Hey Ya'll,
Well guys/gals this is something I try to address every so often because there is significant danger for those involved. I have been asked many times " Jackie how long should you leave a deer hang before processing it". Well ya'll there are so many right answers that we could go on for years discussing this one but I'll try to sum it up real short like. The proper time frame for hanging a deer for processing depends on a number of things the biggest being temperature. Early season hunters and archery hunters ( in the early season ) have about a four hour interval if the kill is early in the morning and eavening kills could be hung over night, The key to this is that the meat should never hang over in 40 degree temps. as bacteria starts to grow in temps above that so if it's gonna warm up and you want your deer to hang longer i would suggest a processing plant or a garage with air conditioning where the temps could be kept low. Now for those hunting during the rut when temps are naturally below 40 for the entire day I suggest about 48 hours for proper bleeding. Now I have heard of people who let them hang as long as 7 days but in all reality the bleeding will cease and the meat will set in 48 hours, and when i was employed by a packing plant we hung them at 38 degrees for 12 hours. A lot of folks depend on personal preference and family tradition, which is by no means anything to laugh at or take lightly. Our heritage is what got us where we are today and those folks of old knew what was going on, but for the first time hunter who has heard the folklore and the horror stories of either letting it hang to long or not giving it enough time to bleed be safe in knowing a processing plant is the safest route but if your one who prefers to do it yourself then keep the temps low and the time moderate and your dining will be fantastic. Besides how many of us can really keep our choppers out of that beautiful back strap 7 days any way.
Well until next time God Bless, be safe, and best Hunting!
Jackie Wells
