How long to let deer hang in cold temps

This is something we have not had to worry about in a few years now. With the Temps in Central Minnesota forecasted to be at near 0 for lows and only upper Teens for this high for the weekend. Just curious about how long you could let a deer hand once it has been skinned out. I know some people let them hang for 5-7 days no matter how cold it is out. Ours hang in a garage so I’m sure it does not get as cold at the true outside temps, but my guess is that it will still be in the low teens overnight in there. We normally skin them the evening after they are shot. And then let hang a day or two depending on how soon we can get around to cutting them up. Just curious if 2 days or so in this cold will be to long or not

I had one hang for over a month once. It was as solid as a rock and had no way to thaw it out.
DT

I know some beef is hanging for 40 days in a properly chilled coolers. If you are below 40 degrees you are fine IMHO for as long as you might want. Had a buddy hang one for several weeks at about 32 degrees and it was just fine.

PS: Don’t want to freeze because then you have to thaw before butchering PITA.

I try and hang my deer a least four or five days at a temp of 35 to 40 degrees. I can regulate the heat in my shop via electric heat on and off during cold weather like this.. That being said if they freeze solid, it does little good to hang them. Can’t say I have ever had “bad” venison, hung or not, provided it was handled right in the field and cooled down properly . I have had some though that took just a little extra beer to wash it down. Hahaha PK

Let it hang long enough for rigor mortis to fully set in, any longer than that is completely up to you.

Generally, 24hrs and i’m butchering it; but that’s mostly because where i hunt and where i hang deer, are a couple hundred miles from where i live.

Warm years, i butcher it and put in fridge for up to/over 24hrs and then to the freezer to later be brought into locker.

I never skin them until I butcher. No reason other than that is how I learned.
I would keep a close eye on it. Hanging is great, convenient and useful but the last thing you want to deal with is a frozen carcass.

24 hours and cut up. Don’t let it freeze. Nothing worse. Trim the fat right after skinning too. Once hardened sucks cutting through it.

Agreed, don’t let it freeze huge pain in the…

Hanging to age the meat does no good unless the temps are correct. I don’t beleive meat ages at a temp lower than 32 degrees.

If I can keep mine from freezing I like to hang 3-5 days to age it.

I like to hang mine with the skin on, it keeps the meat from drying out. I’ve let mine hang below freezing for 2 weeks in the garage and mine tasted aged compared to freshly killed deer and the meat darkens up when hung for around 5 days and longer.