To me it seems really gross to put meat in a trash bag, so that it is sitting in its own blood and not getting washed away.

I have let mine go for 5 days before. Just keeps tons of ice, and drain the water daily. Never had any problems.

I do not let my meat touch water. Venison in water is big mistake. Soaking will drain all the fluids and the meat will dry out. Put 1/4s in trash bags and cool them down ASAP. I never hang a deer if it is going to be above 45. I rinse out gallon milk jugs, fill with water and freeze. I save a ton on ice and keep my freezer full. A full freezer is more efficient. As anyone notice the cost of ice lately. It seems to have doubled in 5 years.

i always bleed mine for atleast 5 days. i prefer to do it for a week though.

no less than 4 days, and have gone up to 8 days. it doesnt hurt as long as u keep ice on it.

You hit it dead on. Never let meat sit in the water. Your just asking for trouble. It'll spoil the meat in a hurry.

We'll skin, gut and quarter our deer and then let it sit in the vault for 3-5 days. Then we'll process.

If your going to put your meat in a cooler with ice, Put the meat in a trash bag and place the bag on ice. Do not put ice on top of the meat. You don't want to get the meat wet. And never put hot meat in a vault or cooler. Let it cometo air temp and then put in. Had a cousin put a deer in fridge without letting it chill outside. It sweated and spoiled in two days.

So why isn't everyones meat spoiled who soaks them for up to a week at a time?????

I agree 100% about venison not being in water.I really see no benifit of soaking the meat in ice even if you drain the water daily. I have seen people on our lease do it all the time and it seems like they are giving it a bloody ice bath more than anything else. Besides it turns the meat into a nasty pale color.

Yup!

4-7 days and leave drain open on cooler. Put 2 blocks of ice in bottom and put deer on top. Then I put 1 fresh bag of ice a day on top!!!

Amen, I don't get it either..

We have left them there for at least 6-7 days, normally only until the water is coming out clear is good enough...

I have never had any spoil in ice water...

WE take the bloodiest fattest smelliest hogs around and make them taste fine... get the blood out...

im with yall, confused. bleeding them for a week does just the opposite. i dunno maybe hes never killed a deer.

When we put meat in an ice chest, we usually cool it with water frozen in milk jugs. Works great and keeps the meat in great shape.

Next time you put up a deer, keep the water off of it and you'll see what I'm talking about.

I have done both and my wife will not eat it unless it has soaked. Tastes way better.

as long as you keep the melted water drained off of it everyday. you can leave it in a cooler at least a week. I always do no problems

I'd do my homework before I used trash bags. Many bags can be bad news since they have chemicals and antibacterial agents applied to them that you really don't want on your meat. I know I'm not eating anything served out of a garbage sack.

Ice bath has alway worked great for me, and the whole 7 days = gamey meat arguement is bogus. I believe quality beef is aged in a meat locker for 21 days to make the flavor less gamey and the meat more tender. I doubt the whole beef industry is doing it wrong and selling inedible meat...

Doug

I leave mine on ice for 4-5 days. I was talking to my processor last year and he said that bags are okay (he thinks without is better), but black bags should be avoided. He said he had a guy bring in a bison last year and he had it in a black bag. There is something about the resin or dye that makes the meat go bad. I will ask again and post.

So far is seems to be the average hunter leaves his deer on ice 4 to 5 days. On ice draining water daily to bleed the meat.

Minimum 3 days for me!

I've always taken mine to the processor in town and request that they hang it for a week before processing. Aging makes a big difference in my opinion

Most trash bags are not considered food safe, no telling what kind of chemicals they are putting out.

HA! yeah that sounds bout right.