We got a doe yesterday (Sunday) and decided to process the whole thing ourselves. Since we don't have a walk-in cooler or spare fridge at home, I quartered her up, cut out the backstrap/tenderloins, and trimmed out the rib and neck meat. All the pieces are wrapped up individually in Saran but I left the ends open to allow some draining. Grinder pieces are in a big Ziploc with some small holes slit in the bottom. Everything is packed in a big cooler full of ice with the drain plug open.

If any of you age your deer this way, I'd like your opinions on:
1) If I should keep everything wrapped as I have, do it differently, or don't wrap it at all
2) How long you would keep everything on ice
3) If Friday would be too early to grind up some meat for the chili pot during football games that day

I would not wrap the meat in anything.

Put small layer of ice in bottom of ice chest. Then put some meat then cover with ice then more meat then ice and cover top layer of meat with ice. Keep in shade. Open the drain and put a brick under the opposite end so it drains.

Its not necessary and from my experience wont really improve much of anything, but it wont hurt it either.

This is what I've done in the past.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if wrapping it all up would be best but it's how I'd seen it done before.

How long do yall let it sit?

I used to do this.. I don't bother any more with does, not for hamburger
I do like to dry age the backstraps for a week or so in the fridge though.

I might do this for a buck that was shot in the rut though..

Past years I have made a rack for the bottom of my cooler to sit the meat on and let the bags of ice on top of the meat keep it cold and press out any fluids. I would do about a week. So basically if it was shot on fri/sat/sun I would process the following sat or sun.
This year i have a small cold storage so am experimenting with aging in the skin for 14 days.

I just pack my quartered deer in ice and keep drained until the liquid runs clear with very little blood in it and add ice as necessary. Sometimes it takes a few days, sometimes a week.

To answer your question about grinding for Friday, I wouldn't hesitate doing it. Begin enjoying!

I'd freeze it first and grind it almost frozen. All meat cuts better practically frozen.

I've seen dozens of people swear you can't do it this way, you will ruin the meat! Also seen dozens of people swear you HAVE to do it this way or you will ruin the meat. Every deer I have shot, I have stored on ice for about a week, Never let a single piece of that meat go to waste in all that time, and it all tasted great. Go ahead and grind some up also, I have cooked some straight off the deer before and it was delicious.

x2 - do not wrap; just pack the quarters in ice w/drain open.
'anerobic' bacteria thrive by being protected from oxygen (saran wrap does this)....

I've processed all mine myself this way (on ice), and meat has always been excellent. Usually about 1 week.
I let one go two weeks one time (got too busy), and IT was some of the best meat ever. Don't think I'd go a day over that though....

i keep it on ice for a few days not to age it cause it wont but just to give me time to get to it. i think the most important thing is letting it hang skinned and gutted overnight, but it has to be under 50 to do that, this lets it go through the rigimortis process . dont ever cut meat up before this happens

you can grind whenever you're ready. I do not wrap if keeping it in the cooler, as the ice melts it will wash the blood from the meat. Keep the drain open and fill with new ice as needed. You can leave it for a week or longer as long as you keep plenty of ice. Try not to let the meat soak, let it drain as the ice melts.

You can also vacuum seal and wet age in the fridge if you have extra space. I usually do this for about a week before freezing.