Quote:
Originally Posted by Ilikemoosemeat
I was always taught to get the hide off as soon as possible and that is how we do it. But I see more and more people who leave it on. I just can't because it was entrenched in me from very young not to. I have a walk in cooler and I guess really if the temp is constant it shouldn't matter. I would like to hear some more comments about leaving the hide on.
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I've left the hide on a few deer in recent years anywhere from a week to 3 weeks if its cool enough after reading claims that it helps retain moisture as it ages.I hung a buck hide-on in my shed for 3 weeks with daytime temps from -10C to +10C and turned out really good,other than it wasa SOB to skin half frozen,lol.....and my long time butcher pal gave me some funny looks when I brought him a fresh skun deer with a 3 week old meat registration permit.....it looked like it was shot yesterday.
I think it helps or certainly doesn't hurt as long as the weather works with you.Unless you have your own meatlocker,I don't suspect many commercial operations would allow a hairy deer in their cooler?in the end,it certainly looks alot more fresh than a skinned carcass hung the same amount of time,and deer are small enough to cool thoroughly,don't think I'd chance a moose or elk for too long in the earlier seasons when many are taken.