Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Walk-in cooler question

A friend has a very large walk-in cooler at their farm. During the season the cooler is kept at 40°. I've been offered space in it to hang elk and deer.
How long would you feel safe hanging game at 40°?

Lucky you, Mate !!

I would think more than a week.

Mule Deer is who I would ask !

Hopefully, he'll chime in, or you could send him a PM.

36-40 is the best temps. on the lower side is best,but it depends on how long the elk was dressed and cooled before it went it the cooler and how old the elk was. Skinned, quartered, cooled down immediately and in the walk in the next day, 1 week for a 2 yr old elk, 2 weeks+ for 4-+ years .Really is no hard and fast rule, but below 40 or below and checking often

The best changes in meat texture and flavor come between 2 weeks and 3 weeks if you can manage correct temperature in my limited experience.

10 Days

Just let it start to mold, and then cut it up. Time is questionable.

If it was my animal.... 4-5 days or less at 40 degrees... 6 to 10 days at 34 to 36 degrees..

At a constant 40 degrees, I'd hang it a week or so , then cut it up anytime that was convenient to me over the next couple of weeks.

There's an old rule of thumb for hanging meat that used to be used in the meat industry. For each 10 degrees increase, reduce the time by half. This is for the maximum enzyme action in tenderizing meat.

35F - 2 weeks
45F - 1 week
55F - 3 days
65F - 1 day