cooler

thehound

are old bottle coolers good for hanging deer in do they keep the meat cool enough

German pointer

thehound wrote:

are old bottle coolers good for hanging deer in do they keep the meat cool enough

Yes I have hung deer for over 20 days in my one

thehound

thanks german pointer was just wondering if they would do as i am just getting into deer shooting

daithi55

do a trial run with nothing in it and see if its working correctly
record the temperatures and make sure it keeps cool enough
the lower the temperature the longer you can hang a deer in it
if you can keep it between 0-2 degrees you will be laughing
even upto 5 degrees you will have no problem hanging a deer for a few days in it

when you hang a deer the fridge will have to work a lot harder to get the temp down so keep an eye on it
as the carcass will be hot for a few hours

clivej

And make sure it has a working fan to circulate the air inside it.

Forty Watt

+1 on the working fan. Without it mould occurs quicker.
Its worth rigging up a bar across the inside top or modifying the existing racks so that the process of hooking the deer up is easier. There is an aftermarket fitting specifically for drink fridges to hang deer but its expensive. Easier to make one yourself.
Also some manner of drip tray that slides into place catches any residual blood.
Lastly I switch cooler on night before I go out. It seems to help cool the beast quicker if fridge is already working.

garrettod

Forty Watt wrote: »

...It seems to help cool the beast quicker if fridge is already working.

Hi,

Are you saying you put the dressed carcass straight into the fridge, as soon as you get home ? ... I would have thought leaving it out to gradually drop temprature first (maybe for up to 24 hours) was the way to do it myself, but I'm far from an expert.

Also, out of interest, how long are you guys leaving the meat to age ?

Thanks.

German pointer

garrettod wrote: »

Hi,

Are you saying you put the dressed carcass straight into the fridge, as soon as you get home ? ... I would have thought leaving it out to gradually drop temprature first (maybe for up to 24 hours) was the way to do it myself, but I'm far from an expert.

Also, out of interest, how long are you guys leaving the meat to age ?

Thanks.

I wouldn't leave it out for 24 hrs in warm weather as the flies would be all over it. I let it cool outside fridge depending on temperature and time of year. I have hung fawns from 2 days usually 5 to 7 and full size for up to 22 days

garrettod

German pointer wrote: »

I wouldn't leave it out for 24 hrs in warm weather as the flies would be all over it.

Absolutely take your point about the flies, although I'd usually see a clean, slightly damp sheet over it to help protect it from flies etc.

I have to say, the idea of a former drinks fridge is a very good one. No doubt I'm the last person to have realised this was a simple solution without having to spend a lot on an expensive fridge / freezer. I'd love to learn from people what they are using to hang the meat in the fridge, obviously there's a fair bit of weight involved so it would need to be robust.

clivej

Go to B&Q , Woodies etc and buy a threaded rod say 20mm. Also buy 4 nuts and washers to match. Drill 2 20m holes in the middle at the top of the fridge cabinet, about 2" from the top. There you have your bar for hanging the deer. Get a couple of meat hooks through the hind legs and your good to go.
Hang with skin on (my way) for a couple of weeks.

clivej

The meat goes through an aging process over the 2 weeks and get nice and tender. Getting rid of any/most of the 'game'y taste' from the meat in this period.

thehound

thanks for all the advice lads i am new to deer shooting have been out with my shooting buddy over the last 4 years but just got my own licence this year