by: Robert L. McMahon
FALL 1990
You have just shot your deer and the work is about to begin. Now is the time when a little common sense and a few basic steps can reward you with venison that is both edible and enjoyable.
The deer is down. Most hunters now cut the throat to "bleed" the carcass. I do not recommend this procedure. It serves very little purpose, as only small amounts of blood can be drained once the heart has stopped. In a killing plant the animals are stunned and the throat is cut while the heart is still pumping. Cutting the throat of a deer just provides another access point for dirt and bacteria.
Similarly, many hunters inadvertently spoil their meat by carelessly removing the two musk glands from the inside of a buck's hind legs. It is much better to carefully avoid these glands rather than risk transferring the musk to the meat via your knife or hands.
Here is the procedure I recommend:
In the unfortunate event that an animal has been "gut-shot", it is imperative that the stomach juices and contents be removed from the sides of the cavity as cleanly as possible. Use cold water, snow, or even a rolled-up ball of twigs to clean out the materials, which will not only accelerate spoilage, but impart an objectionable odor to the cooked meat.
Don't attempt to trim out bloody, "shot-up" meat while in the woods. This will only open the carcass to more external contamination.
If the deer is a buck and the head is to be mounted, you must take care to protect the hide on the head and neck areas.
Never put a deer carcass on the hood of a vehicle where it will get additional motor heat. The best place to cool the carcass during the trip home is on the roof with the stomach cavity held open. Upon arrival remove the carcass as soon as possible. Many carcasses are ruined every year by a person's desire to "show off" his or her trophy.
When skinning, always cut through the hide from the inside out. If you get too much hair on the meat you're most certainly going to eat it; no meat cutter has the time to pick off hair that has become glued to the meat. The condition of the carcass when he or she receives it tells the meat cutter exactly what your eating standards are. Enough said.
Now clean the carcass so that it meets your standards for eating enjoyment. Keep it hanging in a cool place for aging. Aging a deer carcass is done to improve the flavour and to help tenderize the meat through the enzymatic breakdown of connective tissues. It's simply a controlled process of decomposition or spoilage.
Since the rate of aging depends entirely on the temperature, it's ridiculous for anyone to say that a deer must be aged for any certain period. For example, a deer hung in a garage at 60oF (15.5oC) may age as much in one day as a deer hung in a cooler at 36oF (2oC) will age in four or five days. And remember that meat to be frozen should be aged less than meat to be eaten fresh. Tests show that frozen meat continues to age - although much more slowly.
Whether you cut up your own deer or have it done by a meat cutter, we offer a few suggestions to improve your eating satisfaction:
- Have the carcass processed only into those cuts which you enjoy. If you don't like roasts, have the meat cut into steaks and chops - or the reverse.
- If you like venison stew, remove the fat and replace it with some pieces of fatty beef.
- When grinding venison, remove as much fat as possible and replace it with some beef suet.
- Always wrap the meat in approved freezer wrapping materials. Using porous material such as brown paper or newspaper can cause freezer burn (dehydration) and rancidity.
- Cook properly, and any cut of any deer will be tender. Do not overcook! Overcooking can turn the most tender cut into a piece of rope.
Enjoy your hunt and enjoy your venison.