Opening Week Venison....

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Chasman
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Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby Chasman » Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:39 am

I like to harvest my freezer meat early if possible, trouble is cutting up warm meat is not real fun. I have been thinking of contacting a local guy who cuts deer meat and see if I can hang the doe in his cooler till meat firms up. Sounds good to me, has anyone done this? Any issues to consider? Good luck to all, and be safe.


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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby C&T Archery » Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:47 am

never did a meat cooler, but when I was younger their was a bar owner in our town, that had 2 walking in coolers. One was for bottled beer and canned soda, the other was for half barrels. Probably wasn't all that legal, but back then he would put a divider wall up in the half barrel cooler and if you shot one and couldn't get to cutting it up right away, he would let you put it in the cooler over night. he was a bow hunter himself, and this was kind of "town" known, but it was a small city up north. Most of the people who took advantage of it, were his customers or sons of his customers :)
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Southern Man
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby Southern Man » Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:51 am

I've cut em up warm, cold, and almost frozen. Doesn't matter to me.

One thing that might help tho is quarter it up and put it in a cooler with ice for a day. That will get the meat nice and cold. That's what I do if I kill one and still want to hunt. I've left them in ice in a cooler for 3 days before. Kind of soaks out the meat too. Just make sure it always has plenty of ice on it.
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Dewey
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:47 am

Southern Man wrote:I've cut em up warm, cold, and almost frozen. Doesn't matter to me.

One thing that might help tho is quarter it up and put it in a cooler with ice for a day. That will get the meat nice and cold. That's what I do if I kill one and still want to hunt. I've left them in ice in a cooler for 3 days before. Kind of soaks out the meat too. Just make sure it always has plenty of ice on it.

Same thing I do. Always carry a cooler and gallon ice jugs when traveling further away or hunting in warmer weather. I put a thermometer in the cooler and try to keep the quarters below 40 degrees. Cutting is much easier when they firm up.

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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby BGHUNTER » Fri Sep 06, 2013 11:51 am

Its nice to let them hang some to tenderize them when temps are right. My friend has a homemade cooler in an old barn with a window air conditioner we can use if weather is warm.

When I ws back in Nj I belonged to a hunting club and we took an old reefer box and set it up to hang deer in. Very convenient if you shot one after work during the week. Just check it in and hang it then cut it up on Sunday cause we couldn't hunt anyway.
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby Zap » Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:00 pm

I concur with quarter and Ice it for a few days.
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:34 pm

You gotta do what you gotta do and then do it. Main thing is to get her done. I have done it all, 1/4 and cooler, took one to a Mennonite locker one time. Hung a few in 10 degree weather and that is cold on the hands. Giving the meat to needy families is not all bad. They need it more than we do. Lots of options, lots of alternatives.
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby headgear » Fri Sep 06, 2013 2:08 pm

Also cut up deer in every way and temp possible, no issues getting it done but I do like to quarter and toss into a cool area to cut up later. Use to have an old fridge that got the job done but now I have a chest freezer that I can adjust to cooler temps and then freeze when needed.
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby UntouchableNess » Fri Sep 06, 2013 2:24 pm

I like to bone it out that night and usually can fit it into the fridge to work on later in the week. Maybe one cooler if needed.
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Southern Man
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby Southern Man » Fri Sep 06, 2013 11:33 pm

BGHUNTER wrote: and we took an old reefer box


:think:

Sometimes it's funny at the differences in slang / terminology for different people in different areas.... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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BGHUNTER
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby BGHUNTER » Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:33 am

Southern Man wrote:
BGHUNTER wrote: and we took an old reefer box


:think:

Sometimes it's funny at the differences in slang / terminology for different people in different areas.... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


haha by reefer I mean refrigerated truck box. :lol:
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby Chasman » Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:59 am

Good tips and advice. I may try the quartering and ice trick if I can't get a place to hang her. Its funny how when people talk about winning the lottery and what they will do with the money. Its usually cars, houses, travel, etc. My dreams are hunting/fishing related. Huge drive thru wash down garage. And of course a butchering shop with walk cooler, all stainless comparable to small grocery store! Plus acres of prime land...
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby yungbuck » Sat Sep 07, 2013 2:06 am

will the meat dry out if its under ice? or in the fridge...just thinking the air will cause the meat to begin to deteriorate
since i live in a neighborhood and dont have a large tree or tall ceiling garage I am going to be dressing and 1/4 my deer in the woods and have been curious about the meat lasting under ice...thanks for the thread
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sat Sep 07, 2013 2:17 am

BGHUNTER wrote:
Southern Man wrote:
BGHUNTER wrote: and we took an old reefer box


:think:

Sometimes it's funny at the differences in slang / terminology for different people in different areas.... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


haha by reefer I mean refrigerated truck box. :lol:


:lol:

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matt1336
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Re: Opening Week Venison....

Unread postby matt1336 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:52 am

yungbuck wrote:will the meat dry out if its under ice? or in the fridge...just thinking the air will cause the meat to begin to deteriorate
since i live in a neighborhood and dont have a large tree or tall ceiling garage I am going to be dressing and 1/4 my deer in the woods and have been curious about the meat lasting under ice...thanks for the thread



You actually want the meat to deteriorate...to a point. That's how meat tenderizes itself. Under correct temps, meat can hang for weeks without it being froze. Some guys won't cut the meat until the outer layer turns hard. This whole process is called aging the meat.

The ideal situation in the early season would be to hang the deer in a cooler for a least a few days or until the meat is thoroughly cooled before you cut it. If all you had was a cooler with ice; I'd have to say that I'd rather cut up meat that is cool rather than warm. I'm sure it would taste better. Be sure to get the skin off of it ASAP as it will retain a lot of the warmth.


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