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That's T shirt weather

Originally Posted by Blacktailer
Around here is can be over 100 degrees in the daytime during deer season. With relatively low humidity it usually cools down to 60 or so over night. I skin them as soon as possible and split them. Put a deer bag on them to keep away the flies and let them hang over night. They go in to the processor the next morning. Never had a problem with spoilage.

Do you know, offhand, what the maximum or typical number of hours you've had them at high temps before temps cooled?

I've shot them at 6am and let them hang for the day once they are skinned and in a deer bag in my shop which has decent ventilation.

I started putting my deer quartered up in an Ice chest,. covering with ice and salting the ice several years ago. I wouldn't do it any other way now even if it was cold out. It doesn't taste gamey, It tastes good.

Even here if you bow hunt the meat needs to be on ice real quick or it will go bad.

My thought too. I do not know the typical live temp. of a deer but lets say it is close to a human. Except at extreme temps. it will start cooling some, as soon as it dies. My thoughts are that as long as it is loosing temperature, it will not spoil. I have fridge in my shop for those times that it can not hang over night. In fact, I leave a deer in there for several days even when it is cool, and cut it a little at a time, between hunts. I used to cut them up all the same day, but being retired and older, I like to take my time. I do think that leaving the meat on the bone for a while improves tenderness, as the meat sets up. Everyone that has ever had deer that I processed remarks as to how it is better than the custom butcher put up. I do not care for deer that is sawed on a band saw like beef. The bone marrow goes bad fast, and it goes with the grain of the meat in places and across in places. Mine is all boned out, with the silver skin removed, and vacuum packed in large pieces. Steaks come when ready to cook. You can also steak muscles that others put into roasts. I also put larger pieces of scrap into packages to make jerky, which is sliced not ground. I put up stew meat too and very few roasts. Not nearly as much burger as in the past but more stew meat. I do like deer burger better than beef for taco meat, chili, and spaghetti. I need to make sausage again, as I have not done that in a while. miles

walk in hanging coolers are your friend. We field dress them, throw them in there overnight and let them drain and then quarter them up the next day.