days of the kill. Back straps are cut into 8" sections seared and roasted till medium rare then sliced. Both are always super tender and juicy just like when we used to hang them. Roasts are the same, and we can the rest so I wouldn't expect to see any real difference in canned venison since it's pressure cooked so long.


I agree, we used to hang them for a week or so up to 20 days then process. But decided to do a test. We placed some in the freezer almost as soon as it was down. We left others hang without hide on ( hair harbors bacteria, dirt, oils, oders, bugs etc.) for one week intervals, up to four weeks. Then had a bbq ( party) and served all the differantly aged meats. Not one person could tell the differance, includeing us. If we would not have kept track of wich ones we were cooking. So now we quarter them as soon as there down, get them to camp, place in freezer. Thaw and process when we have the time, and always have just as good meat.


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## KRONIIK (Jun 3, 2014)

hoyt fo life555 said:


> I agree, we used to hang them for a week or so up to 20 days then process. But decided to do a test. We placed some in the freezer almost as soon as it was down. We left others hang without hide on ( hair harbors bacteria, dirt, oils, oders, bugs etc.) for one week intervals, up to four weeks. Then had a bbq ( party) and served all the differantly aged meats. Not one person could tell the differance, includeing us. If we would not have kept track of wich ones we were cooking. So now we quarter them as soon as there down, get them to camp, place in freezer. Thaw and process when we have the time, and always have just as good meat.


 For the most part I agree with your results; I've seen about the same, but with two or three very notable exceptions:
a couple young deer cut up immediately that SHOULD have been fork tender. But the meat must have gone into rigor during the time we were cutting it (?).
It was* rubbery* tough. Even the ground meat was rubbery. 
So nowadays I try to cool hang the carcass with the hide off, but a meat sack on it for about 24 hours to give it enough time to both go through any rigor it wants to and hopefully then relax before cutting. 
So far so good doing that...


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## spike camp (Jun 2, 2008)

copterdoc said:


> If you don't remove the hide, there is no reason to hang a deer.
> 
> Removing the hide, is what allows the meat to rapidly cool all the way through, simply by being hung in air temps between 32 and 40 degrees.
> 
> ...



A few reasons to hang a deer with hide on...

1. Easier to wash out the inside and drain properly.
2. Better for air circulation all the way around the carcass for cooling purposes.
3. No down side, or side for fluids to collect.
4. Keeps critters from being able to access the deer.
5. Carcass is ready to go once butchering begins.


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## I like Meat (Feb 14, 2009)

copterdoc said:


> If you don't remove the hide, there is no reason to hang a deer.
> 
> Removing the hide, is what allows the meat to rapidly cool all the way through, simply by being hung in air temps between 32 and 40 degrees.
> 
> ...


there ya go again ... simply not true ...


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## American1989 (Oct 27, 2014)

hookedonbow said:


> As the title asks, if the temps are right do you hang the deer with hide on or remove it and then let it hang. The temps are cold and below 30 degrees.


If the temp is cool hang it with the hide. It'll age just right. When its warm, I will put a full size antelope in a cooler with the hide for 5 days in ice, then process the meat.


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## Duckman23 (Oct 29, 2020)

25ft-up said:


> Mine comes off asap and gets butchered when still warm, then goes into the freezer to be frozen. No chance of spoiling the meat that way. It's going to freeze anyway if you leave it hang in below freezing temps. Meat should be kept just above freezing with over 80% humidity to keep it moist when hung. Blood will coagulate quickly, changing the taste of the meat(gamy taste). Leaving the skin on will keep the body warm longer and the blood will have more time to coagulate.


That isn’t true. Hanging the meat at minimum of 24 hours allows the animal to get past the rigor mortis phase and then the meat begins to tenderize. Cutting it up too quickly will resort in tougher meat.... this is proven. Also, leaving the hide on while hanging (as long as temps allow) allows the outer layer to not dry out and actually keeps the meat from warming during the day (after a cool night). Meat needs to hang at a temp of 45 degrees or lower but hanging is definitely the way to get a better meat product. Preferably 7+ days if you have the right temps or access to a cooler.


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## ruffme (Aug 4, 2005)

Nothig worse than geting a frozen hide off.


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## Duckman23 (Oct 29, 2020)

ruffme said:


> Nothig worse than geting a frozen hide off.


Why would it be frozen? You never want your hanging deer to freeze. That stops the process that is tenderizing the meat.


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## mod-it (Apr 19, 2016)

It's never even occurred to me to leave the hide on, didn't even know that was a thing. I'm curious now, it would keep the outside meat from drying.

We've always immediately skinned. I like a walk in cooler, but hate the ones with a dehumidifier. Dries the outside meat too quickly. 
Used to insist on hanging for 9-12 days to let the meat start to break down, but read somewhere that it only takes 3 days for an elk to cool clear to the bone. So we started just hanging everything for at least 3 days, sometimes a bit longer if we need to wait for the weekend to cut it up.
Can't tell a bit of difference between 3 days or 12 in how tender it is.
I think I'll try leaving the hide on a deer this year.


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## Dafis (Jul 12, 2009)

another old thread brought up, this one is only 3 years old

I field dress it, throw it in back of truck, then hang in garage, skin and quarter it , put it on ice and cut it up the next morning. 

I


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