I like to do this to deer when it's cold. Meat seems to taste better. Also you can get all the meat right off the ribs too for deer burger.


I saw somewhere that they tell you to age even rabbits or birds. Can't see letting a rabbit or bird hang for a few days before cutting it up and freezing.

Anyone else heard aging small game too?

I let deer hang too, if the weather is not too warm... I have heard of people hanging small game, but I never did.....I read once that in Europe they used to often let game birds hang by the neck till the head seperated from the body, then they prepared it for the table, figureing that in this way they were most tender...... But I prefer my game birds a little fresher than that.

My small game goes from the cleaning to the fry pot...specially young squirrels. Old ones, I let soak for a while. Never really considered hanging them..but, it's never cold enough here when I go small gaming to do that.

Deer, If it's cold I hang. My grampa actually created a freezer device that we can hang them in now if it's in the 70's or whatever, so now we can hang in warm weather too. I don't really recall not having a deer that was not hung to eat...so, don't know about the difference in taste. (It used to be so much colder here)