Meat care - Garage or cooler

I shot a pronghorn Monday (Dec 11) morning. I got it gutted and skinned within 2 hours. I let it hang for about another hour in 40º temps and put the quarters in a cooler on ice for the drive home. The torso was in the bed of the truck. Temps on the drive home in Colorado reached high 50s yesterday. Once I got home, I put the torso in another cooler on ice. Both of which are in my garage right now while I'm here at work. I'm thinking of hanging the meat but weather temperatures for my area are forecasted to be 54º today, 45º tomorrow, 59ª Friday, 47º Saturday. The lows will be around 25º. Would the meat be okay hanging in the garage? If so, when should I process the meat? Should I keep the meat in a cooler? BTW when I say the meat is on ice, I have frozen water jugs sitting directly on the meat. I'm not sure what to do. Thanks in advance.

Garage would be where I would put it. If you are really concerned put a fan on it, but at those temps it should age pretty well and not spoil after a few days. It still surprises me how resilient meat is when the hide is off and good airflow is present even at temps well above freezing.

I’d just leave it in the cooler, provided it’s not packed super tight inthere. Keep any fluid drained off.

45 degrees is the ideal hanging temp. I'll hang deer for 4-5 at that temp. As long as your garage stays cool during the afternoon highs I'd say hang it there. Never been a big fan of aging in coolers with ice. Always run the risk of somehow getting wet.

Once the meat gets cooled down and with the temps you describe I would hang it. I personally prefer it hanging with air flow around it rather than in a wet cooler.

Sounds like hanging it is the consensus. I’ll hang it tonight and cut it up on Friday.

I'm in the same boat but up here in Laramie we're about 5-10 degrees cooler. My doe is hanging in the garage. We open the garage door early evening and close before bed and it keeps the garage cool during the day.

wytex said:

I'm in the same boat but up here in Laramie we're about 5-10 degrees cooler. My doe is hanging in the garage. We open the garage door early evening and close before bed and it keeps the garage cool during the day.

Click to expand...

Great idea. Hopefully I remember to close the garage door