For the past couple of year I have been hanging my deer for approx. 2 week and really like the way the deer tastes for this amount of hang time if the weather cooperates. I was just wondering if it would matter if the deer is hung with the temperatures in the single digits if it is bad or not to have it frozen then thawed out if weather permits.
Hanging deer in frozen temperature
- Thread starter ttinman23
- Start date
pointingdogsrule
Well-known member
Growing up in the 60 - 70's our family would always hang deer for up to 2 weeks outside. This was assuming we had freezing temps. It's great in that the proteins break down... cheap way of curing meat. Temps would often be below freezing to about 40 degrees. Freezing and thawing didn't seem to harm the meat. None of us died. One thing that you will find is that if the temps drop really low and the meat is "exposed" for a period of time.... then there is a reason to trim the outside. Meat becomes too dry. Often a 1/2".
good luck to all
the dog
good luck to all
the dog
Ben Long
Well-known member
All i know is a frozen deer is a lot harder to skin.
npaden
Well-known member
This. I remember some VERY cold hands trying to skin frozen deer.
And this. We referred to this as second skin, and it was even more time consuming to trim it all off.
It didn't seem to improve the taste of the meat any that I could ever tell.
Topgun 30-06
Active member
Hanging any meat for a length of time to allow the natural enzymes to begin breaking down the tissues involves doing it at the proper temperature and humidity levels and doing it when the meat freezes does not do a thing other than to dry the exterior and cause more trim loss. They should be hung in temperatures above freezing to the low 40s for the enzymes to work or you might as well process them immediately.
Southwind
New member
I had one freeze hard, my hands hurt so bad I would have to run inside and run under warm water and then back and skin until my hands couldn't do it anymore. That sucked.
StrutNut
New member
I have one frozen hard right now. I shot it in single degree temps. By the time I had is gutted out and back to camp, It was already getting stiff. We had to hang it in our hanging tree over night. Rock solid. Also, the state I was hunting in required the deer to be registered in person within 24 hours. So, the cape is still on it. I am taking it over to a friends of mines tomorrow that has a heated garage. We plan on slowly thawing it out and than cutting it up. Hopefully it will be mostly fine. I am not looking forward to that hide removal!
MKotur325
New member
I have had it happen with several deer and halved elk that they would freeze while aging. We will typically move them to a tarp in the basement and give them a couple hours to thaw for processing. I still remember some super cold hands skinning out a full on Frozen deer... I don't remember any issues with tough or off flavored meat.
MThuntr
Well-known member
NE muzzleloader season was December (I think it still is)...I shot a small meat deer early in the season and it froze solid. We processed it nearly 4 weeks later when we could get it inside to a heated area. I remember it took a very long time to skin and process.
Now it seems I spend more time trying to get an animal cold than to worry about it freezing.
Now it seems I spend more time trying to get an animal cold than to worry about it freezing.
sbhooper
Well-known member
I never hang them anymore. I at least quarter them immediately and put them in a frig for a few days. I have cut plenty of frozen deer and it is a pain to get them thawed and processed. It is very easy to cut off the quarters, back straps, tenderloins etc. and put it in a big cooler where it won't freeze immediately. If you are getting cold temps at night and warm in the day, then just leave the cooler lid open at night and close during the day.
That beats dealing with frozen deer.
That beats dealing with frozen deer.
theRedneck
New member
This for me. I keep the cooler in the shop with he stove burning if need be to keep everything draining. I just add a few bags or ice to the cooler.
I cut some cedar 2x4s and put them in the bottom of the cooler to keep the meat out of the blood and attached a hose to the drain spout and run it outside. Just elevate the opposite end of the cooler to facilitate draining.
Skinning and/or processing a frozen deer does not sound like a good time....
