What's your rule of thumb for letting a deer hang before putting in the cooler? Guy I hunt with swears its better to let them "cure". I know temp makes a difference. So this weekend when it's 80 as a high and 60 as low. If you shoot a deer on the evening do you let it hang and drain until the next day? Just curious if you have a rule of thumb.

I would not. I would skin it, wash it and get it on ice ASAP.

Quicker cooled the better, 80 degrees meat will be bad quick.

Cooling is more important the curing.

i had one get gamey after hanging gutted for 4 hours opening day of archery with temps around 80. As soon as I skinned it I could smell it was off. It was not gut shot either. I think you have about 3 hours around 75 degrees

I would hang if possible, but if temps dont allow, hang it in the vault.

The worst think you can do to deer meat is let it get warm, or let it get wet.

If you absolutely have to put it in a cooler, make sure you bag it and sit it on the ice. Don't let water get near that meat. It'll taint it. Keep the meat dry.

Put it on ice ASAP!
Hanging is only OK if temps will stay below 40 degrees.
Any temps 40 and above are classified as "Danger Zone".
(I think Kenny Loggins wrote a song about it, fyi.)

Gonna have to disagree...
Gut it, quarter it and throw it in the ice chest. I leave mine on ice for at least 3 days. The more you leave them on ice the more blood soaks our of them. Its the only way my family has done it for years and the ONLY way I will eat it. Tried taking it to the processor and just cant eat it.

Go to any slaughter house or butcher shop. Its a big no no to let any meat get wet. Do you see any of the steaks sitting on Ice when you go the the supermarket?

We will skin, gut and quarter our deer and if the temperature is 50 or below will let it hang outside overnight or we will store in our walk in vaults. We'll let them hand for 4 days and then we will process. We do it the same way butcher our calves.

IMO it is only ok to let them hang if you have a walk in on your place or if the temps are below 40.

This....... If no wakl in I put on ice and drain water 2-3 times a day for about 5-7 days

Ain't hanging my meat in 80 degree weather

Getting meat wet is not a no-no. Letting it soak in water only is. putting a deer in an ice chest with ice and the drain plug pulled work just fine. Now to answer your questions:
1. All slaughter houses wash the meat off before cutting.
2.Of course you don't see steaks sitting on ice because they have something called refrigeration.
If you want to know how I know this, it comes from 26 years of being a market manager for Brookshire Grocery Company.

Aaaaaand we have a winner!